Shirley Temple, the child star who charmed millions of fans with her curly hair, dimpled smile, and adorable singing and dancing, had a remarkable life that spanned from Hollywood to diplomacy. But along the way, she also faced some bizarre rumors, including one that claimed she was not a child at all but a middle-aged dwarf.
Temple, who was born in 1928, began her film career at the age of three, when she was discovered by director Charles Lamont at her dance school. Lamont cast her in a series of shorts called Baby Burlesks, which featured child actors parodying popular movies of the time. Temple soon caught the attention of 20th Century Fox, which signed her to a contract and made her a star.
Temple’s movies, such as Bright Eyes, Curly Top, and The Little Princess, were huge hits during the Great Depression, providing a much-needed escape for the audiences. She was paired with famous adult actors and dancers, such as Gary Cooper, Lionel Barrymore, and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, with whom she performed the first interracial dance routine in a movie in 1935’s The Little Colonel.
Temple’s popularity and talent were so extraordinary that some people found it hard to believe that she was a real child. Rumors circulated that she wore a wig, dyed her hair, had filed teeth, wore dentures, or had no formal training. But the most outrageous rumor was that she was actually a 30-year-old with dwarfism, who was pretending to be a child for the sake of fame and money.
This rumor was especially prevalent in Europe, where some people suspected that Hollywood was using trickery to deceive the public. According to Temple’s autobiography, the Vatican even sent a representative named Father Silvio Massante to investigate the matter. Massante visited Temple’s family in 1938 and asked them about “a persistent rumor that Shirley Temple is no child at all.”
Temple, who was 10 years old at the time, wrote that she was shocked and speechless when she heard the rumor for the first time. Her parents and the studio executives were also stunned and amused by the absurdity of the claim. Massante quickly dismissed the rumor as false and assured the family that he had no doubts about Temple’s age.
The Vatican’s intervention helped put an end to the rumor, but it also showed how much influence and curiosity Temple had around the world. She was not only a movie star, but also a cultural phenomenon and a symbol of innocence and optimism.
Temple’s film career declined as she grew older, and she retired from acting in 1950 at the age of 22. She then embarked on a diplomatic career, serving as a delegate to the United Nations, an ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, and the first female chief of protocol of the United States. She also became an advocate for breast cancer awareness and research, after surviving the disease herself.
Temple died in 2014 at the age of 85, leaving behind a legacy of achievements and honors, such as the Juvenile Award from the Academy, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. She also left behind a fascinating story of how she overcame the challenges and rumors that came with being a child star, and how the Vatican helped her prove her critics wrong.
Relevant articles:
– When the Vatican Investigated Shirley Temple | uCatholic
– The Strange Reason Shirley Temple Was Investigated by the Vatican When …
– Why the Vatican Investigated Shirley Temple When She Was 10 – Best Life
– 10 Surprising Facts About Shirley Temple | LittleThings.com
– 15 Shirley Temple facts you should know in honor of the late child star