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Child Star: An Autobiography
Shirley Temple Black-- the quintessential child star of the 30s and 40s--tells in her own words the colorful story of her life as an actress.
Born in 1928 in southern California, Shirley Temple was extraordinary from the start. At the age of three, she began acting, often in exploitative films directed and produced by some abusive studio executives. But Shirley's talent and perseverance could not be thwarted, and she soon entered a fruitful relationship with Twentieth Century Fox. Before long she was making films with the top stars of the day, including Gary Cooper, Carole Lombard, Lionel Barrymore, Joel McCrea and many others.
There was something magical about Shirley Temple that cheered the soul of America during the Depression. She was the number one movie star of the nation for four consecutive years, from 1935 through 1938.
In Child Star Shirley Temple Black reveals the whole story, the ups and downs of life as a Hollywood prodigy--including numerous kidnap threats and even a murder attempt against her.
Born in 1928 in southern California, Shirley Temple was extraordinary from the start. At the age of three, she began acting, often in exploitative films directed and produced by some abusive studio executives. But Shirley's talent and perseverance could not be thwarted, and she soon entered a fruitful relationship with Twentieth Century Fox. Before long she was making films with the top stars of the day, including Gary Cooper, Carole Lombard, Lionel Barrymore, Joel McCrea and many others.
There was something magical about Shirley Temple that cheered the soul of America during the Depression. She was the number one movie star of the nation for four consecutive years, from 1935 through 1938.
In Child Star Shirley Temple Black reveals the whole story, the ups and downs of life as a Hollywood prodigy--including numerous kidnap threats and even a murder attempt against her.
548 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1988
100 people are currently reading
5812 people want to read
About the author
Shirley Temple Black
8 books48 followersShirley Temple was easily the most popular and famous child star of all time. She got her start in the movies at the age of three and soon progressed to super stardom. Shirley could do it all: act, sing and dance and all at the age of five! Fans loved her as she was bright, bouncy and cheerful in her films and they ultimately bought millions of dollars worth of products that had her likeness on them. Dolls, phonograph records, mugs, hats, dresses, whatever it was, if it had her picture on there they bought it. Shirley was box-office champion for the consecutive years 1935-36-37-38, beating out such great grown-up stars as Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, Robert Taylor, Gary Cooper and Joan Crawford. By 1939, her popularity declined. Although she starred in some very good movies like Since You Went Away (1944) and the The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947), her career was nearing its end. Later, she served as an ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
January 31, 2021
My eagerness to stand on my own feet must have stemmed from learning so early to dance on them.
(Shirley Temple Black, Child Star, p.48)
The life story of Shirley Jane Temple from her birth to the birth of her second child (and a touch beyond for framing purposes) is presented to us with a dry humour not unlike the narrator in A Christmas Story . There’s been a great deal of research involved and we get a panoramic view of all the events of the time whether little Shirley let them affect her or not (what her parents were doing, what the political climate of the time was, the Great Depression, racism and sexism in Hollywood, World War II, etc.). Shirley gets a lot of guests at her little cottage at the studio so we’re briefly introduced to a number of celebrities stopping by to say hello, as well as priceless insight on them from a little girl who spent years judging people by how comfortable their laps were. Making cameo appearances as her guests were Mussolini, Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, FBI Director Herbert Hoover, and the many famous stars of the era. Some more dramatic ones include Amelia Earhart, who stopped by for a chat and whose travels became a teaching aid through Shirley’s tutor, Klammy-
Shortly before Independence Day on May 30, 1938, our blue line took off from Port Moresby, headed toward flyspeck Howland Island.
"Overcast... cannot see the island," read Earhart's early morning radio message intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Itasca. "Gas running low... running north and south..."
Nothing more was heard of her plane, nor its occupants.
In a farewell letter to be made public in the event of her death, Earhart had written, "Hurray for the last great adventure! I wish I had won, but it was worthwhile anyway!"
For several days Klammy left our map thumbtacked to the wall, its blue line ended in mid-Pacific Ocean, a stark reminder of hope dwindling daily. As weeks passed the map became a static object of decoration. Then one day it, too, vanished.
(Shirley Temple Black, Child Star, p.187)
Will Rogers, who befriended her on a backlot and encouraged both her love of planes and her mother’s terror of them -
An unofficial cheerleader for aviation, Rogers had written. "There are eight people killed [in planes] all over America on Sunday, and it's headlined in every paper today. When will newspapers give aviation an even break? If there's a safer mode of transportation, I have never found it." One year later he was dead in an air crash.
(Shirley Temple Black, Child Star, p.67)
And Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson, with whom she did many movies before his death:
Robinson walked a step ahead of us, but when he noticed me hurrying to catch up, he shortened his stride to accommodate mine. I kept reaching up for his hand, but he hadn't looked down and seemed unaware. [His wife] called his attention to what I was doing, so he stopped short, bent low over me, his eyes wide and rows of brilliant teeth showing in a wide smile. When he took my hand in his, it felt large and cool.
For a few moments we continued walking in silence. "Can I call you Uncle Billy?" I asked.
"Why, sure you can," he replied. After a few steps he again stopped.
"Mr. Robinson doesn't fit anyway." He grinned broadly. "But then I get to call you darlin'."
It was a deal.
From then on whenever we walked together it was hand in hand, and I was always his "darlin'."
(Shirley Temple Black, Child Star, p.91)
Something we’re deprived of and don’t miss at all are quotes from co-stars about her. In a nice change of pace, if it wasn’t said in her immediate world (the lot, her home, to her parents) it’s kept out of the story. All the better to keep us in the past with little Shirley instead of bouncing in and out of the present.
Child Star is a masterpiece of storytelling. It takes the usual child star story and turns it into something full of excitement. Maybe it really was that exciting in old-school Hollywood, or maybe our author is just particularly gifted. Or maybe it’s just Shirley’s own passion for life and drama coming through the same way it did on and off the set.
As cameras rolled [George] Murphy and I whirled around chairs and tables, and ended with a quick dancing run up and down a broad stairway. The watching crew burst into applause and called for an encore. The orchestra agreed, so everyone repeated the whole thing, this time purely for fun. Mother was right. I did love the business.
When director Irving Cummings called for a break Murphy stopped, but I kept on dancing by myself. Klammy called, "Come on now, Shirley," her clarion call for schoolwork, so I followed her off, continuing my solo and spinning through an archway with my skirt swirling about my hips.
(Shirley Temple Black, Child Star, p.210)
There’s really very little of the book that can’t be quoted. The story of Shirley Temple’s life is a book of vignettes, each as entertaining as the last. Stories like how Shirley avoided sexual assaults at MGM by bringing her dogs to private meetings. How a navy doctor’s refusal to accept help nearly killed her during the birth of her second child. Some stories had common themes, like ones that highlighted her developing personality traits. Despite being typecast as a frilly little angel in pink tulle she was a mischievous little slingshot-wielding rascal with a desire to take charge.
In Chicago I steered a commuter train on the elevated railway. Visiting George Washington's home downriver at Mount Vernon, I steered a Potomac river launch. But when cruising around New York's inner harbor aboard Jack Whitney's motor cruiser, I had to fight to steer.
"A third of our immigrants entered through Ellis Island over there," Whitney had droned, steering away. "And there's the Statue of Liberty."
"Very nice," I said. "Doesn't her hand sticking way up there look like a man's?" Everyone looked so I squirmed between Whitney and his wheel. "May I steer?"
Swerving this way and that, all was fine until someone spotted a police boat nearby grappling for a corpse. When I went to the railing to get a better look, Whitney retrieved the wheel. Saying I was too young to see a dead man, he pushed up the throttle and sped away. I lost on two counts.
(Shirley Temple Black, Child Star, p.226)
Her skill in front of the camera earns her the nickname One-Take Temple for her ability to memorize scripts overnight, including everyone else’s lines. On the rare times when she’d flub a direction it would often be because her excitement was so great that she’d forget to act frightened. Her descriptions of the productions actually inspired me to look up a few of the scenes she’s mentioned, and I’m blown away by how amazing her dancing is. There’s a good reason her co-stars often complained about her stealing the audience’s attention. Even in her numbers with Bill Robinson it was usually her own footwork I was marvelling at.
But the strongest theme in the book is her relationship with her mother. Gertrude Temple is a constant figure in her daughter’s life and not in the usual stage-mom way. Even if she’s just sitting to the side knitting she can always be counted on to be paying the upmost attention to the goings-on on set, and she works hard to instill a good work ethic in Shirley among her other life lessons. She deserves a lot of the credit for her little girl’s legacy.
The verdict? Child Star was amazing and one of the best books I’ve read this year. The stories were well-paced and avoided any lags, the humor was dry and clever, and it managed to project an excitement in the reader that I’ve felt before, but never in a life story (seeing as they are devoid of a climax).
The only possible drawback is that it was too much a suspension of disbelief that someone with no writing credits could come out with such an enlightening, witty, entertaining book all on her own. It seems to share her dry sense of humor, but this much talent borders on unfair distribution. But if it’s not ghostwritten and the late-Shirley Temple Black takes offense at my insinuation, well, there are less amusing ‘ghost writers’ I could be haunted by.
(Shirley Temple Black, Child Star, p.48)
The life story of Shirley Jane Temple from her birth to the birth of her second child (and a touch beyond for framing purposes) is presented to us with a dry humour not unlike the narrator in A Christmas Story . There’s been a great deal of research involved and we get a panoramic view of all the events of the time whether little Shirley let them affect her or not (what her parents were doing, what the political climate of the time was, the Great Depression, racism and sexism in Hollywood, World War II, etc.). Shirley gets a lot of guests at her little cottage at the studio so we’re briefly introduced to a number of celebrities stopping by to say hello, as well as priceless insight on them from a little girl who spent years judging people by how comfortable their laps were. Making cameo appearances as her guests were Mussolini, Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, FBI Director Herbert Hoover, and the many famous stars of the era. Some more dramatic ones include Amelia Earhart, who stopped by for a chat and whose travels became a teaching aid through Shirley’s tutor, Klammy-
Shortly before Independence Day on May 30, 1938, our blue line took off from Port Moresby, headed toward flyspeck Howland Island.
"Overcast... cannot see the island," read Earhart's early morning radio message intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Itasca. "Gas running low... running north and south..."
Nothing more was heard of her plane, nor its occupants.
In a farewell letter to be made public in the event of her death, Earhart had written, "Hurray for the last great adventure! I wish I had won, but it was worthwhile anyway!"
For several days Klammy left our map thumbtacked to the wall, its blue line ended in mid-Pacific Ocean, a stark reminder of hope dwindling daily. As weeks passed the map became a static object of decoration. Then one day it, too, vanished.
(Shirley Temple Black, Child Star, p.187)
Will Rogers, who befriended her on a backlot and encouraged both her love of planes and her mother’s terror of them -
An unofficial cheerleader for aviation, Rogers had written. "There are eight people killed [in planes] all over America on Sunday, and it's headlined in every paper today. When will newspapers give aviation an even break? If there's a safer mode of transportation, I have never found it." One year later he was dead in an air crash.
(Shirley Temple Black, Child Star, p.67)
And Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson, with whom she did many movies before his death:
Robinson walked a step ahead of us, but when he noticed me hurrying to catch up, he shortened his stride to accommodate mine. I kept reaching up for his hand, but he hadn't looked down and seemed unaware. [His wife] called his attention to what I was doing, so he stopped short, bent low over me, his eyes wide and rows of brilliant teeth showing in a wide smile. When he took my hand in his, it felt large and cool.
For a few moments we continued walking in silence. "Can I call you Uncle Billy?" I asked.
"Why, sure you can," he replied. After a few steps he again stopped.
"Mr. Robinson doesn't fit anyway." He grinned broadly. "But then I get to call you darlin'."
It was a deal.
From then on whenever we walked together it was hand in hand, and I was always his "darlin'."
(Shirley Temple Black, Child Star, p.91)
Something we’re deprived of and don’t miss at all are quotes from co-stars about her. In a nice change of pace, if it wasn’t said in her immediate world (the lot, her home, to her parents) it’s kept out of the story. All the better to keep us in the past with little Shirley instead of bouncing in and out of the present.
Child Star is a masterpiece of storytelling. It takes the usual child star story and turns it into something full of excitement. Maybe it really was that exciting in old-school Hollywood, or maybe our author is just particularly gifted. Or maybe it’s just Shirley’s own passion for life and drama coming through the same way it did on and off the set.
As cameras rolled [George] Murphy and I whirled around chairs and tables, and ended with a quick dancing run up and down a broad stairway. The watching crew burst into applause and called for an encore. The orchestra agreed, so everyone repeated the whole thing, this time purely for fun. Mother was right. I did love the business.
When director Irving Cummings called for a break Murphy stopped, but I kept on dancing by myself. Klammy called, "Come on now, Shirley," her clarion call for schoolwork, so I followed her off, continuing my solo and spinning through an archway with my skirt swirling about my hips.
(Shirley Temple Black, Child Star, p.210)
There’s really very little of the book that can’t be quoted. The story of Shirley Temple’s life is a book of vignettes, each as entertaining as the last. Stories like how Shirley avoided sexual assaults at MGM by bringing her dogs to private meetings. How a navy doctor’s refusal to accept help nearly killed her during the birth of her second child. Some stories had common themes, like ones that highlighted her developing personality traits. Despite being typecast as a frilly little angel in pink tulle she was a mischievous little slingshot-wielding rascal with a desire to take charge.
In Chicago I steered a commuter train on the elevated railway. Visiting George Washington's home downriver at Mount Vernon, I steered a Potomac river launch. But when cruising around New York's inner harbor aboard Jack Whitney's motor cruiser, I had to fight to steer.
"A third of our immigrants entered through Ellis Island over there," Whitney had droned, steering away. "And there's the Statue of Liberty."
"Very nice," I said. "Doesn't her hand sticking way up there look like a man's?" Everyone looked so I squirmed between Whitney and his wheel. "May I steer?"
Swerving this way and that, all was fine until someone spotted a police boat nearby grappling for a corpse. When I went to the railing to get a better look, Whitney retrieved the wheel. Saying I was too young to see a dead man, he pushed up the throttle and sped away. I lost on two counts.
(Shirley Temple Black, Child Star, p.226)
Her skill in front of the camera earns her the nickname One-Take Temple for her ability to memorize scripts overnight, including everyone else’s lines. On the rare times when she’d flub a direction it would often be because her excitement was so great that she’d forget to act frightened. Her descriptions of the productions actually inspired me to look up a few of the scenes she’s mentioned, and I’m blown away by how amazing her dancing is. There’s a good reason her co-stars often complained about her stealing the audience’s attention. Even in her numbers with Bill Robinson it was usually her own footwork I was marvelling at.
But the strongest theme in the book is her relationship with her mother. Gertrude Temple is a constant figure in her daughter’s life and not in the usual stage-mom way. Even if she’s just sitting to the side knitting she can always be counted on to be paying the upmost attention to the goings-on on set, and she works hard to instill a good work ethic in Shirley among her other life lessons. She deserves a lot of the credit for her little girl’s legacy.
The verdict? Child Star was amazing and one of the best books I’ve read this year. The stories were well-paced and avoided any lags, the humor was dry and clever, and it managed to project an excitement in the reader that I’ve felt before, but never in a life story (seeing as they are devoid of a climax).
The only possible drawback is that it was too much a suspension of disbelief that someone with no writing credits could come out with such an enlightening, witty, entertaining book all on her own. It seems to share her dry sense of humor, but this much talent borders on unfair distribution. But if it’s not ghostwritten and the late-Shirley Temple Black takes offense at my insinuation, well, there are less amusing ‘ghost writers’ I could be haunted by.
February 21, 2011
OMG I only made it to 383 and that was really pushing myself to read it and/or skimming a lot. The interesting bits were hard to find and were amongst so much information that I really didn't care about. I have more important things to read besides that! I thought reading about her life through her perspective would be interesting because I grew up watching her movies. My mom loved them so that is how I was introduced to her. But seriously I understand to give a sort of feeling as to what the world was like or movies were like when she was little you have to give facts. But it felt like a history book then an autobiography. Just before I stopped reading she had mentioned and added a few very short paragraphs that came from her diary/journal. Now why didn't she include more of those? Or did she and it was so filled with other padding that it was hard to find that, UGH. I remember considering purchasing this book for mom when I first heard that she had published on a long while ago because mom loved her movies so much. Now trying to read it myself, I am SOOO glad that I didn't. I found it mostly boring and like I said out of the 300 pages that I read probably only like 10 pages where interesting to me. Maybe if would have been different if I lived in that time or something but yeah. I have better things to read :(
did-not-finish
November 3, 2025DNF early on.
I loved, and still love, Shirley Temple movies and I would like to read a book about her life, but this isn't it. I should have known, my record of hating autobiographies/memoirs is almost 100%.
Dear Lord, it's 562 pages and the print is so tiny I practically need a magnifying glass. And what I did read was not interesting, yet completely unbelievable in terms of the level of detail in the supposed memories of a 3-4 year old. Finally, and not that she doesn't have a right to be proud of herself, the tone is uncomfortably self-important. I think a certain degree of humility is more appealing in someone writing an autobiography.
I loved, and still love, Shirley Temple movies and I would like to read a book about her life, but this isn't it. I should have known, my record of hating autobiographies/memoirs is almost 100%.
Dear Lord, it's 562 pages and the print is so tiny I practically need a magnifying glass. And what I did read was not interesting, yet completely unbelievable in terms of the level of detail in the supposed memories of a 3-4 year old. Finally, and not that she doesn't have a right to be proud of herself, the tone is uncomfortably self-important. I think a certain degree of humility is more appealing in someone writing an autobiography.
March 1, 2015
True to being a child prodigy, Shirley Temple Black's memory is remarkable. In her autobiography, Temple Black vividly captures her remarkable childhood and noteworthy encounters with anyone who was anyone during the 1940s. Once, Temple shot a sling shot at Eleanor Roosevelt's behind. Actors with genuine friendliness and actors afraid of being upstaged by a child all surrounded Shirley. Despite being the most famous child star of all time, Temple had "normal" childhood experiences too. When most children had lemonade stands, Shirley set up her own business in front of her house with concrete mud pies (siphoned from the construction workers remodeling the Temple home). A sightseeing bus drove by her house, and tourists bought Shirley's concrete pies for a nickel to fifty cents. Fans asking for her handprint in cement had to pay an additional 50 cents. Naturally ambitious and a hard worker, Shirley was disappointed when her mother shut her operation down.
The over 500 page autobiography is heavy-handed toward her youth, but Temple Black does write about her first, unhappy, marriage and her second marriage and children. Plus, I never realized that in her childhood, Shirley made over 3.2 million dollars but as an independent adult only had $44,000 dollars left for her in an account thanks to her father's mismanagement of her money. Any Shirley Temple fan will not be disappointed in learning the true story about this child star.
The over 500 page autobiography is heavy-handed toward her youth, but Temple Black does write about her first, unhappy, marriage and her second marriage and children. Plus, I never realized that in her childhood, Shirley made over 3.2 million dollars but as an independent adult only had $44,000 dollars left for her in an account thanks to her father's mismanagement of her money. Any Shirley Temple fan will not be disappointed in learning the true story about this child star.
September 5, 2013
That plucky little Shirley! She's the very personification of pluck. And, oh, but she plucked at my heart strings here, too. I'm ashamed of myself for not even SUSPECTING how entertaining this was going to be - but it was. I wanted to be the Depression era's darling as well. What a jolly life. I was moved by the simple secret of her success: she just made people happy. And SHE was happy! That's what so especially delightful about this autobiog. She had a whale of a time. Alright, there was that bit about idiot dad and the squandered millions. But I guess I forgave it (just like Shirley did) because they were such deeply loving parents. And husband number two sounded dead sexy. Consolation prize.
January 21, 2013
I loved this book! Shirley Temple Black has a wry sense of humor that shines through, page after page. Her memory (her record keeping, or both) are exquisite as she offers an often unflinching look back at her past. She is straight-forward and even blunt about the way things were. There is a no-nonsense quality about her and the way she tells her story. With every page turned, I felt that this is a wonderfully fascinating lady whom I would love the chance to meet!
September 3, 2013
Fascinating. As a fan of Shirley Temple, I was easily taken into a lost era of Hollywood and able to observe a life of one of the first child stars ever. A remarkable woman who stayed strong and is a role model to this day for common sense, decency and priorities in spite of circumstances.
April 19, 2012
I've read A LOT of biographies & memoirs set during the golden era of Hollywood so I thought this was a very interesting book. I enjoyed all the anecdotes about various celebrities. I had read a bio of Lionel Barrymore so I had heard that story from his perspective. I liked getting her side of the story. She meet just about anyone who was anyone! And shooting Eleanor Roosevelt on the butt with her slingshot was pretty funny.
I still can't get over what a talented dancer she was at such an early age. She must have a genius IQ. Also, that horrible black box punishment she recounts receiving at the age of 4 must have also helped her growth as an entertainer. Harsh but effective on her! I never really understood why Zanuck was so against Shirley. I need to read his biography to find out why, I guess. It made me wonder what would have happened to her career if it had been nurtured.
By the end of the book I was actually rooting for her to retire. After all the creepy sexual harassment (I will never be able to watch an Arthur Freed movie without thinking about him exposing himself to Shirley when she was 12!) and the terrible scripts and the lack of financing due to the rise of tv & the fall of the studio system & how her family just totally leeched off of her & took all her money....I would chose to leave the industry too. She seems to have lived through her famous childhood without becoming a bitter drunk. I don't think I would have reacted so sanguinely to my dad stealing all my money!
I would like to read a memoir about her political career as an adult. She is still alive - who knows? maybe she is writing one.
I still can't get over what a talented dancer she was at such an early age. She must have a genius IQ. Also, that horrible black box punishment she recounts receiving at the age of 4 must have also helped her growth as an entertainer. Harsh but effective on her! I never really understood why Zanuck was so against Shirley. I need to read his biography to find out why, I guess. It made me wonder what would have happened to her career if it had been nurtured.
By the end of the book I was actually rooting for her to retire. After all the creepy sexual harassment (I will never be able to watch an Arthur Freed movie without thinking about him exposing himself to Shirley when she was 12!) and the terrible scripts and the lack of financing due to the rise of tv & the fall of the studio system & how her family just totally leeched off of her & took all her money....I would chose to leave the industry too. She seems to have lived through her famous childhood without becoming a bitter drunk. I don't think I would have reacted so sanguinely to my dad stealing all my money!
I would like to read a memoir about her political career as an adult. She is still alive - who knows? maybe she is writing one.
November 30, 2007
In 500 pages, Shirley Temple Black really could only get as far as her young womanhood; her life was and is just that full. The never-ending attempts of the studio to keep her as a little girl, her growing pains and her disastrous first marriage are all detailed here in an engaging style. Even if you're not a fan of her films, it is worth the time to read about her life.
June 6, 2012
Of all the children to grace the silver screen, perhaps no one deserves the title of "Child Star" more than Shirley Temple. In her aptly named memoir, Shirley Temple Black reflects on a childhood that was spent in front of the cameras. At a young age, she enjoyed a greater level of fame, popularity and success than many of her peers in the business. Her success at the box office helped a floundering Fox Film Corporation rise out of debt and near-bankruptcy and created a career that allowed her to work with some of the great actors of the time and meet influential people all over the world. Although this volume of her autobiography doesn't address her career in later years as a United States ambassador to the Republic of Ghana and Czechoslovakia, her inclusion of her experiences meeting J. Edgar Hoover, the Roosevelts, and the Prime Minister of Canada helps the reader to see how she made the transition from movie star to diplomat.
Shirley Temple was born on April 23, 1928, to George and Gertrude Temple in Santa Monica, California. According to Temple's description, her mother was not the typical, overbearing stage mother. Although her mother did enroll her in a school for the performing arts at a young age (which would eventually lead to her discovery and recruitment for short films known as "Baby Burlesks"), Temple Black paints a portrait of her family life as supportive and stable. Her mother acted as a liaison between her daughter and studio head Darryl Zanuck, while her father helped manage her income. Shirley was a Hollywood institution by the time she was six, a curly-haired, precocious scene-stealer whose spunk and talent helped offer hope in the Depression-era United States and around the world. Her films such as Little Miss Marker, Curly Top, Bright Eyes and The Littlest Rebel made her a household name. Today, her famous dancing with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and her rendition of "The Good Ship Lollipop" in Bright Eyes remain embedded in film history.
Having grown up with Shirley Temple movies, I was interested in learning about her life and acting experience. Although the autobiography recalls her childhood in great detail from a child's perspective, she also incorporates the point of view an adult telling her story retrospectively. She comments on her life in its historical context and discusses the economic struggles and successes of the studios and the nation, her experiences living through both the Depression and WWII, and the famous people she met and befriended throughout her career. She is a capable writer; while I enjoy reading actors' autobiographies for the insight into their careers, I rarely expect high-caliber writing, since it's usually not their primary vocation. Temple Black defies that stereotype, delivering a readable and descriptive narrative that is rich with dialogue and engaging story-telling. Her book follows her through childhood success, her teenage transition to slightly more adult roles, her first marriage at sixteen, the births of her children, her divorce, and second marriage to Charlie Black. The book ends with a memory of her enjoying her role volunteering at one of her children's school productions of The Wizard of Oz. I was surprised that the book ended where it did, as I expected more on her later years after Hollywood, but according to the official website (http://www.shirleytemple.com/), the second volume of her autobiography is in the works.
This book would most be appreciated by people who are familiar with her films who may want to read it as a nostalgic memoir, but it's also an interesting story of a child star who did not descend into a world of drugs and bankruptcy. Her story stays surprisingly grounded, even through stories of meeting Amelia Earhart and Orson Welles, threats of kidnapping, and a difficult first marriage. Temple Black relates an unfortunate story of how she discovered that those entrusted with her money had not saved enough from her earnings to leave her set for life, but the anecdote serves to show her as a grounded and sympathetic person who never let fame go to her head. It's a pleasant memoir, and although lengthy at 517 pages plus a filmography, it's certainly worth the read.
Shirley Temple was born on April 23, 1928, to George and Gertrude Temple in Santa Monica, California. According to Temple's description, her mother was not the typical, overbearing stage mother. Although her mother did enroll her in a school for the performing arts at a young age (which would eventually lead to her discovery and recruitment for short films known as "Baby Burlesks"), Temple Black paints a portrait of her family life as supportive and stable. Her mother acted as a liaison between her daughter and studio head Darryl Zanuck, while her father helped manage her income. Shirley was a Hollywood institution by the time she was six, a curly-haired, precocious scene-stealer whose spunk and talent helped offer hope in the Depression-era United States and around the world. Her films such as Little Miss Marker, Curly Top, Bright Eyes and The Littlest Rebel made her a household name. Today, her famous dancing with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and her rendition of "The Good Ship Lollipop" in Bright Eyes remain embedded in film history.
Having grown up with Shirley Temple movies, I was interested in learning about her life and acting experience. Although the autobiography recalls her childhood in great detail from a child's perspective, she also incorporates the point of view an adult telling her story retrospectively. She comments on her life in its historical context and discusses the economic struggles and successes of the studios and the nation, her experiences living through both the Depression and WWII, and the famous people she met and befriended throughout her career. She is a capable writer; while I enjoy reading actors' autobiographies for the insight into their careers, I rarely expect high-caliber writing, since it's usually not their primary vocation. Temple Black defies that stereotype, delivering a readable and descriptive narrative that is rich with dialogue and engaging story-telling. Her book follows her through childhood success, her teenage transition to slightly more adult roles, her first marriage at sixteen, the births of her children, her divorce, and second marriage to Charlie Black. The book ends with a memory of her enjoying her role volunteering at one of her children's school productions of The Wizard of Oz. I was surprised that the book ended where it did, as I expected more on her later years after Hollywood, but according to the official website (http://www.shirleytemple.com/), the second volume of her autobiography is in the works.
This book would most be appreciated by people who are familiar with her films who may want to read it as a nostalgic memoir, but it's also an interesting story of a child star who did not descend into a world of drugs and bankruptcy. Her story stays surprisingly grounded, even through stories of meeting Amelia Earhart and Orson Welles, threats of kidnapping, and a difficult first marriage. Temple Black relates an unfortunate story of how she discovered that those entrusted with her money had not saved enough from her earnings to leave her set for life, but the anecdote serves to show her as a grounded and sympathetic person who never let fame go to her head. It's a pleasant memoir, and although lengthy at 517 pages plus a filmography, it's certainly worth the read.
May 26, 2011
Shirley Temple is the quintessential “cute-child” of Hollywood. In dozens of films of the thirties and forties, she played adorable match-makers, beloved crank-reformers, darling daughters, and plucky orphans. To some cynical naysayers, she is unbearably saccharine. Sentimental sorts find her a heartwarming dear. I usually find her movies soothing. Everything always turns out all right in the end with all problems being solved by a marriage or an adoption.
Child Star chronologically covers Shirley’s life from birth through her second marriage to Charles Black and stops short of her political career (that’s book 2). It consists of strings of remembrances about her films, co-stars, family, schoolwork, etc. Famous Hollywood stars, directors, and producers waltz through book, periodically dropping fascinating anecdotes. Some good (Bill Robinson, Will Rogers), some bad (Darryl Zanuck), some both (most everybody else). To anyone interested in the Golden Age of Hollywood, this is a treasure trove of gossip about the factory system of film-making and star-making. Anyone else (Darryl Who?) may be slightly bored. Family members (excluding her mother) are seen only rarely and painted in a vaguely positive light.
Unfortunately, quite a bit of space is devoted to how Shirley’s parents handled her massive fortune. How they were sued, how they handled licensing, how much they spent on a house. Pretty dry stuff.
The tone is oddly detached and impersonal, almost as if the author were writing about someone else. Indeed, she reiterates throughout that child-star Shirley and woman Shirley were two different people. Ms. Black sets things down exactly as she remembers them in an honest manner. She matter-of-factly touches on her father’s semi-inadvertent squandering her fortune, but doesn’t dwell on it either. It is really not that important. Shirley is also quite frank about her less-than-angelic adolescence, dwelling on flirtations and experimentations almost gleefully. This is not a sentimental book, nor is it meant for self-reflecting. This is both admirable and irritating. For example, Shirley admits quite honestly that her doctor told her to quit smoking during pregnancy. She also admits that she ignored this advice. She does not admit that she was wrong to do so.
Another example occurs during the break-up of her first marriage. Ms. Black quite piously confesses that she and Jack Agar were both to blame for its failure, but there is nary an instance showing her in the wrong.
This autobiography is recommended for Shirley Temple fans who do not mind being a bit disillusioned.
Child Star chronologically covers Shirley’s life from birth through her second marriage to Charles Black and stops short of her political career (that’s book 2). It consists of strings of remembrances about her films, co-stars, family, schoolwork, etc. Famous Hollywood stars, directors, and producers waltz through book, periodically dropping fascinating anecdotes. Some good (Bill Robinson, Will Rogers), some bad (Darryl Zanuck), some both (most everybody else). To anyone interested in the Golden Age of Hollywood, this is a treasure trove of gossip about the factory system of film-making and star-making. Anyone else (Darryl Who?) may be slightly bored. Family members (excluding her mother) are seen only rarely and painted in a vaguely positive light.
Unfortunately, quite a bit of space is devoted to how Shirley’s parents handled her massive fortune. How they were sued, how they handled licensing, how much they spent on a house. Pretty dry stuff.
The tone is oddly detached and impersonal, almost as if the author were writing about someone else. Indeed, she reiterates throughout that child-star Shirley and woman Shirley were two different people. Ms. Black sets things down exactly as she remembers them in an honest manner. She matter-of-factly touches on her father’s semi-inadvertent squandering her fortune, but doesn’t dwell on it either. It is really not that important. Shirley is also quite frank about her less-than-angelic adolescence, dwelling on flirtations and experimentations almost gleefully. This is not a sentimental book, nor is it meant for self-reflecting. This is both admirable and irritating. For example, Shirley admits quite honestly that her doctor told her to quit smoking during pregnancy. She also admits that she ignored this advice. She does not admit that she was wrong to do so.
Another example occurs during the break-up of her first marriage. Ms. Black quite piously confesses that she and Jack Agar were both to blame for its failure, but there is nary an instance showing her in the wrong.
This autobiography is recommended for Shirley Temple fans who do not mind being a bit disillusioned.
August 26, 2019
Getting to read this book was serendipitous. It wasn't available from my library (like, the entire Salt Lake County Library system) so I requested it through inter-library loan...and then forgot to pick it up! I was distraught, but refused to request it again, since I'm sure there's some underwriting going on there, and I had squandered my chance.
Then, at a fair in another county, my booth was next to the library book sale booth. They had this book for sale for 50 cents! I thought about donating it to my county library when I finished (I don't know that it's still in print) but decided I wanted to keep it.
I found this book fascinating. Shirley Temple Black had a very interesting life, and she told her own story well, spending a (mostly) adequate amount of time on the topics she knew would be of the most interest to her readers. There were definitely some gaps where she didn't elaborate as much as she could have, but I guess that's her right when sharing her personal experiences.
It was sad to read about her late teen and early adult years when she was really taken advantage of by her parents and husband and didn't seem to know she could stand up for herself. But she definitely found her own person, and became a wonderful adult. I'm happy she got to go on to have a happy life.
My daughter did her 3rd grade wax museum as Shirley Temple and it turns out those ringlets make any little girl adorable! (My daughter has always been adorable, but that hair...seriously!). Anyway, if you can find a copy of this book (or borrow mine) I definitely recommend reading it.
Then, at a fair in another county, my booth was next to the library book sale booth. They had this book for sale for 50 cents! I thought about donating it to my county library when I finished (I don't know that it's still in print) but decided I wanted to keep it.
I found this book fascinating. Shirley Temple Black had a very interesting life, and she told her own story well, spending a (mostly) adequate amount of time on the topics she knew would be of the most interest to her readers. There were definitely some gaps where she didn't elaborate as much as she could have, but I guess that's her right when sharing her personal experiences.
It was sad to read about her late teen and early adult years when she was really taken advantage of by her parents and husband and didn't seem to know she could stand up for herself. But she definitely found her own person, and became a wonderful adult. I'm happy she got to go on to have a happy life.
My daughter did her 3rd grade wax museum as Shirley Temple and it turns out those ringlets make any little girl adorable! (My daughter has always been adorable, but that hair...seriously!). Anyway, if you can find a copy of this book (or borrow mine) I definitely recommend reading it.
June 28, 2021
With a remarkable memory dating back to age 3, Temple records the ups and downs of her life, often tongue in cheek. Her parents and movie moguls took advantage of her early on: a director put her in a freezing dark box for being "disobedient;" movies depicted her as a 4-year-old sex symbol; her studio changed her birth certificate to make her appear a year younger; whenever a baby tooth fell out, a fake one was plugged in instead.
Temple single-handedly pulled Fox out of financial straits in the 1930s, when she was the most popular actress four years in a row. Fox refused to let her graduate from perpetually cute roles.
Throughout her childhood, Temple had to contend with kidnapping and death threats. Her parents, while loving, were financially incompetent, leaving their moneymaking child with virtually nothing as an adult. By age 17, Temple had embarked on an ill-fated marriage with John Agar -- who on their honeymoon revealed he wished he had married a long-legged model, not her.
As an adult, various directors and producers attempted to rape her in Hollywood, only to be met with a knee to the groin. By 20, she had made her last film.
Only by marrying Charlie Black, a man who had never seen her movies, did she find happiness. The marriage lasted 55 years.
Temple single-handedly pulled Fox out of financial straits in the 1930s, when she was the most popular actress four years in a row. Fox refused to let her graduate from perpetually cute roles.
Throughout her childhood, Temple had to contend with kidnapping and death threats. Her parents, while loving, were financially incompetent, leaving their moneymaking child with virtually nothing as an adult. By age 17, Temple had embarked on an ill-fated marriage with John Agar -- who on their honeymoon revealed he wished he had married a long-legged model, not her.
As an adult, various directors and producers attempted to rape her in Hollywood, only to be met with a knee to the groin. By 20, she had made her last film.
Only by marrying Charlie Black, a man who had never seen her movies, did she find happiness. The marriage lasted 55 years.
September 19, 2021
Shirley Temple was one of my role models as a young child in the 1950's, watching her early films on television every Saturday morning. For a long time I thought I had been named after her, until I found out I was named after one of my father's cousins. Oh, well.
I bought this autobiography when it was first published and let it languish in my home library for over 30 years. Watching a few of Shirley's later films on TCM recently finally prompted me to read her book...to get "the rest of the story."
As I read this book, I could visualize the adult Shirley telling her story, sometimes overwhelming us with financial and contractual details of her young career, sometimes gossiping to us about the numerous actors she worked with, and sometimes shocking us (or not) with her "Me Too" encounters, years before those Hollywood "big shots" could actually get into trouble with their abusive actions.
I came away grateful that despite everything thrown at her so young, she seemed to find herself as an adult and re-invent herself away from the movie industry. I was not disappointed that her autobiography ended after the birth of her third child. She used this vehicle to describe her "first" life - the life that most of us long time fans wanted to hear about.
I bought this autobiography when it was first published and let it languish in my home library for over 30 years. Watching a few of Shirley's later films on TCM recently finally prompted me to read her book...to get "the rest of the story."
As I read this book, I could visualize the adult Shirley telling her story, sometimes overwhelming us with financial and contractual details of her young career, sometimes gossiping to us about the numerous actors she worked with, and sometimes shocking us (or not) with her "Me Too" encounters, years before those Hollywood "big shots" could actually get into trouble with their abusive actions.
I came away grateful that despite everything thrown at her so young, she seemed to find herself as an adult and re-invent herself away from the movie industry. I was not disappointed that her autobiography ended after the birth of her third child. She used this vehicle to describe her "first" life - the life that most of us long time fans wanted to hear about.
February 5, 2013
This book has issues but I still liked it. Firstly I love when she shares the juicy tidbits of personal info on fellow actresses or actors. However the down side is her writing is very scattered and paragraphs jump from topics so extremely different it takes you awhile to figure out what she is talking about. The other issue is she gives code names during certain topics to avoid giving out certain celebrities names. The issue is she doesn't say " the boy, lets call him Lancelot, tried to kiss me" she just throws in the word in without explanation. So you are reading " During the party Lancelot tired to kiss me" or " I thought that Wizard was going to rape me" . Then often, as when she talked about Wizard trying to rape her, she let it all drop off without telling if something did or did not happen. Huh? If you are going to do a tell all book, then tell it all and spill it in detail like Christian Crawford did in " Mommy dearest".
January 27, 2020
The first book I picked up for 2020 was the Autobiography of Shirley Temple. child Star chronological covers Shirley Temple's life from Birth through her 2nd marriage, prior to entering her political endeavors.
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In this book we learn about her start to preformance, life on set, school work, encounters with other stars (some good, some bad) and surprisingly some of her normal upbringing.
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My only connection to Shirley Temple is having watcher her earlier films. I could hear that girl come out in this book and found it interesting to see her take on certain situations and her career.
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This 500+ page autobiography isn't all that tantalizing or thrilling, but it was easy for me to stay interested. However, I did squeeze two other books in between starting and finishing this book.
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In this book we learn about her start to preformance, life on set, school work, encounters with other stars (some good, some bad) and surprisingly some of her normal upbringing.
.
My only connection to Shirley Temple is having watcher her earlier films. I could hear that girl come out in this book and found it interesting to see her take on certain situations and her career.
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This 500+ page autobiography isn't all that tantalizing or thrilling, but it was easy for me to stay interested. However, I did squeeze two other books in between starting and finishing this book.
April 16, 2023
I had just completed “I’m Glad My Mother’s Dead”, at first a great book but became a whiny it’s-all-her-fault memoir. Then I read Shirley Temple’s autobiography and it was made clear that we have total agency of our own lives in the free world. Even when the going is rough, even when we had a very rough and unfair start, as adults we are fully responsible for our lives. Shirley Temple’s life story is very interesting and brings nothing but sweet remembrances of her early movies. She was extremely smart, quick to catch on, highly intelligent, quite “normal”, had fun, and loved wonderful people like Bill Robinson. She had a loving relationship with her parents and easily forgave their shortcomings; something we can all aspire to.
July 29, 2019
I have always been a Shirley Temple Fan but now since discovering this autobiography, I have to say I have never been more of a fan than I am after I finished this book. The struggles, trials, and tribulations she went through will make you admire her even more. From her movie career, engagement, marriage, divorce, re-marriage, money situation, pregnancy, and near death experience will blow your mind and wish you knew her. While I was reading this, it was like she was telling me her life story and I was feeling her pain with her. I was so happy she lived a fruitful life and how she was so involved with Ghana and gave back so much to not only her community but all over the world.
December 23, 2017
The behind the scenes stories of actors and actresses are never as glamorous as you think they will be, especially in the case of child stars.
June 4, 2023
As a young child, I was a huge fan of Shirley Temple, and would get up on Sunday mornings very early and sit in front of the television and watch her shows. I wanted to be like her. I really enjoyed this book, although it’s very sad. Her parents used her for her money and she ended up Not being able to get jobs when she became a teenager and all her money was taken by her parents and she ended up with nothing. She became an ambassador, and she ended up having a good life. I am happy for that. It’s a very good book.
November 8, 2022
Longest book I’ve ever read in a long time and disappointed since it really isn’t as much information about Shirley; felt like it was more about other people in Shirley’s life. Would have enjoyed it a bit more probably if had more details about adult part of her life as well.
November 20, 2017
First I'm going to do my review and then below it will be some book spoiler about why I no longer see Shirley Temple in the same light as before. When writing a book about one's self I'm sure it is not easy to keep all you memories/ train of thought all together as she herself even stated in her book but this book is a hot mess. Half the time she is going on and on and you have no idea what the heck she is even talking about because she just jumps. Also as a big star I get that you meet a lot of famous people but it's name drop after name drop and it even has a index in the back with all the people she wrote about. At times you don't always get much about her meeting them it's like she is just listing them to be like look who I've meet. There are also times she goes on to state something and then just stops (I'll list a few below that really bothered me along with some of spoilers) I grew up loving her work but no i fear if I was to go back a re-watch her films with my daughter that all I'd be able to see is how poor and rude of a person she comes off as in her book.
Spoilers:
I get as a child some things come of as a big deal to them but not as much as they would to an adult but the whole cop badge thing I think she was over the top pushy rude and full of herself. Thinking it was a real thing a demanding such things of others and her being so young just came off very controlling. Speaking of controlling why as a star if you are doing a raffle should her name be in it. More than once she showed her butt because she won and others found it unfair. As a small child she may not of understood and I know kids hate to lose but it wasn't right for her to be enter in the first place.
Next another thing when she would stay on a story that seem interesting and have a real flow she would just end it and leaving you wondering.... Like sorry but did or didn't she get raped. maybe it was to hard to write but you know after that chapter we all wanted to know. Also she mention a bunch about how she never got to see Uncle Billy's house and when she mention she wouldn't see him again she wrote about seeing him a few more times before he did actually die. And lastly on her honey moon when he said I thought you were a virgin... what the heck did she do it with the doctor did something medical happen I was so darn confused.
Then there is the point of when she is married and she still doesn't get her own money but is on a fixed allowance. What the heck her family seemed creepy. Her dad always spying her mother lying about her age to marry first. Shirley jumping into it as well just to be the first. Her mothers control was over the top on what she could and couldn't do and I'm sure it really hurt her as you can tell in later chapters. Also isn't it a little odd that her parent's had this big house and when she married they moved her into the house in the back yard to still in control? ( Her second husband moving into the parent's house before they married... odd)I guess that might be a reason why she was ok with some of her ex's hitting her. I think part of the money thing was so the dad could cover his ass and yes those were different times but she really had a odd family/ up bringing.
As most autobiographies her story had times it was interesting and some really sad stuff that you may not have ever know if you didn't read it but really I'm Just disappointed. She is not at all like the person I thought she was. Even the Shirley Temple movie about her life it paints her so differently then how she truly reads in this book.
Spoilers:
I get as a child some things come of as a big deal to them but not as much as they would to an adult but the whole cop badge thing I think she was over the top pushy rude and full of herself. Thinking it was a real thing a demanding such things of others and her being so young just came off very controlling. Speaking of controlling why as a star if you are doing a raffle should her name be in it. More than once she showed her butt because she won and others found it unfair. As a small child she may not of understood and I know kids hate to lose but it wasn't right for her to be enter in the first place.
Next another thing when she would stay on a story that seem interesting and have a real flow she would just end it and leaving you wondering.... Like sorry but did or didn't she get raped. maybe it was to hard to write but you know after that chapter we all wanted to know. Also she mention a bunch about how she never got to see Uncle Billy's house and when she mention she wouldn't see him again she wrote about seeing him a few more times before he did actually die. And lastly on her honey moon when he said I thought you were a virgin... what the heck did she do it with the doctor did something medical happen I was so darn confused.
Then there is the point of when she is married and she still doesn't get her own money but is on a fixed allowance. What the heck her family seemed creepy. Her dad always spying her mother lying about her age to marry first. Shirley jumping into it as well just to be the first. Her mothers control was over the top on what she could and couldn't do and I'm sure it really hurt her as you can tell in later chapters. Also isn't it a little odd that her parent's had this big house and when she married they moved her into the house in the back yard to still in control? ( Her second husband moving into the parent's house before they married... odd)I guess that might be a reason why she was ok with some of her ex's hitting her. I think part of the money thing was so the dad could cover his ass and yes those were different times but she really had a odd family/ up bringing.
As most autobiographies her story had times it was interesting and some really sad stuff that you may not have ever know if you didn't read it but really I'm Just disappointed. She is not at all like the person I thought she was. Even the Shirley Temple movie about her life it paints her so differently then how she truly reads in this book.
September 19, 2020
This book was rather disappointing. She had such an interesting life, yet the book falls flat and hollow. There seems to be little emotion attached to anything that happened to her. Maybe this is because of the persona that was attached to her at such a young age. Nothing seemed to blemish or tarnish her image, so bad things were really not reflected on and were brushed aside. Whatever the reason, this book could have been written by anyone. The facts are all there with no emotion or reflection whatsoever.
January 18, 2012
I was in love with Shirley Temple and watched her every Sunday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. on our B&W t.v. Christmas 1959 when I was 6 years old, my mom purchased a red headed Shirley Temple 18" doll from The Emporium in downtown S.F., CA. Shirley Temple Black made two west coast appearances when this version of the doll was released and one was to The Emporium in SF, Christmas time 1959 and another showing in L.A. I loved this doll to death and watched every Shirley Temple show I could possibly find, provided my brothers didn't beat me to the t.v. first! (Six kids, Haight Ashbury of SF, one t.v. in the living room.)
My good friend in SF, Roger Barton recommended this book to me a few years ago and I thoroughly enjoyed the read. Over 50 years later, I still have my childhood Shirley Temple and treat her with t.l.c. She did get a entire make-over after finding her in the dusty attic in 1989 after my mother passed away. Luckily, she appreciated the doll enough to keep her safe and dusty in the attic of our home in SF. (I got her before the brother tossed her into the dumpster in the basement. Whew!)
My good friend in SF, Roger Barton recommended this book to me a few years ago and I thoroughly enjoyed the read. Over 50 years later, I still have my childhood Shirley Temple and treat her with t.l.c. She did get a entire make-over after finding her in the dusty attic in 1989 after my mother passed away. Luckily, she appreciated the doll enough to keep her safe and dusty in the attic of our home in SF. (I got her before the brother tossed her into the dumpster in the basement. Whew!)
September 7, 2020
Love this book. It gives an insight into her life while a movie star and beyond, up until around 1955.
I read it almost in a single shot. The author jumps around sometimes, lingering longer on some periods and skipping other periods. I am glad she found true happiness with Charlie Black after her failed marriage with John Agar, which she refers to as Jack. Not sure why though.
She was someone who knew what she wanted and enjoyed doing what she did. Love her films, both her earlier ones with Fox as well as the ones she made during her teenage years.
After reading this book I have a better understanding what she went through in her life and why she ended her movie career at age 21. TV made movies less popular and she wanted to focus on her own young family, and I can't blame her.
In my opinion her "police force" during her period at Fox should be considered as a sort of game from a young child, about which she was very serious though. It fits with her character and who she was, herself. Both on and off stage. The proceeds from the fines she imposed went to charities.
I read it almost in a single shot. The author jumps around sometimes, lingering longer on some periods and skipping other periods. I am glad she found true happiness with Charlie Black after her failed marriage with John Agar, which she refers to as Jack. Not sure why though.
She was someone who knew what she wanted and enjoyed doing what she did. Love her films, both her earlier ones with Fox as well as the ones she made during her teenage years.
After reading this book I have a better understanding what she went through in her life and why she ended her movie career at age 21. TV made movies less popular and she wanted to focus on her own young family, and I can't blame her.
In my opinion her "police force" during her period at Fox should be considered as a sort of game from a young child, about which she was very serious though. It fits with her character and who she was, herself. Both on and off stage. The proceeds from the fines she imposed went to charities.
February 26, 2017
Like a classic 1930's Shirley Temple film, Child Star is a joy to experience. Although the size of the hardcover may appear daunting at first, Ms. Black lived a life that's more than worthy of the page count. Her personality shines through in every line: vivacious with an indomitable spunkiness, much like the many onscreen characters of her youth. Written with a strong contextual emphasis, the reader is taken not only through Ms. Black's career in the film industry (ending shortly after her stint as an actress did in the early 1950's), but also the Golden Age of Hollywood, Great Depression, two world wars and the rise of communism. For anyone interested in the tales of old Hollywood: Child Star provides the fascinating angle of experiencing familiar figures like David Selznick, Lionel Barrymore and Clark Gable through the eyes of a child. A very enjoyable read.
May 31, 2017
entertaining book, full of detail.
it's amazing how much shirley remembered! there's a few hiccups here and there, but most of all she's right on the money, memory wise. i wish she could have done a "my life in pictures," although you can tell she's qu0ting from the many magazine articles that were about her back in the day.
shirley is quite stoic about some of the things that happened to her (especially when she left twentieth century fox.) it's wonderful learning about her strong self, and forgiving personality.
i read this book with an online book club, which was awesome! we were looking everywhere for pictures, videos, and radio shows to go with the printed page. it was a great way to sharpen research skills, as well as marvel in the era of a small child who brightened the world....
it's amazing how much shirley remembered! there's a few hiccups here and there, but most of all she's right on the money, memory wise. i wish she could have done a "my life in pictures," although you can tell she's qu0ting from the many magazine articles that were about her back in the day.
shirley is quite stoic about some of the things that happened to her (especially when she left twentieth century fox.) it's wonderful learning about her strong self, and forgiving personality.
i read this book with an online book club, which was awesome! we were looking everywhere for pictures, videos, and radio shows to go with the printed page. it was a great way to sharpen research skills, as well as marvel in the era of a small child who brightened the world....
January 27, 2022
I read this book years ago when it was first published. I wanted to read this one again. I was so glad she wrote a memoir about her life as a child star. She is still probably one of the most famous of child stars. Shirley Temple had a very good memory recalling her life in show business. This book goes from her birth to the mid 1950s. I have seen many of her movies so this was a very interesting book to read of her experiences as a child star. Anyone who is still a fan of this talented lady may enjoy reading about her life. She shares many details of working on these movies. I wish she had written a second installment about more of her life . I guess she had considered it but chose not to proceed with another book. This is a good one.
March 29, 2019
The Shirley Temple Story was a pretty good read but it left me wanting more. But, sometimes, more is not necessarily a good thing.
Only about half of Child Star seems to be written from Shirley Temple's own memories of events. At least half of the book must have come from research she (or more likely a hired hand) did later because it is stuff that she couldn't possibly have remembered or even known at the time. At times she was so detached that it sounds like she was writing about someone else.
S.T. had two older brothers that she barely even mentions in 500+ pages. Their lives must have been hell.
Only about half of Child Star seems to be written from Shirley Temple's own memories of events. At least half of the book must have come from research she (or more likely a hired hand) did later because it is stuff that she couldn't possibly have remembered or even known at the time. At times she was so detached that it sounds like she was writing about someone else.
S.T. had two older brothers that she barely even mentions in 500+ pages. Their lives must have been hell.
April 17, 2016
It was great to hear Shirley Temple Black's commentary about her own life and many behind-the-scenes exclusive looks into her movies. She also tells of when she faded (but never really fell out) from the spotlight in an attempt to live a "normal childhood" & adolescence. You can tell she is super-intelligent by the way she narrates her life, and she sometimes talks over my head. But it's amazing just how vivid & sharp her memories were, remembering many events as well as her thoughts & feelings about them, as if they happened just yesterday rather than nearly 50 years before she wrote them.
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