Most of the bright and talented actresses who made America laugh in the 1950s are off the air today, but their pioneering Hollywood careers irrevocably changed the face of television comedy. These smart and sassy women successfully negotiated the hazards of the male-dominated workplace with class and humor, and the work they did in the 1950s is inventive still by today's standards. Unable to fall back on strong language, shock value, or racial and sexual epithets, the female sitcom stars of the 1950s entertained with pure talent and screen savvy. As they did so, they helped to lay the foundation for the development of television comedy. This book pays tribute to 10 prominent television actresses who played lead roles in popular comedy shows of the 1950s. Each chapter covers the works and personalities of one actress: Lucille Ball (I Love Lucy), Gracie Allen (The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show), Eve Arden (Our Miss Brooks), Spring Byington (December Bride), Joan Davis (I Married Joan), Anne Jeffreys (Topper), Donna Reed (The Donna Reed Show), Ann Sothern (Private Secretary and The Ann Sothern Show), Gale Storm (My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna), and Betty White (Life with Elizabeth). For each star, a career sketch is provided, concentrating primarily on her television work but also noting achievements in other areas. Appendices offer cast and crew lists, a chronology, and an additional biographical sketch of 10 less familiar actresses who deserve recognition.
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About the Author
David C. Tucker is a free-lance writer and public library administrator who lives outside Atlanta, Georgia. He has served as a book reviewer for Library Journal.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Winner,
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This review is from: The Women Who Made Television Funny: Ten Stars of 1950s Sitcoms (Paperback)
If you're a fan of vintage TV history, this book is a must. It's well-researched, wryly written, and downright interesting. It offers insightful profiles on ten of television's most important actresses (Gracie Allen, Eve Arden, Lucille Ball, Spring Byington, Joan Davis, Anne Jeffreys, Donna Reed, Ann Sothern, Gale Storm, Betty White), and provides fascinating details about the early history of television, delving into advertising, networks, contracts, ratings, behind-the-scenes details, and more.
The author deftly combines research, original interviews, and dialogue snippets (after reading this book, you will definitely want to seek out the TV shows). Mr. Tucker, who possesses a wonderful sense of humor, is not shy about bringing out controversial topics such as George Burns' infidelity, Donna Reed's anti-war efforts, Spring Byington's lesbian relationship with Marjorie Main, and Joan Davis' reputation for being difficult. I was surprised at how much I learned from reading this book, and hope for a sequel--Ten More Women Who Made Television Funny.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE OTHER GREAT LADIES OF 1950'S TV COMEDY,
This review is from: The Women Who Made Television Funny: Ten Stars of 1950s Sitcoms (Paperback)
It's great to see a book that pays homage to someone else besides Lucy. While taking nothing away from the red-head, there were also other great female TV stars with comedy series. I enjoyed reading about them, especially Gale Storm who has always been my favorite, but I like all 10 of the ladies. David Tucker captures what made each lady so unique and I learned new things about them. It encourged me to see these wonderful shows again.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Overdue Tribute to TV's Greatest Female Pioneers,
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This review is from: The Women Who Made Television Funny: Ten Stars of 1950s Sitcoms (Paperback)
As an ardent fan of the history of television and its stars, I can highly recommend this book by David C. Tucker. Full of interesting information and behind the scenes stories about these ten female pioneers of television and the shows they starred in, make an enlightening and agreeable read for any fans of the small screen.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the off-screen Gracie Allen - how her personality was so parallel to the character she portrayed, and her sometimes overlooked contribution to the success of Burns and Allen themselves, and the show. The chapter on Eve Arden gave added insight not only into her most famous television role in Our Miss Brooks, but also the short-lived Eve Arden Show (Tucker explains how this "surefire sitcom" came to such a quick demise) as well as life after her last series, The Mothers-in-Law. Sections about the other ladies of the book held my interest and made for entertaining reading. The Joan Davis chapter affirmed her reputation as very difficult to work with (even quoting a great Jim Backus quip, "Joan's behavior was enough to make a psychiatrist hit the couch.") And though never having even seen an episode of Topper or Love that Jill, I read with curiosity about the stylish Anne Jeffreys and the rarely seen series' she starred in. The lesbian affair of Spring Byington with Marjorie Main was an eye-opener, and the appendix of 10 More Leading Ladies who were also integral parts of sitcom history, gave food for thought. Tucker's book is a tribute to all those spotlighted and a must have for classic TV fans. I commend him on a job well done.
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