Raymond Zhou: Shirley Temple brought out the kid in all of us

When Shirley Temple visited China in April 1977, it did not cause a sensation. As a matter of fact, it went totally unheeded, with no media coverage or any personal account from the Chinese host.

Eight years later, Temple, who died this week at the age of 85, became the talk of the nation as many of her major films from the 1930s were broadcast on China Central Television. This came at a time when television sets were available mostly to urban households and viewing options were limited. But still, the size of the audience was enormous in absolute number. more

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Reuters:

Precocious, Adorable, Soft-spoken, Superstar

"As actress Shirley Temple, she was precocious, bouncy and adorable with a head of curly hair, tap-dancing through songs like 'On the Good Ship Lollipop.'"

"As Ambassador Shirley Temple Black, she was soft-spoken and earnest in postings in Czechoslovakia and Ghana, out to disprove concerns that her previous career made her a diplomatic lightweight."

Washington Post:

Heroine, Merchandized, Shirley Temple dolls

"As a child, her movies made her a heroine for adults as well as children. Simplistic plots often cast her as a motherless tyke who found happiness and shared it, cheerfully singing or dancing her way out of trouble and spreading cheer wherever she went."

"With each new generation, she continued to be one of the most merchandized actresses in film history."

1932:"Runt Page," "War Babies," "The Pie-Covered Wagon," "New Deal Rhythm," "Glad Rags to Riches," "Kid's Last Stand," "Kiddin' Hollywood," "Polly Tix in Washington" (all by Educational Films)

1933:"Kiddin' Africa" (Educational Films), "The Red-Haired Alibi" (Tower Productions/Columbia), "Dora's Dunking Doughnuts" (Educational Films), "Out All Night" (Universal), "Merrily Yours (Educational Films), "Pardon My Pups" (Educational Films), "Managed Money" (Educational Films), "To the Last Man" (Paramount Pictures), "What To Do?" (Educational Films)

1934: "Carolina" (20th Century-Fox), "Mandalay" (First National/Warner Brothers), "New Deal Rhythm" (Paramount), "Change of Heart" (Fox), "Bottoms Up" (Fox), "Stand Up and Cheer" (Fox), "Little Miss Marker" (Paramount), "Now I'll Tell" (Fox), "Baby, Take A Bow" (Fox), "Now And Forever" (Paramount), "Bright Eyes" (Fox)

1935:"The Little Colonel" (Fox), "Our Little Girl" (Fox), "Curly Top" (Fox)

1936:"The Littlest Rebel" (Fox), "Captain January" (Fox), "Poor Little Rich Girl" (Fox), "Dimples" (Fox), "Stowaway" (Fox)

1937:"Wee Willie Winkie" (Fox), "Heidi" (Fox)

1938:"Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" (Fox), "Little Miss Broadway" (Fox), "Just Around the Corner" (Fox)

1939:"The Little Princess" (Fox), "Susannah of the Mounties" (Fox)

1940:"The Blue Bird" (Fox), "Young People" (Fox)

1941:"Kathleen" (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)

1942:"Miss Annie Rooney" (United Artists)

1943:"Since You Went Away" (United Artists)

1944:"I'll Be Seeing You" (United Artists)

1945:"Kiss and Tell" (Columbia)

1946:"Honeymoon" (RKO), "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" (RKO)

1947: "That Hagen Girl" (Warner Bros.)

1948:"Fort Apache" (RKO ), "Adventure in Baltimore" (RKO)

1949:"Mr. Belvedere Goes to College" (Fox), "The Story of Seabiscuit" (Warner Bros.), "A Kiss for Corliss" (United Artists)