Shirley Temple Movie Marathons
April is here, and it's bringing some exciting news for fans of America's original child star. Not one but two Shirley Temple marathons will air on TV this month.
First, AMC (American Movie Classics) is continuing its tradition of broadcasting Shirley Temple films all morning on Easter Sunday. According to an announcement on the official AMC website, "Spring is here. So is Easter. That means it's time for pretty flowers, cute bunnies, and yes, Shirley Temple, who's more adorable than either of them." AMC will air Heidi, The Little Princess, Bright Eyes (where she sings her signature song, "On the Good Ship Lollipop"), and The Little Colonel on April 4.
Near the end of the month, TCM (Turner Classic Movies) will host their own marathon of Shirley films, in honor of Mrs. Temple-Black's 82nd birthday on April 23. (TCM hosted a similar birthday movie marathon for Sybil Jason, Shirley's friend and co-star, who was born exactly five months before her, on November 23.)
TCM hopes to introduce Shirley's teen and adult work to a larger audience, so they will show only one of her childhood movies, followed seven that she did later on. TCM will air The Little Princess, Kathleen, The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, Honeymoon, That Hagen Girl (which featured future President Ronald Reagan as Shirley's father/lover figure), Fort Apache, Adventure in Baltimore (which both featured Shirley's first husband, actor John Agar), and The Story of Seabiscuit from 6 am to 6 pm on April 23.