Shirley Temple, a top box-office draw in the 1930s, was less triumphant when it came to the ballot box. Having retired from the screen years earlier, she "cast her bonnet into the political ring" in 1967 with a run for U.S. Congress from California's San Mateo County. The 39-year-old Republican made it clear that "Little Shirley Temple is not running," but maybe little Shirley Temple would have had better luck in the special election. No matter. As a certain curly-mopped epitome of cuteness once sang, "Be optimistic!" Sure enough, Shirley Temple Black wasn't unsuccessful for long: she served as a U.S. delegate to the U.N., Ford's White House chief of protocol and U.S. ambassador to both Ghana and Czechoslovakia.