Behind The Scenes Secrets: The Wizard Of Oz

Why Did They Want Shirley Temple?

Shirley Temple was America’s sweetheart. Everyone loved her, and she starred in many classic films throughout the 1930s. If there’s a classic novel that existed at that time, it’s a good bet they made a movie of it, starring Shirley Temple.Think:The Little Princess,Heidi,Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,and beyond.

She was also so popular that they made her the equivalent of a reality-TV star. Magazines published lots of photos of her off-screen adventures. In those photos, you can see that she was a fan of L. Frank Baum’sWizard of Ozseries (or at least she had the books on her shelf. For so many reasons, she seemed the perfect choice for the role.