Shirley Temple: Hollywood During The Great Depression

In the 1930s the United States was suffering from the Great Depression. People were out of work and penniless, but Hollywood actors raised several American Spirits. Shirley Temple a child star, Clark Gable the first macho man, and Charlie Chaplin an English born actor who became an American movie icon were all actors who raised American spirit on the silver screen during the Great Depression.
Shirley Temple was a child star who lifted American hearts. Shirley started her career at the young age of three. She was in several film roles such as Baby Burlesks her first big role at the age of four (“Shirley Temple Black”). The movie Bright Eyes launched her acting career into international stardom (“Shirley Temple, Child). Shirley was born just prior to the Great Depression in 1929 when the job opportunities were at an all time low (“Shirley Temple”). When her career was at a peak, she won
numerous awards such as an Oscar in 1934 and was the Number one box office hit (“Appreciation”). Shirley got married twice, first to John Agar Jr. at age 17, and Charles Black only two months after her previous marriage. She had three children, one by her first marriage and two by her second. With her remarkable successes, she retired at the early age of 22 (“Shirley Temple Blacl”).
After her short, but successful acting career, she got interested in politics. Her first husband John Agar Jr. was an Army Air Corps sergeant, and her second husband, Charles Black was a navy officer (“Shirley Temple”). Charles exposed her to politics and Washington life when he was assigned to the Pentagon. In 1967 she failed to run for Congress, but was appointed by President Richard Nixon. She was then assigned as United States ambassador to Ghana and later ambassador of Czechoslovakia in 1989 (“Shirley Temple Black”). Clark Gable was also an astonishing actor in the 1930’s.
William Clark Gable was born in 1901, 28 years before the Great Depression began and became a maverick on the Hollywood scene in the 1930’s (“William Clark Gable”).
Growing up in Ohio was a struggle for a young Gable. Money was scarce, so he quit high school to peruse a better life. Gable turned to the Ohio factories, Oklahoma oil fields with his father and logging in Oregon (“Clark Gable”). He did odd jobs for a stock company that were often unpaid (“William Clark”). Gable became determined to be an actor at the age of 18, two years after seeing a play, which first inspired him to be and actor (“Clark Gable”). Acting would not prove to be easy for someone who was untrained and untalented in that field. With no money, Gable took other numerous jobs just to survive (“William Clark Gable”). He finally got his first acting experience after getting on with a traveling theater company. It was there that Gable met Josephine Dillon in 1923 (“Clark Gable”). Dillon was an acting teacher and 11 years older than Gable. The two were married in 1924 and lived in Hollywood (“William
Clark”).
Acting jobs were a struggle for Gable, who worked as an extra in movies and also did some traveling stage work. All the while Josephine was shaping him for future stardom (“William Clark Gable”). Gable finally got a lead role on Broadway in New York. This was short lived as Gable found himself out of work for almost a year and returned to Los Angeles (“Clark Gable”). As America sank into the Great Depression, Gable earned his first contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) after first being rejected (“William Clark”). His acting career was soon catapulted into superstar status after earning an Oscar for the movie It Happened One Night in 1934 (“William Clark Gable”). Gable stared in several more movies, including Gone With The Wind where he coined the phrase, “Frankly, my dear.” His contract with MGM lasted 23 years, but only produced one Academy Award (“Clark Gable”). Another movie icon during the Great Depression was English born actor Charlie Chaplin.
Charlie Chaplin came to America to pursue his acting dreams. Chaplin was born in London, England, in 1889 (“Charlie Chaplin: UXL Biographies”). Chaplin was born into a theatrical family. His mother, Hannah Hill, father, Charles Sr., were both music-hall performers. However, Chaplin’s mother suffered from mental illness, which had a negative impact on her acting career and Charles Sr. was an alcoholic, who abandoned his family (“Charlie Chaplin”). Hannah was eventually placed in a mental institution. Chaplin and his only brother, Sydney, bounced around from orphanage to orphanage. They often found themselves living on the streets of London trying to earn money by performing dance routines for anyone who would stop and watch (“Charlie Chaplin: UXL Biographies”). Because of their unstable circumstances, Chaplin and Sydney were unable to continue to attend school. Chaplin decided to pursue acting just as his mother and father had (“Chaplin”).
Chaplin’s professional acting career began 1898, by touring English music halls with a group of other performers called Eight Lancashire Lads (“Charlie Chaplin: UXL Biographies”). After several years of learning different talents such as comedy, pantomime and clowning, Chaplin was discovered by Fred Karno, who owned several acting troupes (“Chaplin”). Chaplin first earned his way into American hearts by his comedic talents. He was touring America and was discovered by Mack Sennett, a comedic American silent filmmaker who produced the Keystone comedies (“Charlie Chaplin”). Chaplin was most famous for his self-created character known as The Tramp. His acting career boomed and so did his passion for directing his own films (“Charlie Chaplin: UXL Biographies”). In 1915 he signed with Essanay Film Company who gave him a high level of independence to write, produce, direct, and act in whatever he desired (“Charlie Chaplin”). With his instant popularity and workaholic demeanor, Chaplin made 70 films within only eight years (“Chaplin”). Chaplin’s career started to spiral downwards when his films became more political than comical (“Charlie Chaplin: UXL Biographies”). During the Great Depression, Chaplin made a film that was dehumanizing to people (“Charlie Chaplin”). Chaplin also had tax complications that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) kept a close watch. The American Government was also concerned about his socialist ideals, which caused a sense of not being welcome (“Charlie Chaplin: UXL Biographies”). Chaplin left the United States and moved to England with his fourth wife. Eventually they settled in Switzerland, where Chaplin made his final two films (“Chaplin”).
Several of the actors in the 1930’s made a big impact in America. Shirley Temple, Clark Gable, and Charlie Chaplin were some of numerous successes. Although the Great Depression took a big toll on America, numerous actors raised American spirits.