Brilliant and touching

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

In this 1960's sitcom, Shirley Booth stars as the maid named Hazel who serves a family of three. While Hazel has a tendency to ignore authority, she tends to know what is best for the family. Despite occasional differences of opinion, the family and Hazel feel great affection for each other.Although reliably funny and entertaining, "Hazel" tends to be one of the less remembered American sitcoms from the 1960's. Most of the reason for this is that the series was usually never shown in syndicated reruns, probably due to the fact that it ran for only four seasons with the original cast. The relative popularity or quality of a television series often has little bearing on how well the series is remembered decades later.The characters played by Don DeFore and Whitney Blake were replaced when "Hazel" was moved from NBC to CBS. Afterwards, the series did not survive beyond that final season. This was another example of a television show's longevity being cut short by significant retooling.Overall, "Hazel" is a very entertaining show. Shirley Booth is perfectly cast as Hazel. All of the show's characters are likable. Since the sitcom was rarely shown in syndication, most of it is probably entirely new to modern TV viewers. "Hazel" is definitely well worth watching.

The 154 half-hour episodes (34 in B&W, 120 in color) of the situation comedy "Hazel" were originally broadcast on NBC (last season on CBS) from 1961-1966. It was an extremely popular baby boomer show although it is now in the "dead man walking" category as none of the original four principal actors are still alive. George Baxter (Don Defore who already had a following from his years as Thorny on "Ozzie and Harriet") was a successful and wrapped a little too tight attorney who had married Dorothy (Whitney Blake) a woman with her own lifelong nanny/housekeeper (Shirley Booth in the title role). They had a young son Harold (Bobby Buntrock). George is a klutz around the house and most of the conflict revolves around his frustration when he is routinely shown-up by the much more competent Hazel. Dorothy Baxter ranked #1 on the list of most erotic 1960's television wives, with the tightest skirts, highest heels, and a fantasy level bust to waist ratio.Hazel pretty much runs the family, sorting out the Baxter's weekly problems and keeping the frustrated blustering George in line. Living with Hazel was a lot worse than living with Amos McCoy because she was rarely (if ever) wrong or repentant as she incessantly meddled in everyone's life. In its last season the producers shake things up and ship George and Dorothy off to Saudi Arabia. Hazel and Harold move in with George's younger brother Steve (Ray Fulmer), his wife Barbara (Lynn Borden), and his daughter Susie (Julia Benjamin); 1960's television was notorious for finding creative ways to back fill with younger children when the original ones grew too old to appeal to their intended demographic. Steve, Barbara, and Susie constitute the most physically attractive family in television history, but Hazel soon took over their household as well; although Steve and Barbara do stand up to her better than their predecessors. The popular theory at the time was than George and Dorothy just made up the Saudi story so they could escape Hazel's domination and live out their lives somewhere else with some degree of independence. Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

I've got a question about the cast of "Hazel". In the storyline of the show, George and Dorothy Baxter leave the country on business. They cannot take Harold with them, I assume for school; so Harold and Hazel go to live with George's brother and his family.My question is in reality, why did Don DeFore and Whitney Blake leave the show? Was ther some sort of salary dispute? Did they leave when the show changed networks?Shirley Booth is a great character actress. Who can forget her memorable performances. She and her husband were involved in "Duffy's Tavern".

I do remember "Hazel" so well. Oh how I wish I had VCD tapings of all those shows! It is my outlet of escape from the harsh reality of today's society and today's television. I am not sure if anyone ever knew in what part of the country the Baxter's were situated, but where ever it was it had the perfect setting of how I felt America should be. There were no racial issues (African-American Robert Johnson played a waiter, and there were a few others), or sex scenes, or violence. George Baxter had the ideal house; and I do remember the family sitting down in the family room watching, on TV, a Perry Como special. This prompted me to recently purchase a Perry Como CD of his best songs. Hazel was the best cook, and I often dreamed of tasting some of her fabulous dishes. The warmth of "Somewheresville", USA gave me a "quaint ole feeling" that I hope to get when I re-settle in the States. If only I could view those programs here in China; how at home I would be! Shirley Booth's character and her portrayal seemed so realistic. Many of the actors/actresses in those days seemed thus. What has happened to acting these days? I was shocked to recently discover that Bobby Buntrock had been killed over 20 years ago. He and Booth were the show during its entire run. When "Hazel" moved from NBC to ABC and "Mr. Steve" replaced "Mr. 'B'", Booth's talents could still, in my opinion, pull the show through successfully. Hats off to Ms. Booth and her great supporting cast.