This book pairs two of the child stars most popular during the Depression -- Shirley Temple and Judy Garland. Both girls were the babies of their families. Shirley was the youngest of three in Santa Monica, California. Judy was the youngest of three in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Both girls were students in LA, at the famous Meglin Kiddies (a dancing school). I thought I knew most of these stars' history but Charles Rivers had a few surprises.
SHIRLEY TEMPLE --
What I found most interesting in this book was the analysis of why this child, at this time, was so popular with men and women. There were famous child stars before Shirley (Jackie Coogan), but Shirley outshone them all. The analysis is too long to state here, and I don't agree with all of it, but it makes for interesting reading. None of Shirley's films are considered "best of" but they were chosen to parlay Shirley's fame into ever-higher echelons. However, the party ended when Shirley was 13.
She had a second career, nowhere as prominent as the past, but it was over by the time she was 23. After two marriages and three children, Shirley thought her public life was over. However, as an adult, Shirley served as US ambassador to Ghana and to Czechoslovakia. At another time, she served as Chief of Protocol of the US.
JUDY GARLAND --
Judy's parents were vaudeville entertainers, and eventually owned and ran a local Grand Rapids movie theater. After moving to California, the Gumm Sisters (their original family name) performed on film before Judy's 8th-birthday. It is not hard to understand why and how Judy would have committed suicide.
From the beginning, her mother and the movie studios gave her drugs (uppers and downers) and carped on her weight, her nose, etc. I did not know that Judy was only 4'11" tall and so extra weight showed on her immediately. She married men who tended to try to match her drinking; that had to be a deadly combination with all the drugs she was taking. Some of Judy's family-of-origin issues were shockers.
SHIRLEY TEMPLE --
What I found most interesting in this book was the analysis of why this child, at this time, was so popular with men and women. There were famous child stars before Shirley (Jackie Coogan), but Shirley outshone them all. The analysis is too long to state here, and I don't agree with all of it, but it makes for interesting reading. None of Shirley's films are considered "best of" but they were chosen to parlay Shirley's fame into ever-higher echelons. However, the party ended when Shirley was 13.
She had a second career, nowhere as prominent as the past, but it was over by the time she was 23. After two marriages and three children, Shirley thought her public life was over. However, as an adult, Shirley served as US ambassador to Ghana and to Czechoslovakia. At another time, she served as Chief of Protocol of the US.
JUDY GARLAND --
Judy's parents were vaudeville entertainers, and eventually owned and ran a local Grand Rapids movie theater. After moving to California, the Gumm Sisters (their original family name) performed on film before Judy's 8th-birthday. It is not hard to understand why and how Judy would have committed suicide.
From the beginning, her mother and the movie studios gave her drugs (uppers and downers) and carped on her weight, her nose, etc. I did not know that Judy was only 4'11" tall and so extra weight showed on her immediately. She married men who tended to try to match her drinking; that had to be a deadly combination with all the drugs she was taking. Some of Judy's family-of-origin issues were shockers.
