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Shirley Temple Research Paper

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Shirley Temple was a child tap film star of the 1930s who encouraged tap dancing to children around the world. Shirley Jane Temple was born in Santa Monica California. Her mother’s name was Gertrude (1893-1977) and was a high school graduate. Her father’s name was George (1888-1980) and was a banker. When Shirley was three years old she was enrolled at the Ethel Meglin Dance studio where she remained for numerous years. Here she was learning and improving her technical skills. A few years later, Shirley moved to Meglin's studio where she was discovered for a new television series called “Baby Berlesks". This television show provided her with the opportunity to prove her ability to dance, sing, and act in a professional situation. In 1931 …show more content…

In 1935, at age six, Shirley was first introduced to Bill Robinson (an older black man). During the time when multicultural performances were viewed with disapproval, Shirley and Bill appeared in numerous films together, professionally ignoring the racial dynamics of their time. The first film they were in together was “The Little Colonel” in 1935. This film featured complex tap routines including Bill’s famous "staircase dance”. Shirley and Bill appeared in four feature films together. In 1934 Shirley was the first child to ever receive a special Academy award (established her as an American icon). However, by the time Shirley was entering adolescence she had lost her fame since she was no longer able to display the doll-like physical qualities she had when she was younger that had captured the attention of millions of viewers. In the late 1930's and 1940's, Shirley finally left the show business to pursue a career in politics, dedicating herself to the social welfare of a post-Depression

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