ANNIVERSARY TODAY:
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Joan Bennett was born today in 1910 (died December 7, 1990). I liked some of her early films, most memorable is when Joan played the pouting ingenue in the 1935 Bing Crosby/W.C. Fields film Mississippi.
Not to be missed is the brief, but ever-so romantic and picturesque finale as she becomes Crosby's love interest. They embrace on the riverboat as he sings a line from that Rodgers and Hart tune, "Soon." The shot is set-up and lit just right to make it a fittingly romantic conclusion. Indeed, they don't make end films like that anymore. Mississippi is finally available on DVD as part of the latest Bing Crosby Collection. See my film review at http://shirleyboothstory.blogspot.com/2011/07/great-news-season-2-of-hazel-is.html
Not to be missed is the brief, but ever-so romantic and picturesque finale as she becomes Crosby's love interest. They embrace on the riverboat as he sings a line from that Rodgers and Hart tune, "Soon." The shot is set-up and lit just right to make it a fittingly romantic conclusion. Indeed, they don't make end films like that anymore. Mississippi is finally available on DVD as part of the latest Bing Crosby Collection. See my film review at http://shirleyboothstory.blogspot.com/2011/07/great-news-season-2-of-hazel-is.html
*****
This week is the third anniversary of this blog!!!
We have had wonderful responses from all of the world - over 34,000 visitors since we started! Thanks again to all who have visited us here at http://shirleybooth.info.
Here is how we first appeared on the scene three years ago on February 25, 2009....
Welcome to the official site for learning all about the life of actress Shirley Booth! I've spent several years researching and writing Shirley's first biography. I'm proud that BearManor Media published her story. I've called it Love is the Reason for it All: The Shirley Booth Story.
This is the ultimate Shirley Booth biography. It details her many years of radio broadcasting, playing in stock theater roles throughout the United States, starring in successful and abortive Broadway shows, to finally reach the watershed moment of her career on Broadway with the Tony award-winning play Come Back, Little Sheba. The latter offered her the opportunity to receive Best Actress Oscar for the movie performance. Shirley continued beyond that role to excel on Broadway and then finally reach the pivotal role that made her remembered by most people, the two-time Emmy-Award winning role as Hazel.
My biography examines the critical reception for each of Shirley's performances, utilizes interviews with her friends and associates, and most notably provides Shirley's own words to reveal her distinct philosophy of life.
When asked to define herself Shirley responded, "Well, I would say that I was an enigma." My book attempts to unravel some of her enigma. My intention has always been to be as accurate as humanly possible. I have never been a fan of tell-all scandal sheet biographies, which actively seek out sensational anecdotes and rumors to shock readers as well as to taint, wreck or destroy a person's good name. Much of the time such biographies are geared to increasing the sale of books.
I have sought a higher ground by balancing the need and right for the public to know the truth with a reasonable scale of verification to substantiate information and be fair to the deceased. As a result, I believe I have honored and respected Shirley. From the feedback from reviewers and readers I'm sure I have accomplished what I wanted with this biography.
You might ask why read another book since so much information is already available online absolutely free. Well, I thought that too at one time - until I started researching online.
Unfortunately, so much of the information available is untrustworthy. Even Shirley Booth's original name and birth year is still being erroneously reported on the Internet.
In addition, I was able to obtain new interviews with some of Shirley's associates which revealed things never put into print before. I also assembled previously published interviews into a chronological story. The late Ted Key, cartoonist who created the character of Hazel even offered the Foreword and contributed a considerable amount of information never published before to my chapter on Hazel. My biography offers so much more about Shirley in one place than you can find anywhere. I read and re-read several hundred documents (newspaper clippings, show programs, interviews, letters to her, and so on). I even located and perused her 15 personal scrapbooks which reside locked away in a Museum only available to serious scholars willing to pay by the hour to see the materials. Undoubtedly I couldn't fit everything about Shirley Booth's 94 years of living into one 274 page volume, but I packed into it as much relevant and interesting material as possible.
Stay tuned daily for more about the true and impressive life of the amazing Shirley Booth!
You can read some reviews posted for this title at amazon.com!
Here is how we first appeared on the scene three years ago on February 25, 2009....
Welcome to the official site for learning all about the life of actress Shirley Booth! I've spent several years researching and writing Shirley's first biography. I'm proud that BearManor Media published her story. I've called it Love is the Reason for it All: The Shirley Booth Story.
This is the ultimate Shirley Booth biography. It details her many years of radio broadcasting, playing in stock theater roles throughout the United States, starring in successful and abortive Broadway shows, to finally reach the watershed moment of her career on Broadway with the Tony award-winning play Come Back, Little Sheba. The latter offered her the opportunity to receive Best Actress Oscar for the movie performance. Shirley continued beyond that role to excel on Broadway and then finally reach the pivotal role that made her remembered by most people, the two-time Emmy-Award winning role as Hazel.
My biography examines the critical reception for each of Shirley's performances, utilizes interviews with her friends and associates, and most notably provides Shirley's own words to reveal her distinct philosophy of life.
When asked to define herself Shirley responded, "Well, I would say that I was an enigma." My book attempts to unravel some of her enigma. My intention has always been to be as accurate as humanly possible. I have never been a fan of tell-all scandal sheet biographies, which actively seek out sensational anecdotes and rumors to shock readers as well as to taint, wreck or destroy a person's good name. Much of the time such biographies are geared to increasing the sale of books.
I have sought a higher ground by balancing the need and right for the public to know the truth with a reasonable scale of verification to substantiate information and be fair to the deceased. As a result, I believe I have honored and respected Shirley. From the feedback from reviewers and readers I'm sure I have accomplished what I wanted with this biography.
You might ask why read another book since so much information is already available online absolutely free. Well, I thought that too at one time - until I started researching online.
Unfortunately, so much of the information available is untrustworthy. Even Shirley Booth's original name and birth year is still being erroneously reported on the Internet.
In addition, I was able to obtain new interviews with some of Shirley's associates which revealed things never put into print before. I also assembled previously published interviews into a chronological story. The late Ted Key, cartoonist who created the character of Hazel even offered the Foreword and contributed a considerable amount of information never published before to my chapter on Hazel. My biography offers so much more about Shirley in one place than you can find anywhere. I read and re-read several hundred documents (newspaper clippings, show programs, interviews, letters to her, and so on). I even located and perused her 15 personal scrapbooks which reside locked away in a Museum only available to serious scholars willing to pay by the hour to see the materials. Undoubtedly I couldn't fit everything about Shirley Booth's 94 years of living into one 274 page volume, but I packed into it as much relevant and interesting material as possible.
Stay tuned daily for more about the true and impressive life of the amazing Shirley Booth!
You can read some reviews posted for this title at amazon.com!
*****
THANKS FOR VISITING!
JOIN ME AGAIN TOMORROW!
*****
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
THANKS FOR VISITING!
JOIN ME AGAIN TOMORROW!
*****
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
*****
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
by Jim Manago
Radio Research by Donna Manago
Foreword by Ted Key
BearManor Media, May 2008
http://bearmanormedia.bizland.com
Congratulations on the third anniversary of this blog!
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