The magnetic Shirley Booth had an amazing career on stage and screen, whether as Ruth Sherwood, Aunt Cissy or Dolly Levi, and the Academy Award winning actress gives a terrific performance here as society hostess Perle Mesta who goes from oil heiress in Oklahoma to the widow of a steel tycoon in Pittsburgh to society hostess in Washington D. C. to ambassador in Luxembourg. So few women have a musical written about their life, and while it is not among the shows constantly revived, "Call Me Madam" has kept her name alive amongst people who know about the show whether through recordings or the 1953 Ethel Merman film.
Obviously a lot had to be changed because while her life was dramatic, it wasn't as colorful as what happens in the musical. Still, she did have a fascinating life, breaking through the barriers put up against her and making a difference in the lives of many when she became ambassador, desiring to help children from foreign lands get an education in the United States. Mesta appears briefly at the end, and her big heart is obvious. Hedda Hopper plays a Washington D. C. matron who finds her gauche at first but can't help but admit her charms when she finally meets her and gets to know her. The fabulous Louise Beavers shows once again her big heart in her gentle performance as the loyal maid, and Robert Lowery is good as well as the husband she loses early.
The mixture of comedy and drama makes this Playhouse 90 episode well worth seeing, and I enjoyed cheering her on as it showed her struggle creating a society dinner with a temperamental chef, leaky plumbing and nothing ready to serve, turning it into a memorable evening regardless of the problems. The dramatic turnabout at the end features Werner Klemperer as the father of a Russian boy, denying his own son out of fear, and sets Mesta on a new goal. Booth is perfect throughout, and for those who love her films and her TV series "Hazel", this is a must.
Obviously a lot had to be changed because while her life was dramatic, it wasn't as colorful as what happens in the musical. Still, she did have a fascinating life, breaking through the barriers put up against her and making a difference in the lives of many when she became ambassador, desiring to help children from foreign lands get an education in the United States. Mesta appears briefly at the end, and her big heart is obvious. Hedda Hopper plays a Washington D. C. matron who finds her gauche at first but can't help but admit her charms when she finally meets her and gets to know her. The fabulous Louise Beavers shows once again her big heart in her gentle performance as the loyal maid, and Robert Lowery is good as well as the husband she loses early.
The mixture of comedy and drama makes this Playhouse 90 episode well worth seeing, and I enjoyed cheering her on as it showed her struggle creating a society dinner with a temperamental chef, leaky plumbing and nothing ready to serve, turning it into a memorable evening regardless of the problems. The dramatic turnabout at the end features Werner Klemperer as the father of a Russian boy, denying his own son out of fear, and sets Mesta on a new goal. Booth is perfect throughout, and for those who love her films and her TV series "Hazel", this is a must.