Shirley Temple was the big thing with the girls when I was a kid. If my sisters could generate a dime, they went to one of her movies. Being a boy, I was only interested in war and western movies. That is until puberty, when I was interested in war, westerns, and any movie starring a sexy woman. When The Outlaw came to our town, we snuck off to see it. Wow! I mainly watched Shirley Temple movies with my kids on television. She was a cute little tyke with the cute dimples and all. Shirley also made some movies as a teenager. Ive seen a couple of these on television and the first thing I noticed was that she talked the same way as she did as a child. Some director! Well, maybe that is the way she still talks. Anyway, I think that is what ended her career although I havent talked to her about it and Im afraid to call her: Shirley? Who is this? John Jones, the writer. Ive never heard of you. Can I help you? (She is always so sweet and polite, I think.) Its not an alias, Shirley. Same answer. What do you want, Mr. Jones? "Actually, it's Dr. Jones." "Same answer. What do you want, Dr. Jones?" I wanted to ask you what happened to your movie career. Nothing happened except, like all movie careers, it ended. I would be afraid to ask her about the child-like dialogue of her teenage movie era. I would say, For the United States of America, I would like to thank you for your many years of service to our country, as Ambassador, White House Chief of Protocol wizard, and all that. You dont sound like a writer, Dr. Jones, but I thank you for your kind words anyway. Thats when she would hang up on me before I could ask her why Gerald Ford sent her as Ambassador to the Republic of Ghana. Hes the president who made her White House Chief of Protocol, so I guess he made up for it. Betty probably said, Gerald, what in the hell is wrong with you, sending Shirley Temple to Ghana! You should have sent her to Kashmir. Next time, ask me first! He got the point, I guess. (Well, if you are not a Washington insider, you must guess.) Anyway, Shirley Temple kept acting after her movie career. She was on television and the radio. Her second husband, Charles Black, was probably a major factor in her life in doing governmental service, but she has hobnobbed with all the presidents of her time and they would influence her too. (All except for Gerald Ford who sent her to Ghana.) Shirley took her husbands name. That impressed me. It showed she had class. She became a very mature, beautiful woman. She has made those wonderful contributions to our country. That is why we all love Shirley Temple Black. You can read more about her at: http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=showIndividual&entitY_id=3814&source_type=A Very personal P.S.: I really love you, Shirley Temple! John copyrightJohn T. Jones, Ph.D. 2005 |
