Those handlers knew how to capitalize on her natural ability to charm people. Some critics say that her handlers kept her looking and acting like a baby far too long. Indeed, Shirley had a hard time transitioning into a young adult in the movies. Her audiences loved the "child star Shirley Temple." They did not readily accept her as a grown up actress. No wonder she gave up making movies when she was still a teenager. (But that's another story.)
The Shirley Temple "child star of the 1930s" exuded pure "Cute Factor." Some of that was natural, but a lot of it came about because of her handlers. Her vocal range was actually quite limited, so her composers wrote songs that would fit her range and abilities. "Animal Crackers in My Soup," "On the Good Ship Lollipop" and "I Love to Walk in the Rain" are three she was quite famous for introducing.
The little Lambs in "Never Cry Wolf" never fail to tickle the funny bones of the audience when they sing and dance "Little Lambs Pastorale." |
Henny Penny and her brood of little Chicks always delight the audience with their rendition of "Cheep, Cheep Peck a Little" from "The Tale of Chicken Licken." |