Shirley Temple Biography

Fast Facts

• Was the host for the 1999 CBS special "AFI's 100 Years․․․ 100 Stars: America's Greatest Screen Legends," and was ranked 18th on the Female Legends list
• After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1972, she became the first prominent Hollywood actress to speak openly about her struggle with the disease and subsequent mastectomy
• Served as a board member to several organizations, including Disney, the National Wildlife Federation, UNESCO and others
• Enrolled in dance classes at the age of three and signed a film contract one year later after a talent search was held at her dance academy
• Quote: "I class myself with Rin Tin Tin․ At the end of the Depression, people were perhaps looking for something to cheer themselves up․ They fell in love with a dog and a little girl․"
• Quote: "I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six․ Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked me for my autograph․"
• Mentor Darryl F․ Zanuck took her under his wing who quickly assigned a team of writers to create story lines for her, upped her initial pay and bonuses and also convinced her parents to allow her to star in at least four films per year
• After her initial studio declared bankruptcy in 1933, she signed with Fox Films who lent her out to Paramount and Warner Brothers where she immediately found success
• Her managers turned down an offer from MGM for her to star as Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz" in 1939
• Her mother began rolling her hair in ringlets at the age of three to resemble silent film star Mary Pickford
• Officially announced her retirement from films in December of 1950 at the age of 22 after failing to land a role in Broadway's adaptation of Peter Pan