Press Release

SCULPTOR NIJEL BPG IMMORTALIZES SHIRLEY TEMPLE

  Bill "Bojangles" Robinson would have said, "copasetic!"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

 
e-mail:  nijart@pacbell.net

  (Sept 9, 2002)- As a motion picture, the 1915 American film "Birth of A Nation" by D.W. Griffith set the tone for Black and White race relations in the United States.  It introduced stereotypes that have taken a long time to fade to black. So it is an interesting commentary 87 years later when a major Hollywood studio hires a Black sculptor to immortalize a White film legend.  In May of this year, internationally acclaimed sculptor Nijel BPG joined the legendary film star Shirley Temple Black on stage at the Fox Studio lot to take a bow as his life-sized bronze statue of the world famous child actress was unveiled for the dedication of The Shirley Temple Child Care Center.  Fox CEO Rupert Murdoch made a rare appearance to officiate at the unveiling of the bronze statue which was fashioned in the likeness of little Shirley from the film "Baby Take A Bow" - her first starring role at age 6.  The statue, which was at an Oxnard foundry for finishing touches, was cleared for installation on the Fox lot last week.

  As a student of film at LA City College in the mid 1980's Nijel learned that Twentieth Century-Fox cut all scenes showing physical contact between America"s curly-haired darling and Black dancing legend Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.  In  the 1934 film "The Little Colonel" scenes were deleted to avoid offending Whites and to assure wide U.S. distribution. Pre-release showings of the film, particularly in the southern U.S., shocked audiences when the two actors touched fingers during their famous staircase dance sequence. Despite his contribution to motion pictures and his brilliance as a dancer, Robinson's life was marked with hardship.  Fact is, Bill Robinson was flat broke when he died. Frank Sinatra, Ed Sullivan and a few other artists helped to raise the money to pay for Robinson's last expenses. It is interesting that today the hands of a Black man has created this lasting bronze tribute to Shirley Temple.  "If Bill Robinson were alive,"  Nijel remarks,  "he probably would have said, "That's copasetic!". 

  At the unveiling, Shirley Temple Black reminded everyone there that she still had her steps when she tap danced her way up the stairs to the stage.  When later asked who was her favorite Hollywood star of all time, Mrs. Black replied without hesitation, "Bill "Bojangles Robinson."  It was clear that Mrs. Black still has a deep respect and admiration for her co-star and dancing partner. Mrs. Black expressed her wish to see a bronze statue of her "and" Bill Robinson commemorating their famous stair case dance number together. Throughout her stellar career, the child Shirley Temple starred in 17 films for Fox, many of which featured elaborate song and dance numbers with Robinson.  Shirley Temple Black moved on from a film career and into politics as White House Chief of Protocol, Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, and a U.S. delegate to the United Nations.

Nijel only met Mrs. Black in person on the day of the unveiling of his statue.  "The remarkable thing was that we greeted each other like old friends.  We had a wonderful conversation."  As a testament to the legendary Shirley Temple fortitude and sense of justice Mrs. Black made it a point to call the artist up on stage to receive his recognition from the crowd, and to be photographed with her.  "Her graciousness and insight during a somewhat anxious moment was extraordinary." recalls Nijel.  "It's the mark of a true legend, an example you can never easily forget." he adds.  

Over the years, Nijel has crafted master works for leading personalities and institutions including the annual "Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award" for The Los Angeles Urban League, The Great Blacks in Wax Museum, works for Stevie Wonder, Celia Cruz, Jackie Chan, Spiderman creator Stan Lee, and his now famous 16 foot tall "Mother of Humanity (TM) monument" which was unveiled in Watts in 1996.   In July of this year, Nijel was in New York to present pop superstar Michael Jackson with "The Michael Jackson 30th Anniversary Fan Award" which he was commissioned to create (his second Jackson award) on behalf of millions of Jackson fans worldwide.  Michael, incidentally, is a huge Shirley Temple fan.

The Shirley Temple monument is scheduled to be permanently installed in it's new home on the Fox lot on Wednesday, September 11, 2002 where it will welcome children and their families to the newly dedicated Shirley Temple Day Care Center.  The citation on the dedication plaque sums it all up.  It reads simply -"Inspiring children of all ages - Shirley Temple".  

BACK