While Shia LaBeouf and Lindsay Lohan have struggled in their transition to adulthood under the spotlight, Shirley Temple, the biggest child star of all time, bowed out of showbiz gracefully
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Shirley Temple, who made her film debut at the age of 3, is pictured during filming of the 1934 classic "Bright Eyes."
Too often, when we look at young actors we see future lost souls. And yet, the most famous child star of all time resolutely avoided that seemingly inevitable fate.
What were the factors that allowed Shirley Jane Temple, Movie Star to grow up into Shirley Temple Black, Ambassador?
Looking back at her career, one suspects her secret was a combination of firm outward guidance and unusual inner strength.
PHOTOS: REMEMBERING SHIRLEY TEMPLE'S LIFE AND CAREER 
Temple did have a classic stage mother in Gertrude Temple, who signed her daughter up for dance lessons, curled her hair into ringlets, and started bringing her to countless Hollywood auditions when she was just 3.
Temple starred in several popular "Baby Burlesks," parodies of adult films in which toddlers spoof grown-up celebrities. It's worth finding her first one, "Runt Page" -- a takeoff of "The Front Page" -- on YouTube; even in her brief appearance, Temple already exudes a striking star quality.
Those movies today, though, would shock audiences with their blithely sexualized imagery. (Temple wears nothing but an oversized diaper in "Runt Page" and shimmies for an appreciative barroom of boys in "War Babies.") And it's been reported that when the children misbehaved on set, they were punished severely by being locked alone in the "punishment box," a small, unlit and soundproof room.
And yet Temple -- or, more accurately, her mother -- persevered. In 1934, when she was 6 years old, she had leading roles in four films, and supporting parts in eight more. Her unusual talent and self-assurance both charmed and intimidated her adult co-stars, who increasingly took second billing.
That was as it should be. Reeling from the Depression, audiences flocked to "Little Miss Marker," "The Littlest Rebel," "Poor Little Rich Girl" and "The Little Princess" solely to see the dimpled little girl sing, dance and, yes, act. She was adorable, sure, but also a natural talent.
It was inevitable that before long, she became the most popular movie star in the country; as has often been said, Clark Gable ran a distant second.
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But Temple's success meant that she made 17 films between 1935 and 1940. She wasn't even a teenager yet. How could a child keep up this pace without any personal damage?
For a little while, it looked like she wouldn't. Always the pioneer, she watched her fans turn fickle when she hit adolescence. She briefly retired at 15, entered into a very public and rocky marriage at 17, and was divorced by 21.
A familiar path, right?
RELATED: SHIRLEY TEMPLE BLACK WON PRAISE IN DIPLOMATIC CAREER 
Actually, no. And this is where we should pay attention.
Temple remarried at 22, to Charles Alden Black, the man who would be her husband for more than five decades. She quietly raised their kids for several years, did some television work, and then found her second calling -- that crucial step so many other former stars lack.
Perhaps inspired by Black, a naval intelligence officer, she turned toward politics, running for Congress and becoming involved with the United Nations and several Republican political campaigns. She served as Ambassador to Ghana for Gerald Ford and was appointed Ambassador to Czechoslovakia for George H.W. Bush.
A diplomat lauded for her dedication and commitment, she used her fame to draw awareness to many serious and underserved issues, including illness and the environment.
When she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1972, it was still a whispered verdict burdened by shame, especially if a mastectomy was involved. Even so, Temple chose to share her experience in what was then an unthinkably open fashion, in order to help other women in the same situation. (One wonders if Angelina Jolie, another former child star, may have taken inspiration from Temple's altruism.)
As a child, Temple was put in situations that couldn't possibly have been good for anyone. She worked constantly, was exploited by adults who simply wanted to make money off her, was sexualized far too young, and didn't attend school until her teens.
RELATED: SHIRLEY TEMPLE BLACK DEAD AT 85And yet, she always said that her mother -- the very person who led her into the work -- loved and protected her fiercely. Without access to any sort of social media, she wasn't even aware of her massive global fame. To a large extent, fan letters were hidden from her, as were professional dealings and public criticisms.
There will always be talented children, and there will always be stage parents ready to push them beyond safe borders. So how do these kids make it through the gauntlet in one piece?
Temple's example should be studied by every parent, every producer, every on-set tutor and even by the kids themselves. The combination of a truly private life and a greater public calling seems like the surest answer.
Turning outward -- into a life of service, one that isn't about fame or even fortune but the betterment of others -- offered Temple a focus that everyone needs, but child stars too rarely find.
eweitzman@nydailynews.com
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