Shirley Booth: It's A New Year...And We All STILL EXIST!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

It's A New Year...And We All STILL EXIST!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!

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The second season of Hazel will be here on February 21, 2012...thanks to Shout! Factory. It has been a very long time (six years?) since season one came out...

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ANNIVERSARIES TODAY:

January 1, 1950 - On radio: Celebrity Time (ABC), Shirley Booth plays herself.
January 1, 1954 - On TV: Stage Struck (CBS), “The Theatrical Highlights of 1953” with Basil Rathbone and Burgess Meredith.

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Hopefully you enjoyed last night's celebration. Welcome to a New Year!

In this New Year, I will continue to offer you more of the inspiration I have received over the years from Shirley Booth as well as from so many films, fictional characters, songs, and people.

Once again, I would like to start off the year with the intensely thoughtful and meaningful metaphysical soliloquy that is offered by character Scott Brady at the end of the one of my favorite films of all time. I am referring to the 1957 classic science fiction film, The Incredible Shrinking Man.

There is no other film that I know of that has said something as basic and profound as this - juxtaposed with some great visuals. Here it is...http://youtu.be/Bp3iHjGBfT4

"My fears disappeared -
As if tuned to some great directing force
I was getting smaller – what was I?
Still a human being or was I the man of the future?

If there were other bursts of radiation, 

other clouds drifting across seas and continents,

would other beings follow me into this vast new world?

So close the infinitesimal and the infinite - 

but suddenly I realized it’s really just the two ends of same concept,
The unbelievably small and the unbelievably vast eventually meet -

Like the closing of a gigantic circle

I looked up, as if to somehow I could grasp the heavens –

the Universe, world's beyond number,
God’s silver tapestry spread across the night, 

And in that moment I knew the answer to the riddle of the infinite,
I had thought in terms of man’s own limited conception,
I had presumed upon nature that
“Existence begins and ends,” – Is man's conception - not nature’s.

And I felt my body dwindling, melting, becoming nothing
My fears melted away – and in their place came acceptance. 

All this vast majesty of creation – it had to mean something. Then I meant something too. Yes, smaller than the smallest – I meant something too.

To God there is no zero –I STILL EXIST” 

....from the conclusion of The Incredible Shrinking Man, Universal – International Studios, 1957, Directed by Jack Arnold, Screenplay by Richard Matheson from his novel, Produced by Albert Zugsmith, Starring Grant Williams as Robert Scott Carey,& Randy Stuart as Louise Carey.

This film is one of the best science fiction films ever made. Not only is it a masterpiece of special effects but it is also a powerful meditation on how a person can overcome his/her fears and accept his/her life as it is.

The shrinking man becomes so small he could fit through one of the holes in a window screen. But his fear of getting even smaller disappears. He realizes what really matters most is that he’s still alive! That's something I wish we all would never forget for a single day of our lives!

The Incredible Shrinking Man offers excellent special effects, a striking reliance on visuals rather than dialogue, a superb finale, and the supreme terror offered by the character named "Tomorrow" or "Tamara." The latter was billed at that time as "the world's only trained Tarantula!"

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THANKS FOR VISITING!

JOIN ME AGAIN TOMORROW!

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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

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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

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WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS BLOG SITE:

Judy:

I have just ordered both of your books from Amazon and am eagerly looking forward to reading them. I adore Shirley Booth, I always thought she was a wonderful, multidimensional actress. She could make you laugh out loud one minute and tearing up the next, she was that good. I wish I could have seen her on stage, I'm sure she was magical. Thanks for sharing your love of Shirley with the rest of us."

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Actress June Harding:
"Your Shirley Booth site is very nice"

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Lauramac1:

"Thank you so much for keeping the world aware of the glorious Shirley Booth's character, personality and talent.

In Philadelphia, we've recently discovered "Antenna TV" a terrific station playing great shows from the 1950s, 60s & 70s including "Hazel"! Our 7 year old daughter is entranced by these shows and loves Hazel most of all...and we are so happy to share Hazel with her! She hasn't even mentioned anything about the fact that it's in black and white, which is saying something!

Again, Thank you, Mr. Manago! keep up the good work!"

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Salvatore Somma:

I admire the continual work you do on the blog, and I am impressed by your knowledge of the film and entertainment field!"

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT "LOVE IS THE REASON FOR IT ALL: THE SHIRLEY BOOTH STORY"

Joyce Van Patten, Actress:

"I applaud you for doing the book. I fear so many people have forgotten all our great ones. They turn everyman into a celebrity. These great artists were artists first, and celebrities maybe. Their interest was their art. Thanks for keeping these stories alive!

Richard Herd, Actor:

"Read it! Loved it! Passed it on to my 101 yr. old Mother-in-Law."

Wanda Clark, Personal Secretary to Lucille Ball:

"I thought I knew about this talented lady, Shirley Booth, from the awards for theater and movies and the wonderful television show. However, Jim Manago's book gives much more about her life and career. It's a very good read with so many beautiful pictures and I'm delighted I found it, and highly recommend this book."

Julie Harris, Actress:

"Thank you for the book about Shirley Booth. She was a gifted actress, and I loved her!"

Thomas A DeLong, Reviewer, Radiogram (SPERDVAC publication):

"Author Jim Manago's presentation reads like a heartfelt Valentine card to actress Shirley Booth from her friends, associates and fans. It's loving and upbeat with fond recollections and reviews of a much-honored performer on stage, radio and television."

Tommy Garrett, Editor, Canyon News (Beverly Hills, CA):

"This book is inspiring, but most of all it is honest...Recently some biographers seem to show disdain for their subject, instead of admiration.

But although Manago admires Booth, he's able to separate his affection and go in depth into her life story and does so with ease. The book is chronologically correct, and Mr. Manago is an amazing fact checker...Despite the tough and aggressive nature of her business, you come across wanting to like and feeling like you know Shirley Booth in a way only Jim Manago could deliver. This is a must-read for historians and should be required reading for anyone interested in entering the field of acting via the Broadway stage."

Sal Somma, Professor of Music:

"I especially enjoyed the quotes from Shirley Booth because I was able to get a good feeling about her character through her own words. I applaud Jim for keeping it legit and not throwing in the trash and gossip that most biographies have. I can also appreciate the research and work that went into this endeavor - and he didn't have Shirley to consult with! Good book."

Jim Lovins (Amazon customer)

Thank our lucky stars for Ben Ohmart and his staff, BearManor Media, a small press that publishes BIG books. They pride themselves on publishing quality entertainment biographies, so they often put out the first book on unique subjects -- plus specializing in books with nostalgic themes and keeping classic Hollywood alive not only thru his publishing house, but thru his own books.

In closing, author Jim Manago has dug deep with quotes from Booth....Quite an impressive book -- A must read ~ Highly recommended!

Prof. Edward Wesley, Chairman, English Department, St. Francis College, Brooklyn, NY

I enjoyed your book. It was a good read and as I planned, I brought it with me on vacation up in the Berkshires.
We accompanied it with Netflix's Come Back, Little Sheba and The Matchmaker. My parents took the book back to their apartment and have it circulating among their friends.

Associate Professor of Communication:

"Yes the book was interesting. Good research. I wish there were more personal reminisces of Shirley, tho...interviews with key people in her life were probably impossible because so many have passed on. Thanks again for sharing it with me!

Anonymous
"Mr. Manago has written an informative and positive book (by that I mean not overemphasizing any negative or squalid life details) that zeroes in on the facets that will ever matter to fans and aficionados; her career and what good a person did in life to counterbalance her imperfections. "

Tom Watson, President, We Love Lucy Fan Club (http://www.lucyfan.com/)
"I loved your book about Shirley! Long over due! There was wonderful new information on almost every page... So much of her career was spent on the "live" stage or on radio -- and there is little spoken or written about those years today... What little the public knew about Shirley was from the Hollywood PR people that handled her few movies and HAZEL... Your book was a wonderful opportunity to "meet the lady" herself... I tried to interest publishers in doing a book 25 years ago, and everyone turned me down. If I couldn't do it -- I'm glad you did!

Shirley Booth

Sunday, January 1, 2012

It's A New Year...And We All STILL EXIST!

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