To put Shirley Temple’s influence in perspective, consider that at the age of 9 she had the box-office drawing power of Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon combined. Curly Top shouldn’t be watched while eating a candy bar – the combined sugar content with this tale of an orphan (Temple) who is adopted by a millionaire (John Boles) could kill you. Yet beneath director Irving Cummings’ incessant close-ups of Temple’s famed dimples and beyond the forcibly cute dialogue – ‘Oh my goodness!’ is her favorite turn of phrase – you see a child with remarkable talent. Whether singing, dancing or holding her own against actors seven times her age, Temple has a natural affinity for performing – and, crucially, a clear joy in doing it.
