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Alright, let’s get down to brass tacks and talk about why that fella, Don DeFore, up and left that show “Hazel.” You know, the one with that bossy maid? Yeah, that one.
Well, from what I gather, it wasn’t his idea, not one bit. The studio folks, them big shots in fancy suits, they sent him a letter. A letter! Can you believe it? Not even a phone call. Said they weren’t gonna keep him on for the fifth season. Just like that, poof! He was gone. Fired, plain and simple.
Now, they say the show’s ratings were slippin’ a bit. Folks weren’t watchin’ as much, I guess. And CBS, they were takin’ over the show from NBC. You know how them TV networks are, always tinkerin’ with things, tryin’ to get more eyeballs on the screen. So, they figured gettin’ rid of Don and that nice lady who played his wife, Whitney Blake, would do the trick.
- They wanted younger folks to watch, see? Them teenagers and such. Don and Whitney, well, they were gettin’ on in years, I suppose. Not young and hip enough for the youngsters, if you catch my drift.
- So, they just wrote them out of the show. Didn’t even give them a proper send-off, not on camera anyway. Just said they moved to some place called Baghdad. Baghdad! Can you imagine? George and Dorothy Baxter in Baghdad! It don’t make a lick of sense, but that’s what they did.
It’s a darn shame, if you ask me. I liked Don DeFore. He was a good actor, played that George Baxter fella just right. Always patient with Hazel, even when she was bein’ a busybody. And Whitney Blake, she was a sweet thing, always smilin’. They were good together, like a pair of old shoes, comfortable and familiar. Made the show feel real, you know?
But that’s showbiz, I guess. One minute you’re in, next minute you’re out. They don’t care about nothin’ but the numbers, them TV people. If the ratings ain’t good, you’re gone, faster than a greased pig at a county fair. Don’t matter how good you are, don’t matter how much folks like you. It’s all about the money, always has been, always will be.
Now, poor Don, he went on to do other things, guest star on a bunch of shows. He even became president of some TV academy, whatever that is. But it wasn’t the same, not like havin’ your own show, bein’ a star. He deserved better, that’s for sure. Worked hard, he did, and then they just tossed him aside like an old rag.
And that poor little boy, the one who played their son Harold? He died young, real tragic. Just 21 years old. Makes you think, doesn’t it? Life’s too short, and sometimes it ain’t fair, not one bit. One minute you’re on top of the world, the next minute… well, you know.
So, there you have it. That’s the story of why Don DeFore left “Hazel.” He got the boot, plain and simple. They wanted younger folks, and he didn’t fit the bill anymore. It’s a shame, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. Just gotta pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep on goin’, I guess. That’s what Don did, and that’s what we all gotta do, ain’t it?
And even though Shirley Booth, that Hazel lady, she decided to end the show after that fifth season because of her health, it just wasn’t the same without George and Dorothy. They were the heart of that show, and when they left, well, a little piece of it died with them. That’s the truth of it, plain and simple.
Tags: [Don DeFore, Hazel, Whitney Blake, George Baxter, Dorothy Baxter, CBS, NBC, TV Show, Fired, Ratings, Baghdad, Shirley Booth]