Who could argue that there was ever a more jaw-droppingly adorable and talented movie tot than TCM's Star of the Month for this July, the formidable golden girl Shirley Temple? Certainly no one had a swifter shot to stardom than Shirley, who entered films at age four in 1932 and within two years had become the most famous female, not just in movies, but in the entire world. (In that era, only America's First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt seemed to travel more, wear out more shoe leather or keep busier than the movie's future Heidi [1937], Curly Top [1935], Dimples [1936] and Wee Willie Winkie [1937]).

Nor did S. Temple's fame disappear with the incredible speed of 99.9 percent of all those other moppets who attempted to hold onto the same kind of lollipop that sustained the remarkable Shirley for so many years. Most child actors were like milk cartons--an expiration date was clearly stamped on them. Not Shirley. After her amazing career as a tot, thanks to the interest and enthusiasm of producer David O. Selznick, Shirley had a successful run as a teenage star with Selznick guiding her career, casting her in prestigious films with stars the size of Cary Grant, Claudette Colbert, Henry Fonda and John Wayne, and Ginger Rogers, further bolstering Shirley's fan base via a weekly radio show in which Temple starred, based on characters from a movie she'd made called Kiss and Tell (1945). It all kept her firmly in the public's consciousness-- until she decided to quit and concentrate on politics, public service and family.

One of the reasons for her decision to change courses at age 21 was that ever-growing interest in the political area. Another reason is something she never talked about, at least publicly, but was well aware of: as she had grown older her talent as an actress hadn't grown in proportion. No fool, she. She had tested for the 1947 film Life With Father, but lost the role to the lesser-known Elizabeth Taylor. She made a big pitch to play the second lead in A Place in the Sun (1951) only to see it go to Shelley Winters. The writing was on the wall, and Shirley knew it was time to move on.

I had the great pleasure of getting to know her in the 1990s thanks to her great pal Roddy Mc- Dowall, the man responsible for many of us being able to become friends with so many Big Leaguers from Hollywood's Golden Age. Shirley was always delightful company to be around, the one jarring thing about her being her addiction to smoking despite the fact she'd already had several serious bouts with cancer. In her 60s, she no longer had more than a vague interest in the motion picture arena and said she sometimes found it akin to torture to make appearances at such events as the Academy Award® ceremony. I once asked her why, under that circumstance, did she do it? "Oh, for a very good reason," she said. "At least once every five years I make an appearance somewhere that there will be major press coverage, so people can watch me grow older. I have too much respect for all those people with great affection for that young 6-year old Shirley to totally stay out of the public eye, then show up 50 years later old, wrinkled and unrecognizable."

Do join us every Monday this month for some extremely pleasant times with this remarkable, smart, one of a kind movie icon.

by Robert Osborne