Temple Tuesday: Rodeo Drive and Howard Greer

In the film “Pretty Woman” (1990), Julia Roberts’ character asks her friend Kit (Laura San Giacomo) where the best place in Los Angeles is for expensive clothes. Her response: “Rodeo Drive, Baby!” In the 1940s, Shirley Temple already knew the answer to that question!



Here she is in her off hours (am guessing 1946/1947), strolling down that legendary street for shopping. Other cities may have a Rodeo Drive, but Beverly Hills has the most famous one! Behind Shirley is the 300 block of Rodeo Drive, which at the time had The London Shop (a British clothing importer for men), Chapman-Pollock tailor, and a Jewelry Store. Shirley is blocking any other details about the jeweler!



Below are two vintage ads for The London Shop:






How that section of Rodeo Drive looks now (from approximately the same angle, thanks to Google Maps!), with the Burberry shop and a completely different structure in its place:



In this previously posted image, Shirley and her mother have just parked at the Rodeo Auto Park lot in Beverly Hills as they go to pick up her wedding dress at designer Howard Greer’s private fashion studio, September 10, 1945. This parking lot was located at 485 North Rodeo Drive, near the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Rodeo Drive.



Below, Shirley flashes her engagement ring to Greer, a Hollywood costume and fashion designer, once under contract to Paramount before going on his own:



Shirley’s class mate from the Westlake School for Girls and future sister-in-law, Joyce Agar, was also along for the fitting that day:



Shirley and her mother as they exit Greer’s Beverly Hills fashion studio, reported by the following publicity caption:

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF., SEPT. 10 — SHIRLEY SHOPS FOR WEDDING DRESS. Shirley Temple, accompanied by her mother, Mrs. George Temple, leaves a dressmaking shop here today after picking out her wedding dress. The young screen actress will become the bride of Sgt. John Agar sometime between Sept. 15 and 22, depending on when Agar is granted a furlough.



The LA Evening Citizen News breathlessly described Greer’s creation:

A small crown of corded satin in loops topped Shirley’s famous golden curls. Her dress of white satin, especially designed for her by Howard Greer, had a fitted bodice, short sleeves and a “Little Infanta” skirt held out at the sides by panniers. The round low neck was edged by a looped cord of satin studded with seed pearls, more of which dotted the bodice. The train was full and long. From the headdress coronet fell a silk net veil and a short cape veil of the same material. Shirley’s gloves were of self-satin in wrist length, scalloped and embroidered with seed pearls.



Two shots from the Agar wedding, taken during the reception that followed at the Temple residence:



According to the LA Daily Mirror website, Greer’s shop was originally at 6530 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, moving in 1940 to the 310 N. Rodeo Drive location where Shirley and her mother were pictured. Previously on August 28, gossip columnist Louella Parsons for the LA Examiner mentioned Shirley and Greer:

Don’t let anyone tell you that the Shirley Temple wedding to John Agar isn’t just around the corner. Three dresses for her trousseau were modeled at the Howard Greer fashion show that brought out Loretta Young, Irene Dunne, Dinah Shore, Doris Le Roy, Kay Williams et al. But to get back to Shirley’s little numbers—one was a sky blue cocktail suit with a jacket of Bugle beads shimmering like blue sunshine. Another was a black and white check suit but the “bridiest” of all was a white robe with quilted bodice and sleeves and a full flaring flannel skirt.



I don’t see any bugle beads, but this suit was worn by Shirley as she exited the Temple residence for her honeymoon.



Shirley is holding the same purse; not sure if the interesting pin is buried underneath the gigantic corsage of orchids or not!



Here’s a genuine Howard Greer label, found on eBay:



Didja’ know…Greer also designed this uniform for TWA flight attendants in 1944 with the interesting logo cutout on the shoulder, found on csews.com:



And so concludes this particular Shirley Temple rabbit hole!

See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Shirley on Wilshire

Built in 1925, the Wilshire United Methodist Church with its 144-foot tower casts an impressive shadow over Wilshire Boulevard. The architects, Allison and Allison, also designed First Congregational Church, Janss Investment Corporation, and buildings at UCLA. They were known for their unique use of concrete and fusion of Italian, Spanish, and Gothic styles.



The church's founding pastor, Frank Dyer, stirred up the proverbial pot a bit by holding a jazz concert in the sanctuary and by staging a church fundraiser at the Olympic Auditorium that was to include prizefighter Jack Dempsey. The church was also known for its celebrity weddings including Jeannette MacDonald to Gene Raymond (1937) and seventeen-year-old Shirley Temple to John Agar (1945). Here she is walking down the aisle with her father George.



The newlyweds standing outside the church after the ceremony:



The distinctive wood doors are still there:



All about the details:



Yes. I was there.



Love the concrete ornamentation!



The tower:



See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Shirley Buys A Dress

Child star and politician Shirley Temple was married twice, and she made bones about number one (John Agar in 1945) being a bad choice and number two (Charles Black in 1950) being the best thing since sliced bread. Because of her film fame though, the first wedding was the one that made the huge splash as America bemoaned how the curly haired moppet could ever be old enough to get married.

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF., SEPT. 10 - - SHIRLEY SHOPS FOR WEDDING DRESS. Shirley Temple, accompanied by her mother, Mrs. George Temple, leaves a dressmaking shop here today after picking out her wedding dress. The young screen actress will become the bride of Sgt. John Agar sometime between Sept. 15 and 22, depending on when Agar is granted a furlough.

And here's a professional photo by the Curtis Studios of LA showing how the blushing bride looked:



A lot more Shirley at my main website.