The dramatic actress who traded Broadway prestige for a maid's uniform
In short: In 1961, a three-time Tony Award winner and Academy Award victor faced a dilemma: maintain her status as a high-brow dramatic icon or embrace a sitcom role that many peers deemed beneath her. Her choice would create one of the most enduring domestic comedies in American television history.
Shirley Booth was a titan of the American stage and screen, best known for her prestigious dramatic work. When she was approached to star in the sitcom 'Hazel,' her peers—including co-star Burt Lancaster—urged her to decline, believing a television comedy was beneath her stature. Booth, however, was drawn to the character's 'honest soul' and her ability to express 'honest anger' with humor. She also noted the scarcity of good roles in film and theater at the time, and welcomed the financial rewards of a weekly series following a string of Broadway flops.
The transition from page to screen was meticulously managed. The show was based on a comic strip by Ted Key, who provided a 29-page 'Hazel Bible' to help Booth develop the character's personality. To inhabit the role, Booth underwent a physical transformation, wearing a red wig and a maid's uniform while learning to bowl and kick a football. She described the process as trying to turn a 'line drawing' into an 'oil painting,' adjusting her walk, speech, and even her physical presence to appear heavier and more casual on set.
The series navigated complex cultural waters, including a 1963 NAACP boycott threat regarding the lack of Black staff members. While Booth defended her position, the producers eventually hired a Black production executive to address the concerns. The show also faced significant shifts; during its fifth season on CBS, the network attempted to 'jazz it up' for younger viewers by moving the setting to Hollywood and replacing key cast members, a move that eventually led to the show's conclusion in 1966 as Booth's health began to decline from the grueling weekly schedule.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Hazel (TV series)
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