THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

2012-01-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

I thank those readers that have supported my research by purchasing one or both of my two books on the life of Shirley Booth.

Here's a comment I received from Bill Baker's niece Catherine Campaigne. Bill was Shirley Booth's second husband and soulmate. Unfortunately Bill had died tragically at the age of 43, so Catherine learned more about him in my latest book For Bill, His Pinup Girl: The Shirley Booth & Bill Baker Story (pictured above):

Catherine wrote: "Thank you for the story! I really know so little about Shirley and Bill; it was a thrill for me to see some new pictures and read more about both of them, particularly that they both painted!"

*****

As a sincere book of love in memory of Shirley Booth and her second husband Bill Baker, the book has provided some excellent feedback already -most notably that it succinctly captured a few years in the life of Shirley Booth - making one feel for her. Readers have been pleased by the many never-before-seen photos here.

The cover features the never-before-seen wallet photograph that Shirley Booth gave to her husband Bill, then Corporal William H. Baker, when he was in the 100th Division of the Army fighting in France. This stunning picture is now unveiled to the world at large as the cover of my next book: For Bill, His Pinup Girl: The Shirley Booth & Bill Baker Story by Jim Manago.

The book is 96 pages, measures 6" by 9," and it has over thirty family-owned photos. These photos are unveiled to the public for the first time now; including a rare glimpse of Shirley and her puppy in her Broadway dressing room (circa 1940), Shirley relaxing on a ship deck (late 1930's), a portrait of her husband Corporal Bill Baker given to Shirley with an inscription, Shirley and Bill admiring Bill's painting, pictures of three paintings - 2 by Bill and 1 by Shirley, 2 outdoor shots of Shirley in her costume for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, 14 shots taken by an audience member of the 1954 Broadway musical By the Beautiful Sea, besides recent pictures of the Pennsylvanian farm property that Shirley and Bill owned from 1946 to 1951. I have included the telegram sent to Shirley when she won the Golden Globe for Come Back, Little Sheba, as well as the Donaldson Award for By the Beautiful Sea. Leslie Sodaro, Shirley Booth's niece and next-of-kin provided a personal Foreword. As a bonus, there's a 14-page transcript of a rare interview of Shirley Booth by Merv Griffin taken from the only audio copy of that show that is known to exist (provided by archivist Phil Gries). The book includes credits for her performances on stage, screen, television, and radio during the time she lived down on their farm (1946-1951). Here is a succinct - but enjoyable - book of the bittersweet story of the World War II love shared by Shirley Booth and her soulmate husband Bill Baker. It makes a nice keepsake of two truly wonderful human beings. The love that they shared is finally remembered and celebrated! The book is available in the United States & Canada, and the list price is $18.95 though you will find great discounts around online. You should check Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and elsewhere... If you love Shirley Booth, I am sure you will definitely cherish a copy of this book!

For Bill, His Pinup Girl: The Shirley Booth & Bill Baker Story, by Jim Manago

Table of Contents:

Foreword: My Aunt Shirley p.5

Preface p.8

Acknowledgements p.10

List of Illustrations p.12

A Story of Love p.13

Postscript p.27

The Photographs and Paintings p.29

Credits p.68

Appendix

The Farmhouse Today p.71

By the Beautiful Sea p. 73

The Merv Griffin Interview p.77

*****

Preface

I told actress Shirley Booth’s amazing story in Love is the Reason for it All: The Shirley Booth Story, published in 2008 by BearManor Media.

My biography explained that in the Broadway musical A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Shirley exuberantly sang a song called “Love is the Reason for it All,” by Arthur Schwartz and Dorothy Fields. That song humorously recognizes the reality of love: if it says anything, it tells of the trouble love causes. If something could explain why Shirley went through all the troubles of her life, and why she gave so much of herself as a performer, then this might be it. Audiences loved her, and this resulted from her intense love for audiences. Her need for love and her wish to give love is truly the reason for her whole career.

Over a year after my biography’s release, I received a comment from Shirley’s niece Leslie Sodaro after she discovered my blog http://shirleybooth.info/).

Until this time, no one seemed to know the whereabouts of Shirley’s closest relatives.

I learned that Shirley’s only sibling, a younger sister, Jean Ford Coe, was still alive and living in a retirement home in Forest Grove, Oregon. Jean’s daughter Leslie explained that her mother’s aging had taken some toll. Although Jean’s memories of some things were lost due to several strokes, she was still quite functional despite her 95-plus years.

I am glad that Jean had the opportunity to hear my biography of her famous sister read to her by staff members. Interestingly, Jean never knew that Shirley’s birth certificate, which appeared in my book, revealed her birth name as ‘Marjory.’ She knew Shirley as simply ‘Thelma.’

Soon after that initial contact, I had asked Leslie if she had any family photographs of her mom Jean and her Aunt Shirley. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of them together. This is because Jean was “unlike her photogenic sister, [so] she hated to have her picture taken.” In addition, Shirley’s parents (A.J. and Virginia) were not much into photography – so no photos of them exist. Finally, there are no photos of Shirley together with niece Leslie or her late nephew Jon.

When her Aunt Shirley’s second husband, Bill Baker Jr., tragically died in 1951 at the age of forty-three, Leslie was still a baby. Therefore, she has no recollection of meeting her Uncle Bill.

The best news came when Leslie located forty photographs in the family’s collection. She also found three paintings, two by Bill and one by Shirley. Most importantly, Leslie was kind enough to share them, first with me, and now with the rest of the world. When I saw these pictures of Shirley, in particular the pin-up shot given to her husband serving in World War II, I knew it would surprise her fans the most. I wanted everyone to see these never-before-seen photos. That was one of two reasons for the genesis of this small book of love…

The other reason for writing this book is the fact that I knew my first biography said little about the brief marriage of Shirley Booth to her second husband. The uncertainty brought on by his service in the war stifled their blossoming love during the darkness of World War II. Although the couple would be joyfully reunited after the war ended, within a short time, Shirley and Bill’s life on their farm would take its toll.

Love is not always so easy, as indicated by that excellent Schwartz & Fields’ song. This is the story of that bittersweet time in Shirley’s life when she found and loved a compatible mate - her ‘Bill,’ only to tragically lose him.

My hope is that my book will provide a better understanding of this first happy and then sad period in the astounding career and personal life of Shirley Booth.

Jim Manago
September 2010

*****

For Bill, His Pinup Girl: The Shirley Booth & Bill Baker Story

by Jim Manago

With Foreword by Leslie Sodaro

Published December 1, 2010

ISBN: 978-0-615-42181-0

*****

THANKS FOR VISITING!

SEE MY DAILY BLOG ON SHIRLEY BOOTH AT:

http://shirleybooth.info/

*****

For ordering my 2008 biography of Shirley Booth,

Love is the Reason for it All: The Shirley Booth Story,

you can check http://www.bookfinder.com,/

which offers the best prices on new & used copies.

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Love is the Reason for it All: The Shirley Booth Story

by Jim Manago

Radio Research by Donna Manago

Foreword by Ted Key

BearManor Media, 2008

http://bearmanormedia.bizland.com/

Your Comments Are Welcomed!

2011-05-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

I welcome any and all comments from my readers regarding my latest book. Please click on the Comments link at the end of this post to tell me your opinion. Thanks!