ABOUT MRS. LESLIE (1954)

After nearly 30 years on B’way, and a belated, Oscar-winning film debut in COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA/’52 when she was already 54*, a follow-up was in order for Shirley Booth, an uncommon actress with the common touch. But in what kind of role? Producer Hal Wallis had enough trouble convincing Paramount to hire her the first time. Studio execs debated if his latest 'discovery' looked more like a potato or a dumpling. Alas, second time out wasn’t the charm and Booth only made a couple more feature films before lowering her gaze to land a big success as tv’s housekeeping HAZEL. At least this film tried something out of the ordinary, or does for about half its running time. Another '50s kitchen-sink drama, her own story told in flashback from the suburban rooming-house she owns & runs (in Beverly Hills, no less) as three-and-a-half pocket dramas play out among her tenants. Two young/attractive would-be performers; a married couple waiting out bad news on a relative in hospital; the selfish spitfire teen girl next door she’s watching for the day; cliché stuff. Her past far more interesting as Shirley’s NYC café singer (in her own tender squawk of a voice) starts up an odd, ‘companiate’ affair with rich, handsome industrialist Robert Ryan. Once a year, every year, off they go for a six week Pacific shore, no-questions-asked getaway holiday. Ending with a hasty, full-throttle kiss goodbye. What’s with this Ryan character? Major psychological baggage holding him back? Then, when the explanation finally comes, it’s the most obvious, banal one in the book and the rest of the film groans it’s way toward unearned misery. Booth is so damn good, it’s affecting in spite of itself, even with director Daniel Mann making as drab a product as he possibly can. One of those directors who thinks suppression of visual flair a sure sign of honesty. Yet how far are we from Max Ophüls territory? Still, with so little of Booth out there, worth a look.

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: *Booth’s film debut might have come earlier if Kate Hepburn had gotten her way to have Booth repeat her stage role in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, but the part was glammed up for Ruth Hussey much to Hepburn’s regret. Not that that stopped Hepburn from nabbing two of Booth’s stage hits in their film versions when TIME OF THE CUCKOO became SUMMERTIME/’54 and when DESK SET the play was turned into DESK SET/’57 the movie.

DOUBLE-BILL: Did SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR/’78 grow out of this?