The talent and the time and place which elevated her to the biggest box office
star worldwide is a rarity.
During the Great Depression she brought a ray of hope to millions of people
worldwide whose lives had been devastated by the times. At least for 2 hours
at a time.
What you have to understand -- it was not children going to a Saturday matinee which
made her the biggest movie star in the world for 5 years.
It was the adults. Men would pick up their dates with a surprise--
"we're going to see the new Shirley Temple movie!"
In the late 1950's, a whole new audience of baby boomers watching children's television
discovered this talented munchkin.
The films are not all super sweet. They are filled with divorce, battling adults,
highly emotional situations, treacherous characters, action sequences and more.
That's why adults showed up worldwide.
Her unique status and charm will live on forever in film.
