I Might Be Cutting Back To Monthly Posts: It's Up To YOU!

I WANT READER FEEDBACK...Should I keep offering weekly posts?

I might be cutting back to monthly posts. Readers please let me know what you think via the message link at the end of this post...

*****

SOME ANNIVERSARIES THIS MONTH:

May 8, 1933: Shirley Booth appeared on Broadway in The Mask and the Face.

May 8, 1947: Shirley Booth heard on radio in Radio Reader's Digest, "Uncle By's Two Wives." 

May 10, 1944: Shirley Booth heard on radio in Arthur Hopkins Presents,
"The Philadelphia Story."

May 11, 1954: Shirley Booth was seen on television, The Kate Smith Show (unconfirmed).

May 12, 1986: Shirley Booth seen on television, NBC 60th Anniversary Show.

May 12, 1986: Shirley Booth was seen on television in NBC 60th Anniversary Show.

May 12, 1907: Katharine Hepburn was born (she died on June 29, 2003). Shirley Booth's career crossed paths with Katharine's several times.

May 15, 1954: Seen on television, Salute to Eugene O'Neill.

May 17, 1936:  James Whale's Show Boat opened.
 

May 26, 1963: Shirley Booth was seen on television at the 15th Annual Emmy Awards, where she received her second Emmy for Hazel.  The competition for Shirley's second Emmy Award was Shirl Conway for The Nurses, Lucille Ball for The Lucy Show, Mary Tyler Moore for The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Irene Ryan for The Beverly Hillbillies. She accepted by saying: "You know there's an old saying that it's always the woman behind the man.  In my instance, I'm afraid, it's the men behind the woman..."

May 31, 1945: Shirley Booth appeared on Broadway in Hollywood Pinafore, her first of five musicals.

May 31, 1894: Fred Allen was born (died March 17, 1956). Shirley Booth made many appearances on his shows during the 1940's. Unfortunately, no known copies exist of any of these shows. 

***** 

Bea Arthur Born:

This is the post I offered when Bea Arthur died on April 25, 2009.  She was born on May 13, 1922.

Just as memorable and wonderful as Shirley Booth's Hazel character, there is Bea Arthur's insanely funny Maude character.

I will always remember with great delight Bea Arthur for her superb timing, delivery and mannerisms as the title character in Maude...Bea played Maude so well with that tart tongue, and husky voice. As Bea noted in part two of this interview, Maude was the woman who was trying to be politically correct, but always "stepped in shit;" made to look like a fool.

Bea continued her fine acting with this type of brash character with her follow-up success as Dorothy in The Golden Girls. The latter won her an Emmy in 1988.

The Maude character seemed so average and "street honest." It seemed that everyone has someone in their family or neighborhood like her. I had an aunt, Mitzi Griffin, who, at times, reminded me of Maude.

In an interview I recently watched, Bea is embarrassed to have forgotten many names from the past. Nevertheless, Bea had many interesting things to say. For instance, she believed Lucille Ball was "terribly miscast" in the title character from the film Mame: "She was a clown, she was extraordinary in what she did. [But] she didn't play this patrician lady...with a sense of fun."

 *****

Shirley Booth's Scrapbook Letters:

Go back to around 1955....and here is a letter from Shirley's personal scrapbooks, published exclusively here at http://shirleybooth.info/. It's a quite short handwritten note, but it's poignant. The first-name signature is not legible except that it begins with an "R." Here it is: 

Dear Miss Booth,

When you walked on the stage Thursday night the light of the world was on your face. It shone on us all and we're all better people for it. Thank you so much for the thoughtfulness of your gift.

With love,

R....

*****

One more letter from Shirley Booth's scrapbooks...

NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMPANY, INC.

A SERVICE OF RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA
RCA Building, Radio City, New York 20, NY

CIRCLE 7-8300

May 6, 1954

Miss Shirley Booth

25 West 54th Street

New York, NY

My dear Shirley,

Upon my return from Mexico I learned from Lord and Lady McCaffery that you had most generously put aside two seats for your gala opening and I assure you it was a bitter disappointment for me not to be home to accept your kindness and to enjoy your triumph. Thanks, dear Shirley.

How happy you must be to have such a well-deserved triumphant success over the show you were heading. Since my return I hear only of "Booth" -- not the show. Some people did not remember the name of the show. After so many years the name of Booth is again a by-word in the theatre -- and for the same reason -- great talent.

With cordial and sincere wishes.

Faithfully yours,

John F. Royal

*****

Mother's Day:

Ted Key wrote in his "HAZEL Bible:"

"HAZEL...is emotionally wrapped up in this family...she is a "mother" who is childless... The people for whom she works, the Baxters (she calls them Mr. and Mrs. B), have not only given her a home, but are in a real sense her whole life. They are her reason for being."

Shirley Booth never had any children even though she was married twice for a total of more than twenty years (1929-1943, 1943-1951). She briefly told an interviewer that it was simply because she couldn't have them.

Nevertheless, Shirley did have the opportunity to play mothers throughout her long career.

On Broadway there's The War Song, Miss Isobel, and Juno; in the movies there's Hot Spell; and on television there's The Glass Menagerie, and Hazel.

In The War Song (September 24, 1928 to December 1, 1928) she played the expectant mother Emily Rosen. She was the sister of a Jewish draftee Eddie Rosen (George Jessel) in this comedy taking place in World War I France. The show ran for 80 performances.

Miss Isobel (December 26, 1957 - February 8, 1958) offered her the opportunity to play the strangest mother of all, the 70-year old Mrs. Ackroyd. Shirley revealed her skill at playing an unbalanced mother that regresses and imagines herself to be younger. She's a 16-year old bride in Act II. The final act had her regressing to a second childhood, and even thinking her spinster daughter (Nancy Marchand) is her own mother! The response varied...some critics found her performance embarrassing; another critic said "Miss Booth could do no wrong." However, audiences loved it, and Shirley admitted: "We knew the critics wouldn't like it. This is an audience play. Ladies like a good cry..." But after 53 performances, the show closed.

Shirley would play the long-suffering wife Juno Boyle in the Broadway musical Juno (March 9, 1959 - March 21, 1959). Here she has to bear the grief of her informer son being murdered in the Dublin slums of 1921. This short-lived rendition of the Sean O'Casey tragicomedy classic Juno and the Paycock only ran for 16 performances. It also had the presence of actress Jean Stapleton, later best-known as the famous television mother Edith Bunker. Sada Thompson also appeared in Juno. Later on Thompson played Kate Lawrence, the mother on TV's Family.

In the movie Hot Spell (1958), Shirley played the pleading Alma Duval, wife of her uncaring Cajun husband "Jack" (Anthony Quinn). He packs up to move in with his mistress. She lives in denial with the motto: "If you keep calm, everything will turn out for the best." Yes, she does come to terms with her misguided viewpoint ...but it's so obvious by then how misguided she has been. The couple has three grown children played by Earl Holliman, Shirley MacLaine, and Clint Kimbrough. MacLaine takes her mom's bad advice and loses her boyfriend as a result.

Shirley played the Southern belle matriarch Amanda Wingfield in the CBS Playhouse television production of The Glass Menagerie (December 8, 1966). Hal Holbrook played Amanda's son Tom. She got an Emmy nomination for the role, but the tensions were high on the set between the director Michael Eliot and her. Eliot thought Shirley's performance lacked the sizzle and energy he believed Amanda should have. Eliot got even with her by de-emphasizing Shirley's screen time, with the camera instead focusing on Amanda's crippled daughter played by Barbara Loden. The Glass Menagerie used Shirley's voice more, which explains why she told TV Guide: "I could have telephoned it in."

Of course, the greatest role for Shirley Booth, not as a natural mother but as surrogate mother figure had to be her role as Hazel. This is the role that one can never stop enjoying, as witnessed by the countless new fans now watching the show nationally on Antenna TV.

Once a small ad was clipped from the classified section of a Boston newspaper and sent to the creator of the Hazel character, Ted Key. This says it all! It read:

WANTED: A HAZEL TO RAISE MY THREE MOTHERLESS CHILDREN.

*****

In honor of mothers everywhere, and to reflect on the fact that even death cannot separate a mother from her child's heart, I suggest you hear the phenomenal song performed by Al Jolson called "Mother of Mine, I Still Have You."

Although the song goes way back to 1927 when it was first seen in the The Jazz Singer, only Jolson could make this old-fashioned composition seem timeless by his inimitable and heart-felt emotional style of singing!  

***** 

Show Boat:

The Universal classic Show Boat has the benefits of the amazing Paul Robeson - he is stunningly good as Joe, Hattie McDaniel as Queenie, the underrated Queenie Smith as Ellie May, and Charles Winninger as Cap'n Andy...

One of my favorite films is the best film version of Edna Ferber's story "Show Boat." This is the one directed by James Whale (best known for his monumental Bride of Frankenstein. The Oscar Hammerstein/Jerome Kern musical is truly a breakthrough for musicals. This is a beautiful production, a great cast with acting talent (even among the character parts) that you can die to imitate.

This production of Show Boat from 1936 brings together so perfectly all of the elements ranging from the script, direction, art design, etc. 

Torch singer Helen Morgan (as Julie) performed in this film and in the original production on Broadway in 1927. She offers the engaging song "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man." Sadly this was her last role before alcoholism ended her life at the age of 41. 

Irene Dunne (as ingenue Magnolia Hawks) and Allan Jones (as Gaylord Ravenal) offer many fine moments throughout this classic. It is particularly interesting to see Dunne's shuffling at the end of "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man."

Both Robeson and McDaniel deserved starring parts. They are quite skilled and amazingly good singers and natural actors worthy of much adulation - but the racism of their times sadly limited their talents. I could never forget their contribution to classic film history! 

Speaking of Helen Morgan...the other song that is connected to her in regards to Show Boat is "Bill." The late Martha Randall Carson (who worked with Shirley Booth in the Broadway show The Desk Set) told me in an interview that every time Shirley Booth came into a club where Mabel Mercer was performing, Mercer would sing "Bill" in tribute to Shirley's beloved Bill. Of course, Shirley's Bill is Bill Baker - the subject of my latest book now available (http://shirleybooth.blogspot.com/). Yes my new book of just 96 pages is bittersweet - but one every fan of Shirley Booth would treasure!

 *****

That's Not Shirley Booth...

Besides print errors that abound, many times the information that we see on the Internet is not accurate since it is based upon erroneous information that has been circulating.

For instance, Shirley Booth is not heard in The Fred Allen Show ("Brooklyn Pinafore," November 25, 1944) as commonly claimed. Unfortunately, I did not have a copy of that show at hand. I had reviewed printed sources that claimed she was supposed to be in that episode, so I included it in my credits list at the end of Love is the Reason for it All: The Shirley Booth Story (BearManor Media, 2008).

My wife first noted the discrepancy after she was able to finally locate a copy of the complete episode. She identified the female voice as Minerva Pious. I had mentioned that discrepancy in my cover article on Shirley Booth for Radiogram (May 2009).

In response to my post on that matter (9/6/10) a researcher/reader agreed: 

Hi, Jim

Your wife has a good ear. I listened to the show last week on dumb.com and it is Minerva Pious playing ‘Bobbysox.’ Pious was one of radio’s best dialecticians and Fred was very fortunate to have her as part of his ‘Mighty Allen Art Players’.

Since no other female guest star was credited and Portland rarely took part in the sketches (she pretty much bantered with Fred at the opening of the show and set up the intro to Allen’s Alley), Minerva Pious is our only candidate. Besides, listen carefully and you can tell some of the vocal inflection heard as Mrs. Nussbaum appears with Bobbysox. 

Thanks again for pointing this out to me and allowing my Fred Allen Show log to have one less gaff. 

Best wishes,

Randy

*****

The only other published work on Shirley Booth (also published in 2008) incorrectly gave a description that Shirley played "a Dottie Mahoney-ish sports fan, 'Little Bobby-Socks,' who flirted with Durocher."

You can confirm that Shirley is not that sports fan by hearing the show at the Internet Archive page for this show at:

http://www.archive.org/details/FredAllen--theFredAllenShow1945-1949

****

 Martha Randall:

Four years ago we lost a kind lady that touched our lives in a special way...Martha Randall died May 19, 2009 at 81 years old. Martha left her unique mark by contributing to our understanding of Shirley Booth.  

Martha worked as an understudy for a number of shows on Broadway. She was married to Broadway stage manager Wayne Carson. Martha knew Shirley Booth, in particular while Wayne worked on Broadway with Shirley in The Desk Set. The cast of this celebrated show from 1955-56 (Oct 24, 1955 - July 7, 1956) would eventually include Martha in the cast as well. For her Broadway credits GO TO: http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=71605.

It was Martha that helped my biography along by offering some fascinating stories about Shirley. At the time when Shirley received her Oscar (March 19, 1953), and into the mid-1950's, Shirley had two toy poodles named Prego and Grazia. The latter was quite jealous of Prego. Martha told me several interesting and humorous stories about Shirley and her toy poodles.

We had the pleasure of interviewing Martha in person at her New York City apartment for almost two wonderful hours. It's a moment in time which we will never forget. She offered inspiring energy to the biography and her presence will always be there in those pages.

Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of her to share with you at this time. Hopefully, one of her family members will read this and contact me with such. 

Here's a letter Martha sent us after receiving the pages of the interview for her to review:

October 26, 2006

Dear Jim,

Thank you for sending me the excerpt of your book about my knowing Shirley. I just touched up a little of what I said to you. I hope it's o.k.

I'm sorry I've been so remiss in returning it to you. I certainly look forward to the publication of The Shirley Booth Story. I wish you great success with it, Jim. You and Shirley deserve it.

It was fun to talk to you and your wife about those days long gone by. Keep me posted on the book's journey. Til then,

Always,

Martha

*****

After learning of the passing of her friend and associate Martha Randall, the always busy Joyce Van Patten took time to offer these cherished memories to this blog as condolences to Martha's children and dear friends. My thanks to Joyce for the following:

"Martha Randall came late to The Desk Set. She replaced the ingenue a couple of months after we opened in New York. Martha was the new bride of our much loved assistant stage manager, Wayne Carson. I remember that they were young, cute to look at, and so much in love. They were always laughing and happy to be around...

We were often together. It was a very close company and it was the days of Monday through Saturday shows on Broadway. Sunday was the Actors Fund Shows that we all signed up to see. We saw everything we could on those special Sundays and always beforehand we had drinks at Wayne and Marthas...

They lived midtown in their first apartment. Martha often would cook her southern special dishes, and we all loved those evenings. Well as it happens, plays close and people travel. But we stayed in touch through the years...

I worked with Wayne again in Supporting Cast many years later and visited the family in the house in Greenwich Village. They called it the house that COLGATE built. That's because Martha made so much money on that commercial for the toothpaste company that they were able to buy that house. They raised their kids there and had a happy marriage.

I still see Martha in my mind as that new bride making Spoon Bread and laughing at something Wayne had said that morning. I wish we had seen each other more through the years but that sadly is show business.

That play, The Desk Set, and that theatrical company, still feels so close to my heart...

Joyce Van Patten

*****

MEMORIAL DAY:

I pay special tribute to my uncle Anthony V. Manago (PFC, 21st Marines, USMC) who died on March 8, 1945 at Iwo Jima. I've been told that mortar fire killed him while he was bringing grenades to the front lines. 

Unfortunately, it's sad to know that many people still see engaging in war as a sensible solution to conflicts...I strongly disagree - it is not an option to ever consider. You don't have to look far to see the immense mind-boggling waste of life (as with the fifty-five million casualties during World War II)...If only we can learn from all the loss...

*****

Wildwood, New Jersey:

The unofficial beginning of summer seems to be Memorial Day...so I thought you might enjoy this blog I'm repeating from last summer....

It is with summer that thoughts and memories surface of going to amusement parks and beaches. It seems nowadays looking at stills of Shirley Booth's Broadway hit By the Beautiful Sea (April 8, 1954 - November 27, 1954) reminds me most of those bygone days in the sand and the sea of my childhood.

By the Beautiful Sea offered Shirley Booth a chance to follow-up her success from her second musical (and my favorite) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (April 19, 1951 - December 8, 1951). The nostalgic show depicted turn-of-the century Coney Island in the early 1900's. It included the excitement of Steeplechase Park's Tunnel of Love, the Old Mill boat ride, the Midway, and balloon parachuting.

I remember many happy summers vacationing with my family in Wildwood, New Jersey. That was back in the 1970's when there still was the huge King Kong ride towering over the pier (it fell apart when it was being moved in 1980). Wildwood had the cleanest beaches I had ever seen. Most importantly, there were some truly wonderful people - all gone now, but not forgotten.

There was the Sand Dollar Motel on Surf & 9th Avenues owned then by the late Carl Curcio - a truly remarkable motel owner and family friend. On Friday nights he would set up the 16mm sound projector next to the outdoor pool and show some intriguing travel documentaries that were loaned to him. He always had that happiness and smile whatever he happened to be doing (from cleaning the pool to greeting and chatting with his guests). During the winter months he worked with my father as a coin/stamp salesman/concessionaire at the Abraham & Strauss Stores.

There was the miniature golf park around the corner, along with the rental of tricycles and bicycles by the arcade concession managed by a rather plump and wonderful Mrs. Botto! I remember it was a time when having some extra body fat wasn't politically incorrect or something to worry about or despise...She was a lady who participated in the fun of the visitors to the town. She lived life to the fullest and people seemed to be easily catch her energy!

I have many Super 8 silent films I took of Wildwood, including Mrs. Botto riding and almost falling off the tricycle as she turned the corners of the block. These are truly funny segments of real people living in the moment. Sometimes I wonder whatever happened to her and so many others after I left there. They are all probably dead now. Nevertheless, those people to this day (some 40 years later) have provided me with so many wonderful memories !!!

As I sadly learned, the wrecking ball has wiped this motel from the map...

Well, you ask what connection is this to Shirley Booth? Directly none, other than finding the enjoyment that such nostalgic yearning for the past offers. Shirley Booth starred in a show that captured that energy of the bygone world.

It celebrated all things summer in the early 1900's, including the beach and the amusement park. That show was the memorable By the Beautiful Sea...See my latest book (pictured above) for further details and photos from the production (GO TO http://shirleybooth.blogspot.com/).

*****

THANKS FOR VISITING!

JOIN ME AGAIN SOON!

*****

For purchasing any of my books, you can visit Amazon.com

You can also check www.bookfinder.com

which offers the best prices on new & used copies.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Bill, His Pinup Girl: The Shirley Booth & Bill Baker Story
by Jim Manago
Foreword by Leslie Sodaro
Published December 1, 2010

Further details at: http://shirleybooth.blogspot.com

George Harrison's Brilliant "Here Comes The Sun" Is A Great Pick-Me-Up SONG!

ANNIVERSARIES THIS WEEK (April 27th through May 3rd):

April 29, 1951: Shirley Booth appeared on television in This Is Show Business.

April 30, 1944: Shirley Booth was heard on radio in Freedom Never Dies, "Freedom House." 


April 30, 1908: Actress Eve Arden was born (she died November 12, 1990).

May 2, 1942: Shirley Booth was heard on radio in The Adventures of Ellery Queen, "The Living Corpse," (East Coast Edition). Shirley was the guest armchair detective along with first husband Ed Gardner.

May 2, 1954: Shirley Booth was heard on radio in Stage Struck, "The Theatrical Highlights of the 1953-54 Season."

May 2, 1895: Lyricist Lorenz Hart was born (died November 22, 1943).

May 3, 1953: Shirley Booth was seen on television as the mystery guest in episode #153 of What's My Line.

May 3, 1903 Actor/singer Bing Crosby was born (died October 14, 1977).


May 3, 1953: Shirley Booth was seen on television as the mystery guest in episode #153 of What's My Line. 

May 3, 1913: Playwright William Inge was born (died June 10, 1973).  Inge's play Come Back, Little Sheba catapulted Shirley Booth to worldwide fame for her acclaimed portrayal on Broadway of Lola Delaney, the wife of recovering alcoholic Doc Delaney. She would win the Tony Award for Best Actress on stage and the Academy Award for Best Actress in the film version. I don't know what would have happened if he didn't write this quite thoughtful play (among his works)...But I just wish he his life did not end due to the mire of depression and failure that he found no way to overcome.

May 3, 1953: My cousin Joseph Nizzari was born (died February 2, 2008). I dedicated my first biography of Shirley Booth (Love is the Reason for it All: The Shirley Booth Story) to him. However, instead of that dedication I gave him, I wish I could have shared my book with him - but it did not get published until three months after he died.

*****

Cousin Joseph:

On my late cousin Joseph's birthday this week, I once again share with my many readers the importance that he has meant to me by reprinting what I said about him in my book's introduction....

Shirley Booth once said, "I feel sorry for people that don’t have the pleasure of acting because I think it’s a great release." I experienced that pleasure whenever my cousin Joseph Nizzari would visit my family in Richmond Hill, New York. He encouraged and indulged my interest in acting and cinematography by recreating Abbott & Costello routines, gangster movie skits, and so forth. I wish he could have lived to see this book in print. With much sadness, I dedicate this book in memory of him.

from Love is the Reason for it All: The Shirley Booth Story, by Jim Manago
BearManor Media, 2008.

Though I know this will always be a very sad week for many members in my family, I feel it best to remember all the fun that my cousin offered to all who had the privilege of his friendship. My cousin had a fantastic humor and a knack for making you feel good. Yes, he had many talents; among them his wonderful skill as a baker. But more than any one achievement he managed to help others find enjoyment in the moment - despite the daily slings and arrows that life has a way of delivering us all. 

 

Unfortunately, I lost touch with him for a number of years. But sadder still is to know that the last few years of his short life were obviously harrowing and painful for him and for anyone that watched him battle cancer.

Yes, I will always miss his selflessness - so few people I have met in my entire life have been so sacrificial as he was. I will always remember his love for his family, for his good kindly nature, and for so much happiness that he brought to all our lives!

*****

Here Comes The Sun (The Beatles):

I have not found any way to make real sense out of the loss of my cousin a few months before he reached his fifty-fifth birthday in 2008...But I know a great pick-me-up song when I'm feeling down. It is undoubtedly The Beatles best and most upbeat song ever. That's the George Harrison composition "Here Comes The Sun," from 1969. Though it's forty-four years ago since I first bought and played this record, I can never tire of it's melody, it's perfect-fitting groove drumming by Ringo Starr, and the beautiful sound created when Harrison placed the capo on his guitar's seventh fret (which raised the pitch).

What has been erroneously called the Moog synthesizer by one blogger as causing the "wobbly" sound in the chorus (bridge) is intentionally the result of  Harrison writing this masterpiece in an unusual time signature combination (11/8, 4/4 & 7/8). See wikipedia's article on this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_in_irregular_time_signatures.

Besides Ringo's catchy drumming and Harrison's acoustic guitar, there's the harmonizing of Paul McCartney & George, the hand claps of George, Paul & Ringo, and the overlaid instrumentation (double bass, cellos, clarinets, flutes, alto flutes, piccolos, and violas). John Lennon did not work on this song at all due to a car accident at the time.

"Here Comes The Sun" offers an amazing beauty.  From the opening to the final notes, it's three minutes of pure magic.  Yes, it's simply a song that will live on forever!  It's remains one of my favorite songs of all time. "Here Comes The Sun" is ear candy, indeed!

***** 

Eve Arden Born:

Eve Arden's biggest success on radio and television was in the CBS radio and television comedy series Our Miss Brooks.

Shirley Booth's connection to Eve is that Shirley did the first audition for Ourt Miss Brooks. The latter was recorded on April 9, 1948 with Shirley playing the lead role of schoolteacher Connie Brooks.

Unfortunately, I have to say that I was quite disappointed from the start with the entire cast. All the parts were miscast. None of the principals understood that this show was written as a comedy...not as a drama. 

If there's one thing that I did not like Shirley in - and only one thing, then it is this. Her portrayal of Connie Brooks is not funny at all. She played her character as a serious and stressed-out teacher. She did not provide the tone necessary to make the lines funny. Perhaps, she was remembering her dramatic rendering of the school teacher in Broadway's Tomorrow the World.

Maybe Shirley needed a little more time to work out the character's intonations, as with the rehearsals for Come Back, Little Sheba. The latter show was almost taken away from Shirley when she just didn't convey the right energy during several days of rehearsals...but she finally did work it out and powerfully so!

Shirley's ineffective audition show of Our Miss Brooks opened the door for a different cast, and, as a result, it became an immediate hit. The show benefited by the wonderful talents of Eve Arden as Connie The inimitable Gale Gordon played the school's principal Mr. Conklin, and Richard Crenna played the squeaky-voiced student Walter Denton.



Gloria McMillan played the principal's daughter, Harriet Conklin. Several years ago I did have the fine pleasure of interviewing Gloria for a book I planned to do on Gale Gordon.  Also, I got to meet her and her husband at The Friends of Old Time Radio Convention.

*****

Shirley Booth Press Release:

Some of the most enjoyable and tedious moments in researching my story of Shirley Booth's life had to be reading the hundreds of articles, press releases, and various clippings spanning her entire career of over fifty years. Today I decided to share one of those unedited press releases below, and how that information is concisely expressed in my biography:

Release Friday, May 1, 1953

Shirley Booth, who yesterday was named the Best Actress in the World by the Cannes Film Festival for her memorable performance in Hal Wallis' "Come Back, Little Sheba," and who has been named Best Actress of the Year by the New York Film Critics in addition to winning the Academy Award for her role, will be the subject of a mass interview by high school editors and writers Thursday, May 7, in the Main Reception Room of the Loew's Theatre Building.

Come Back, Little Sheba will open on the Loew's circuit here May 6.

To be conducted under the auspices of Loew's Theatre Educational Services Department, the interview will give the fledgling newshounds a chance to question Miss Booth on the various aspects of her distinguished stage and screen career. In addition to her "Oscar," Critics and Cannes awards for "Sheba," Miss Booth also won, among other top honors, the Antoinette Perry Award for her stage performance in the William Inge drama, and the Look Magazine Award and the Associated Press Award for her screen interpretation of Lola Delaney.

#####

NOTE TO EDITORS:

You are cordially invited to cover for pictures and stories Miss Booth's mass interview with the school editors, which will take place on Thursday, May 7, at 3:30 P.M. D.S.T., at the Main Reception Room Loew's Theatre Building, 1540 Broadway.

*****

Bing Crosby & Lorenz Hart Born:

Shirley Booth appeared on the ABC radio program My Most Unforgettable Child (broadcast February 14, 1954). Bing Crosby hosted this show which offered Shirley Booth and other luminaries the chance to assist the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Among the guests were Kirk Douglas, Greer Garson, Audrey Hepburn, Deborah Kerr and Brandon De Wilde. All of the stars narrated true stories of children from throughout the world.

"My Most Unforgettable Child" can be heard online or downloaded from http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/library/classics/index15.html

Bing Crosby and Lorenz Hart's fine talents combined in the 1935 Paramount film Mississippi. One of my favorite Bing Crosby moments is found there when he sings Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart's song "It's Easy To Remember, But So Hard To Forget."  Hart wrote some truly beautiful - though at times - sad lyrics. Crosby's superb singing and acting talents along with his easygoing charm survives in his many films and radio shows. Unfortunately, it must be noted that a closer study of his personal life can seem embarrassing at times, showing the toll and stupidity that results from strict disciplinarian parenting. Despite Bing's personal flaws, he stands out as the most memorable entertainer of the 20th century. There's no getting away from the fact that as long as those films and recordings survive, Bing Crosby will be with us - only forever! 

Crosby sang many unforgettable tunes alone and with other stars.  One of my favorites is found in Rhythm on the River (1940), co-starring Mary Martin, Basil Rathbone, and Oscar Levant. This title is available on DVD from Universal Studios as part of a double feature pack (paired with his interesting 1936 film Rhythm on the Range, co-starring Frances Farmer).  A great finale is offered when Bing and Mary sing the lovely song "Only Forever."

Also, there's that wonderful Mack Gordon-Harry Revel tune, "Once in a Blue Moon." I first heard it back in the 1970's when I became enamored of Crosby's crooning - thanks of course to listening to the weekly radio shows of "The King of Nostalgia," Joe Franklin!

Composer/lyricist Mack Gordon (June 21, 1904 – March 1, 1959) collaborated with musical theatre composer Harry Revel (December 21, 1905 – November 3, 1958) to produce some very enjoyable songs so many years back. Though both have been gone for over fifty years, this one song "Once in a Blue Moon" stands out as a forgotten classic deserving to be heard again. It was first introduced by Crosby in 1934 in the film We're Not Dressing. Nat W. Finston & the Paramount Orchestra are credited with that great 1930's sound.

*****

 What's My Line?

Shirley Booth made three appearances on the popular television show What's My Line? I was able to see the first episode from May 3, 1953 (Episode #153). The other two are from May 27, 1962 (Episode #615) and March 10, 1963 (Episode #654).

Panelist Dorothy Kilgallen (July 3, 1913 – November 8, 1965) figures out the Mystery Challenger is Shirley Booth rather quickly with these questions:

1. Are you accustomed to appearing before audiences?

2. Are you in the entertainment business?

3. Are you an actress?

4. Have you ever appeared in motion pictures?

5. Have you ever appeared on the stage?

6. Would you be considered a dramatic actress?

7. Would you also be considered something of a comedienne?

8. Are you over 30?

9. Are you better known for your work on the stage than on the screen?

10. Have you ever won any sort of an award for your work?

11. On the stage?

12. And on the screen?

13. Did you win an award this year for your work on the screen?

14. Was it your only starring role in the movie?

15. Are you by any chance that divine Shirley Booth?

Shirley says...Yes to all! And adds "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I tried so hard." Kilgallen responded: "Shirley, we get a vibration when you come on!"

*****

THANKS AGAIN FOR VISITING!

JOIN ME AGAIN FOR A NEW POST ON
SATURDAY,  MAY 4TH!

*****
For purchasing any of my books, you can visit Amazon.com
You can also check www.bookfinder.com
which offers the best prices on new & used copies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Bill, His Pinup Girl: The Shirley Booth & Bill Baker Story
by Jim Manago
Foreword by Leslie Sodaro
Published December 1, 2010
Further details at: http://shirleybooth.blogspot.com

Shirley Booth's Second Series Ended 40 Years AGO!

ANNIVERSARIES THIS WEEK (April 20th through April 26th):

April 21, 1931: School For Virtue opened on Broadway.

April 21, 1968: Shirley appeared on television as a presenter on the 1968 Tony Awards.

April 21, 1973: Last episode broadcast of Shirley Booth's second television series, A Touch of Grace.

*****

A Touch Of Grace:

Besides Hazel, Shirley Booth had another series. A Touch of Grace is her attempt at a comeback with this weekly television comedy show. However, unlike Hazel which ran for five years, A Touch of Grace lasted only a few months. The ABC show co-starred J. Pat O'Malley, and it debuted midseason on January 20, 1973.

In this reversal of the generation gap, Shirley played Grace, an Oakland, California widow with plenty of young ideas. She lives with her stifling daughter Myra (Marian Mercer) and son-in-law Walter (Warren Berlinger). Grace romantically dallies with her gravedigger friend Herbert (J. Pat O' Malley). The final episode, entitled "The Engagement," has Grace accepting Herbert"s marriage proposal (broadcast April 21, 1973).

About her off-screen romantic life 74-year old Shirley told the New York Daily News (2/25/73) the following:

"...being married twice is enough. It has been my experience that the older you get the more selfish you become, especially in the theatrical profession, where your business becomes your spouse. It takes up so much time and emotion that by necessity you must pander to yourself to conserve your energy. To make a marriage work in this business takes a lot of unselfishness."

More on A Touch of Grace in my biography.....

*****

Shirley Booth Presented 1968 Tony Award:

Shirley Booth appeared on television as a Presenter at the 1968 Tony Awards (technically known as the Antoinette Perry Award), broadcast April 21, 1968.

Art Carney and Shirley walk onstage together as the tune "I'll Buy You A Star" from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn plays. 

Carney asks Shirley how it felt to be back onstage. 

Shirley replies, "Oh, just lovely. I'm here to present the award for Best Performance of an Actor in a Musical. I'm so excited."

Carney asks, "Why?"

Shirley replies, "Why this is the most wonderful thing - as good as a signed contract. Oh, it's fantastic."

She tells Carney: doesn't he realize that Dick Van Dyke, Yul Brynner, Harry Belafonte all won this award.

Shirley then reads the nominees: "Scott Jacoby for Golden Rainbow, Nikos Kourkoulos for Ilya Darling, Michael Rupert for The Happy Time,

Shirley remarks to Art: "It don't sound like me...and Hiram Sherman for How Now Dow Jones...The winner is my old friend Hiram Sherman."

When Shirley realizes that nobody is coming up to the stage (and Carney whispers something to her), she says: "Well, that's a shame. Congratulations anyway, Hiram."

Shirley waves and leaves the stage.

*****

Missed Thornton Wilder's Birthday:

My favorite author/playwright Thornton Wilder was born on April 17, 1897 (he died on December 7, 1975).

Two of the four films that Shirley Booth starred in are available for home viewing on DVD. One of those is the 1957 film version of one of Thornton Wilder's 1954 play The Matchmaker (a revision of his Merchant of Yonkers). I offer further details of this film in my biography.

One of my all-time personal favorite is Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1927 short novel, The Bridge of San Luis Rey. This meaningful story tells of the fascinating exploration by a Franciscan Brother Juniper into why five people died on a Peruvian bridge.

I recently re-read this story with much greater appreciation now (thirty years after first reading it). I found the story quite worthy of intensive study and I highly recommend it to you as one of the best short novels ever written. Briefly, Wilder movingly reveals how the meaning of life and death is really centered around love, and how we all need to overcome our isolation and become "bridges of love." He effectively uses the rich metaphors of the bridge, letter writing, and the theater in order to convey his themes.

The story has been made into a movie three times - but none of them have been entirely satisfactory...Of course, the first two movie versions changed Wilder's story to a happier ending to satisfy the censors (1929 and 1944). The 1929 version is not available on DVD. The 1944 version is available, and it features the legendary stars Nazimova and Lynn Bari.

The most recent version of Wilder's story from 2004 is available on DVD - and it is quite faithful to the original story. Somehow it lost the spirit of the story due to several things, such as some miscasting and story development problems - though the film is appealing anyway.

The latter version has Geraldine Chaplin (daughter of Charlie) playing the Abbess. This finale shows the burning at the stake of Brother Juniper as well as his heretical book (that came from his study of the accident - even though his conclusions were "orthodox").

These lines from the finale are often quoted:

"We ourselves shall be loved for awhile and forgotten. But the love will have been enough; all those impulses of love return to the love that made them. Even memory is not necessary for love. There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning."

 Thornton Wilder gave us a superb story full of extraordinary meaning!

*****

THANKS FOR VISITING!

JOIN ME AGAIN FOR A NEW POST ON
SATURDAY, APRIL 27TH, 2013!

*****
For purchasing any of my books, you can visit Amazon.com
You can also check www.bookfinder.com
which offers the best prices on new & used copies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Bill, His Pinup Girl: The Shirley Booth & Bill Baker Story
by Jim Manago
Foreword by Leslie Sodaro
Published December 1, 2010
Further details at: http://shirleybooth.blogspot.com

Shirley Booth Opened In Three Shows This WEEK!

ANNIVERSARIES THIS WEEK (April 13th through 19th)

April 13, 1970: Shirley Booth appeared on television on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

April 13, 1960: Shirley Booth opened on Broadway in A Second String.

April 14, 1943: Shirley Booth opened on Broadway in the dramatic play, Tomorrow the World. The ever-busy actress Joyce Van Patten appeared as a child in that famed cast. 

April 16, 1961: Shirley Booth appeared on television as a presenter on the 1961 Tony Awards.

April 19, 1951: Shirley Booth opened on Broadway in the musical A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. 

*****

 A Second String:

This week is the anniversary of the last Broadway show that Shirley Booth appeared in before heading out to the West Coast to do Hazel on television.

A Second String opened on Broadway 53 years ago. The show would run until May 7, 1960 with 29 performances. Shirley played the loyal wife of a philandering playwright (Jean-Pierre Aumont). Nina Foch played his secretary.

The show received mixed reviews. Some critics liked Shirley's performance, others did not. John McClain noted that the material did not seem to connect with theatergoers due to the different way of seeing philandering on this side of the Atlantic. But he called Shirley "merely magnificent, as always." John Chapman said, "Miss Booth's attitude toward A Second String seems discouraged." Another critic said "Miss Booth struggles courageously..." But eminent The New York Times critic Brooks Atkinson thought it was "her finest acting since The Time of the Cuckoo in 1952...The rest is trite and thin."

On September 28, 1961, sixteen months after A Second String closed, Shirley Booth would make her first appearance in a recurring role on television as the maid Hazel.

Tomorrow the World:

Tomorrow the World dealt with a very topical and appropriate theme at the time given the ravaging World War.   The show first appeared 70 years ago, and it ran for 500 performances (closing on June 17, 1944). The show ranks fourth place for Shirley Booth's longest running shows.

The story tells of the menace created by a Nazi-indoctrinated boy Emil, played by Skip Homeier. Shirley Booth plays the Jewish teacher and the professor's  fiancée. Joyce Van Patten (sister of Dick Van Patten) appeared as the Professor's 10-year-old daughter. She alternated this role with Eliot Nugent's daughter Nancy.

The difficulty this play created with audiences when they saw Shirley Booth branch out from comedy to do such serious drama opposite Ralph Bellamy is understandably jarring at first. But she needed to explore different avenues. This happened throughout her career, most notably, when she wanted to star on television in Hazel. Then many people, especially friends and associates, thought she was destroying her reputation and career by stooping down to television acting after being stage's most celebrated actress of that era.

But of course, as Shirley Booth said it then, it's with Hazel that almost everyone got to know her name. Although she spent over fifty years on stage, the television show took up only five years of her life. But it's this character of Hazel that everyone remembers when you mention the name of Shirley Booth.

My first biography, Love is the Reason for it All: The Shirley Booth Story (BearManor Media, 2008) offers many details about Hazel, but I also bring to the reader the lengthy and rich scope of her theatrical and radio career. You'll learn much about Shirley Booth that you probably never knew. It's not a gossipy hearsay-laden biography. It's a factual, enjoyable, and in-depth study of one of the 20th century's greatest actresses.

*****

Shirley Booth Presents Tony Award:

The 1961 Tony Awards ceremony was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Phil Silvers introduced Shirley Booth by saying that "there’s so much affection for this individual . . . a term I’m not crazy about it, an actor’s actor, or actor’s actress, which just means actors know you . . . just say the name and this big wave of affection speaks for itself, Miss Shirley Booth."

Shirley announced the nominees for Director in the Musical category. The nominees were Peter Brook for Irma La Douce, Gower Champion for Bye Bye Birdie, and Garson Kanin for Do Re Me. Then Shirley opened the envelope, put it down, and with a sigh of relief, said "Personal gratification. The winner is Gower Champion."

Kay Medford accepted on his behalf. Shirley then said, "I’m so happy for you." Medford said to Shirley, "Aren’t you glad he took dancing lessons?" To which Shirley responded, "I wished he’d give them to me." Shirley asked Silvers to help her with the next two awards, the first - a special award to the producer David Merrick, and the second - to the Theatre Guild.

*****

Sealed With A Kiss:

I would conclude my home movies that I shot and edited of yearly trips to Wildwood, New Jersey during the 1970's with a song. The thirty to forty-minute Super 8mm films would include scenes of getting ready to leave, such as family members carrying luggage to the car and saying goodbye in front of the resort, driving away, passing through what was then called "Shantytown," back over the Verrazano Bridge, etc. 

My films of The Sand Dollar Motel, and the surrounding sites (including the huge King Kong pier ride) are most valuable since so much of North Wildwood has been razed in the last ten years....

The song that I played to these final minutes of my home movies was Bobby Vinton's 1972 rendition of the song, "Sealed with A Kiss." I know I wore out more than several 45rpm's of this recording back then... The precocious kid in me was even given the name of "Mr. MGM" by the Sand Dollar motel owner Carl Curcio for my creativity and intense effort I put into these home movies.

But anyone who saw them knew that the finale's memorable song by Vinton gave my film productions a poignant conclusion. I am happy to remember that song as a part of my early filmmaking efforts.  Bobby's song has become a beautiful and inseparable part of the fabric of my life.

I offer singer Bobby Vinton (born April 16, 1935) a very special "Thanks!" and "A Very Happy Birthday!" Although his version of "Sealed with A Kiss" is at least the third rendition recorded of this beautiful 1960 song by Peter Udell and Gary Geld - it is arguably THE BEST! The lyrics are bittersweet (including the lines "I don't wanna say goodbye for the summer - knowing the love we'll miss..." and "But I'll fill the emptiness - I'll send you all my love in a letter").

Vinton's superb and lush vocals in  "Sealed with A Kiss" are complemented by a fine orchestration and some very distinctive drumming. There’s an unforgettable sadness captured by that song that rings so true!  It's one of the best from that era.

Interestingly, I discovered one of the early versions of this song was done by Brian Hyland (best known for recording "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" ....). Hyland was born a short distance from where I lived in Richmond Hill, New York from 1967 to 2000...Hyland was born a mile away in the adjoining community of Woodhaven where most of the good stores were along Jamaica Avenue.

 ***** 

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

As Shirley Booth’s next project after the dramatic hit Come Back, Little Sheba, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn brought her tuneful talents to the world during what would be Shirley’s darkest periods in her personal life. Her husband Bill Baker died of a heart attack while Shirley was in rehearsals for this production. Despite that loss, this musical offered audiences one of Shirley's brightest and most upbeat performances in her entire life. How she did this is most revealing of her immense ability.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn arguably is Shirley Booth’s best and longest-running musical among the five she did (Hollywood Pinafore, By the Beautiful Sea, Juno, and Look to the Lilies). Though it ran on stage for merely eight months, besides losing money, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn nevertheless gave audiences a sensational follow-up to Sheba.

Betty Smith's original story was adapted by Smith and George Abbott. The emphasis of the story shifted in this musical adaptation away from the perspective of daughter Francie Nolan to the tumultuous courtship and marriage of parents Johnny (Johnny Johnston) & Katie Nolan (Marcia Van Dyke).

The show had two previews with a one-week trial run at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut beginning March 19, 1951. By the second preview at the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia, the brothel scene was cut. Smith revealed that there were frequent revisions in the show, from adding and/or removing scenes and songs.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn introduced a treasure trove of good songs by Arthur Schwartz & Dorothy Fields, including "Love is the Reason." The latter song humorously recognizes the reality of the trouble love brings.

The reviewers loved Shirley's role in this musical. Brooks Atkinson, The New York Times critic, observed that Shirley "has never had a part so ideally suited to her style of warm, magnetic comedy, and she has never given a more glowing performance."

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn closed after 267 performances on December 8, 1951. It should have been more successful given the great score and the impact of stage superstar Shirley Booth in a bright comedic supporting role. The fact is that this casting caused audiences to be distracted and to focus too much attention on Shirley, and not enough attention went to the darker main storyline presented by the two leading characters.

Shirley received the New York Drama Critics Award for Best Actress in a Musical, beating Vivian Blaine (Guys and Dolls), Gertrude Lawrence (The King and I), and Ethel Merman (Call Me Madam). She also received the Billboard Donaldson Awards for Best Performance by an Actress of the 1951 Season.

Of course, there is a CD available of the score and you can enjoy Shirley's great talent on display. It is a must-own item! I only wish that there was a film or video copy of this show, or even a time-machine to take me back to be in the audience of this and many other Shirley Booth shows!

*****

Excursion:

Last week I mentioned that on April 9, 1937 Shirley Booth opened in Excursion on Broadway. Here's a little more on that show...

Victor Wolfson’s Excursion followed Shirley Booth's first big hit on Broadway, the hugely successful Three Men on a Horse. Excursion is a fantasy comedy about a skipper on the final voyage of the S.S. Happiness, a Coney Island steamboat. In the hope that he can give the passengers a real excursion and some genuine happiness on their return trip from Coney, the skipper takes his passengers to the Caribbean instead.

Shirley Booth played the prominent role of Mrs. Loschavio, described by Playbill as "forlorn and frustrated." The show ran for a sizeable 118 performances at the Vanderbilt Theatre. "Long identified with edged and comic roles, Miss Booth in Excursion demonstrates that her gamut is not narrow," observed one critic, "for here she is a wracked and embittered woman, tragic, resentful and seeking escape from the life which crushes her."

*****

Warmest Welcome To My Many New Readers: 

Shirley Booth is perhaps best known as TV's maid Hazel, for which she won two Emmy Awards. But Shirley performed in thousands of shows on stage throughout the country, including over thirty Broadway shows. She worked diligently in countless theatrical shows for over thirty years before her big success came. and that was for the Broadway production Come Back, Little Sheba.

She received three Tony Awards (one for Best Supporting Actress, and two for Best Actress), an Academy Award for Best Actress, and countless other awards and honors. Also, she did a substantial amount of work in radio shows during the 1930's and 1940's.

Interestingly, she had no formal training as an actress. Nevertheless, her brilliant comedic and dramatic talent thrilled critics and audiences alike - even in weak productions, she soared anyhow.

Her first marriage (1929 - 1943) with the coarse Ed Gardner ended when he announced he loved another woman.  Her second marriage (1943 - 1951) with Bill Baker, Jr. was truly one made in heaven. Unfortunately, soul mate Bill died suddenly at the height of her international fame.

Shirley Booth starred in only four motion pictures, and made an appearance as herself in another. Much of her life was spent on the stage in theatrical productions all over the country, most prominently on Broadway. 

Here's Shirley's simple filmography (*available on DVD):

1952 - *Come Back, Little Sheba (as Lola Delaney)

1953 - Main Street to Broadway (appearance as herself)

1954 - About Mrs. Leslie (as Mrs. Vivian Leslie)

1958 - Hot Spell (as Alma Duval)

1958 - *The Matchmaker (as Dolly "Gallager" Levi)

Shirley would venture into weekly series television in 1961, against harsh criticism that this was a big mistake for the celebrated lady of theater. But with Hazel she became instantly known and adored by millions. She starred in other television productions, including playing a superb Amanda in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie. She also did the voice-over for Mrs. Santa Claus in The Year Without A Santa Claus.

Shirley Booth deserves a biographical story on television or in the movies.  The Shirley Booth Story could have mass appeal because audiences do not know the real story about the person behind the popular character  of Hazel. It could be the chance for some new talent to break through.  Anyone remember Fanny Brice once she was gone? Nonetheless, her story catapulted Barbra Streisand to fame in Funny Girl!

Any suggestions on who could best play Shirley Booth on screen?

*****

This Just In:

Sorry to learn of the death of comedian Jonathan Winters (November 11, 1925 - April 11, 2013).  We will miss him!

I will always cherish seeing him in one of the funniest scenes ever put on celluloid.  It's from that ridiculous but truly hilarious film that included almost every comedian in the business.  I  am talking about Stanley Kramer's 1963 comedy classic Its a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Arnold Stang plays Ray, one of the gasoline attendants at a station that a maniacal Winters totally destroys. The latter's insanity is triggered by Phil Silvers taking advantage of him in the previous scene.   It's very funny indeed!

*****

THANKS FOR VISITING!

JOIN ME AGAIN FOR A NEW POST ON

SATURDAY, APRIL 20th, 2013

*****

 
For purchasing any of my books, you can visit Amazon.com
You can also check www.bookfinder.com
which offers the best prices on new & used copies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Bill, His Pinup Girl: The Shirley Booth & Bill Baker Story
by Jim Manago
Foreword by Leslie Sodaro
Published December 1, 2010
Further details at: http://shirleybooth.blogspot.com