Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Later, she was named United States Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, and also served as Chief of Protocol of the United States. Temple began her film career at the age of three in 1931. Two years later, she achieved international fame in Bright Eyes, a feature film produced especially for her talents. She received a special Juvenile Academy Award in February 1935 for her outstanding contribution as a juvenile performer in motion pictures during 1934. Film hits such as Curly Top and Heidi followed year after year during the mid- to late 1930s. Temple capitalized on licensed merchandise that featured her wholesome image; the merchandise included dolls, dishes, and clothing. Her box-office popularity waned as she reached adolescence. She appeared in 29 films from the ages of 3 to 10, but in only 14 films from the ages of 14 to 21. Temple retired from film in 1950 at the age of 22. In 1958, Temple returned to show business with a two-season television anthology series of fairy tale adaptations. She made guest appearances on television shows in the early 1960s and filmed a sitcom pilot that was never released. She sat on the boards of corporations and organizations, including the Walt Disney Company, Del Monte Foods, and the National Wildlife Federation. She began her diplomatic career in 1969, when she was appointed to represent the United States at a session of the United Nations General Assembly, where she worked at the U.S. Mission under Ambassador Charles W. Yost. In 1988, she published her autobiography, Child Star. Temple was the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Kennedy Center Honors and a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. She is 18th on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest female American screen legends of classic Hollywood cinema. [biography (excerpted) from Wikipedia]
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Biography from TMDB.
- April 23, 1928
- February 10, 2014 (aged 85)
- Santa Monica, California, USA
- Actor, also writer
- 33 on MovieCove · 69 credits in all
What are Shirley Temple's films like?
Across their 30 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 30
Light 25 · Serious 4 · Dark 1
Grounded 18 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 1
Gentle 18 · Charged 12 · Intense 0
Steady 21 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 18 · Funny 5
Slow burn 24 · Even-paced 6 · Relentless 0
Casual 26 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 20 · Affecting 9 · Heavy 1
Resolved 28 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
Usually the Hero: 19 of 24 analyzed roles.
Show the 24 rolesHide the roles
- Heroas Shirley Blake in Bright Eyes (1934)
- Tricksteras Shirley in Baby, Take a Bow (1934)
- Heroas Elizabeth Blair in Curly Top (1935)
- Heroas Virgie Cary in The Littlest Rebel (1935)
- Heroas Molly Middleton in Our Little Girl (1935)
- Heroas Lloyd Sherman in The Little Colonel (1935)
- Heraldas Lloyd Sherman in The Little Colonel (1935)
- Heroas Star in Captain January (1936)
- Heroas Barbara Barry in Poor Little Rich Girl (1936)
- Heroas Ching-Ching in Stowaway (1936)
- Heroas Heidi in Heidi (1937)
- Heroas Priscilla Williams in Wee Willie Winkie (1937)
- Heroas Penny Hale in Just Around the Corner (1938)
- Heroas Betsy Brown in Little Miss Broadway (1938)
- Heroas Rebecca Winstead in Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938)
- Heroas Sara Crewe in The Little Princess (1939)
- Heroas Susannah Sheldon in Susannah of the Mounties (1939)
- Heroas Mytyl in The Blue Bird (1940)
- Allyas Barbara Marshall in I'll Be Seeing You (1944)
- Tricksteras Susan Turner in The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947)
- Heroas Mary Hagen in That Hagen Girl (1947)
- Heroas Corliss Archer in A Kiss for Corliss (1949)
- Allyas Temple in Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949)
- Heroas Margaret O'Hara in The Story of Seabiscuit (1949)
Moods and endings
- Happy24
- Bittersweet6
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Shirley Temple's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 33 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).
Subscription and free streaming for Shirley Temple's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
69 credits, 33 with a MovieCove page; 28 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Andy Warhol's America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Andy Warhol's America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Stars: America's Greatest Screen Legends (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Shirley Temple: The Biggest Little Star (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
That's Dancing!(1985)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Hollywood Blue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
The Sound of Laughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
Pippi Longstocking (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all shows
A Kiss for Corliss(1949)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
The Story of Seabiscuit(1949)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Adventure in Baltimore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Fort Apache(1948)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
That Hagen Girl(1947)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Honeymoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)
Kiss and Tell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
I'll Be Seeing You(1944)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Take It or Leave It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)
Since You Went Away(1944)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Miss Annie Rooney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
Kathleen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Young People(1940)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
The Blue Bird(1940)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Susannah of the Mounties(1939)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
The Little Princess(1939)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Just Around the Corner(1938)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Little Miss Broadway(1938)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Heidi(1937)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Wee Willie Winkie(1937)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Stowaway(1936)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Dimples(1936)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Poor Little Rich Girl(1936)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Captain January(1936)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
The Littlest Rebel(1935)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Curly Top(1935)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Our Little Girl(1935)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
The Little Colonel(1935)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Bright Eyes(1934)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Now and Forever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
Baby, Take a Bow(1934)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Now I'll Tell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
Little Miss Marker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
Change of Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
Stand Up and Cheer!(1934)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Managed Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
As the Earth Turns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
Mandalay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
Carolina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
Pardon My Pups (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
What's to Do? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Kid 'in' Africa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Merrily Yours (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
To the Last Man(1933)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Dora's Dunking Doughnuts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Polly Tix in Washington (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
The Kid's Last Fight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Out All Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Kid in Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Glad Rags to Riches (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
The Pie-Covered Wagon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
Red Haired Alibi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
War Babies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
Runt Page (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
Shirley Temple' Storybook The Reluctant Dragon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 69 titles, 68 of them dated from 1932 to 2022.
Film career
Top draw in 12 MovieCove titles.
- 1934Screen debut· Little Miss Marker
- 1934First top-billed film· Little Miss Marker
- 1937Career best· Heidi
Billing
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
How do Shirley Temple's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 32; across their 30 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 70th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up15
- 50th to 74th13
- 25th to 49th5
Shape of the crowd
24 of their 33 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved2
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser24
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed5
Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 29 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 46. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Shirley Temple work with?
People who share at least 2 of Shirley Temple's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Arthur C. Miller shares the most, 12.
Directors
- David ButlerShared titles: The Story of Seabiscuit (1949), Captain January (1936), The Little Colonel (1935), The Littlest Rebel (1935), Bright Eyes (1934)See all 5 shared titles with David Butler
- William A. SeiterShared titles: Susannah of the Mounties (1939), The Little Princess (1939), Dimples (1936), Stowaway (1936)See all 4 shared titles with William A. Seiter
- Irving CummingsShared titles: Just Around the Corner (1938), Little Miss Broadway (1938), Poor Little Rich Girl (1936), Curly Top (1935)See all 4 shared titles with Irving Cummings
- Allan DwanShared titles: Young People (1940), Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938), Heidi (1937)See all 3 shared titles with Allan Dwan
Writers
- William M. ConselmanShared titles: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938), Stowaway (1936), Curly Top (1935), The Little Colonel (1935), Baby, Take a Bow (1934), Bright Eyes (1934)See all 6 shared titles with William M. Conselman
- Harry TugendShared titles: Little Miss Broadway (1938), Captain January (1936), Poor Little Rich Girl (1936), The Littlest Rebel (1935)See all 4 shared titles with Harry Tugend
- Walter FerrisShared titles: Susannah of the Mounties (1939), The Little Princess (1939), Heidi (1937)See all 3 shared titles with Walter Ferris
- Don EttlingerShared titles: Young People (1940), Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938)See all 2 shared titles with Don Ettlinger
Actors
- Bill RobinsonShared titles: Hidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults (1997), Just Around the Corner (1938), Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938), The Little Colonel (1935), The Littlest Rebel (1935)See all 5 shared titles with Bill Robinson
- Jane DarwellShared titles: Little Miss Broadway (1938), Captain January (1936), Poor Little Rich Girl (1936), Curly Top (1935), Bright Eyes (1934)See all 5 shared titles with Jane Darwell
- Arthur TreacherShared titles: The Little Princess (1939), Heidi (1937), Stowaway (1936), Curly Top (1935)See all 4 shared titles with Arthur Treacher
- Helen WestleyShared titles: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938), Heidi (1937), Dimples (1936), Stowaway (1936)See all 4 shared titles with Helen Westley
Composers and cinematographers
- Arthur C. MillerShared titles: The Blue Bird (1940), Young People (1940), Susannah of the Mounties (1939), The Little Princess (1939), Just Around the Corner (1938), Little Miss Broadway (1938), Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938), Heidi (1937), Wee Willie Winkie (1937), Stowaway (1936), The Little Colonel (1935), Bright Eyes (1934)See all 12 shared titles with Arthur C. Miller
- Cyril J. MockridgeShared titles: Young People (1940), The Little Princess (1939), Captain January (1936), Dimples (1936), Poor Little Rich Girl (1936), The Little Colonel (1935), The Littlest Rebel (1935)See all 7 shared titles with Cyril J. Mockridge
- David ButtolphShared titles: The Story of Seabiscuit (1949), Susannah of the Mounties (1939), Heidi (1937), Dimples (1936), Baby, Take a Bow (1934), Bright Eyes (1934)See all 6 shared titles with David Buttolph
- John F. SeitzShared titles: Captain January (1936), Poor Little Rich Girl (1936), Curly Top (1935), Our Little Girl (1935), The Littlest Rebel (1935)See all 5 shared titles with John F. Seitz
Producers
- Darryl F. ZanuckShared titles: The Blue Bird (1940), Susannah of the Mounties (1939), Little Miss Broadway (1938), Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938), Wee Willie Winkie (1937), Poor Little Rich Girl (1936)See all 6 shared titles with Darryl F. Zanuck
- Buddy G. DeSylvaShared titles: Captain January (1936), Poor Little Rich Girl (1936), Stowaway (1936), The Little Colonel (1935), The Littlest Rebel (1935)See all 5 shared titles with Buddy G. DeSylva
- Gene MarkeyShared titles: The Blue Bird (1940), The Little Princess (1939), Wee Willie Winkie (1937)See all 3 shared titles with Gene Markey
- Raymond GriffithShared titles: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938), Heidi (1937), Poor Little Rich Girl (1936)See all 3 shared titles with Raymond Griffith
Mixed roles
- Samuel G. EngelShared titles: Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949), Stowaway (1936)See all 2 shared titles with Samuel G. Engel