During the 1930s, there was no bigger star in Hollywood than Shirley Temple. So beloved was little Shirley by both moviegoers and other actors that allegedly she was given an honorary Academy Award for fear that she would defeat older, more experienced performers if she was nominated for a competitive Oscar. However, growing up can be awkward for child stars, and Temple, popular though she was, was no exception. By the early 1940s, she had been largely relegated to supporting “kid-sister” roles in films like 1944’s Since You Went Away.

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