Temple Tuesday: Captain January Compo

The years are not always kind to 1930s Shirley Temple composition dolls. Most get cracks, worn/broken toes and fingers, messy mohair wigs, and crazed eyes. There are many who feel an original composition Shirley Temple doll should be left untouched in its original condition. There are also some who go to great lengths to repaint, re-wig, and replace those cloudy cracked eyes. When I saw this restored 18" Captain January compo up for sale, it just jumped out at me.



The restoration work is very good; sometimes the repainting is overdone and makes Shirley look like she belongs in the Red Light District. This one seemed just right. The eyes looked natural without being too pristine and bright. The restyled wig would probably be my one complaint; it's a bit big and poofy, but I can live with it.



Sporting her original outfit, shoes, and socks, this one is a gem who looks like she just got hand-picked from the toy store shelf.



See more Shirley Temple doll photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Shirley Holds Her Head

Here is a vintage shot of Shirley Temple at the Ideal Doll factory with Dr. Albert Miller, head chemist for Ideal Toy Company. I have to admit, this photo is just a tiny bit creepy with adult Shirley taking a look at vinyl childhood Shirley...without any hair. Still, I can't avoid zooming in for a closeup.



And a shot of the final product, once painted, dressed, and given a golden curly rooted synthetic hairdo.





NOTE: It was just brought to my attention that the doll head belongs to a baby doll; not the Shirley Temple 1950's vinyl doll I have posted photos of here. That's somewhat of a relief, as I couldn't quite see how that big creepy head could become a Shirley doll.

See more Shirley Temple doll photos at my main website.

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A Celebration of Shirley Temple Black

Sadly, America's Legendary Sweetheart of the 1930's has passed away. Shirley Temple Black was a ray of sunshine for a Depression-weary nation, who helped people forget their troubles while she sang, danced, and solved the problems of everyone around her in less than 80 minutes. Actress, wife, mother, and politician, she lived a very full life during every single one of her 85 years. In the doll world, the Shirley Temple doll is still legendary, 80 years after it was first introduced by the Ideal Toy Company in 1934.

With expressive eyes and soft blonde mohair curls, Shirley's likeness flew off the shelves at a time when people didn't have the money for frivolous items such as a doll. The desire to have a little Shirley at home overcame any financial reservations, and the sales put the Ideal Toy Company back in the black.



Today, a vintage composition Shirley Temple doll represents warm memories and happiness to so many.



In later years, Shirley licensed the manufacturing of the doll to the Danbury Mint, who released a whole slew of porcelain Shirleys for new generations to cherish and treasure. This 75th Anniversary Shirley, representing her as she looked in "The Little Princess," is one of my favorites.



Over the years, there have been large Shirleys (36") and small Shirleys that measure less than 6":



Some of the dolls, like this 1980s vinyl edition by Ideal are downright creepy:



While others are so lifelike you almost expect to hear them say, "Oh My Goodness!"



It will be interesting to see if new Shirley Temple dolls will continue to be released now that Shirley is gone, or if their popularity has merely peaked. I would think that as long as her movies are made available to new generations, Shirley Temple will continue to charm with her message of love and positivity.

Follow my Gene Marshall, Madra Lord, Zita Charles, Violet Waters, Trent Osborn, Poppy Parker, and other classic movie star doll updates on Twitter. See more Shirley Temple doll photos on my regular website.

Shirley Temple: Bright Eyes

Although the name of the movie, "Bright Eyes" (1934), isn't necessarily familiar to most, hardly a person is unaware of the hit song that Shirley Temple sang from it: "On The Goodship Lollipop." Even without the song, this movie still holds up today, with a slight edge and some adult themes that are not present in most Temple films from the 30s. In this sequence with her bratty counterpart, Jane Withers, Shirley wears an oversize dress as the two children take their dolls out for a stroll.



The Danbury Mint released this outfit twice; once with what I call the "E.T." sculpt, and then again in a limited edition version that had a mohair wig. My 75th Anniversary Shirley is modeling the outfit, which also came with a miniature version of the doll that Shirley had in the movie as well as an oversized handbag.







See more Shirley Temple doll photos at my regular website.

Happy (Belated) Birthday, Shirley Temple Black

Shirley Temple Black, the child star phenomenon from the 1930’s, turned 83 on Saturday. The original Shirley Temple doll, produced by Ideal Toys, was an incredible sensation. Coming in a variety of sizes and outfits (most based on Shirley’s movie outfits), the Shirley Temple doll saved Ideal Toys from the brink of disaster.



Although Ideal Toys is no longer in biz, The Danbury Mint continues to make dolls authorized by Shirley herself. One of my favorites is this reproduction of the Ideal version of “The Little Colonel.”



Produced in porcelain rather than composition as the originals were, it sure is a beauty and captures the innocence of the era.



Follow my Gene Marshall, Madra Lord, Zita Charles, Violet Waters, Trent Osborn, Poppy Parker, and other classic movie star doll updates on Twitter. See more Shirley Temple doll photos at my regular website.

Happy Birthday, Shirley Temple Black!

Today is the birthday of a living legend. Shirley Temple Black helped pull the country out of the Depression in the 1930’s with her movies, reigning supreme as the top Box Office Draw for almost a solid 5 years.

In addition to her stellar career in film, Shirley spent her adult life serving the country as a politician. Some of her positions included Chief of Protocol and U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and later Czechoslovakia. Shirley was also one of the first people to speak out to women about breast cancer, encouraging them to get checked. It was a courageous and monumental move on her part that helped bring this hush-hush topic to the forefront of conversations.



For today’s special salute, I am posting photos of the Danbury Mint porcelain doll “Glad Rags to Riches,” based on the 1933 short that Shirley starred in. It is probably one of the best (and most adorable) likenesses of a young Shirley, inspired by this photo:



Happy Birthday, Shirley—and thanks for all your years of service to this country!

See more Shirley Temple photos at my regular website and more Shirley Temple doll photos.