Temple Tuesday: The Little Princess Returns Home

You might recall my previous post about the missing Shirley Temple "The Little Princess" costume, thanks to the bungling of UPS. Looks like we might have a happy (albeit slightly incomplete) ending to this story. Just when many were feeling the beloved gown was gone for good (either destroyed or shipped to parts unknown), it magically reappeared on November 6. Tonya received a message from UPS that the gown was in their hands. Based on what little information is available, it appears that Cargo Largo found the gown and returned it to UPS. Just to catch you all up, Cargo Largo is the auction house that sold the costume when UPS turned it over to them to sell, dubbing it "unclaimed" only a few days after Tonya Bervaldi the owner shipped it. Most of the credit to the outfit surfacing must go to Melissa Tonnessen and Shirley's Army, a dedicated group of Shirley fans who were tireless in their efforts to get the word out about the missing costume.



To add insult to injury, instead of hand-delivering the outfit, UPS shipped it back to Tonya. No surprise that it was delayed a day. What did Tonya get for all her worry and stress? A bouquet of flowers. It also appears that "somebody" received a $5000 reward for the return of the gown. While I can't verify who that person is or if it actually happened, I can assure you it wasn't Tonya, who is shown here, happily reunited with the iconic film costume that Shirley wore almost 80 years ago! She was very thankful that it was still in great condition.



Fingers are crossed that she can be successful in bidding on the crown and scepter that Shirley also wore in the film. These two items are being sold in a Joseff's of Hollywood auction on November 18. Wouldn't it be nice if UPS contributed to Tonya's fund to help her attain "the crowning glory" so to speak? It would make a positive turn to a VERY negative publicity story for UPS. Let's make it clear. UPS and USPS are not affiliated. The company that did all this bungling was NOT the United States Postal Service. It was UPS. The folks in the brown uniform.



I am sure Shirley is smiling down on Tonya, Melissa, and the rest of Shirley's Army. Still, the work is not done.



There are still two Aviator caps that are missing. Shirley wore these in the 1934 film "Bright Eyes." This is the movie where she sang her signature song "On the Good Ship Lollipop." There's a good chance they are still floating around Kansas City. If you have ANY information about either or both of these caps, please call the number on the flyer! 352.872.7612.



Give this story a COMPLETE Happy Ending!

See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: The Lost Princess

It's been dubbed "The Costume Caper" and "Shirleygate" and even sounds like the plot of a Shirley Temple movie! Picture this: a sweet young lass lends her treasured belongings to a museum so that the public can share in her joy. Then an evil corporation steals those treasures, sells them to someone else, and the young lass must charm, struggle, and persist to regain her property. Can she do it?

True story: long-time Shirley Temple fan Tonya Bervaldi purchased some of the most treasured Shirley Temple film costumes in the Theriault's auction that I covered here over two years ago. Tonya graciously loaned and shipped five of these treasures to be publicly exhibited at the R. John Wright Hollywood Convention in Vermont. 1 box made it; the rest did not. UPS gave Tonya more frustration than help; besides worrying about what happened to these irreplaceable costumes, she found herself drowning in a sea of red tape, being passed from department to department and ending up empty handed. Guess what happened to the costumes? It is "alleged" that UPS deemed these boxes "unclaimed merchandise" and then had them auctioned off. Tonya did not find this out through UPS; instead, it was an army of Shirley Temple fans who have been diligently assisting and uncovered the dirt. What did you say UPS? You know nothing of this? Please hit "play" to hear what Shirley might have said to UPS:



The most iconic costume was the Princess gown from Shirley's 1939 Technicolor classic, "The Little Princess," and unfortunately, that is the one of the five that has not found its way back to Tonya.



Hmmmmm...who do I start writing letters to first?



The good news: the cape actually made it to its destination and is safe. The bad news: the rest of the gown is still missing. If you happen to hear anything about this extremely well-preserved piece of film history, please let me know! This Shirley Temple tale MUST have a happy ending!

More Shirley photos at my main website.