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 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.
Temple Tuesday is two days late, but these photos go perfectly with today’s celebration of Thanksgiving. Whether you get riled up about the origins of the celebration or not, EVERYONE would benefit from slowing down and taking at least one day to focus on what they can be thankful for. Just getting the disclaimer out of the way first, folks, cause that’s how I operate.
Photo #1 is from 1935 and shows Shirley in the duds that she wore during the orphanage sequences from “Curly Top.” Even though the film was shot from May 25, 1935 through July 10, 1935, the publicity department was thinking ahead by shooting photos that could be used during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. From the accompanying (now) gruesome caption:
“You eat now, and I’ll eat Thanksgiving Day,” seems to be the idea Shirley Temple, little Fox Film star, has as she watches one of her turkeys go after the corn supply.
One of Shirley’s semi-notorious stories from her childhood film career took place during the filming of “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.” Early in the film, Rebecca (Shirley) goes to visit neighbor Tony Kent (Randolph Scott). Her cousin Gwen (Gloria Stuart) eventually joins the two as Rebecca dines on some turkey that Tony’s butler (Slim Summerville) has served the little girl. The photos above and below were taken during the filming of this sequence.
Shirley’s brother Jack was hired as third assistant director, to which she would later say, he “spent time thinking up things to take care of, one of which was me.” Director Allan Dwan fired him after a dispute over a roasted turkey prop. The turkey had been sprayed with insecticide and Jack loudly ordered her not to eat it, which she had no intention of doing. Out of spite, she popped the turkey in her mouth, prompting her brother to shake her to dislodge it. “Despite a slightly bitter taste, it was good turkey and my disobedience was immensely satsisfying.” Below, Shirley calms down between takes of the sequence by doing a little crafting:
In the 1938 film “Just Around the Corner,” Shirley and Bennie Bartlett share some turkey in the kitchen as their characters play matchmakers for their family. Do their attempts work? Of course they do!
The film was released just in time for Thanksgiving, on November 11, 1938. From the Sunday, November 20, 1938 Milwaukee Sunday News-Sentinel:
Hollywood’s little dream-girl-come-true (Shirley Temple, of course) is pictured having a dream of and for herself…and Shirley’s vision should come true Thanksgiving Day. As for the forthcoming holiday, seems to us Shirley has quite a few things for which to be thankful. Only 9 1/2 years old, she has earned a sizable fortune…should be able to enjoy a bright and bountiful future. On the other hand, millions of moviegoers might well remember to be appreciative of the happiness and cheer she has given them from the screen. Then there are the thousands outside the motion picture industry for whom her fame has been a source of livelihood…employees of doll manufacturers and children’s clothing concerns, etc. Doesn’t the title of her next picture, “The Little Princess,” fit Shirley to a ‘T’? The film a 20th Century-Fox production, will be her first full-length Technicolor vehicle.
The dress Shirley wears while carving the turkey was seen in “Just Around the Corner” and is known as the Lucky Penny dress, named after her character in the film, Penny Hale.
“The Blue Bird” (1940) was shot from September to October of 1939, so it stands to reason that Shirley would be photographed carving yet another turkey, wearing her peasant garb from the movie.
After a brief retirement in 1940, Shirley was back in the kitchen with a turkey again in 1941 during the filming of MGM’s “Kathleen.” These publicity shots were taken in Shirley’s Brentwood kitchen.
In the above and below shots, you can see the Morgantown Ruby Red goblets on the top shelf, as Shirley happily pretends to munch on her Flintstone-sized turkey leg.
I hope you all have a joyous, reflective, and relaxing day. I’ll be out this morning running the Turkey Trot, attempting to earn whatever calories I take in! And while I’m at it, I’d like to wish a VERY happy birthday to faithful Daveland reader and stellar Shirley’s Army member, SJR!!
See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.
All three of Shirley Temple’s childhood residences still stand, but none compare to the one that the Temple family commissioned at the height of their daughter’s fame. It even graced the cover of House Beautiful! According to Melissa, aka “The Colonel”:
Once Shirley rose to fame, the house in Santa Monica could not afford her the privacy she required, so the Temples purchased land in the Brentwood Park section of Los Angeles in late 1935, and construction began in March 1936. The lot measured 168' x 400', and the property ran from Rockingham Avenue all the way to Sunset Boulevard. They moved into the approximately 5,000 square foot residence later that summer. On June 30, 1936 they bought additional land to the south, bringing their property to a total of more than three acres. The main home was designed by John Byers of Santa Monica and his associate, Edla Muir.
Thanks to a previous visit and connection she had made to the current owners, Melissa was able to take me along this time when she traveled West and got a second opportunity to see Temple’s Temple.
If you compare my contemporary shot (above) with the vintage view below, you’ll see that the exterior looks virtually the same, except for one minor thing: the left-hand side is completely missing. Yup. It’s true. Gonzo. More on that later!
Here’s Shirley on the front porch with English actress, singer, comedian Gracie Fields, getting ready to celebrate her eighth birthday in 1937 with a gigantic cake for the cameras. Actually, it was her ninth, but at the time, Shirley was told otherwise.
Here’s a video clip of the occasion:
It is still hard to believe that I was actually there.
I am so glad I had my 600mm lens with me to get this detailed shot of the original weathervane:
The proud owners of this beloved property who generously opened it up to us one lovely Friday afternoon:
Recognize the door in the vintage shot below with Shirley and then husband John Agar? Other than the paint color and some different plants, all looks the same!
In this 1940 image for LIFE Magazine, Shirley descends the spiral staircase in the foyer:
There was no debutante ball for me, but I was probably just as excited as Shirley was over 80 years ago!
Same glass finial!
I was obsessed with this staircase…
AND the vintage chandelier!
Shirley in her bedroom:
How it looks today:
The homeowner is looking over the book that Melissa, Rita Dubas (Shirley expert supreme!), and I put together with the history of her home, chock full of photos, articles, and vintage floor plans:
Shirley dusts her bedroom shelf:
The same location today:
Two vintage shots of Shirley’s Playroom:
Plenty of room for play!
The room is just as impressive today, with its original wooden beams overhead:
It appeared that only one of the bathrooms in the home had the original tile. I just about died when I peaked into this one, as vintage tile gets me every time.
Shirley dances down the steps in the backyard that lead to the pool:
Still there!
Near the pool is Shirley’s glass playhouse, built and gifted by the Owens-Illinois Glass Company. According to the press release of the time:
Partial partitioning provides for a miniature kitchen, bedroom and a living room. Removable doors make it possible to ‘open up’ the entire front whenever desired. A candy pole porch column and murals of storybook characters add to the fun of housekeeping.
Still there!
In this photo, Shirley assisted with the construction:
How that area looks today:
The Temples sold the home in 1951; at some point later, the owner decided to split the main house into two, most likely to make the property easier to sell. Thus, the missing section of the home shown in my earlier photos. This shot shows the portion that was removed:
The other remaining half next door and how it looks today:
What a day! The gang stands outside the entry gate as we get ready to depart:
The same gate!
Thanks to Melissa for getting me into Temple’s Temple and extra special thanks to the hospitality of the current owners!
See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.
