As Shirley Temple moved into young adulthood, her career was flailing, with film historian David Thomson observing that, after growing out of her bouncing blond curls into a more mature look, she had become an “unremarkable teenager” (via New York Times). By 1949, the public was losing interest in her films and Temple was losing a husband, divorcing John Agar by the end of that year. Temple’s personal life rebounded when she met Charles Adlen Black, a US Naval officer, businessman, and avid surfer (via The Almanac). They met at a cocktail party, with Temple noting “I fell in love with him at first sight. It sounds corny, but that’s what happened” (via Los Angeles Times). Less than 60 days after her divorce from Alden, Temple and Black got engaged and they married on December 6, 1950.
By the time Temple and Black married, Temple was finished with her movie career, her last film credit being 1949’s “A Kiss for Corliss.” Essentially retired from show business, Temple followed Black to Washington D.C. during the Korean War, where he was stationed at the Pentagon. Together, Temple and Black made a formidable couple, producing two children, son Charles Jr. and daughter Lori, with their marriage lasting almost 55 years.