Shirley Temple Black, A Precious American Icon

 April 23, 1928 ~ February 10, 2014

 

Not too long ago, my husband and I watched a movie called Child Star, the Shirley Temple story. So we were saddened to hear about the passing of Shirley Temple Black, she was a precious American Icon. Here's the full movie if you'd like to see it...

 

 

 

Shirley was the daughter of Gertrude, a homemaker, and George, a business man and banker. She also had two brothers, George Jr. and John.

Shirley Temple

At eighteen months.
(Twentieth Century Fox)

 

Shirley's mom encouraged her infant daughter's singing, dancing, and acting talents, and in September 1931 enrolled her in Meglin's Dance School in Los Angeles. Whilst at Meglin's she was spotted by Charles Lamont, a casting director for Educational Pictures. She was signed to a contract in 1932.

I just adore this picture of Shirley and her mother, Gertrude,

whose love of dancing helped shape Shirley's career.

 Her movie characters were always brave, strong, wily, and self-sufficient.  In her films wholesome goodness won out over meanness and evil every time.  I liked the way life looked through her eyes.

 

 

Shirley Temple in 1936

 

Shirley Temple in the 1940's

 

In 1943, 15-year-old Temple met John Agar (1921–2002), an Army Air Corps sergeant, physical training instructor, and a member of a Chicago meat-packing family. On September 19, 1945, when Temple was 17 years old, they were married before 500 guests in an Episcopal ceremony at Wilshire Methodist Church. On January 30, 1948, Temple gave birth to their daughter, Linda Susan. The marriage became troubled, and Temple divorced Agar on December 5, 1949. She received custody of their daughter and the restoration of her maiden name. The divorce was finalized on December 5, 1950.

 

In January 1950, Temple met Charles Alden Black, a WWII United States Navy intelligence officer and Silver Star recipient who was Assistant to the President of the Hawaiian Pineapple Company. Conservative and patrician, he was the son of James B. Black, the president and later chairman of Pacific Gas and Electric, and reputedly one of the richest young men in California. Temple and Black were married in his parents' Del Monte, California, home on December 16, 1950, before a small assembly of family and friends.

 

The family relocated to Washington, D.C., when Black was recalled to the Navy at the outbreak of the Korean War. Temple gave birth to their son, Charles Alden Black, Jr., in Washington, D.C., on April 28, 1952. Following the war's end and Black's discharge from the Navy, the family returned to California in May 1953. Black managed television station KABC-TV in Los Angeles, and Temple became a homemaker. Their daughter Lori was born on April 9, 1954. In September 1954, Charles, Sr. became director of business operations for the Stanford Research Institute and the family moved to Atherton, California. The couple remained married for 54 years until his death on August 4, 2005, at home in Woodside of complications from a bone marrow disease. (via Wikipedia)

 

Shirley Temple with her husband, Charles Black in the 1950's

 

Two fantastic sites to visit are The Official Shirley Temple website, and The Shirley Temple Tumblr website.