Shirley Booth, one of the few artists to earn all the three major entertainment awards (Oscar, Primetime Emmy and Tony) or ‘Triple Crown of Acting,’ began her career with stock company.
Booth starred in several Broadway production and won 3 Tony Awards, including one for ’Best Actress in a Play’ for ‘Come Back, Little Sheba’ (1950). She reprised this popular role in her debut movie, the film-adaption of ‘Come Back, Little Sheba’ (1952) and won ‘Academy Award for Best Actress in Leading Role,’ also ‘Golden Globe,’ ‘Cannes Film Festival Award,’ and more. She was the first artist to earn ‘Tony Award’ and ‘Academy Award’ for same role.
Next, Booth appeared as herself (cameo role) in romantic-musical-comedy-drama film ‘Main Street to Broadway’ (1953). She starred in only 5 films. Her drama-film ‘About Mrs. Leslie’ (1954) was unsuccessful at box-office but brought her praise and a ‘BAFTA’ nomination for ‘Best Actress.’ In 1954, she made her TV debut in anthology-series ‘The United States Steel Hour’ (1954, 1961). In 1957 she appeared in an episode of ‘Playhouse 90.’
Booth further starred in 2 final films of her career – drama-film ‘Hot Spell’ and film version of romantic-comedy play (by Thornton Wilder) ‘The Matchmaker,’ (both 1958).
Booth appeared in the title role as ‘Hazel Burke, the spirited house-maid’ in sitcom ‘Hazel’ (1961-1965) based on popular cartoon strip. The hit series achieved high ratings and also brought her two ‘Primetime Emmy Awards’ from 3 nominations.
Thereafter, Booth starred in the episode ‘The Glass Menagerie’ of TV’s ‘CBS Playhouse’ and received another Emmy Nomination. She then appeared in TV-movie ‘The Smugglers’ (1968), and sitcom ‘The Ghost & Mrs. Muir’ (1969). She starred in the title role as ‘Grace’ in sitcom ‘A Touch of Grace’ (1973), inspired from British series ‘For the Love of Ada.’ Her voice role in animated TV-special ‘The Year without a Santa Claus’ (1973) was her final contribution to the screen.
Vivien is a young woman who runs a boarding house for young women. As she remembers her past, the film gives us flashbacks of her past life. The film shows how she had an affair with a mysterious man named George, only to later find out that he is actually married.
Set in 1884 USA, The Matchmaker is the story about a widow who supports herself primarily by matchmaking. But when a wealthy merchant from New York hires her to find him a wife she decides to marry him. Will she succeed?
Alma Duval is a Louisiana housewife who has pulled all stops to keep her husband, John Henry, interested in her and their family. Meanwhile, John is having an affair with a younger woman behind his wife's back.
Main Street to Broadway is a musical romance film which tells the story of a playwright going through bad times, who meets a country girl, who is returning home after giving up her aspirations of becoming an actress. Hoping to find inspiration from her, he decides to follow her to her small town.
Shirley Booth Awards
| Come Back, Little Sheba | Best Actress in a Leading Role | 1953 |
| Come Back, Little Sheba | Best Actress - Drama | 1953 |
| Hazel | Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead) | 1963 |
| Hazel | Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead) | 1962 |
