Child Star: An Autobiography Hardcover – October, 1988

Like many of us, I grew up watching Shirley Temple movies, mostly on television -- no longer in theaters, they were classics in the 50s and early sixties.

I found Ms. Black to be a good writer, clear and concise, and as classy as I expected her to be. No "Mommie Dearest" here, although toward the end she is honest, but not bitter, about how the money she earned for the many, many movies (far more movies than I realized) had never made it to her adulthood as they were legally supposed to. Rather than add bitterness to an already difficult situation, though, she chose to let it go, and move on. Way to go, Shirley. Not sure I could have been so considerate -- but then again, ever the optimist and considering everyone's feelings, she had a family she was not willing to lose, and children who needed their grandparents, and uncles. Nothing was done with malice, at least not by her family. Any greed by the studio and/or government is also allowed to slide as water under the bridge. She worked her heart out, and she loved it, she considered that payment enough. At the time she was able to take that approach, she was in a good place in her life, and felt rich beyond words. Good for her, she earned the right to move forward.

I was appalled at how studio executives treated her as she moved forward in her adult career, as a woman in general, and indeed, as who she was -- an American icon! Sometimes I think there is no level low enough that some men won't stoop to... Again, she mentions it as an annoyance, but "part of the business" she had to learn to deal with. No sexual harassment claims for her -- though she certainly would have been justified!

And how sad I was to read the story of her first marriage, and how she is also able to rise above that without the recriminations of so many others who have lived with the nightmares she describes. Angelic is the only way to describe her.

But the accomplishments! I can't wait to read the second part of this autobiography, that I see listed in amazon.com's catalog. I had no idea what an accomplished woman Shirley Temple Black is -- probably the most accomplished woman in American history! The "About the Author" piece in the back of the book just blew me away! And in all my years of feminist study, nobody mentions Shirley Temple Black...I wonder why? Because she was a movie star (with a filmography that apologizes to no one!)? Because she took her husband's name? Because she loved being a homemaker and taking care of her children? Fal-de-ral and fiddle-dee-dee!

Yes, she was appointed as Ambassador to Ghana by President Gerald R. Ford in 1974, and many people know that; but among many, many other accomplishments in this arena she was later appointed Ambassador and U.S. Chief of Protocol, the first woman in U.S. history to hold this position. Where is her work? I want to read her work!

I am astounded at our ignorance about this woman who traveled the journey from the depression through Word War II and beyond spreading grace, charm and joy everywhere she went. I wish she had said more about the war, and her take on the holocaust and the Nazis, but I'm not surprised she didn't bring it up. It's not in her nature to focus on the negative. Leave that to women like me.

Shirley Temple, I salute you!

I borrowed this book from the library because I was reaserching Shirley Temple's background in tap dance. By the time I finished it I had to purchase it and add it to my private research library. There is just so much more in this biography than I ever expected. I guess it's obvious if you think about it, Shirley Temple is a very intelligent person. Part of her talent as a child came from the fact that she has a very high IQ. So the writing in the book displays humor, wisdom, and candor I just had not anticipated. Her ability to memorize lines and deliver them correctly in one take was legendary when she was a child. What maybe less well known is that she is on every top ten list of great tap dancers and she gave the practice up, at least publicly, when she was 20, a time when most dancers are just getting started. I found this autobiography unusual on several fronts: Mrs. Black is very introspective about her parents and grand parents and their relationship to who she became. This is common in biographies, but much less so in autobiographies. She is also candid about unorthodox techniques used to direct her in her early movies, and her likes and dislikes of her various directors and co-stars. As a child she had an unusual capacity for concentration which she brings to bear on her work as a writer and the details of what she recalls. Any child growing up under similar circumstances would find their egos hardboiled. Mrs. Black turns acute perception on the problems of her personality and her use of her own power that are not always complimentary. This is a true expose of what becomes of someone who is both manipulated and praised beyond their own self image. I can only think that it was her unique intelligence that got her through. The National Enquirer is filled with similar stories of the less intelligent. I'm very much looking forward to part II of these chronicles.