Bright Eyes will Shine Forever!

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via Animalstamps.com

Shirley Temple has passed at the age of 85, but we will always remember her as the bright eyed little girl from so many wonderful films, especially Bright Eyes, in which she starred with Terry the Cairn Terrier, prior to her becoming Toto in the Wizard of Oz.

Born April 23, 1928, Shirley started her entertainment career in the early 1930s and was famous by age 6. She became a national institution and her raging popularity spawned look-alike dolls, dresses and dozens of other Shirley Temple novelties as she became one of the first stars to enjoy the fruits of the growing marketing mentality.

In 1934 she appeared in the film "Stand Up and Cheer!", and her song and dance number in "Baby Take a Bow" stole the show. Other movies in that year included "Little Miss Marker" and "Bright Eyes" - which featured her signature song "On the Good Ship Lollipop" - and in 1935 she received a special Oscar for her "outstanding contribution to screen entertainment."

She made some 40 feature movies, including "The Little Colonel," "Poor Little Rich Girl," "Heidi" and "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm," in 10 years, starring with big-name actors like Randolph Scott, Lionel Barrymore and Jimmy Durante.

Shirley was a superstar before the term was invented. She said she was about 8 when adoring crowds shouting their love for her made her realize she was famous.

"I wondered why," she recalled. "I asked my mother and she said, 'Because your films make them happy.'"

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