"Timely…[Kassson’s] knowledge of and passion for the period—which lead him to interesting digressions on topics including the panic over child kidnappings following the Lindbergh abduction, the changing meaning of the word ‘cute,’ and the early-20th-century popularization of allowances for children—make this an enjoyable read."
Christian Science Monitor - Barbara Spindel
"A remarkable dual biography: the story of Temple’s brief reign over Hollywood, but also the story of an entire country, which took its cues from such an unlikely source."
"Although Mr. Kasson’s book is written to place Temple in the Depression-era context, he does not neglect her remarkable career. He presents an accurate picture of Hollywood’s star system of the 1930s and her place in it."
Wall Street Journal - Jeanine Basinger
"Compelling…This isn’t a traditional biography; Kasson is more interested in the context in which Temple became such an icon."
Boston Globe - Kate Tuttle
"Illuminating and highly entertaining."
"John Kasson delights the reader with his lively account of feel-good films starring the adorable curly-headed moppet who, with radiant smile and winsome guile, lit up the dark nights of the 1930s. A brilliant analyst, Kasson lays bare coruscatingly, too, how exploited child actors serve as canaries in the mine shaft of modern consumer culture."
"Vividly conjures an American popular culture revving up to its current Honey Boo Boo speed."
"Vividly conjures an American popular culture revving up to its current Honey Boo Boo speed."
"Compelling."
03/31/2014
"John F. Kasson skillfully uses Shirley Temple as a prism to cast light on a vast range of subjects: The rise of FDR, optimism as Depression-era propaganda, the double existence of African-American stars, innocence as a consumer commodity, the fickleness of star adoration and the dangers of the mob, the meaning of childhood in a changing culture, and Hollywood's exploitation of its human profit centers, no matter how small. Connecting them all is Temple herself, serene, self-composed, and indestructible—the one movie star who wasn't putting on an act."
"Carefully argued and gracefully written. Not since the pioneering essays of Warren Susman has any historian so brilliantly illuminated the emotional life of Americans in the 1930s. The Great Depression—not to mention Shirley Temple and Franklin Roosevelt—will never look the same."
"[Kasson’s] insightful new book explores the politics of the time, racial attitudes, movie-going habits and the breadth and depth of Shirley Temple’s appeal."
Dallas Morning News - Elizabeth Bennett
"A wonderful epilogue to Temple's career… and an enlightening examination of the curly topped moppet's impact on Hollywood, the economy and the mood of a troubled nation."
"In a time of widespread suffering and frequent despair, this little girl touched the hearts of millions of people in our own land and others… John F. Kasson shows how her films provided therapy as well as entertainment."
Weekly Standard - Richard Striner
"Examines the impact of the child star not only on Hollywood, but on politics as well… Elucidating… a must-read."
"Sparkling, beautifully written, nearly impossible to put down. John Kasson moves behind the seemingly effortless smile of Shirley Temple to uncover the child labor it required, and explores the complex emotional work performed by that smile for Americans struggling to survive the Great Depression. A compelling and creative new cultural history of the 1930s."
2014-03-05Houdini, Tarzan, and the Perfect Man: The White Male Body and the Challenge of Modernity in America , 2001, etc.) argues that Temple's smile and sunny personality helped bring Franklin Roosevelt's "politics of cheer" to the forefront of national consciousness while providing Americans with much-needed emotional solace. Roosevelt's New Deal legislation, which made government assistance available to "the forgotten man at the bottom of the economic pyramid," only went so far. Consumer confidence, which implied faith in the future, also had to be restored to ensure the return of prosperity. Roosevelt accomplished part of this task through the vigorously cheerful outlook he projected in his political addresses. From 1934 to 1940, Temple captivated movie-going audiences all over the United States and the world with her ability to heal broken hearts with her "inexhaustible fund of optimism." Through her extraordinary dance partnership with black entertainer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Temple also called attention to the problem of race in both Hollywood and the United States while bringing hope to African-Americans, who had suffered even more than whites during the Depression. The cult of personality that developed around Temple even helped the struggling economy. At the height of the young star's popularity, fans spent millions of dollars on Temple memorabilia. Informative and well-researched, Kasson's work offers insight into one of Hollywood's most beloved entertainers, as well as the fascinating connection between politics and entertainment.
