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Reta Shaw: Why isn't she a DL fave?

Reta Shaw (September 13, 1912 – January 8, 1982) was an American character actress known for playing authoritative women, housekeepers, and domineering wives, especially on television.

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by Anonymousreply 87January 26, 2018 6:43 PM

Loved her in "Escape to Witch Mountain"

by Anonymousreply 1July 24, 2016 5:48 PM

She was great in The Ghost and Mr. Chicken. I don't know why she wasn't given bigger roles.

by Anonymousreply 2July 24, 2016 5:52 PM

She's too young for DL's demographic. She'd take off here if she were more matured.

by Anonymousreply 3July 24, 2016 6:01 PM

And with Hermine Baddaley --another great--in MARY POPPINS.

by Anonymousreply 4July 24, 2016 6:02 PM

Her little soft shoe routine in PAJAMA GAME (starting at 3:35 in this clip) with Eddie Foy, Jr. is a classic. She's so elegant and light on her feet despite her bulk.

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by Anonymousreply 5July 24, 2016 6:06 PM

Was she in Pollyanna!???

by Anonymousreply 6July 24, 2016 6:07 PM

Love that voice of hers!

Chain smoker??

by Anonymousreply 7July 24, 2016 6:11 PM

A trans trailblazer!

by Anonymousreply 8July 24, 2016 6:15 PM

She was awesome as bossy Aunt Hagatha on [italic]Bewitched[/italic] -- always giving poor Clara a hard time about her broom-driving skills.

Hagatha: Clara, stick to business!

Clara, Oh, keep yer shirt on!

by Anonymousreply 9July 24, 2016 6:30 PM

Yes, she was in "Pollyanna" as the cook.

by Anonymousreply 10July 24, 2016 6:37 PM

[quote]Her little soft shoe routine in PAJAMA GAME (starting at 3:35 in this clip) with Eddie Foy, Jr. is a classic.

Thanks for the link, R5. That number is the very best part of that movie.

Reta Shaw's career had lots of variety, for sure. Recently, I saw her in an early episode of The Andy Griffith Show, where she played one of three criminals who escaped from prison and held Barney hostage in a vacant cabin just outside of Mayberry. It was a hoot.

by Anonymousreply 11July 24, 2016 6:43 PM

Love her. It must not have been easy for her to get as much work as she did. She was in PICNIC as one of Roz Russell's old maid schoolteacher cronies.

by Anonymousreply 12July 24, 2016 6:49 PM

Love her perfect Maine accent! I miss hearing that.

by Anonymousreply 13July 24, 2016 6:53 PM

Also perfect in the TV series "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir."

by Anonymousreply 14July 24, 2016 7:03 PM

She was a kindergarten teacher bitten by the acting bug. Helene Hanff did a nice profile of working with Shaw in summer theater in the book "Underfoot in Show Business."

by Anonymousreply 15July 24, 2016 7:07 PM

R5 and R12, she originated those roles in PICNIC and PAJAMA GAME on Broadway before the films.

by Anonymousreply 16July 24, 2016 7:13 PM

She was ideal at playing an old busybody or battleaxe who lacked sympathy. She usually did it with a comedic flair.

The actress did not like it when writers used her weight as a joke. So fat jokes were out, although her size was the elephant in the room, so to speak.

by Anonymousreply 17July 24, 2016 7:23 PM

Gay?

by Anonymousreply 18July 24, 2016 7:24 PM

Trans

by Anonymousreply 19July 24, 2016 7:27 PM

She was Mary Wickes, with class.

by Anonymousreply 20July 24, 2016 7:28 PM

She played Aunt Hagatha on Bewitched!

She would be perfect to play Barbara in the Barbara Bush story.

by Anonymousreply 21July 24, 2016 8:38 PM

Her look was very typical of women in their 50s and 60s. Now 70-year-olds try to look 39.

by Anonymousreply 22July 24, 2016 8:40 PM

Op, you're very unusual dude

by Anonymousreply 23July 24, 2016 8:40 PM

Reta Shaw HAS BEEN a DL fave since day 1! People mention her and her work all the time! Where ya been?

by Anonymousreply 24July 24, 2016 8:41 PM

Was she also the old bag who played the maid on I love Lucy?

by Anonymousreply 25July 24, 2016 8:43 PM

R25, no, that was Vivian Vance.

by Anonymousreply 26July 24, 2016 8:44 PM

She does look like Bill Frawley in a cheap wig

by Anonymousreply 27July 24, 2016 9:59 PM

I think of her whenever someone says old battle axe.

by Anonymousreply 28July 24, 2016 10:10 PM

She was a mean mean lady who touched me in my no no place

by Anonymousreply 29July 24, 2016 10:13 PM

R25 No, that was Verna Felton.

Another great character actress and voice actress.

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by Anonymousreply 30July 25, 2016 11:51 AM

Why, this thread is bigger than the, than the Whispering Steeple in Kansas City.

by Anonymousreply 31July 25, 2016 12:28 PM

Milo, you haven't touched your tapioca!

by Anonymousreply 32July 25, 2016 12:41 PM

I've been a fan of hers for YEARS.

Check out her performance in "Paris When It Sizzles" as a cocktail society chanteuse.

by Anonymousreply 33July 25, 2016 12:50 PM

Didn't she play a butterfly on "I Dream of Jeannie"?

by Anonymousreply 34July 25, 2016 12:54 PM

Hail Cosmic Chief! Taro.....Karo.....Solomon!

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by Anonymousreply 35July 25, 2016 1:00 PM

R33 here:

I meant "Made in Paris."

by Anonymousreply 36July 25, 2016 1:04 PM

Her role as Big Maude Tyler in the episode "Convicts-at-Large" on The Andy Griffith Show is a classic.

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by Anonymousreply 37July 25, 2016 1:50 PM

R13, I don't hear an accent; she speaks with that mid-Atlantic style they used to get with voice lessons.

by Anonymousreply 38July 25, 2016 1:51 PM

I eat shit.

by Anonymousreply 39July 25, 2016 2:23 PM

Have either of you ridden with Clara lately? Suicide! SHEER SUICIDE!

by Anonymousreply 40July 25, 2016 2:41 PM

She is a lot of fun as Robinson Peepers' doting aunt Marion who travels to Jefferson City just to watch him teach science on Mister Peepers. She is also great in All Mine to Give as the town busybody who tries to kidnap Glynis Johns' youngest daughter.

by Anonymousreply 41July 25, 2016 2:57 PM

She was on "The Lucy Show" playing a bitch who was resisting a summons. Lucy spots her in a department store, delivers the summons and also tells her that she almost didn't recognize her since she dyed her hair and got fatter.

by Anonymousreply 42July 25, 2016 2:58 PM

Wasn't she married to George Bernard Shaw?

by Anonymousreply 43July 25, 2016 3:10 PM

r43 No, he was married to Susan Shaw.

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by Anonymousreply 44July 25, 2016 3:13 PM

She was classic in comedy.

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by Anonymousreply 45July 25, 2016 3:21 PM

She just popped up in a Dick Van Dyke show ep. She was the unemployment lady. Rob: That's Petrie P E T R I E... Robert R O B Reta: E R T. Thank you.

by Anonymousreply 46July 25, 2016 3:34 PM

R42 That was a first-season episode of "Here's Lucy." Reta did appear on a third-season episode of "The Lucy Show" as a "society woman" Lucy and the Countess were trying to persuade to invest in the Countess's charm school. It's a parody of "My Fair Lady" with Lucy as "Liza" and the Countess in the "Higgins" role. Notably, Reta is called a "fat lady" during the episode.

by Anonymousreply 47July 25, 2016 3:53 PM

No one escaped with their dignity intact after working with Lucy.

by Anonymousreply 48July 25, 2016 4:24 PM

I had'er.

by Anonymousreply 49July 25, 2016 5:59 PM

[quote]No, that was Verna Felton. Another great character actress and voice actress.

She died exactly one day before Walt Disney.

by Anonymousreply 50July 25, 2016 6:04 PM

Nice tribute to her on "You Tube."

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by Anonymousreply 51July 25, 2016 6:06 PM

No kidding, R49, you too?

by Anonymousreply 52July 25, 2016 6:08 PM

If Reta Shaw got in a fight with Kathleen Freeman, who would win?

by Anonymousreply 53July 25, 2016 6:36 PM

she was fat and always played some kind of domestic

by Anonymousreply 54July 25, 2016 9:54 PM

Is she in the 'Hag Hall of Fame'?

by Anonymousreply 55July 25, 2016 10:19 PM

r12, she worked CONSTANTLY. She had no trouble finding wonderful roles.

But did she pronounce her name Retta or Rita?

by Anonymousreply 56July 25, 2016 10:20 PM

I had had no idea until recently that she and Joan Blondell had any sort of careers prior to Ghost and Brides.

by Anonymousreply 57July 25, 2016 10:45 PM

Was she the inspiration for that total lezbomb 'Alice' on the 'Brady Bunch'???

by Anonymousreply 58July 25, 2016 10:52 PM

She should have played Kay on The Brady Bunch.

Maybe she was busy on Ghost and Mrs Muir at that time.

She's my favorite old battle-axe.

by Anonymousreply 59July 25, 2016 10:55 PM

It's funny but I never thought of her as a battle-axe because she usually played loyal sympathetic domestics. She rarely was cast as uppercrust snob.

by Anonymousreply 60July 25, 2016 10:58 PM

I always liked her but never knew her name.

by Anonymousreply 61July 25, 2016 11:01 PM

I remember seeing "The Pajama Game" a few years ago for the first time and being especially delighted by that number at R5. I was surprised that so many of the songs were familiar to me. As far as I know I never saw it and Original Cast Albums weren't exactly a staple of the house I grew up in. Gay osmosis? Mr. Peepers?

Like most successful character actors -- there was just something really likable about Reta and you were always happy to see her make an appearance in whatever tv show or movie you happened to be watching.

by Anonymousreply 62July 25, 2016 11:30 PM

[quote]But did she pronounce her name Retta or Rita?

She pronounced it Retta.

by Anonymousreply 63July 26, 2016 4:10 AM

Her hand gestures in "I'll Never Be jealous Again" are sublime.

by Anonymousreply 64July 26, 2016 4:19 AM

What r60 said -- she was the kind and jolly giantess that children love.

by Anonymousreply 65July 26, 2016 4:23 AM

Although she had studied acting in college, Reta Shaw was a school teacher in a small town in western Maine. During the Great Depression the WPA built a modest but lovely summer theater in a neighboring village. In those glory days of the "citronella circuit," many famous performers appeared on that stage while touring in stock. Reta was a volunteer ticket taker for a couple summers, getting the see all the shows for free. Shaw said to herself, "I can do that as well as any of them can." She gave up teaching to try her luck in Manhattan where her distinct type and commanding presence helped gain her work on stage and live television. Picnic and The Pajama Game took her from Broadway to Hollywood where she worked for the last twenty years of her career.

By the way, she played Mister Peepers' Aunt Lillian, not Marion.

by Anonymousreply 66July 26, 2016 4:32 AM

She really is light on her feet despite her size. Thanks r5.

by Anonymousreply 67July 26, 2016 4:55 AM

Married?

by Anonymousreply 68July 26, 2016 8:57 AM

Did she suffer fools?

by Anonymousreply 69July 26, 2016 11:40 AM

One Christmas one of my brothers was asked to say the blessing.As we bowed our heads and held hands we heard Taro Karo Solomon! Dad was not amused but it was a funny moment.

by Anonymousreply 70July 26, 2016 12:34 PM

She ate all the Fairy Toast. Every piece. The Queen was crestfallen.

by Anonymousreply 71July 26, 2016 12:59 PM

That Mr. Peepers clip in the Reta montage was charming. What a shame that the series is forgotten and isn't seen more today. Though I'm not sure audiences' lack of attention spans would have the patience to stick with something so fragile (and I don't just mean Wally Cox).

by Anonymousreply 72July 26, 2016 2:47 PM

I always thought maybe her and our Aunt Bea may have.....

by Anonymousreply 73July 26, 2016 4:22 PM

I've always loved Irma Kronkite and the "girls."

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by Anonymousreply 74July 26, 2016 4:35 PM

I worked with someone whose family was friends with Reta Shaw. He said she she was very friendly and funny as hell. Went by the name of Reta Forrester in private life. She was in the film Picnic; my friend said she claimed that William Holden was drunk during the entire filming and that when he wasn't drunk, he and Kim Novak disappeared for hours at a time.

by Anonymousreply 75July 26, 2016 6:39 PM

Irma Kronkite! Could the name be any more fitting?

by Anonymousreply 76July 26, 2016 6:40 PM

Wally Cox gives me a boner.

by Anonymousreply 77July 27, 2016 2:40 PM

R47, I remember that episode as well. Because of the way it develops, you actually felt sorry for Reta because Lucy, after transformation, does act like, well, Lucy and Reta is outraged by it.

by Anonymousreply 78July 27, 2016 2:58 PM

Atta boy Luther!!!!

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by Anonymousreply 79July 27, 2016 3:06 PM

She delivers the wit and vinegar in The Ghost and Mrs Muir.

It's not a cloying or sticky sitcom and part of that is due to Reta's distinct delivery.

by Anonymousreply 80July 27, 2016 3:21 PM

Here is Rita Shaw's Obituary from The New York Times

Reta Shaw, Was Mabel In 'The Pajama Game' Published: January 18, 1982

Reta Shaw, the chubby actress who pleased Broadway audiences in her comic role as Mabel in 'The Pajama Game' in 1952, died in Encino Calif., on Jan. 8. She was 69 years old.

Miss Shaw had appeared also in 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,' 'Picnic' and 'Annie Get Your Gun,' the last on tour with Mary Martin.

On television, she was seen with Red Skelton, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball and Andy Griffith and on the 'Mr. Peepers' series, 'Armstrong Circle Theater,' 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' and 'The Millionaire.'

She had featured roles in several motion pictures, including 'Picnic' and 'The Pajama Game.' Miss Shaw was a native of South Paris, Me., and a graduate of the Leland Powers School of the Theater in Boston.

She was married to William Forester, an actor. She leaves a daughter, Kathryn Anne Forester of Sherman Oaks, Calif., and a sister, Marguerite Shaw of Bronxville, N.Y.

by Anonymousreply 81July 27, 2016 3:22 PM

Because it's Friday and I love Reta.

by Anonymousreply 82January 26, 2018 4:42 PM

She would have been a perfect Mama Morton in CHICAGO.

by Anonymousreply 83January 26, 2018 4:52 PM

If she was 69 in ‘82 - she was 39 in that Pajama Game clip - 1952. Could that be right?

Loved her as a kid as well.

by Anonymousreply 84January 26, 2018 5:37 PM

r84 That reminds of that quote from Elaine Stritch, "I was twenty, I looked forty, I got the job."

by Anonymousreply 85January 26, 2018 5:40 PM

Ok - the obit is wrong PJ Game was ‘57 - so she was an ancient 44. I guess she played 60 for 30 years.

by Anonymousreply 86January 26, 2018 5:40 PM

I loved her. She was very good in any role she performed.

by Anonymousreply 87January 26, 2018 6:43 PM
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