CRAZY OVER SHIRLEY TEMPLE COLLECTIBLES

by: Roy Nuhn

Shirley Temple Dolls: Left to right: 20-inch composition doll with original clothes; 28-inch store manniken for girls' clothing; 13-inch doll with wardrobe and trunk.

As seen in The Antique Shoppe Newspaper, August, 2005

In an era when modern sci-fi and supernatural movies seem to hold most moviegoers' attention, it is a bit difficult to know that at one time, during the Great Depression years of the 1930s, that a dog and a little girl kept America smiling. The dog was Rin-Tin-Tin and the girl, a little moppet named Shirley Temple. She had millions of fans and ever since tens of thousands of people have enthusiastically and, with great enjoyment, collected anything and everything ever associated with the nation's "Little Princess".

One-sheet movie poster. Shirley co-starred with Lionel Barrymore in the 1935 film "The Little Colonel"

Without a doubt, she was Hollywood's most popular child star and, very likely, the most famous in the history of American entertainment. True, Jane Withers, publicized by a rival studio to compete for audience appeal against Shirley, along with later juvenile leads, such as Margaret O'Brien and Natalie Wood, enjoyed immense appeal and box office Success. But there was only one Shirley Temple, and during the dark and unhappy days of the Great Depression of the 1930s, the American public adopted her as one of their own.

Cover of Movie Story Magazine, August 1947, showing a 19-year old Shirley Temple with her co-star, Cary Grant.

Millions of people called themselves Shirley Temple fans. Years later, tens of thousands of them became collectors of all the dolls, merchandise, ephemera, and relics that were manufactured and published by American industry in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. Shirley Temple collectibles are voluminous. Paper dolls of her were available the same years as the famous dolls. The first known ran in the St. Louis-Post Dispatch in 1934. She was the subject of one episode in the newspaper's "Movie and Muny Opera Dressographs" series. In 1935 Saalfield Co. introduced the first in what would prove to be a long running sequence of Shirley Temple paper doll booklets that continued into modern times. 1942 was the last year that a contemporary Shirley Temple paper doll booklet was distributed. What was sold in the years afterward were merely reprints of the various issues of the 1930s. Buyers must be very wary when purchasing such items. Anyone with an interest in collecting material associated  with Shirley Temple should definitely consider film memorabilia.

Original theater posters tend to be quite costly, so it might be wiser to look for re-release items, which will be far lower in selling price - but, unfortunately, often also poorer in quality.

The little moppet with a 1930's Ideal Company Shirley Temple doll (promotional black-and-white still, Late 1930s)

Lobby cards, 11 x 14-inch pieces of cardboard displayed inside theaters and illustrating scenes from the film, as well as other display material and giveaways are in considerable demand but priced within most budgets. Black-and-white stills, released by the studio for promotional purposes to the print media, remain plentiful and comparatively inexpensive. 

Modestly priced still are movie magazines of the 1930s. Most of these usually contain a variety of Shirley Temple material from cover pictures, inside illustrations and articles to serializations of her film plots and advertisements either for her movies or of her endorsing a plethora of products. As a publicity stunt for the 1935 film, Bright Eyes, standing paper dolls were handed out to all little girls attending the movie's showing. This represents but one of the many, many items available which originated as giveaways for her movies. The 1930s and 1940s were decades of intense competition in which the major studios vied with one another to insure the success of their motion picture releases and a tremendous number of novelties and merchandise was given away to theater managers. These all tied directly into the films being shown. For instance, the 1935 Our Little Girl press book contained a helpful list of handouts to ticket buyers: pinback buttons, books, stationery, glass tumblers, soap novelties, hair ribbons, puzzles and stickpins.

Big Little Book format by Saalfield Publishing Co. with text illustrated with photos from film (1935 or 1936).

Also distributed were cobalt glassware upon which was illustrated scenes from different movies such as a pitcher for Captain January. As with any popular person, real or imaginary, many commercial tie-ins such as jewelry, books of all types, much bric-a-brac, knick-knacks, curios, and wrist watches can be found.

Shirley Temple collectibles are many and vast. Dolls in her likeness are legend and their popularity among collectors is tremendous. They have been continuously produced and sold for well over a half-century. As a child, Shirley herself was a doll collector but nowhere can I find any mention of whether or not she saved her own image dolls.

Paper doll booklet from late 1950s or early 1960s. One of numerous reprints of the 1930s original.

The very first Shirley Temple doll was a composition by Ideal Novelty and Toy Company, manufacturers also of Deanna Durbin, Judy Garland and Fanny Brice dolls. These first Shirley Temple dolls came in two sizes, 18 and 22 inches. Around 1957 they became vinyl and to this day continue to be of such material. Until 1940, dolls were produced to coincide with her films. The dresses matched what she wore on the silver screen in such films as Bright Eyes and Stand Up and Cheer.

Full-page color advertisement of Shirley endorsing Lane Hope Chests (Life, March 1945)

Considered the most rare of all Shirley Temple dolls is the one of her as a baby - inspired by family photographs.

Many books were published with either photo stories or illustrated text derived from her films, notably The Little Colonel. Saalfield was a major producer of these. Such books are greatly desired today, especially if they still have their original dust jackets.

Also to be found: sheet music, birthday cards, coloring books, and scrapbooks. Collectors even seek the small amount of memorabilia generated by her late 1950s television show, Storybook.

Whether you collect Shirley Temple memorabilia by itself or as an adjunct to another interest, the results are enjoyable.

Indeed, the "Good Ship Lollipop" is still sailing on.

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