Yesterday, the 23rd of April, was Shirley Temple's birthday. Shirley (now known as Shirley Temple Black) turned 76 this year. Although while I was growing up I personally preferred to watch films starring the Duke to those starring the Little Princess, there is no denying Ms. Temple's contribution to American culture. Temple began her film career at the age of three. Her dimples, curls and bubbly smile led her to be the box office champ of 1936, 1937 and 1938. Although her popularity declined after that, unlike many child stars, she was able to make some good films in her teen and early adult years. In fact, at the age of 20, Temple co-starred with John Wayne in John Ford's Fort Apache. Later in life, Shirley Temple Black continued to contribute to America in other ways. She served as an ambassador to both Ghana and Czechoslovakia. In recent years, Shirley revealed that she is a breast cancer survivor and had undergone a mastectomy. She is one of few celebrities to publicly discuss the procedure and has been an encouragement to many women facing cancer.
So, baby, take a bow for all you've done and have a good birthday weekend.
