> Shirley Temple is, without a doubt, one of the most famous child stars of all time. In the 1930s, she would reign as one of the top box office attractions (even topping the list for four consecutive years) and her films still continue to captivate audiences today.

> She was born in Santa Monica, California in 1928 and made her first appearance in a series of short films titled "Baby Burlesks" at Educational Studios when she was only four years old.

> Her first feature film was Stand Up and Cheer! (1934), which was soon followed by her star-making film Bright Eyes in which she first sings "On the Good Ship Lollipop."

> Her films followed fairly typical patterns, with Temple often paying either an orphan or a child of a single parent, who helps the adults around with her can-do spirit and a song.

> In 1934, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded her a special "juvenile" Academy Award for her debut work that year.

> Her success in the mid-30s was so great that in 1936, her contract was redone to give her a whopping $50,000 per film. She was also invited to spend time at President Franklin Roosevelt's home in Hyde Park, NY.

> By the time The Little Princess premiered in 1939, Temple had already been an actress for half her life and her popularity meant high returns at the box office. In fact, between 1935 and 1938, Shirley Temple's movies accounted for more revenues at the box office than any other actor. The Little Princess would, in fact, be her last successful feature as a child star.

> Her mother acted as her agent and was on the set of every picture that Temple made. Her typical words of encouragement before the cameras rolled were "Sparkle, Shirley."

> While she would continue making films for another ten years, she never again found the success at the box office that she did as a child star (though there are some great films during the 1940s including The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer [1947] with Cary Grant and Fort Apache [1948] directed by John Ford).

> In 1949, she retired from the screen at the age of 21, having appeared in over 40 films and shorts. She would briefly return to acting in the 1950s, this time on television with the series Shirley Temple's Storybook.

> Later in life, Temple became active in politics. She would be appointed U.S. Representative to the United Nations in 1968, and served as U.S. Ambassador to Ghana (1974-76) and U.S. Chief of Protocol (1976-77).