As one of the biggest child stars in Hollywood history who even has a mocktail named after her, Shirley Temple continues to be a household name to this day. Unfortunately, her fame and fortune came at a high price given the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry. Here are some of the more chilling facts about the career of child star Shirley Temple.
Losing Innocence
While Temple enjoyed a variety of prolific roles throughout her career, her debut performance was sadly a traumatic one. Temple’s first role came at the age of three when she starred in Baby Burlesks. This show was a satire on current affairs in which children would play adult roles, often wearing outfits and acting in sultry ways that are totally inappropriate and downright immoral for actors of that age.
Don’t Look Back in Anger
In her autobiography Child Star, Temple recalled how her debut role proved to be “a cynical exploitation of our childish innocence”. One of the worst experiences she had was at the hands of the director Charles Lamont, who would punish the child stars on set by forcing them to sit in a soundproof black box, sometimes even making the kids sit on a block of ice.
Hitting The Big Time
At the age of 12, Temple signed a major contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. While a promising career move, Temple’s personal life was ruined as she was overwhelmed with a packed schedule. Ultimately, she departed after making just a single film with the studio.