What was Shirley Temple’s net worth and salary?
Shirley Temple, an American film and television actress, singer, dancer, author and diplomat, passed away in Woodside, California in 2014 at the age of 85. At the time of her death, she had a net worth of $30 million.
Shirley became a super-star after her role in the movie “Bright Eyes”, which was written specifically for her and featured her singing abilities with the song “On the Good Ship Lollipop”. She went on to appear in dozens more films, including “Curly Top”, “Our Little Girl”, “Poor Little Rich Girl”, “Dimples”, “The Littlest Rebel”, and “Heidi”. Many of these films were the highest grossing movies of their respective years.
Shirley’s career also included a run for Congress in 1967, although she was unsuccessful. She later became the Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia and served on the boards of several corporations, including Del Monte, The Walt Disney Company, and Bank of America.
Shirley Temple’s Early Success
At just six years old, Shirley Temple signed a contract with Fox Films and landed her breakout role in “Stand Up and Cheer!”. She quickly became one of the highest-paid actors in the world, earning $1,250 per week, which is equal to $22,000 today. By the age of 14, she had earned $3 million as a child actor, equivalent to $34 million today.
Shirley Temple’s Early Career
Shirley Temple was born in Santa Monica, California in 1928. Her parents encouraged her talent in singing and dancing, and at the age of three, she was enrolled in a dance school. She was discovered by a casting director for Educational Pictures and signed a contract with them in 1932. She appeared in “Baby Burlesks,” a series of comedy shorts, and was promoted to twenty-minute comedy shows. She had a small role in “The Red-Haired Alibi” and an uncredited role in “To the Last Man” in 1933. Her breakout role was in the Fox Film musical “Stand Up and Cheer” in 1934, and she went on to star in many family-oriented films and musicals, often playing the precocious comic relief. She received a juvenile Oscar in 1935 and her salary grew to reflect her popularity, reaching nearly $500,000 in modern dollars.
Shirley Temple’s Film Career
Shirley Temple became a pop culture icon by the late 1930s, with her name and image being ubiquitous. She received a leading role in the Academy Award nominated drama film “Wee Willie Winkle” in 1937, followed by a critical and commercial success with “The Little Princess” in 1939. However, she appeared in two commercial flops in 1940 and her parents decided to send her to Westlake School for Girls in Los Angeles. Temple briefly signed on with MGM but did not appear in any major box office hits, so she took a break from acting in 1942. After returning to acting in 1944, she starred in the critically acclaimed war films “Since You Went Away” and “I’ll Be Seeing You.” However, her star power had significantly waned and she announced her retirement from film acting in 1950.
Shirley Temple’s Career After Film
After retiring from film, Shirley Temple hosted and narrated the NBC fairytale anthology series “Shirley Temple’s Storybook” from 1958 to 1961. Though well-received, the show’s budget prevented it from competing with other popular anthology shows.
Temple remained politically active and ran for Congress in 1967, but was unsuccessful. She was appointed as a delegate to the United Nations by Nixon in 1969 and became the U.S. ambassador to Ghana in 1974. In 1976, she became the first female Chief of Protocol, advising President Carter on diplomatic protocol. Under the George H. W. Bush administration, she served as the U.S. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia from 1989 to 1992.
Marriages and Death
Shirley Temple was first married to Army Air Corps Sergeant John Agar in 1945, with whom she had one daughter. The couple divorced in 1949. In 1950, she married former Naval intelligence officer Charles Aiden Black, and they had two children together. They remained married for fifty-four years until Black’s death in 2005.
Temple passed away on February 10th, 2014 at the age of eighty-five due to complications from Chronic Pulmonary Obstructive Disease. She was laid to rest at Alta Mesa Memorial Park.
Shirley Temple’s Home in Woodside, California
Shirley Temple resided in Woodside, California until her passing. Her home at the time of death was valued at approximately $5 million.
Shirley Temple’s Blue Diamond
When Shirley Temple turned 12 in the 1940s, her father bought her a flawless 9.54-carat blue diamond as a present for $7,210. Shirley held onto the diamond for her entire life. After her passing in 2014, the diamond was purchased from her estate by a private collector in 2016 for an estimated value of $25 – $35 million.
You May Also Like
ncG1vNJzZmiopaG9ta3SraCcZpOkunC%2Fx6KppZ2pYsGmuc%2BlnGamlal6uLvRrZ9o