Shirley Temple Figured Out Christmas at the Age of 6

[bondwooley]

I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph.”

~Shirley Temple



According to a 2013 report from Pew Research, hardly any kids in America believe in Santa Claus, hardly anyone likes its obligations, everybody hates shopping during the season and only 7% look forward to being around happy and joyful people. The ones who do look forward to being around happy and joyful people are probably the ones who have spent the last few weeks glue-gunning little pieces of felt on something.

Full article and links at Lester & Charlie Review

[Mike Nelson]

1. In 1934...

...Shirley Temple was already a star. I wonder why her mother took her to a department store to see Santa? I would expect her studio - 20th Century Fox - would have a professional photo shoot arranged, with a professional actor hired to play Santa.

[bondwooley]

2. You have a good theory there

But the quote is from her 1988 autobiography, "Child Star" -- so it could be that at 6 the studio setup was beyond her, or she was trying to be funny for the book, or that, as a 6 year old, her mother really did take her to a department store and she got in line for Santa.

Gonna vote that she was serious in the book. Strange things happen. I was reminded of that last just last month on election day

[Mike Nelson]

4. Given that...

...time span, I think she could have been a little younger, also. Fifty years is a long time to be exact about which Christmas is which...

[bondwooley]

5. Undoubtedly,

if anyone's childhood was a bit confusing, it would be Shirley's.

[Buns_of_Fire]

3. The car and the sign are what got me to thinking.

Imagine what would happen if it showed up in a neighborhood today, Santa Claus outfit or no.

[bondwooley]

6. Wouldn't you just assume

they were running for Congress?

[Archae]

7. Some big Hollywood producer wanted to molest Shirley Temple...

But Shirley got such a case of the giggles after the Hollywood big shot took his clothes off, he changed his mind and let her leave unmolested.

[bondwooley]

8. Who was it?

Do you know? Just curious.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

9. Arthur Freed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Freed#Shirley_Temple_accusation

In her 1988 autobiography Child Star, former child actress Shirley Temple claimed that Freed had intentionally exposed himself to her during a meeting in his office, when she was 11 years old.[7] According to Temple, she reacted with laughter and he angrily kicked her out of his office, though she ultimately kept her contract with MGM. The story was recounted in her New York Times obituary in 2014.