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One of America’s first child stars, Shirley Temple Black, passed away Monday, February 10, at age 85. The box office golden child of the 1930s will always be remembered for such film classics as Heidi, The Little Colonel, A Little Princess, The Littlest Rebel, and Wee Willie Winkie, which, as Flavorwire pointed out, was met with one of the perviest movie reviews of all time.
Though we could argue all day about which Temple feature was the best, we can all agree that regardless of whether she was in Technicolor or black and white, she taught us some valuable life lessons.
See also: Why Philip Seymour Hoffman Was One of the Best Actors of Any Generation
1. Don’t ever be ashamed of your curly hair.
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If anything, you make those unruly locks work for you. Rock your ringlets and embrace the qualities that make you you.
2. Dimples will never go out of style.
Unless you pierce them. Stop doing that. Shirley Temple never would have considered such a thing.
3. Tap dancing is a lost art.
And will probably never look as good in real life as it does on the big screen. But let’s be honest, as children we were enthralled with the idea of a skill that allowed us to make noise with our feet. Our parents, not so much.
4. It is, in fact, possible for a child actor to age with some dignity.
Take note, Lohan, Cyrus, Bynes, and basically everyone who isn’t Shirley Temple or Mara Wilson (y’know, Matilda), being a child actor doesn’t have to be a life sentence for early onset drug addiction, sex tapes, and publicity stunt marriages.
5. Dream big.
Or, at the very least, get a drink named after you.
