TCM Star of the Month: Shirley Temple

Monday evening Turner Classic Movies begins its tribute to the July Star of the Month, Shirley Temple.

19 Shirley Temple films will be shown on Monday evenings in July, spanning a 15-year period from 1934 to her last feature film in 1949.

The series kicks off on Monday evening, July 6th, with Shirley in the Damon Runyon tale LITTLE MISS MARKER (1934), costarring Adolphe Menjou.

That's followed by NOW AND FOREVER (1934) with Gary Cooper and Carole Lombard, BRIGHT EYES (1934) with James Dunn, CURLY TOP (1935) with John Boles and Rochelle Hudson, and POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL (1935) with Alice Faye.

Moving on to Monday, July 13th, there are a number of especially good Temple films. The night starts with STOWAWAY (1936) costarring Alice Faye and Robert Young, then moves on to John Ford's WEE WILLIE WINKIE (1937) costarring Victor McLaglen.

July 13th continues with HEIDI (1937), LITTLE MISS BROADWAY (1938), and A LITTLE PRINCESS (1939). WEE WILLIE WINKIE, HEIDI, and A LITTLE PRINCESS are among Temple's most iconic roles and the "must sees" of the evening.

July 20th features five films from Temple's teen years, starting with two outstanding films set on the WWII homefront, SINCE YOU WENT AWAY (1944) and I'LL BE SEEING YOU (1944).

Next up on the 20th is the comedy HONEYMOON (1947), costarring Guy Madison and Franchot Tone, followed by THAT HAGEN GIRL (1947), an interesting drama with Ronald Reagan and Rory Calhoun. The evening concludes with Temple starring as another poor little rich girl, KATHLEEN (1941), costarring Herbert Marshall and Laraine Day.

The series concludes on Monday, July 27th, with the delightful comedy THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY-SOXER (1947), also starring Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Rudy Vallee.

Shirley reunited with her '30s costar Robert Young in the period family drama ADVENTURE IN BALTIMORE (1948). Also showing on the 27th: THE STORY OF SEABISCUIT (1949) with Lon McCallister and Barry Fitzgerald and A KISS FOR CORLISS (1949) with David Niven. A KISS FOR CORLISS is sometimes shown under the title ALMOST A BRIDE.

Curiously, one of Temple's very best movies, her second film with director John Ford, isn't on the schedule: FORT APACHE (1948). However, it's available on DVD.

Other key Temple films not showing on TCM this month, including THE LITTLEST REBEL (1935), CAPTAIN JANUARY (1936), REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM (1938), and SUSANNAH OF THE MOUNTIES (1939), are all available on DVD. The '30s films were all for 20th Century-Fox which are more expensive for TCM to license.

For more on TCM this month, please visit TCM in July: Highlights and TCM in July: Summer of Darkness, along with the TCM schedule.