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Shirley Temple's 10 Most Memorable Quotes

By Raja Sen
February 12, 2014 12:51 IST

'When I was 14, I was the oldest I ever was. I’ve been getting younger every since.'

Raja Sen lists some famous quotes by former child star Shirley Temple.

The most iconic of child stars and America’s truest sweetheart, Shirley Temple passed away on February 10. The legendary actress was 85.

She leaves us with an adorable filmography and tales of her spirit and commitment as an actor and a diplomat.

Here are 10 quotes that encapsulate the ever-outspoken Ms Temple at her best: a wise, wicked, clever and articulate woman, who was impressively self-aware of her talent and stardom.

Here’s to you, Shirley Temple. May the cocktails up there be as sweet as you’d like them.

* 'I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph.'

* 'Good luck needs no explanation.'

* 'I class myself with Rin Tin Tin. People in the Depression wanted something to cheer them up, and they fell in love with a dog and a little girl.'

* 'One famous movie executive, who shall remain nameless, exposed himself to me in his office. ‘Mr X,’ I said, ‘I thought you were a producer, not an exhibitor.''

* 'Make-believe colours the past with innocent distortion, and it swirls ahead of us in a thousand ways: in science, in politics, in every bold intention.'

* 'When I was 14, I was the oldest I ever was. I’ve been getting younger every since.'

* (When asked if the 'Suggested for Mature Audiences' rating would protect youngsters.) 'I don’t believe so. I know many 45-year-old men with the mentalities of six-year-olds, and my feeling is that they should not see such pictures, either.'

* 'I wanted to be in the FBI. I also wanted to be a pie salesman. It was so intense that the studio got the prop department to make a little pie wagon, and they filled it with tarts. I wheeled it around the set and sold them to the crew. I was about eight years old, I always sold out and I didn’t have to pay for them. It was a great deal!'

* 'Shirley Temple doesn’t hurt Shirley Temple Black. Shirley Temple helps Shirley Temple Black. She is thought of as a friend -- which I am!'

* 'Any star can be devoured by human adoration, sparkle by sparkle.'

Raja Sen in Mumbai

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