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27th out of 165 books
—
30 voters
Child Star
Shirley Temple. She was a curly-topped moppet with a saucy grin that lit up the screen and an irrepressible spirit that won America's heart. But what was life really like for this extraordinary child growing up on the back lots and sound stages of Hollywood? This BOMC alternate reveals the ups and downs of stardom at age four and tells the funny, poignant, heartwarming chr...more
Mass Market Paperback, 563 pages
Published
October 1st 1989
by Grand Central Publishing
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Shirley Temple is the quintessential “cute-child” of Hollywood. In dozens of films of the thirties and forties, she played adorable match-makers, beloved crank-reformers, darling daughters, and plucky orphans. To some cynical naysayers, she is unbearably saccharine. Sentimental sorts find her a heartwarming dear. I usually find her movies soothing. Everything always turns out all right in the end with all problems being solved by a marriage or an adoption.
Child Star chronologically covers Shir...more
Child Star chronologically covers Shir...more
Shirley Temple was an amazingly gifted child actor who worked hard to share her cheerful spirit.
I had been hoping to read about Shirley Temple Black's experiences as an ambassador and how she felt in her later life, but I was mistaken -- the book focus is only on her very public early life through young adulthood when she decided to retire from acting. ( Who could blame her for wanting to fade from the spotlight into a life with more normal privacy?)
She reveals much about life in the ninetee...more
I had been hoping to read about Shirley Temple Black's experiences as an ambassador and how she felt in her later life, but I was mistaken -- the book focus is only on her very public early life through young adulthood when she decided to retire from acting. ( Who could blame her for wanting to fade from the spotlight into a life with more normal privacy?)
She reveals much about life in the ninetee...more
I was in love with Shirley Temple and watched her every Sunday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. on our B&W t.v. Christmas 1959 when I was 6 years old, my mom purchased a red headed Shirley Temple 18" doll from The Emporium in downtown S.F., CA. Shirley Temple Black made two west coast appearances when this version of the doll was released and one was to The Emporium in SF, Christmas time 1959 and another showing in L.A. I loved this doll to death and watched every Shirley Temple show I could possibly...more
This book has issues but I still liked it. Firstly I love when she shares the juicy tidbits of personal info on fellow actresses or actors. However the down side is her writing is very scattered and paragraphs jump from topics so extremely different it takes you awhile to figure out what she is talking about. The other issue is she gives code names during certain topics to avoid giving out certain celebrities names. The issue is she doesn't say " the boy, lets call him Lancelot, tried to kiss me...more
I've read A LOT of biographies & memoirs set during the golden era of Hollywood so I thought this was a very interesting book. I enjoyed all the anecdotes about various celebrities. I had read a bio of Lionel Barrymore so I had heard that story from his perspective. I liked getting her side of the story. She meet just about anyone who was anyone! And shooting Eleanor Roosevelt on the butt with her slingshot was pretty funny.
I still can't get over what a talented dancer she was at such an ear...more
I still can't get over what a talented dancer she was at such an ear...more
I stumbled upon this in a thrift store, and was very pleased as I had been looking for a Shirley Temple biography for a while. I've not read an autobiography before, so I don't really have anything to compare it to except true biographies, but here goes.
Shirley's writing style is adequate, she delivers information in a forthright, honest way. Sprinkled throughout the book though, are a couple of unnecessarily fancy words (if I'd never seen the 1993 film "Gypsy", I'd never have known what an ecdy...more
Shirley's writing style is adequate, she delivers information in a forthright, honest way. Sprinkled throughout the book though, are a couple of unnecessarily fancy words (if I'd never seen the 1993 film "Gypsy", I'd never have known what an ecdy...more
I read this a few years back and found it to be an incredibly fascinating look into the life of Shirley Temple. It showed me some of the realities of life in movies during the early years of Hollywood and how child actors and actresses were treated.
Also, from the time I was a little girl, I loved watched the Shirley Temple movies. So it was kind of nice to grow up and see how her life really was and why she stepped away from the big screen. From cute little Shirley Temple, to super admirable Shi...more
Also, from the time I was a little girl, I loved watched the Shirley Temple movies. So it was kind of nice to grow up and see how her life really was and why she stepped away from the big screen. From cute little Shirley Temple, to super admirable Shi...more
OMG, I would not recommend this book! First off, little Shirley started in show business at 3 years old. Throughout the book she recollects her time on movie sets but the book also includes details like how much the studio made that year, how much each picture earned, the name of every person she met, who sued her for what, etc. Stuff no child would ever know. She even occassionally says... "I didn't know at the time..." It's half an autobiography of her memories and half a researched biography...more
It was a bit of a disappointing read. A lot of the time her anecdotes made her seem like a bit of a brat rather than the precocious girl I think she was trying to describe. I liked the bits about Uncle Billy, I was curious about that and one of the reasons I wanted to read the book. A lot of the times she doesn't go into her feelings or thoughts on certain events in her life, for example why she decided to retire. And I was disappointed the book ended after the birth of her third child, I would...more
OMG I only made it to 383 and that was really pushing myself to read it and/or skimming a lot. The interesting bits were hard to find and were amongst so much information that I really didn't care about. I have more important things to read besides that! I thought reading about her life through her perspective would be interesting because I grew up watching her movies. My mom loved them so that is how I was introduced to her. But seriously I understand to give a sort of feeling as to what the wo...more
Of all the children to grace the silver screen, perhaps no one deserves the title of "Child Star" more than Shirley Temple. In her aptly named memoir, Shirley Temple Black reflects on a childhood that was spent in front of the cameras. At a young age, she enjoyed a greater level of fame, popularity and success than many of her peers in the business. Her success at the box office helped a floundering Fox Film Corporation rise out of debt and near-bankruptcy and created a career that allowed her t...more
Apr 14, 2012
Christina
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
auto-biography,
books-i-own
I grew up on Shirley Temple and so when I heard about child star i ordered it from Amazon as soon as I could. It was a long book and took a very long time to finish but that is because I was sidetracked by other things . I really enjoyed this book. It was very obvious how much she loved to act and work and keep busy in general . It was really interesting to hear all of the stories she told about all the people she met and the relationships she had with them people that you and I would only dream...more
I adored Shirley Temple when I was younger, and my grandmother bought me all her movies produced by Fox. In her autobiography, Temple acquaints the reader with the Shirley audiences didn't see in her apple pie movies. For example, as a young child, she yearned for dark roles. I was surprised to learn that, even though Shirley earned more then three million dollars in the 1930s and 40s, she only had $80,000 to show for it upon reaching adulthood, because her father had spent almost all of it and...more
I thought that this book was really interesting, I did not realize that she was as busy as she was or that it was so difficult to be a child actor. A different side was shown of some of the actors that were famous, and some of the famous people that she met were surprising to me!
The only negative that I found to this book was that there were some events where I would have loved her to explore more. She basically explained that because she was young and naive she did not really think about them...more
The only negative that I found to this book was that there were some events where I would have loved her to explore more. She basically explained that because she was young and naive she did not really think about them...more
I loved this book! Shirley Temple Black has a wry sense of humor that shines through, page after page. Her memory (her record keeping, or both) are exquisite as she offers an often unflinching look back at her past. She is straight-forward and even blunt about the way things were. There is a no-nonsense quality about her and the way she tells her story. With every page turned, I felt that this is a wonderfully fascinating lady whom I would love the chance to meet!
It was very well written and Shirley's writing style kept my interest engaged. Though I was a bit surprised about some details that Shirley had no control over. I never had the feeling of anger or resentment, just a matter-of-fact. I am always turned off to an author that brings even a slight glimmer of resentment or bitterness in a book, I'll drop a book very quickly because of this.
Excellent autobiography of a woman who was a very talented child/teen. It covers only her growing up years and, I remember that, toward the end of it, she mentioned that a second volume would cover her life after Hollywood. I guess that book hasn't been written yet or, at least, it has yet to be published.
Always loved her movies as a child, still do as an adult. I have loved the hours that I spent with my own children watching her films with them. Shirley Temple Black is a true lady and if you ever enjoyed her movies you will love her book. It's very well written with both style and class!!
I read this as a little girl when I was obsessed with Shirley Temple and her movies. It was fascinating to learn the behind-the-scenes of the movie industry in the 30s. Sadly, Shirley Temple's childhood was not as exciting or sweet as her movies might have made it out to seem.
Not as well written or intriguing as the Dietrich book. Temple comes off as ego-centric, and many of her youthful hijinks are not as endearing as she seems to think they are.
Interesting relationship with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, linked to the view of race at the time.
Interesting relationship with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, linked to the view of race at the time.
This was a great book to read. Got a little tedious around puberty/teens, but what child doesn't. I read this to clear up some questionable facts for teaching and I'm glad that I did. A truly remarkable woman. Looking forward to part 2.
Good book, but ends kind of abruptly and doesn't go as much detail into the years past the "child star" ones. I would have enjoyed reading more about her diplomatic service. She was such a talent!
I'm not usually one for autobiographies, but I really enjoyed this one. Well-written with good pacing. I would recommend this to any Hollywood history fan.
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11624939
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11624939
She's another of my little obsessions...gossipy, fun little fat book. Am I the first mother to swear my kid looks A LOT like Shirley Temple?
I read this years ago and to this day I vividly recall many of the stories and life lessons shared in this book. It was a great read.
I found this book to be illuminating, entertaining, and heart breaking all at the same time.
Feb 12, 2012
Kelly Costello
is currently reading it
Very interesting. I wanted to be Shirley Temple for a long time (Still do).
Enjoyable...a good read with Hollywood insider info
I loved Shirley Temple Movies and I love this memoir. She is an amazing woman.
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