Shirley Booth
Shirley Booth (born Marjory Ford; August 30, 1898 – October 16, 1992) was an American actress. One of 24 performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, Booth was the recipient of an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and three Tony Awards.
Shirley Booth
October 16, 1992 (aged 94)
Actress
1915–1974
Primarily a theater actress, Booth began her career on Broadway in 1915. Her most significant success was as Lola Delaney, in the drama Come Back, Little Sheba, for which she received her second Tony Award in 1950 (she would go on to win three). She made her film debut, reprising her role in the 1952 film version, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her performance. Despite her successful entry into films, she preferred acting on the stage, and made only four more films.
From 1961 to 1966, she played the title role in the sitcom Hazel, for which she won two Primetime Emmy Awards. She was acclaimed for her performance in the 1966 television production of The Glass Menagerie. Her final role was providing the voice of Mrs. Claus in the 1974 animated Christmas television special The Year Without a Santa Claus.
Early life[edit]
Booth was born in New York City[2][3][1] to Albert James and Virginia M. (née Wright) Ford. In the 1900 New York state census, she was listed as Thelma Booth Ford. She had one sibling, a younger sister, Jean. Her early childhood was spent in Flatbush, Brooklyn, where she attended Public School 152.[4][5][6]
When she was age 7, Booth's family moved to Philadelphia, where she first became interested in acting after seeing a stage performance. When Booth was a teenager, her family moved to Hartford, Connecticut, where she became involved in summer stock. She made her stage debut in a production of Mother Carey's Chickens. Against her father's protests, she dropped out of school and traveled to New York City to pursue a career. She initially used the name Thelma Booth when her father forbade her to use the family name professionally. She eventually changed her name to Shirley Booth.[5]
Personal life[edit]
On November 23, 1929, Booth married Ed Gardner, who later gained fame as the creator and host of the radio series Duffy's Tavern, with Booth originating the role of man-hungry Miss Duffy in the series. They divorced in 1942.[6] She married William H. Baker Jr., a corporal in the U.S. Army, the following year. Booth and Baker remained married until his death from heart disease in 1951. She never remarried and had no children from either marriage.[4]
For her contributions to the film industry, Booth has a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6850 Hollywood Boulevard.[42]
After retiring from acting in 1974, Booth moved to North Chatham, Massachusetts, where she lived with her pet poodle and two cats.[20][32] She maintained contact with her friends via telephone and spent her time painting and doing needlework.[20] In November 1979, she was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.[43] Booth did not attend the ceremony, and the award was accepted on her behalf by Celeste Holm.[20]
Death[edit]
By 1976, Booth's health began to decline. She reportedly suffered a stroke that caused mobility issues and blindness. After her death, Booth's sister said she had broken her hip in 1979, which restricted her mobility.[20] On October 16, 1992, Booth died at the age of 94 at her home in North Chatham.[4][44] After a private memorial service, Booth was interred in the Baker family plot in Mount Hebron Cemetery in Montclair, New Jersey.[20]