Shirley Temple's Storybook Children's TV Show
The Shirley Temple Show Dramatized Stories for Children
The Shirley Temple Show, also known as Shirley Temple’s Storybook, was an hour-long children’s TV show that ran for two seasons from 1958 to 1961. It dramatized all sorts of stories, from fairy tales, to novels, to short stories. Hosted by Shirley Temple, each episode was filmed like a play, with sets on a stage and audience applause and laughter.
Eleven episodes have been released on DVD, and can be purchased as single DVDs with two episodes each, or as the box set Shirley Temple Storybook Collection.
Winnie the Pooh / Babes in Toyland
Shirley Temple stars as Christopher Robin’s mother, who tells her son stories about Winnie the Pooh and his friends. Based on the book by A. A. Milne and with marionettes playing the characters, these animal friends have such adventures as finding Eeyore’s tail, meeting Tigger, playing a trick on Kanga and Roo, and celebrating Eeyore’s birthday.
Based on the operetta by Victor Herbert, Babes in Toyland stars Jonathan Winters as a rich miser who wants to steal money from his nephew and niece (Angela Cartwright). He arranges for them to be kidnapped, but after being shipwrecked and helped by the gypsy Floretta (Shirley Temple), these two children are able to escape from Meantown and go to Toyland.
The Land of Oz / The Reluctant Dragon
Based on the L. Frank Baum book, The Land of Oz stars Agnes Moorehead as the witch Mombi who, at the urging of the evil Nikidik (Jonathan Winters), turns Ozma (Shirley Temple) into the boy servant Tip. With the help of Jack Pumpkinhead, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodsman, Tip finds Glinda the Good Witch and gets her to remove the spell.
In The Reluctant Dragon, based on the Kenneth Grahame story, the townspeople want to slay the dragon while Gillian (Shirley Temple) and her little brother try to convince them that the dragon is really harmless and kind. When St. George arrives, he has to figure out how to appease the mob and avoid killing the dragon.
Pippi Longstocking / Kim
Pippi Longstocking, based on the book by Astrid Lindgren, dramatizes the adventures of an imaginative young girl who lives alone with her pet monkey and horse and is best friends with the neighbor children Tommy and Annika. In her adventures she avoids going to school and the children’s home, foils robbers who want to steal her gold coins, goes to the carnival, and celebrates her birthday.
Based on the Rudyard Kipling novel, Kim is about a young orphan boy in India during the time of the British occupation. He gets recruited to help the British with the Great Game, and must risk his life by spying on a group of Indian rulers in order to learn their plans.
The Princess and the Goblins / Madeline
In George MacDonald’s The Princess and the Goblins, the evil goblins want to kidnap Princess Irene (Shirley Temple) out of revenge for being banished years before. But with the help of her new friend Curdie, Irene is able to save herself, the goblins, and the kingdom.
Based on the Ludwig Bemelman book, Madeline is about a young girl who lives at a French boarding school run by the kindly Miss Clavel (Imogene Coca). The impish Madeline befriends the boy next door and they try to run away with the circus.
The Terrible Clockman / The House of the Seven Gables
In Jules Vernes’s The Terrible Clockman, an evil magician terrorizes a small German town after being rejected by the clockmaker’s daughter (Shirley Temple). Every clock breaks, except for the clock-robot, who comes alive and wreaks havoc on the townspeople.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The House of the Seven Gables, young Phoebe (Shirley Temple) comes to live with her cousins Hepzibah (Agnes Moorehead) and Clifford (Martin Landau). In this seemingly haunted house, she uncovers a mystery of murder, greed, and deception.
The Little Mermaid
Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid is about a young mermaid (Shirley Temple) who falls in love with a prince and decides to leave her family in order to be with him. After he falls in love with another girl, however, the little mermaid must make a difficult decision before returning to the sea.
Shirley Temple's Storybook
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