Article

Film Review of Kiss and Tell: Shirley Temple in 1945 War Time Comedy About a Sixteen Year Old

Shirley Temple as Corliss Archer worries her parents with teen-aged antics but also helps the USAF and USO in the 1945 film version of "Kiss and Tell."

A precocious, pretty teenager dates her next-door neighbor. She finds that his “fragrant infidelity” in having root beer with a “frizzed blonde” rival truly stinks. Will flirting with uniformed men and keeping secrets go too far in “Kiss and Tell”? A momentous event occurred in Shirley's personal life one month prior to the Oct. 18, 1945 release of "Kiss and Tell." On Wednesday, Sept. 19, 1945, Shirley had married fellow actor John Agar Jr. (Jan. 31, 1921 – April 7, 2002), an older brother of Shirley's friend, Joyce (Jan. 10, 1927 - May 29, 2001), in an elaborate, Episcopalian ceremony, orchestrated by film producer David O. Selznick (May 10, 1902 – June 22, 1965), at Wilshire Methodist Church in Los Angeles. Four years later, on August 6, 1949, Shirley served as matron of honor at Joyce's wedding to brokerage trader John Rockwell Wheeler (Sept. 27, 1925 - Jan. 14, 2004). Standing in his predeceased father's stead, John Agar gave away his sister at St. Alban's Episcopal Church, the Romanesque church in Westwood where Shirley had wanted to hold her own wedding.

St. Alban's Episcopal Church

Secrets are meant to be told in Kiss and Tell by producer Sol C. Siegel and director Richard Wallace. Charles Lawton Jr., Charles Nelson, and Werner R. Heymann handle cinematography, editing, and music. Filming showcases California.

The 90-minute comedy adapts writer/playwright Frederick Hugh Herbert’s (1897-1958):

1943-presented play;
Corliss Archer stories.

Its distributor was Columbia Pictures. Its premiere and USA-release dates were October 4 and 18, 1945.

The movie begins with 15-year-old Corliss Archer (Shirley Temple) and 17-year-old Mildred Pringle (Virginia Welles) operating a USO (United Services Organization, 1941-) bazaar booth. Corliss convinces boyfriend Dexter Franklin (Jerome Courtland) to spend $5.00 on $1.00 guest towels. The booth flops until Corliss sells soldiers kisses.

Corliss flirts with dinner guest Private Jimmy Earhart (Scott McKay). She presents herself as 3-4 months younger than 20+-year-old Air Force Lieutenant brother Lenny (Scott Elliott). She purports to have aged snapshots as an all-elbows-and-legs 14-year-old. Parents Harry (Walter Abel) and Janet (Katharine Alexander) take Corliss to the movies.

Lenny arrives on 70-hour leave before shipping to the Pacific. He and Mildred cross state lines. Mildred fudges her age. The two hide their marriage when they find:

Harry and Janet forbidding Corliss’ seeing Pringles;
Bob (Tom Tully) and Dorothy (Mary Philips) forbidding Mildred’s and Raymond’s (Darryl Hickman) seeing Archers;
Bob hitting Harry’s nose;
Harry loosening four of Bob’s teeth;
Bob and Harry suing one another.

Lenny reveals marriage realities and annulment fears to Corliss. Corliss swears not to tell -- in blood, over crossed hearts, under torture.

Corliss accompanies Mildred to Dr. Fabling’s Professional Building office. Corliss claims to town gossip Mrs. Nora Wilcox (Isabel Withers) to have:

Orthodontic appointments;
No V-mail from Lenny.

Nora observes Corliss having shrimp cocktails with Jimmy at Jefferson and Fifth as revenge for Dexter having root beer with Betty Campbell. She tells Dorothy that Corliss and Jimmy are parents-to-be. Dorothy tells Janet. Harry threatens to contact Jimmy’s commanding officer (Gary Bruce).

Corliss admits to marriage and obstetrician visits the day and week before. Dexter ambles over to reconcile for slapping Corliss’ arm. Corliss blames Dexter for her “pregnancy.” Janet hopes for a girl. Harry telephones Wyndham Ferry’s justice of the peace, who confirms an Archer marriage.

Navy chaplain/Uncle George (Robert Benchley) Archer comes by. Harry, Janet, and Mary (Edna Holland) and Bill (Porter Hall) Franklin consent to George’s performing the at-home wedding ceremony. Corliss dons a new dress. Louise (Kathryn Cord) plays the wedding march.

The movie ends with:

Four Pringles bringing Lenny’s telegram and sharing Mildred’s revelations;
Parents looking forward to becoming grandparents.

Kiss and Tell | Shirley Temple | 1945 ~ full length movie

Published on YouTube on Jul 4, 2013 by Hannah Grace ~ URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMHDy5os7vo

Kiss and Tell | Shirley Temple | 1945

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image Credits

"St. Alban's Episcopal Church on Hilgard Avenue, Westwood, Los Angeles": Zigzig20s, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:St._Alban%27s_Episcopal_Church_on_Hilgard_Avenue,_Westwood,_Los_Angeles,_front_view..JPG

Hannah Grace. "Kiss and Tell / Shirley Temple / 1945." YouTube, July 4, 2013, @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMHDy5os7vo

the end which is also the beginning — OpenClips, Public Domain, via Pixabay

Shirley Temple Black's autobiography ~ Available via Amazon

Child Star: An Autobiography

Me and my purrfectly purrfect Maine coon kittycat, Augusta "Gusty" Sunshine

Updated April 21, 2026

Comments

DerdriuMarrinerJan 31, 2025

One scene appears to be absent in verisimilitude.

The film begins with Corliss as a poised, prescient, pretty 15-year-old.

But later the aforementioned underager consumes shrimp cocktails with Jimmy, whose military service conveys an age of 18 years or more.

Wouldn't everyone at the Jefferson-and-Fifth shrimp-cocktail place have worked out her age as too young legally to want an alcoholic drink?

DerdriuMarrinerJan 10, 2025

The second paragraph in the text coming after the St. Alban's Episcopal Church image considers Frederick Hugh Herbert as author of the Corliss Archer stories.

Might it not be interesting to match all the Archer stories with their film counterparts?

Would it not have been wonderful for Shirley Temple to have wended her way performance-wise through all the dramatizations?

DerdriuMarrinerOct 30, 2024

The computer crashed before I could convey another component of my comment in the box immediately below.

Nostalgic but ever-laudatory appreciation of the Mills, O'Brien, Taylor and Temple quartet headed me toward other child actors and actresses.

That quartet most accurately is a child-star quintet with Natalie Wood.

Who would forget Natalie as the child star of Miracle on 34th Street, the teen star of Rebel without a cause and the grown-up star of West side story?

DerdriuMarrinerOct 22, 2024

The computer crashed before I could correct the miscounted female child stars below.

The first sentence in the comment box immediately below designates three female child stars as particularly dazzling film audiences. But Hayley Mills, Margaret O'Brien, Elizabeth Taylor and Shirley Temple expand the exact count to four exceptional female child stars!

Hayley Mills got into that list last, after the three-star count, because she got into child-star films last.

But she is not last in my incredible-talent indications!

Who is impressed with Hayley Mills in Tiger Bay? Everyone!

Hayley Mills -- in my list ;-D -- locates in first place concurrently, simultaneously with Margaret O'Brien, Elizabeth Taylor and Shirley Temple.

DerdriuMarrinerOct 8, 2024

Three female child stars particularly applauded for their acting skills and their presence are Hayley Mills, Margaret O'Brien, Elizabeth Taylor and Shirley Temple. Hayley Mills and Elizabeth Taylor continued into teen and "grown-up" roles even as Margaret O'Brien crossed from film to television roles.

Where might a "grown-up" Shirley Temple have fit?

DerdriuMarrinerMar 1, 2014

Sheri_Oz, Shirley's later films are enjoyable to watch. It would have been interesting to see how her screen persona might have unfolded over the decades. Nevertheless, retiring from films at the young age of 21, she left a nice repertoire as her legacy.

Sheri_OzMar 1, 2014

I didn't realize she made movies as a teen also. Now I have to catch up on my classic films.

DerdriuMarrinerFeb 27, 2014

Mira, Shirley Temple made entertaining films, as a child, as a teen-ager, and as a young adult. It's fun to see her grow up on the screen. I'm happy that you're appreciating my tributes to Shirley.

MiraFeb 26, 2014

This sounds like a fun movie. I'd love to see teenagers romping about in 1945 :-) Pretty soon, I'll have time to watch all these Shirley Temple films. Thanks for bringing them to our attention. It's really a grand idea :)