"An Interview with Ron DeFore - Part Two: Remembering Don DeFore

As yesterday's earthquake that rumbled the East Coast has reminded us of our fragility in this vast universe...

Seventy-five years ago (1936) moviegoers saw the release of the best classic film re-creating the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, San Francisco. The cast included Clark Gable, Jeanette McDonald, Spencer Tracy and Jack Holt.

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As I said yesterday....

With Shirley Booth's Hazel co-star Don DeFore's birthday tomorrow on August 25th, I thought it would be appropriate to repeat an interview I did last year with his son Ron (who also celebrates his birthday on the same day as his late Dad).

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*"An Interview with Ron DeFore - Part Two: Remembering Don DeFore"

Here is the conclusion of my interview with Ron DeFore, son of Hazel co-star Don DeFore.....

Jim Manago: "Did your Dad generally discuss his work at home with you?"

Ron DeFore: "Yes, he talked about his work a lot. I would even practice his lines with him. His being diligent with studying his lines was a major difference between my Dad and Shirley. My Dad was always appreciated by the crew because he knew his lines. Shirley would start reading the script right before a scene, and thus, there were many retakes.

One thing that may be a big bomb shell here is that my Dad was very conservative and Whitney Blake, who played his wife, was an ultra liberal. And although my Dad made it a point not to discuss politics on the set, Whitney had no problem telling everyone about the peace march she attended the previous weekend. It used to drive my Dad nuts. Again, for reference, he campaigned for many Republicans including Reagan. He was a Reagan delegate to both Republic conventions. I was a Reagan Appointee.

Another favorite story: he came home from work one night to tell us about a most embarrassing, but eventually funny thing that happened on the set that day. They were shooting a scene in the bedroom (and of course, in those days, they were separate beds)…anyway, they were rolling camera, set was completely silent, as usual, when my Dad was to get out of his bed but when he did so, to his surprise, a very loud release of gas occurred from his rear – a big loud fart! The entire set was dead silent, everyone embarrassed...for what he said seemed like eternity…but suddenly some member of the crew way in the back just burst out laughing and after a pause, everyone just broke up including my Dad!"

Jim Manago: "Do you have any other siblings? If so would they be available for comments?"

Ron DeFore: "My older brother David or my middle sister Dawn may have some memories they would share. I have one brother and three sisters."

Jim Manago: "I know it might be very general question, so you're free to answer however you want: In remembering this man, Don DeFore, we know him as a likeable and rewarding presence in Hazel and so many other films and so forth who lives on in his roles. Did you know his real humanity, the real Don DeFore?"

Ron DeFore: "My Dad was very much like his “Thorny” character on Ozzie and Harriet – a very likeable, funny, generous person. He wasn’t caught up in showing off his wealth. He was very conservative with us kids, like when I wanted an electric guitar I had to borrow the money and work it off mowing the lawn, pulling weeds, or painting the house. Of course, I hated that and even him sometimes for that because my friends would ask for something and they’d just get it. But most of those friends either died from drug overdoses or like two of my best friends across the street, lived with their parents all their lives and never worked.

I appreciated that upbringing as soon as I started working at KTLA TV. I am now an owner of a national PR firm I started 15 years ago– and I would have never gone this far had it not been for that conservative upbringing. I love my parents for that now."
Hope this was helpful.

Ron DeFore

*ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY JIM MANAGO & RON DeFORE, Copyright 2009.

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Yes Ron, it's been quite helpful and much appreciated. Thanks so much for offering those interesting stories about your Dad, among our favorite people here at http://shirleybooth.info/.

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THANKS FOR VISITING!

JOIN ME AGAIN TOMORROW!

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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

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Now available on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0076ZCBM2

Love is the Reason for it All: The Shirley Booth Story
by Jim Manago
Radio Research by Donna Manago
Foreword by Ted Key
BearManor Media, May 2008
http://bearmanormedia.bizland.com