I Devote Fifty-Three Pages To Hazel In My First Shirley Booth BOOK!

Hazel Says...

In episode #113 of Hazel, "Hazel Squares The Triangle," George's sister Deirdre (played superbly as usual by Cathy Lewis) insults her husband and he walks out. Deirdre then seeks Hazel's opinion on how she could apologize to him. Hazel says "if you love a person you ought to listen with your heart as well with your ears."

The distraught Deirdre reflects that it's the first time in 27 years that she could not lean on him for comfort: "He always thought more about my troubles than he did his own." To which Hazel says, "that's what marriage is - two people caring for each other more than they care about themselves."Antenna TV broadcasts Hazel episodes nightly.

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Recently, I have told you about my second book on Shirley Booth, which is pictured above (For Bill, His Pinup Girl: The Shirley Booth & Bill Baker Story). This 96-page book zeroes in on a specific period in Shirley's life when she married and then lost her soulmate Bill Baker (1943 to 1951). The couple owned and lived on a working dairy farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania from 1946 to 1950 (the property was sold in February, 1951). Shirley commuted to New York City in this prolific period to star on stage and radio. During this period, she received two Tony Awards, and she was heard on many radio shows. For Bill: His Pinup Girl: The Shirley Booth & Bill Baker Story has many of the never-before-seen family photos, courtesy of Shirley's next-of-kin, niece Leslie Sodaro.

Today, I wanted to remind readers that my first book is a complete biography of Shirley Booth, covering the period from 1898 to 1992. That 270-page plus book, Love is the Reason for it All: The Shirley Booth Story, BearManor Media, published in May 2008, has one chapter specifically on Hazel ("Everybody's Favorite Maid").

Ted Key, the creator "Hazel" contributed the Foreword and much of the information contained in this Hazel chapter. He supplied a copy of the "Hazel Bible," that is the twenty-page-plus guide to the Hazel show characters. This guide was given to all those individuals working on the production, such as the writers, the director, the casting director, and so on. The "Hazel Bible is quoted extensively in my 53-pages devoted to that series.

Here's a sample from the "Hazel Bible" from page 180 of my book "Love is the Reason for it All: The Shirley Booth Story" (used by permission from The Estate of Ted Key):"Hazel speaks directly, articulately, at length, and to the point only when that is the best way to handle things. Not all situations, or people, are best handled directly. In her case, there are times when silence, a gesture, a grimace, are more effective, and subtle weapons. She knows when to use them. Indirection, as a counterpoint, is part of her makeup. In her there are no lost emotions or words. She thinks clearly, walks and acts with a purpose, and quite often speaks like a truck driver with all this colorful language, but only when necessary."

"Always, she walks the fine line of propriety, never quite falling off the tightrope. She knows she's a maid. But she knows she's a human being first, entitled to dignity and the basic God-given rights. Those who encroach on those do so at their own risk."

"This woman is a baseball fan and a football and hockey nut. She could tell you, at the drop of a hat, just about every major leaguer's batting average, or a quarterback's completed passing average. And if she can't attend a game, she'll watch it on TV. Her great interest in sport isn't accidental. And if playing in a sport, she excels in it. Obviously, she was once a tomboy....."

It's been said that this chapter alone makes my first biography of Shirley Booth well worth purchasing...but there's so much more in the 276-page volume...all of her Broadway work, TV productions, radio shows, etc. What's really good is I culled all of her own words in interviews so as to reveal her distinct philosophy of life!

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While I'm on the subject, there's the new cable sub-channel Antenna TV now showing every episode of Hazel. However, many people are not geographically positioned near this Tribune station - so many would welcome it if some company like SHOUT released all the episodes on DVD's.

Get Ready for Season 2 of Hazel. It will be released on February 21, 2012 from Shout! Factory.

The first season of Hazel is currently the only one available on DVD. Every single episode in this season is enriched with Shirley Booth's superb comedy genius, as well as the great acting skills of Don DeFore, Whitney Blake, Norma Varden. The writers and everybody else associated with the show deserve praise. Hazel is an excellent show and definitely worth watching again and again!

The only fault with this DVD collection lies in an inaccurate description on the package of one episode. It would have been nice if it had extras, but it definitely needs no extras!!!

The first season of Hazel is on DVD from Sony Entertainment. All the episodes are in black & white, except for episode #6. 

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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