Without her there may not have been. . . .

I heard someone say today, "Who was Shirley Temple?"
Well, she was a little girl.  She grew up to be a lovely person with a family.  She had a mother and father that loved her very much and brothers and a home.  Her father was a banker.  He didn't try to run her career.  Mrs. Temple was good to this little child, she did not push her into the business and her interest was that of a mother who loved her little child with all her heart and soul.  In the 30's you hear of stage mothers but Mrs. Temple was a person who saw a baby that loved music.  In Shirley's autobiography she tells how her mother played pretty music and kept flowers and things of beauty around the house so she would have a little girl.  Shirley already had brothers.  She was the baby and from the moment she could stand or support herself on her crib she danced.  She wiggled.  We see this in all our babies, the first time they react to something and smile.  Her mother saw a child that needed an outlet for energy and got her in dance class.

She was discovered by a small studio and did short films -- it was the only time she recalls any abuse as a child--punishment for a mistake was locking the child in a closet.  Her relationship with her mother was such that when she told her what happened her mother put a stop to it.  No threat that her child would 'never work in films again' deterred Mrs. Temple.  Fine, no films, but you will not harm or scare my child.  Period.  Her mother made all her little costumes and stayed close and kept Shirley secure.
Then she was discovered by Fox.   In the depression the only studios doing 'well' were MGM and Warners.  Fox was not but Shirley saved that studio.  Her films made people happy, it took them away from whatever fears they had and encouraged them.

Another thing I heard today was her films are racist or dated.  They only show black people as slaves or beneath the whites in her films. This is not true.  Bill Robinson was the GREATEST tap dancer that ever lived.  He shared with Shirley a great love for dance, treated her like a equal and was so proud of her.  She didn't count her steps--she was too little.  She listened.  And no one could dance better together than her and Bill.

And hey, he bought Shirley her very first car.  She was the terror of the studio until someone put a muffler on it.  It was no longer fun after that.  Her parents taught her that there was no color when it came to people.  She lived that way her whole life, as an ambassador, as a person, as a parent.  Her films, if anything, show equality and the goodness that is there, deep down, when a child loves someone.

This is probably my favorite image of Shirley.  It is not a publicity photo taken by a big studio.  Her parents had it taken like all parents do, when they want a memory of their baby and put it in a frame to keep that moment always.  A little smock, a pretty bow in her hair and that beautiful, solemn face.  Twinkle, Shirley.  You are a star now and forever.