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As President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “It is a splendid thing that for just fifteen cents, an American can go to a movie and look at the smiling face of a baby and forget his troubles.”

Few Hollywood stars were ever as big — or little — as Shirley Temple. This dimpled darling with her bouncy corkscrew curls and delightful tap-dance routines brought cheer and spread sunshine to moviegoers during the darkest days of the Great Depression. She was the No. 1 box-office draw from 1935 to 1938 and was the first child star to be presented with a special Juvenile Academy Award for her big-screen contributions during 1934. She even had her own line of licensed merchandise including look-alike dolls, dishes and clothing. Before 1935 ended, her income from licensed goods would be more than $100,000 – doubling what she made from her movies.

A born charmer, Temple’s pint-sized characters regularly melted the hearts of the...

6 random things that happened on this day, February 22nd in showbiz history...

1921 Fellini's muse Giulietta Masina is born in San Giorgia di Plano, Italy. But more on her tonight for her Centennial.

1935 The Little Colonel opens in theaters. The movie featured the first interracial dance in an American movie in the famous staircase tap dance scene between tiny Shirley Temple and trailblazing entertainer Bill Robinson. The innocuous scene was somehow controversial and was reportedly cut out of the movie when it played in the South...

As President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “It is a splendid thing that for just fifteen cents, an American can go to a movie and look at the smiling face of a baby and forget his troubles.”

Few Hollywood stars were ever as big –or little — as Shirley Temple. This dimpled darling with her bouncy corkscrew curls and delightful tap-dance routines brought cheer and spread sunshine to moviegoers during the darkest days of the Great Depression. She was the No. 1 box-office draw from 1935 to 1938 and was the first child star to be presented with a special Juvenile Academy Award for her big-screen contributions during 1934. She even had her own line of licensed merchandise including look-alike dolls, dishes and clothing. Before 1935 ended, her income from licensed goods would be more than $100,000 – doubling what she made from her movies.

SEEHonorary Oscars: Full list of 132 winners from Charlie Chaplin to Cicely Tyson

A born charmer,...

Shirley Temple’s tap shoes and practice steps, given to her by Bill “Bojangles” Robinson during production of The Little Colonel, 1935, their first on-screen partnership, in which they performed the famous stair dance.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that it has received a gift valued at more than $5 million from the late Oscar-winning Hollywood actress and United States Ambassador Shirley Temple Black and her family.

This gift includes both a substantial monetary contribution to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ capital campaign as well as key artifacts from Shirley Temple Black’s indelible early career. To recognize this gift and honor the star’s legendary childhood contribution to entertainment, the Academy Museum’s education center will be named The Shirley Temple Education Studio.

“Shirley Temple Black captivated audiences as an actor and her work as a diplomat touched countless lives,” said Bob Iger, who is...

Ah, the sweet sound of success! Even more relevant in this movie article is the sweet movement of success. Thus, Shake A Tail Feather: Top Ten Dance Moments in the Movies will highlight some of the top-notch dance steps where moving your feet to the music is essential. Now this does not have to necessary be exclusive to musical-oriented films or dance-related flicks but hey…it could not hurt either, right?

Nevertheless folks, how about we take a free-wheeling look at some of the selections that were memorable (some more than others) spotlighted here in Shake A Tail Feather: Top Ten Dance Moments in the Movies were your finger-snapping, feet-stomping urges overcome you. Perhaps you have your brand of acceptable dance moments not included in this group? Well, let your thoughts be known if you feel compelled to do so. In the meantime, sit back and check out some of...

Given how revered Disney's "Pinocchio" is today, it's hard to believe it was a flop when it was first released exactly three quarters of a century ago. Upon its New York City premiere, on February 7, 1940, critics hailed the film as a masterpiece, and even to this day, many prefer it to Disney's pioneering first animated feature, 1937's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Yet it took the film many years and multiple re-releases to make a profit.

Today, of course, the legacy of "Pinocchio" is inescapable. Everyone's image of the puppet-boy with the nose that grows when he lies comes not from Carlo Collodi's original novel but from the kid with the Tyrolean hat and the Mickey Mouse gloves, as drawn by Disney animators. And the opening tune, Jiminy Cricket's "When You Wish Upon a Star," is ubiquitous as the theme music played before every Walt Disney movie and home video release.

Shirley Temple Black (1928-2014), the most iconic child star of film history who was a box office sensation throughout the 1930s, has died at age 85. Known for her dimples and perfectly-ringleted head of curls (56 ringlets, to be exact), Temple broke into the movies at only three years old, and went on to star in a series of vehicles (many of which were the VHS staples of my childhood) like "Bright Eyes," "Little Miss Marker," "Stand Up and Cheer," "The Little Colonel," "Baby Take a Bow," "Heidi," "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" and "The Little Princess," to name only a few. More than just a cute face, Temple had a remarkable ability for song and dance routines, as exemplified particularly in "The Codfish Ball" routine she does with Buddy Ebsen in "Captain January," where she matches the limber-legged Ebsen step for step in a four minute sequence. (Watch it, below.) "The Little Princess...

Legendary singing-and-dancing child star Shirley Temple died Monday night of natural causes in her Woodside, Calif., home, surrounded by her family and caregivers. Temple, who later spent time as a U.N. delegate and ambassador, was best-known for her early roles in movies like Bright Eyes, in which she performed her signature song, "Good Ship Lollipop," The Little Colonel and Curly Top, which featured her classic rendition of "Animal Crackers in My Soup." Photos: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2014 Temple's Bright Eyes co-star Jane Withers was shocked and distraught when she learned of Temple's

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She was far and away the most popular child actress of all time and at her prime, she was the most recognized star in the world. Shirley Temple’s sweet charisma and loveable voice lifted the spirit of depression-era America in a series of incredibly successful films throughout the 1930′s such as The Little Colonel, Curly Top (which featured her signature song ‘Animal Crackers in My Soup’), Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm, and The Littlest Rebel. Before those, when she was just three and four, Ms Temple starred in a series of politically incorrect ‘Baby Burlesque’ shorts, which featured its toddler cast members clad in adult costumes on the top and diapers fastened with large safety pins on the bottom (I’ve shown a couple of these at my Super-8 Movie Madness show to astounded audiences). In 1945, she married cult actor John Agar and co-starred with him in John Ford’s...

She made an indelible mark on Hollywood from a very young age and sadly Shirley Temple Black has passed away.

The “Curly Top” starlet was 85 years old when she died of natural causes on Monday night (February 10) due to “natural causes.”

A family spokesperson told press that Shirley “peacefully passed away,” noting, "We salute her for a life of remarkable achievements as an actor, as a diplomat, and most importantly as our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and adored wife of fifty-five years.”

Ms. Black retired from acting at age 21 after making beloved films like “Bright Eyes,” “The Little Colonel,” “Poor Little Rich Girl,” “Heidi” and “Stand Up and Cheer,” and she’ll always be known for her adorable ditty “On the Good Ship Lollipop.”

Following her departure from Tinseltown, Shirley became an ambassador to Czechoslovakia and Ghana. In 1974 she stated, "I have no trouble being taken seriously as a woman and a diplomat here.

The sad news that Shirley Temple Black passed away Monday at the age of 85 likely had many fans reminiscing about her iconic work…and perhaps beginning to hum “On the Good Ship Lollipop” while sipping on her eponymous drink.

Though she retired from acting at the age of 22, her career featured many memorable performances — usually complete with a song-and-dance routine. Watch some of her most famous scenes below. (Note: Some of these videos have been colorized.)

1.) Stand Up and Cheer! (1934)

2.) Bright Eyes (1934)

3.) Curly Top (1935)

4.) The Little Colonel (1935)

5.) Heidi (1937)

6.) The Little Princess (1939)...

Shirley Temple, the pint-sized star whose youth and effervescence is credited with helping lift Depression era moviegoers’ spirits, died Monday of natural causes. She was 85. She leaves a legacy of memorable performances in such films as “Heidi,” “The Little Colonel” and “Wee Willie Winkie.” Temple fans flocked to theaters for elaborate production numbers that were bouncy, witty, infectious and irresistible. Also read: Shirley Temple Dead at 85 These musical diversions cemented Temple’s status as one of the brightest stars of her day, an actress whose popularity eclipsed that of Clark Gable and Greta Garbo. She embodied pluck and confidence at a time of.

Shirley Temple dead at 85: Was one of the biggest domestic box office draws of the ’30s (photo: Shirley Temple in the late ’40s) Shirley Temple, one of the biggest box office draws of the 1930s in the United States, died Monday night, February 10, 2014, at her home in Woodside, near San Francisco. The cause of death wasn’t made public. Shirley Temple (born in Santa Monica on April 23, 1928) was 85. Shirley Temple became a star in 1934, following the release of Paramount’s Alexander Hall-directed comedy-tearjerker Little Miss Marker, in which Temple had the title role as a little girl who, left in the care of bookies, almost loses her childlike ways before coming around to regenerate Adolphe Menjou and his gang. That same year, Temple became a Fox contract player, and is credited with saving the studio — 20th Century Fox from 1935 on — from bankruptcy. Whether or not that’s true is a different story,...

San Francisco – She was the biggest movie star in the world at less than 10 years old. Shirley Temple (Black) – who entertained Depression weary audiences through most of the 1930s with her curly haired optimism – died on February 10th of natural causes at 85, according to a family representative.

Shirley Temple in the Film ‘Bright Eyes’ (1934)

Photo credit: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Shirley Jane Temple had a remarkable life, beginning at a very young age as a megawatt child star, and after an attempt to transition into young adult roles, a “retirement” at 22 years old. Her next life phase included two marriages – the second lasting 54 years – and a productive era in politics and as a U.S. diplomat.

Temple was born in April of 1928 in Santa Monica, California. Her mother enrolled her in dance classes at the age of three, at the same time creating her famous ringlet hair style (copied...

Shirley Temple, star of classic Hollywood pictures The Little Princess and Heidi, has passed away at the age of 85.

A child star who made her film debut at the age of 5 in 1932's Red Haired Alibi, Temple appeared opposite some of film's greatest Golden Age stars such as John Wayne and Henry Fonda (in Fort Apache), Lionel Barrymore (The Little Colonel) and Cary Grant (The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer).

Temple won an honorary juvenile Academy Award for her contribution to film in 1934. She was awarded a star on the Walk of Fame in 1960, and in 2005 she was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Screen Actors Guild.

After stepping away from movies in 1949, Temple made a TV comeback in the late '50s with the series Shirley Temple's Storybook. Her final acting role was in a guest spot in 1963's The Red Skeleton Hour.

She later moved into politics, holding...

Shirley Temple, the dimpled, curly-haired child star who sang, danced, sobbed and grinned her way into the hearts of Depression-era moviegoers, has died, according to publicist Cheryl Kagan. She was 85. Temple, known in private life as Shirley Temple Black, died at her home near San Francisco. A talented and ultra-adorable entertainer, Shirley Temple was America's top box-office draw from 1935 to 1938, a record no other child star has come near. She beat out such grown-ups as Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, Robert Taylor, Gary Cooper and Joan Crawford. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranking of the top 50 screen legends ranked Temple at No.

Martha Mendoza, Associated Press

San Francisco (AP) - Shirley Temple, the dimpled, curly-haired child star who sang, danced, sobbed and grinned her way into the hearts of Depression-era moviegoers, has died. She was 85.

Temple, known in private life as Shirley Temple Black, died Monday night at her home near San Francisco. She was surrounded by family members and caregivers, publicist Cheryl Kagan said.

"We salute her for a life of remarkable achievements as an actor, as a diplomat, and most importantly as our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and adored wife for fifty-five years of the late and much missed Charles Alden Black," a family statement said. The family would not disclose Temple's cause of death.

A talented and ultra-adorable entertainer, Shirley Temple was America's top box-office draw from 1935 to 1938, a record no other child star has come near. She beat out such grown-ups as Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, Robert Taylor,...

Shirley Temple Black, who rose to fame as a child Hollywood star, died at the age of 85 on Monday, Feb. 10 of natural causes.

Temple Black was with family and caregivers in her California home when she died.

“We salute her for a life of remarkable achievements as an actor, as a diplomat, and most importantly as our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and adored wife for fifty-five years of the late and much missed Charles Alden Black,” the family said in a statement.

Shirley Temple: A Childhood Superstar

Shirley Temple became a household name in the 1930s when she was barely five years old. With her sweet singing voice and her talent for tap dancing, Temple Black quickly became one of the most celebrated stars of her time. Known for her trademark dimples and ringlet curls, Temple Black stared in countless Depression era classics, such as Bright Eyes (1934), The Little Colonel...