August 30, 1986: Shirley Booth was born

Born on August 30th, 1896, Shirley Booth was born as Marjory Ford in New York City. She bagan her career early in her teenage years in stock companies, then known as Thelma Booth Ford. Shirley had her debut in Broadway in the play Hell's Bells. She took on her stagename "Shirley Booth", and ran a number of comedies, dramas, and later musicals. She acted with Katherine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story and with Ralph Bellamy in Tomorrow the World. Shirley soon moved onto bigger roles on Broadway. One of the most famous plays she starred in was the drama Come Back, Little Sheba that was presented by the Theatre Guild at the Booth Theatre. Her dynamic career won two Tony awards before going to Hollywood and to recreated her Tony Best-Actress Award winning drama, Come Back, Little Sheba. After her brief departure to Hollywood, however, she quickly returned back to Broadway. In 1953 she became the first actress to have ever received both Tony and Oscar, winning the Best Actress Oscar Award for her performance in the film Come Back, Little Sheba.

After a very prolific career in both Broadway and Hollywood, Shirley performed voices for Mrs. Santa in The Year Without a Santa Clause (1974), her last public performance before retiring. Shirley Booth died in 1992 at the age of 94, in Northern Chatham, Massachusetts. ☆

Jin Shin, EVHP Staff