Shirley Temple was just three years old when she made her first film. Born in 1928, the curly-haired cutie was launched into stardom with the release of the Fox studios feature film Stand Up and Cheer! in 1934. From 1935 to 1938, Temple was the biggest box office draw in the world, filling more seats in theaters than leading man Clark Gable and bona fide superstars like Joan Crawford and Greta Garbo. Earnings from the tiny tot’s films even pulled Fox out of financial distress and made them competitive with other large studios. At the time, the Great Depression wore heavily on Americans, and Temple’s effervescence, wit, and perpetually bright demeanor seemed to give the country hope amid dark days. Her impact on the nation was acknowledged by President Franklin D. Roosevelt: “During this Depression, when the spirit of the people is lower than at any other time, it is a splendid thing that for just 15 cents an American can go to a movie and look at the smiling face of a baby and forget his troubles.”
While she was celebrated all the world over, Temple’s family worked to ensure she had as normal a home life as possible by switching abodes to accommodate the star as she grew up in the spotlight. Read on for a look inside the spots Shirley Temple called home.
