In this third season episode, Deirdre (Cathy Lewis) has been cast to play a part in an upcoming production at the local playhouse. She will be portraying a glamorous society woman in a new play. But Hazel (Shirley Booth) already heard about the play and says the role of Susie the maid is the best part. She met the writer-director (Harvey Korman) who said he's going to build up the maid, and it will be the starring role.
Of course Deirdre, who wants to be the talk of the community, decides that she just has to snag the most important role, even if it means playing a maid. In a way this feels like our two actresses, Cathy Lewis and Shirley Booth, commenting upon their own roles in this series...and about who is really the star- Booth. What we have is a clever script that contains a lot of inside jokes.
Soon Deirdre has taken the maid role and is rehearsing a scene with the writer-director in his office. Not surprisingly, she doesn't know how to use a vacuum cleaner since she's never done a bit of housework in her life. The writer-director mentions how he had seen Hazel use a vacuum, which grates on Deirdre's nerves. The last thing Deirdre wants to discuss is how Hazel does things around the house, even if it is with an artistic flourish.
They are joined by Emily Dearborn (Lillian Culver), a haughty society woman who will play the part that Deirdre forfeited to be the maid. There are some cheeky line readings with each woman learning how to do her role believably accompanied by some over-the-top sound effects. Cathy Lewis gets a chance to shine here.
Eventually, Deirdre realizes that in order to be more effective on stage, she will need some coaching. She returns to the Baxter home to study the way Hazel carries out her daily tasks. While Deirdre observes Hazel's housecleaning she learns more about the woman in her brother's employ and again develops respect for her.
A key line delivered by Hazel is that she takes pride in a simple task like baking a pie, because it brings pleasure to people. Later Deirdre gets caught up in a moment with a dinner guest (Hugh Sanders) that George (Don DeFore) and Missy (Whitney Blake) bring to the house. The guest is a pompous man who assumes Deirdre is actually a maid. Insulted by him, Deirdre takes the pie Hazel baked and hurls it at him.
Of course there is fun in the idea that Hazel can teach Deirdre how to be a maid. Even if Deirdre did not ask Hazel to teach her, she demanded it. The show's brilliance comes in subverting the bourgeoisie stereotypes it presents. Miss Lewis gets to engage in some role playing and role reversal in this episode. In the process, her character Deirdre grows and becomes less of a snob, and much more of an actual human being.
Of course Deirdre, who wants to be the talk of the community, decides that she just has to snag the most important role, even if it means playing a maid. In a way this feels like our two actresses, Cathy Lewis and Shirley Booth, commenting upon their own roles in this series...and about who is really the star- Booth. What we have is a clever script that contains a lot of inside jokes.
Soon Deirdre has taken the maid role and is rehearsing a scene with the writer-director in his office. Not surprisingly, she doesn't know how to use a vacuum cleaner since she's never done a bit of housework in her life. The writer-director mentions how he had seen Hazel use a vacuum, which grates on Deirdre's nerves. The last thing Deirdre wants to discuss is how Hazel does things around the house, even if it is with an artistic flourish.
They are joined by Emily Dearborn (Lillian Culver), a haughty society woman who will play the part that Deirdre forfeited to be the maid. There are some cheeky line readings with each woman learning how to do her role believably accompanied by some over-the-top sound effects. Cathy Lewis gets a chance to shine here.
Eventually, Deirdre realizes that in order to be more effective on stage, she will need some coaching. She returns to the Baxter home to study the way Hazel carries out her daily tasks. While Deirdre observes Hazel's housecleaning she learns more about the woman in her brother's employ and again develops respect for her.
A key line delivered by Hazel is that she takes pride in a simple task like baking a pie, because it brings pleasure to people. Later Deirdre gets caught up in a moment with a dinner guest (Hugh Sanders) that George (Don DeFore) and Missy (Whitney Blake) bring to the house. The guest is a pompous man who assumes Deirdre is actually a maid. Insulted by him, Deirdre takes the pie Hazel baked and hurls it at him.
Of course there is fun in the idea that Hazel can teach Deirdre how to be a maid. Even if Deirdre did not ask Hazel to teach her, she demanded it. The show's brilliance comes in subverting the bourgeoisie stereotypes it presents. Miss Lewis gets to engage in some role playing and role reversal in this episode. In the process, her character Deirdre grows and becomes less of a snob, and much more of an actual human being.
