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(More customer reviews)The classic 1960's TV comedy series "Hazel", starring veteran actress Shirley Booth was a popular favourite through most of the early part of that decade and gained immortality for Shirley Booth as the lovable and take charge maid of the Baxter household, Hazel Burke. Based on the very popular cartoon character that appeared regularly in the Saturday Evening Post, it was a perfect marriage of actress and character.
"A Double Holiday Dose of Hazel", includes the two much loved Christmas episodes from the series, the first "Just 86 Shopping Minutes left till Christmas", is in colour and the second from earlier in the series "Hazel's Christmas Shopping",is in black and white. Both are very endearing stories appropriate for the festive season and really display the great character that Shirley Booth became famous for in the later part of her accomplished career. The first episode has a strangely modern theme to it in that Hazel's employer George Baxter (Don DeFore), has grown tired of all the commercialism of Christmas and decides that this year he will not allow the family to give gifts they can't afford to each other. Hazel being who she is can't help but step in to try and rectify the situation and not let her beloved "Missy" ..Dorothy Baxter go without a Christmas present. Hazel saves the day for the family and George sees the error of not celebrating Christmas in the traditonal way and ends up with a last minute beautiful gift for Dorothy. The second episode finds Hazel in a different dilemma where she finds she is short of money to buy Dorothy a beautiful dressing table set for Christmas. Hazel takes a part time job at the department store to get the extra money she needs and in the process manages to take over the whole shop floor much to the frustration of the store floor walker. In between selling gloves and dispensing wisdom over the counter Hazel manages to catch a compulsive shoplifter who in the Christmas rush is stealing everything from skis to televisions from the store. All ends happily with Hazel getting the present for Dorothy she so badly wanted.
Both these episodes are totally charming and make heartwarming viewing during the festive season. They are really brought alive by the great acting of Shirley Booth in the central role of Hazel. She made this lively maid a unique television character and ended up winning two Emmy Awards for the role. A veteran dramatic actress on Broadway and in her Oscar winning film of "Come Back Little Sheba", with Burt Lancaster, Booth was warned not to take the role on a television sitcom by her New York acting friends who considered it a real come down for such an acclaimed actress. Happily Shirley Booth thought otherwise and saw the great potential of this colourful character. Ignoring that advise she went on to even greater stardom with a wider audience than she had ever had before.
I strongly recommend "A Double Dose of Hazel", to all lovers of 1960's sitcoms and for any people who like myself love Christmas themed episodes of popular programs from the Golden years of television in the 1950's and 60's. It's a pity more episodes of Hazel apart from these two Christmas episodes, aren't available on video. However these two are a wonderful way to spend 45 minutes and they allow you the unique opportunity of becoming acquainted with America's most famous maid the immortal Hazel Burke.
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