Able to hold her own with some of the finest dancers of the 20th Century, always coifed with 56 perfect ringlets and driven by one of the most notorious stage mothers in Hollywood history, little Shirley Jean Temple burst onto the big screen at the age of 3 to begin a career that would establish her as the greatest child star in American film history.
Her first major hit came in 1934 with the release of “Bright Eyes,” for which she was presented a specially designed miniature Oscar for her performance. It was the peak of the Great Depression and her enchanting smile and sunny disposition came as a ray of hope for the devastation faced by thousands. Her film career spanned 15 years during which she starred in 20 full length feature films. Today, the dolls made in her likeness are considered to be one of the most collectible of all American-made dolls.
The Ideal Toy Company was the first to manufacturer the Shirley Temple Doll from 1934-1939. Available in 9 sizes, ranging from 11-27 inches tall, these composition dolls were made of six pieces strung together with elastic and painted flesh tone. They have hazel eyes with upper hair lashed and painted eyebrows, lower lashes and lips and they will have mohair wigs. They are marked SHIRLEY TEMPLE on the head or the back of the neck.
Shirley Temple baby dolls, produced 1935-1936, are highly sought by collectors. They were made of either composition or rubber and are also marked SHIRLEY TEMPLE on the back of the head. They were produced both bald and wigged. They will have an open mouth with two upper teeth and three lower ones. Their original costume consisted of a long organdy dress and bonnet with cotton panties and slip and leather booties. Height on these dolls will range from16-27 inches. Finding one of these in mint condition is rare.
Vinyl dolls were made from 1957-1963 during “The Shirley Temple Storybook” television series. They have a smiling dimpled face and saran hair. Their five sizes range from 12-36 inches and they were marked on the back with the inch measurement and either ST or STN. Costumes on these dolls were 1950s fashions or famous storybook characters. While of some interest, they do not have the value of the earlier dolls.
During the 1930s every little girl in American wanted to be just like Shirley Temple and the Nannette Division of Rosenau Brothers made that possible with their line of clothes for toddlers. Collectors watch for these items along with coats and snowsuits from H&J Block, swimsuits from Shawmut and slips and panties from Kaufman Brothers.
Other Shirley collectibles include the 3-piece cobalt blue glass breakfast set that came in boxes of Wheaties and Bisquick in the 1930s. From this era you will also find teas sets, coloring books, paper dolls and sheet music of the songs from Shirley’s movies. Press books, listing the merchandise available after the release of each of her movies are highly sought by serious collectors, as are movie heralds, lobby cards and theater programs. Posters from her movies still bring high dollar, with recent online auctions showing many in the $1,000-plus range.
At one of the darkest times in our nation’s history, this curly haired toddler with the enchanting smile, brought a glimmer of hope to a country in turmoil. Her memory lives on today for thousands of collectors who embrace the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt when he said, “America will always be alright, as long as we have Shirley Temple.” Until next time…Linda
Irvington resident Linda Kennett is a professional estate liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the valuation of antiques and household content and may be reached at 317-258-7835 or join her on Facebook at Irvington Retro/Vintage/Antique
