Temple Tuesday: The Honorary Colonel

In the 1935 movie, “The Little Colonel,” Shirley Temple’s character (shown above) is made an honorary colonel. In a case of art imitates life, Shirley herself became an honorary colonel courtesy of the American Legion in January 1935. From the vintage publicity blurb that accompanied the photo below:

A little colonel. Popular little American film actress Shirley Temple has been made an honorary colonel of the American Legion. Colonel Barlow presents little Shirley Temple with the certificate and medal.



Which came first? According to the AFI website, production on “The Little Colonel” took place from late November until January 9, 1935. Most likely Shirley’s film inspired this highly publicized event.



Shirley’s cap survived until after her death, when it was auctioned off by Theriault’s for $1500. From the catalog description:

Shirley Temple's Honorary Colonel Medallion and Cap for Hollywood American Legion

The 11" black wool cap with yellow piping is embroidered "Hollywood 43" on one side and "California" with state emblem on the other, and has an attached medallion reading "Honorary Colonel Post 43 Shirley Temple" with center cameo star pin of the American Legion. The reverse of the medallion is inscribed "From Your Big Brothers Hollywood Post 43 1-21-35".

Theriault’s also auctioned off the below coat for $2,400. From the catalog:



Woolen Coat with Eagle Emblem Worn by Shirley Temple in the Film "Stand up and Cheer"

Of rich brown cashmere wool, with brown silk lining, the unique coat was designed to be worn as either a double-breasted style with brass buttons and military like lapels, or in stylish manner with folded-over front flaps, and has rolled cuffs, breast pockets, two well-tailored open flap pockets, and is decorated with a gold embroidered eagle on the sleeve. Included is a matching beret. Both coat and beret have the label of De Betty Alden Shoppe Los Angeles. The costume was worn by Shirley Temple in various scenes in her 1934 film, "Stand Up and Cheer" and at various events including her 1935 induction as America's youngest honorary colonel in the American Legion, and in publicity photographs, one depicting Shirley with her 1934 co-star Madge Evans and the other posed with Tillie the cow, which was an unexpected gift to young Shirley from an enthusiastic fan.



The coat matches the “Stand Up And Cheer” photo, but not the American Legion Shots, which show Shirley wearing a coat with a different style of button. Below, she is with a somber Commander Louis J. Canepe, who officiated the ceremony.



The emblem on the sleeve is also different. Oops.



It does appear that Shirley wore the same American Legion coat to her meeting with Tillie the cow, though, as the sleeve emblems match on those two.



Edited from an April 28, 2016 article on the American Legion website:

In 1935 the Fox Film sensation Shirley Temple became a ‘little sister’ to members of the American Legion Post 43 when she was commissioned Honorary Colonel, a title bestowed upon top Hollywood talent who showed support for military veterans.



Shirley Temple was commissioned as a Colonel in the American Legion, an honor extended to her by the Hollywood Post 43. (photo above) Shirley is shown with Colonel Reginald Barlow, left, and Commander Louis J. Canepe. Shirley Temple became a ‘little sister’ to members of American Legion Hollywood Post 43 after a ceremony during which she was commissioned an honorary Colonel.



A close-up of the certificate she received:



Shirley Temple also received a certificate from Hollywood Post 43 member Colonel Reginald Barlow.

It was only fitting that the 2016 Shirley Temple stamp be unveiled with members of the American Legion, Post 43. Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Megan J. Brennan along with family members including Shirley’s oldest daughter, Susan, and distinguished guests unveiled the Shirley Temple Forever stamp (photo below by Clemente Bogle).



Edited from the American Legion website:

Shirley Temple, child actress and youngest Honorary Colonel of The American Legion, is featured on a Forever stamp issued on April 18 as part of the Legends of Hollywood series. An American Legion color guard opened the ceremony where distinguished representatives of the entertainment industry and politics joined family members as the U.S. postal service unveiled the 20th stamp in the Legends of Hollywood series.



The Forever stamp features a Tim O’Brien painting based on a 1935 image from Temple’s iconic role in “Curly Top.” The name Shirley Temple conjures memories of 54 perfect curls, a contagious smile, and the bright personality of the adorable little girl who starred in “Curly Top.”



The name Shirley Temple Black represents a respected diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia. Megan J. Brennan, postmaster general of the United States Postal Service, introduced the stamp at a first day of issue dedication at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. “That’s what I see in the image, a young girl with a knowing, confident smile who represents the potential of our nation and who, in real life, lived up to our highest expectations,” Brennan said. Brennan quoted President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s description of “Little Miss Miracle” during a time of economic hardship when he said, “As long as our country has Shirley Temple, we will be all right.” It was first as an actress that Shirley Temple won all of America’s hearts, but it was as a determined diplomat that Shirley Temple Black earned admiration. Norman L. Eisen, former United States ambassador to the Czech Republic, remarked, “Her diplomacy, like her film career, was characterized by her optimism, her drive, and her ability to connect with anyone, anywhere in the world. She used those talents to play a critical role in helping Czechoslovakia transition from communism to democracy. From being an adversary of the United States to that nation becoming one of our closest allies anywhere. That legacy is hers today.” Isaacs described how Shirley Temple watched from a hotel room in Prague in 1968 as Soviet tanks rolled in and an unarmed woman below was shot and killed for exercising free speech. The lessons were seared into Shirley Temple that difficult day. It was a conviction she carried in her conscience for another quarter century until she returned to Prague as United States ambassador. At just 5-foot-2-inches tall, she stood tall as a giant in solidarity with the brave activists of the velvet revolution who took to the streets to finally make Czechoslovakia free. Eison read a letter from President Barack Obama that complimented the formidable diplomat and beloved child-star, “She is remembered as a face of hope during the Great Depression, as an undeniable presence during the Cold War, and for a resilient personality that enabled her to carry forward an enduring grace.” President Obama said.

Few people realize that Shirley gave a lifetime of service (and happiness) to this country, which is a shame.

See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Shirley Signs A Contract

By 1943, Shirley’s last four films had been box office disappointments. “The Blue Bird” (1940), “Young People” (1940), “Kathleen” (1941), and “Miss Annie Rooney” (1942). Careerwise, she needed a quality boost, and that’s exactly what David O. Selznick (pictured above with Shirley) provided her. From the Ogdensburg Advance-News, Sunday, July 11, 1943:

HOLLYWOOD BY ERSKINE JOHNSON

A fifteen-year-old high school junior with three million dollars in the bank will spend her vacation this summer in her third motion picture comeback attempt in as many years. Maybe you remember the lady. Her name is Shirley Temple and not so long ago she was the top money making star in Hollywood—box-office champion from 1935 to 1939. The man who is betting he can return her to box-office favor—with her career now entirely in his hands —is the Hollywood producer who takes chances only when he knows he can’t lose—shrewd David O. Selznick. As carefully planned  by her mother, Shirley survived the awkward age so dreaded by child stars But mama and everyone else forgot to count on "awkward pictures’’ and Mr. and Mrs. Movie-goer. Two comeback attempts—“Kathleen” in 1941 and “Miss Annie Rooney” last year—made little impression on the public. They were not good pictures, and they convinced Hollywood that Shirley was washed up. The public was tired of her after seven years of stardom. Her name didn’t mean a nickel at the box office. For a year Shirley did nothing on the screen, made an unsuccessful foray into radio, but her mother’s hopes were not dimmed. While attending school, Shirley continued singing and dancing and music lessons, studied dramatics and took a course in charm.

SELZNICK STEPS IN

Then, three weeks ago, Producer David O. Selznick purchased the screen rights to a soon-to-be-published first novel, “Since You Went Away.” He could see only Shirley Temple in the role of Brig, 15-year-old daughter of a father who joins the Army, leaving his wife and another daughter faced with financial problems. Selznick telephoned Mrs. Temple. No, he didn’t want to star Shirley in the picture. There would be an all-star cast. Claudette Colbert would play the mother, Jennifer Jones the other daughter and Monte Woolley as a boarder in their home who helps pay the rent. Mrs. Temple needed no reminding that Selznick had produced “Gone With the Wind,” “Rebecca” and other great films. A week later Shirley - signed a contract, to play the role. “Since You Went Away” definitely is not “another Temple picture.” It is based on a series of letters written by Margaret Buell Wilder, Dayton, Ohio, newspaper-woman and mother of two teenaged daughters, to her husband in the Army. It is the every-day story of their problems and efforts to make ends meet by taking in boarders. And it is definitely not another Temple role. Shirley plays a straight dramatic part. No dancing and no singing. In many scenes. she will wear blue jeans and a boy’s shirt.



TYPICAL TEENSTER

At 15, Shirley is a typical, adolescent Miss America. She’s interested in boys, likes to swim, worries about her tan, is an ardent film fan, likes to “cut a rug,” enjoys boogie woogie music and hot bands. She’s healthy, active and alert. At Los Angeles, swank Westlake School for Girls she is an above-average student, taking subjects which will prepare her for college. The famous 55 blond Temple curls have been replaced by naturally wavy, golden brown hair. But the familiar dimple and the wrinkle at one corner of her mouth and the Temple smile are still there.

Just nine years earlier, Shirley made headlines when she signed a contract for “Stand Up and Cheer” (first called “Fox Follies” during its production).



From the January 31, 1934 publicity blurb:

YOUNGEST FOLLIES PLAYER. Baby Shirley Temple, 4, made her first court appearance when she had her contract approved by Judge Marshall F. McComb, left, in Los Angeles. She is the youngest in the cast of the “Follies” now being produced.

See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Shirley, Warner, and the Russians

Warner Baxter was an Academy Award winning actor (“In Old Arizona,” 1928) by the time he worked with Shirley Temple in 1934’s “Stand Up And Cheer.” They had one scene together in the film, but were also seen together (most likely for publicity purposes!) in the Fox Commissary. Notice Warner is the only one with food in front of him!



The two met again in front of the cameras three years later, according to a 2001 article in the Los Angeles Times:

Just 12 days after Amelia Earhart disappeared dramatically in the Pacific while attempting an around-the-world flight, a trio of Russian aviators blazing a new polar route had to take an unexpected forced landing—in a Riverside County cow pasture [the original destination was San Diego]. At a time when the young Soviet Union was establishing itself as, in Winston Churchill’s words, “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma,” the experimental single-engine plane was the second of three pioneering Soviet flights intended to test the feasibility of a commercial airline route from Moscow to the United States. Their surprise landing here earned them parades and hobnobs with movie stars and aviation pioneers.

Shirley recalled the event in her autobiography, Child Star:

In mid-July of 1937 came visitors worth seeing because they were so abhorred in advance. “More Commies,” snorted Klammy [Shirley’s studio appointed teacher]. “They don’t believe in God.” To arm me with useful Russian phrases, the studio had sent comedian Gregory Ratoff to tutor. Demonstrating “very good” in Russian, he sputtered the syllables, and like all short people, I caught his fine rain of spray, leaving me rehearsed and sticky all over.



From the accompanying publicity blurb:

LOS ANGELES ENTERTAINS RUSSIAN FLYERS. Russia’s three flying aces were entertained at the 20th Century-Fox Motion Picture Studios in Hollywood, California on July 17th. Photo shows—left to right— Navigator Sergei Danilin, Pilot Mikhail Gromoff; Co-Pilot Andrei Yumasheff; Shirley Temple, child actress; and Warner Baxter.



From a vintage newspaper:

The flyers were met at the gate by Shirley Temple, equipped with her best smile, an autograph book and a pen. Yumashev sketched her an airplane; Gromov drew a face, and Danilin, the navigator, drew a straight line, explaining that straight lines were the business of a navigator.

The autographs and sketches came up for sale in 2015 at the “Love, Shirley Temple” Theriault’s auction. From the catalog:



MEMORABILIA RELATING TO THE FIRST TRANSPOLAR FLIGHT FROM MOSCOW TO CALIFORNIA
Lot Number: 490. Comprising two photographs of nine-year old Shirley Temple and the three Russian fliers who made the first non-stop transpolar flight from Moscow to Southern California, July 12-14, 1937, along with three cards with little notes of admiration and autographs from those fliers, Mikhail Gromov (pilot), Andrei Yumashev (copilot) and Sergei Danilin (navigator) to Shirley Temple. The notes were written in both Russian and English language, the English noting "To a charming little girl and a great actress". Along with a card from Consantine Oumansky (charge d'affairs at the Russian embassy in Washington, and then from 1939-1941, Russian ambassador to the US), who noted "Together with our Trans-Polar Flighers [sic] I am enchanted by Shirley. You can really be proud of her", and with a ruble note. Of little attention today, that flight was extraordinary at the time, flying 7120 non-stop miles in 62 hours, a new flight record. The flight plan was designed to land in San Diego, but fog conditions caused its landing in a cow pasture in San Jacinto. The fliers were wildly celebrated including a ticker tape parade in Los Angeles, a visit with President Roosevelt, and, this, a meeting with Shirley Temple. Realized Price: $1,100 • Presale Estimate: $300+

Want to see the dress Shirley wore in color? Look no further than the July 1937 cover of Photoplay Magazine, shot by George Hurrell:



Back to Shirley’s account from Child Star:

Three of the visitors were short, two looming; all were dressed alike, in drab suits with trousers flared at the bottom. “I am Oumansky, chargé d’affaires from Washington,” said one, his voice sonorous and thickly accented. “I translate.” “Pashalsta! Thank you,” I replied, while everyone smiled politely. “And I help,” added Rigore Gokham, the USSR consul general in San Francisco, who took charge. The other three men were aviators who had just flown in a single-engine plane 6,295 miles nonstop from Moscow across the North Pole, a world record for distance. The filers had just landed in the early morning of July 12 in a pasture near San Jacinto, California, site of today’s March Field Air Base. “Know why they landed in a plowed field instead of the smooth nearby landing strip?” Gokham asked, then answered, “Because the air brakes were removed before takeoff to make room for a heavier fuel load. They had to use a rough field to help stop the plane.” It all sounded exciting and logical. “Yes, we pioneer commercial air route between our two countries,” interrupted the pilot, Mikhail Gromov, a lean and attractive man wearing a small medal on a red ribbon. Noticing my interest, he stooped forward so I could see better. “Medal of a Hero of the Soviet Union, from the great world war,” he told me. Although I hadn’t studied the war yet with Klammy, I was mighty impressed. “Ohin Khorosho! Very good! I commented, tucking in my chin for the requisite guttural tone. Actually the Gromov flight was the second Soviet transpolar flight. Severe head winds had forced the first plane to land at an army airfield near Vancouver, Washington. The U.S. commanding officer who took the three-man Soviet crew into his home was General George C. Marshall, later of international reknown. That initial long-distance record was short-lived, eclipsed by Gromov three weeks later. “We flew three days,” navigator Sergei Danilin began, reciting details, “precisely sixty-two hours and seventeen minutes. We heave cyclones, ice, and gov over magnetic pole. Only one night dark enough for sleep.” “Ochin Khorosho!” I repeated enthusiastically although I was puzzled. We had not reached astronomy either. “Now I will lead you around the lot. First we’ll see them making movies,” I advised, and paraded the group onto the set of Eddie Cantor’s “Ali Baba Goes to Town.” Although polite to the cast, the visitors were obviously far more interested in technical equipment than chatting with strangers. Actors Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Warner Baxter and Andy Devine stood in an attentive circle around the visitors, but one by one the fliers drifted aside to examine cameras, lights, and sound equipment.

From the Globe-Democrat, July 18, 1937:

On one set [of “In Old Chicago”] they saw Alice Faye and Tyrone Power engaged in a love scene, and, while they didn’t understand the dialogue, they seemed to get the idea. Eddie Cantor, filming a comedy [“Ali Baba Goes to Town”], greeted the trio, and they grinned when attempted to explain what he was doing.…The entire party attended a luncheon at which Darryl Zanuck, head of the studio, was host.

Another vintage paper of the day reported:

Through an interpreter, Gromoff said: “The team work of the people who make motion pictures is amazing. A man blows a whistle and everybody is quiet. All know just what to do and how to do it. I admire the team work.”

From Child Star:

The fliers were my excuse to attend my first baseball game. Along with 28,000 other spectators at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles, we watched a pickup Film Comedians team edge the Leading Men 7 runs to 6. Long forbidden to nibble between meals, I was not allowed to have hot dogs, and having only a meager understanding of baseball, I was reduced to watching others eat and play. It was one of the few moments I could remember when I could stare at other people without catching them staring back. Sharing my disinterest in baseball, Gromov began to talk again. “Flying is like a game too,” he said, while Oumansky translated. “We are a young country. We cannot remain behind.” As he spoke he looked directly at me, his long fingers held just touching each other in a thoughtful pose. “World progress must be our progress. Maybe American aviators can better our record. So! We in turn once more may surpass your record.” Better than baseball, I thought. A simple contest, and perpetual. It intrigued and baffled me that so likable a person could bring horror into Klammy’s voice. Despite obviously irreconcilable divisions of political philosophy, Gromov and I remained friends for years, and forty-five years later, in 1983, he wrote me of his hope that the “meteorological and political storms will soon subside, and we again will be able to share pleasant memories of meetings on your soil.”



At the time of the Russian tour, Shirley was just wrapping up the filming of “Heidi,” which was in production from May 17, 1937 to mid-July 1937. Baxter’s most recent Twentieth Century-Fox production was the comedy “Wife, Doctor and Nurse,” released September 17, 1937 and also starred Loretta Young. As for what happened to Baxter, it seems like a sad story. Although very wealthy from his film career, he was also tired of the studio system and the amount of pictures he was forced to churn out per year. Age was not his friend, either, as he became increasingly more uncomfortable with the age disparity of his leading ladies. Turning to the bottle, he began a slow descent into depression and eventually had a nervous breakdown. At the end of his Fox contract, he slowed his pace down, enjoyed the fruits of his labor, and lived in Malibu beach with his wife, Winifred. His ending blew me away, as I’d never read about this before:

Baxter’s health deteriorated as he began suffering from arthritis. He tried many different medications and various forms of physical therapy, but his chronic pain only worsened over time. In 1951, he became so desperate to find a cure for the pain, that he decided to undergo transorbital lobotomy despite his physicians telling him that the procedure could permanently damage his brain. After he was lobotomized, Baxter stopped complaining about the pain, but he also experienced severe memory loss and crippling seizures. Furthermore, he stopped recognizing people around him and turned apathetic. Baxter died on May 7, 1951, of pneumonia [most likely developed from improper post-surgical care] several weeks after the procedure, at the age of 62.…Transorbital lobotomy remained a common practice for treating mental illnesses and various physical ailments until the 1970s. It was finally halted after it was proven that the procedure did not help but causes irreparable brain damage.

Many thanks to Melissa (aka “The Colonel”) for doing the legwork on the vintage articles!

See Shirley Temple more photos at my main website.

Shirley For Sale Pt. 3

Thanks to author and Shirley Temple expert Rita Dubas, today's post begins with a vintage shot of Shirley herself, displaying her famous red polka-dot outfit from 1934's "Stand Up And Cheer." She sang her breakout hit, "Baby Take A Bow" while wearing this dress that had tiers of ruffled organdy petticoats underneath, giving extra bounce to Shirley's accompanying dance routine.





In the background display case of today's first photo you can also see life-size Japanese bride doll that the Japanese children of Hawaii presented to Shirley during a 1935 Honolulu vacation. Here's a vintage shot that was on display at the Museum:



Here is the doll on display at the Santa Monica History Museum:



Amazingly life-like:



One of Shirley's personal favorites was this ensemble from 1935's "The Little Colonel":



The porkpie bonnet and high-button boots by Emidio Spezza were on display. Emidio was an exclusive shoemaker to the stars from Italy.



A publicity still from "Curly Top" shows Shirley lounging in her pink silk pajamas:



The appliqued white bunnies and pom-poms look just as cute today:



This "Wee Willie Winkie" 1937 costume was seen at the beginning of the film:



On display:



Last one for today is a LARGE panoramic sneak peek of what is to come:



For details on the exhibit, visit the Santa Monica History Museum website.

View additional Santa Monica photos at my main website.

Happy 85th Birthday, Shirley Temple Black!

Shirley Temple Black has crammed a lot of living into her 85 years: an actress, a singer, a dancer, a wife, a mother, AND a diplomat. Starting out in 1932 as the female lead in a series of extremely politically incorrect movie shorts called "Baby Burlesks," Shirley learned quickly how to steal a scene.



Her big breakthrough came in 1934 when she sang the hit song "Baby Take A Bow" in the otherwise forgettable Fox Film "Stand Up And Cheer." For a country weary from the Depression and on the brink of war, Shirley was a real shot in the arm.



It wasn't long before the talented tot was immortalized in the cement of Grauman's Chinese Theater's forecourt.



Her roles as a child star are still memorable, whether she was the goody-two-shoes counterpart to Jane Withers' brattiness...



or attempting to charm President Lincoln into pardoning her father...



or teaching a cripple how to walk...



Here she attempts to impress the judge and jury in a courtroom with her dance skills. Whatever it was, Shirley Temple put a smile on the face of this nation throughout the 1930's.



She began 1939 by handing out the Oscar(s) to Walt Disney for his achievement with "Snow White."



1939 also saw the release of her first all-Technicolor motion picture, "The Little Princess."



One year later, her super career faltered when "The Blue Bird" failed to register with the American public. Nobody wanted to see Shirley as a brat.



The 1940's saw a small resurgence in her career in a number of prestige pictures, such as "Since You Went Away" with Claudette Colbert and Jennifer Jones:



and "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" with Cary Grant and Myrna Loy.



Sadly though, her career ended before 1950 thanks to a number of duds that attempted to make money by using the marquee value of Shirley's name. "That Hagen Girl" with Ronald Reagan was one of the most laughable.



In the late 1950's, Shirley found new fame on television, presenting a series of classic fairy tales. She was a more than lovely hostess:



Some of the screenplays featured Shirley as well, including "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" with Boris Karloff:



One of my favorite (and oddest) photos of Shirley is this one of her from 1964 with The Beatles.



By the 1960's, Shirley gave up her acting career and became a politician, earning a newfound respect thanks to her commitment and hard work. She was also one of the first women to come forward and encourage others by sharing the story of her breast cancer experience. Besides her stints as a diplomat (in Ghana and Prague), Shirley still appeared in the public eye to share stories about her Hollywood days. Here she is in 1978 with Jane Withers:



In 1989 she made best-seller lists with the publication of her autobiography, "Child Star."



She has supposedly finished part two of her autobiography, detailing the rest of her life, but has yet to get it published. I can only imagine the stories she has tell about her days in Washington. Last photo for today shows Shirley with Liza Minnelli, Milton Berle, and Jack Haley, Jr. In the background on the right you can see Eva Marie Saint.



So raise your Shirley Temple in salute to Shirley Temple Black - Happy 85th to a true American Princess!

See more Shirley Temple Black photos on my Shirley web page.