(Vatican Radio) The legendary Hollywood child star Shirley Temple has died at the
age of 85 at her home near San Francisco in the US.
She was the cute curly
haired child star that audiences flocked to see on the silver screen in the mid 1930’s.
As
box office gold during that period she appeared in movies such as “The Little Princess,
``Stand Up and Cheer!'' and “Little Miss Marker”. Children during that era even sang
renditions of one of her most famous songs, “On the Good Ship Lollipop.”
But
as her star began to wane, Shirley Temple retired from films at the early age of twenty
one.
In her later life she raised a family and under her married name Shirley
Temple Black became active in politics holding several diplomatic posts in Republican
administrations including ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia. She was also U.S.
chief of protocol from 1976 to 1977.
Speaking in 2006 when she was honored
by the Screen Actors Guild in the US she said she had been blessed with three wonderful
careers.
Shirley Temple passed away on Monday surrounded by her family at her
home in San Francisco. Listen to Lydia O'Kane's report