Shirley Temple

SHIRLEY TEMPLE. American film and television actress, singer, dancer, autobiographer and former US Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia. She began her film career in 1932 at the age of three and in 1934 skyrocketed to superstardom in "Bright Eyes," a feature film designed specifically for her talents. She received a special Academy Award in February 1935 and film hits such as Curly Top and Heidi followed year after year into the late 1930s. Licensed merchandise that capitalized on her wholesome image included dolls, dishes and clothing. Her box office popularity waned as she reached adolescence and she left the film industry at the age of 12 to attend high school. She appeared in a few films of varying quality in her mid to late teens and retired completely from films in 1950 at the age of 22