Temple Tuesday: Shirley's Fridge

Refrigerators did not become a common household appliance until the 1928 introduction of freon, which helped prices drop to a more affordable level. In the 1934 photo above, Shirley practices a step with choreographer Jack Donohue in her Fox Bungalow for the publicity cameras. In the background at left, you can see a refrigerator. The below image gives a better view of the appliance, but unfortunately not a great view of its contents.



Although I can’t vouch for the brand of fridge in Shirley’s bungalow, for the movie “Bright Eyes,” General Electric promoted the kitchen set which used their appliances, including the fridge, range, and dishwasher.



Here’s an alternate shot of the GE endorsement series that Shirley posed for:



Lois Wilson and Shirley in a scene from “Bright Eyes,” where the GE appliances were featured:



Apparently little Shirley and her family were not necessarily brand loyal. Below is a publicity photo of Shirley hawking Norge appliances, which also included washing machines and stoves.



Shirley Temple in her portable 20th Century-Fox trailer between takes of “Little Miss Broadway” (1938), enjoying a sandwich and a cold glass of milk from her little icebox:



In the Temple home, located in the wealthy Brentwood neighborhood, the kitchen had a Norge fridge! This previously posted 1940s image of Shirley has her releasing a sunshine cake from its pan:



Yup, it’s Norge!



This online image from March 1944 gives a glimpse of the contents of the Temple fridge. Spiral ham, olives, and only God knows what else.



In 1965, Shirley and her family lived in Atherton. Below, she proudly poses with her son, Charlie.



Let’s take a look at what’s in Shirley’s kitchen!



On the countertop we see Bisquick. I won’t show this photo to my Mom; Bisquick was akin to a curse word, as she made everything from scratch. I mean EVERY THING! Pancakes, biscuits, waffles…no mixes allowed!



Somebody in Shirley’s home had a thirst for beer. The king-size Budweiser near her left hand is getting nice and frosty for…? On the door are what appear to be a few cans of Libby’s tomato juice. Her right hand seems to be pulling out a box with…? Shirley did have a taste for decadent chocolate cake; perhaps that’s what was inside.



Rounding out today’s post is a beautiful color image, also taken during the same time period at Shirley’s Atherton home. Her hairdo is an aerosol delight!



See more Shirley Temple at home photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Domestic Shirley

Staged publicity shoots at home were part of being a star, even for little Shirley Temple. In the above staged shot from 1937, Shirley does not appear to be faring well in the kitchen. I sure hope those dishes were not valuable! In 1941, Shirley did an entire shoot showing her prepare a turkey. Back then, this was the equivalent of anything the top influencers would be posting on social media today!



It looks like Shirley might have even been allowed to enjoy the “fruits” of her labor.



Here’s a shot of a Morgantown Ruby Red Golf Ball Stem goblet found on ebay (in case you’d like to have one like the ones on the shelf above Shirley!):



Stars can’t do it all by themselves; in this image, Shirley gets assistance from one of the maids in pouring a spot of tea.



Shirley is seen baking a sunshine cake. I wonder how it turned out? It looks perfectly spongy! 



My mom used to bake Sunshine Cakes every year for our childhood birthdays. Here’s a recipe I found online for it. In case you were wondering, Shirley’s fridge was a Norge, which was originally manufactured by the Norge Appliance Company. Norge was acquired by Magic Chef in 1979, then absorbed by Maytag in 1986. Since 2006, Maytag has been a part of the Whirlpool Corporation. That’s a lot to follow!



You probably need a little refreshment after all that info; a Coca-Cola from Shirley’s private bar sounds perfect, as seen here in this 1949 shot with her then husband, John Agar.



See more Shirley Temple at home photos at my main website.