Joke Shirley Booth told Charles Nelson Reilly - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Smilings · 01-27-2013, 11:33 PM

from page 240 of Love is the Reason for it All, the Shirley Booth story.

Charles Nelson Reilly said starting around 1988, she'd call and leave messages on his answering machine. "This is Shirley. Call me. I have a joke."

One was this.
Shirley: "A young girl went to confession and said, 'Father, I've been very bad! I was taken by a man!'
'Against your will?,' said the Father.
'No,' she said. 'Against the china cabinet. And you should have heard those dishes!'

Charles said "the way she'd tell it, I'd be on the floor in stitches!"

MichaelKeith · 01-28-2013, 02:48 PM

Is her autobiography a good read? Does she talk much about the "Hazel" years and what it was like working with Blake, DeFore and Buntrock?

Smilings · 01-28-2013, 03:21 PM

First it's not an autobiography. It's a 2008 biography by Jim Manago.
Foreword by Ted Key.
The book is about Shirley's entire life and the Hazel chapter Everyone's Favorite Maid is pages 167 to 221.
Manago talks to all co-stars he could find who worked with Shirley.
She was well-liked and helped. Ann Jillian was only 15 when she played Baxter's teen secretary and she gets a page.
It's a good read.
Shirley was a great actress and a nice person.
I recommend the book.

MichaelKeith · 01-31-2013, 05:43 PM

Sounds interesting. I'll have to see if I can check it out at the library. Thanks.

01-27-2013, 11:33 PM	#1
Smilings Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 09, 2012 Location: California Posts: 417	Joke Shirley Booth told Charles Nelson Reilly from page 240 of Love is the Reason for it All, the Shirley Booth story. Charles Nelson Reilly said starting around 1988, she'd call and leave messages on his answering machine. "This is Shirley. Call me. I have a joke." One was this. Shirley: "A young girl went to confession and said, 'Father, I've been very bad! I was taken by a man!' 'Against your will?,' said the Father. 'No,' she said. 'Against the china cabinet. And you should have heard those dishes!' Charles said "the way she'd tell it, I'd be on the floor in stitches!"

01-28-2013, 02:48 PM	#2
MichaelKeith Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 01, 2007 Posts: 1,139	Is her autobiography a good read? Does she talk much about the "Hazel" years and what it was like working with Blake, DeFore and Buntrock?

01-28-2013, 03:21 PM	#3
Smilings Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 09, 2012 Location: California Posts: 417	First it's not an autobiography. It's a 2008 biography by Jim Manago. Foreword by Ted Key. The book is about Shirley's entire life and the Hazel chapter Everyone's Favorite Maid is pages 167 to 221. Manago talks to all co-stars he could find who worked with Shirley. She was well-liked and helped. Ann Jillian was only 15 when she played Baxter's teen secretary and she gets a page. It's a good read. Shirley was a great actress and a nice person. I recommend the book.

01-31-2013, 05:43 PM	#4
MichaelKeith Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 01, 2007 Posts: 1,139	Sounds interesting. I'll have to see if I can check it out at the library. Thanks.