>> Rooney: THE LAST OF
THE RED-HOT MAMAS JUST
OPENED AT THE NEW
REPERTORY THEATER.
IT IS ABOUT THE LATE,
GREAT, AND RELIABLE SOFTY
SOPHIE TUCKER.
>> Reporter: LONG BEFORE
THERE WAS WAS A LADY GAGA,
MADONNA, OR JOAN RIVERS,
THERE WAS SOPHIE TUCKER.
>> FIRST, TONIGHT, YOU CAN
HAVE WHATEVER YOU WANT.
I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU
SUPER SEX.
AND ERNIE SAID, WELL,
SOPHIE, I'M A LITTLE
TIRED.
I'LL JUST TAKE THE SOAP.
>> A VAUDEVILLE STAR WHO
PERFORMED RIGHT UP UNTIL
HER DEATH IN 1966, SOPHIE
TUCKER WAS KNOWN AS THE
LAST OF THE RED-HOT MAMAS.
NOW PLAYING AT THE NEW
REPERTORY THEATER AND
STARRING MARY CALLAHAN.
ß I'M THE LAST OF THE
RED-HOT MAMAS ß
>> WHAT MADE HER A RED-HOT
MAMA?
>> SOMEONE IN THE PRESS
NAMED HER THAT.
BUT I FEEL SHE CERTAINLY
EARNED THAT MONIKER
BECAUSE SHE WOULD PRETTY
MUCH SAY OR DO ANYTHING TO
GET A RISE OUT OF THE
AUDIENCE.
>> TUCKER WAS THE UNLIKELY
SHOW GIRL.
SHE WAS DERIDED AS FAT AND
UNATTRACTIVE, SHE CLEARED
A SINGULAR PATH.
>> SHE WOULD TALK ABOUT
SEX, OR SHOULD I SAY,
S-E-X.
AND SHE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT
IT AS PROCREATION.
SHE TALKED ABOUT IT AS
RECREATION.
AND IT SIMPLY WASN'T DONE
BEFORE.
>> THAT'S WHY GOD MADE
SAILORS.
>> TUCKER, AS THE SHOW LEE
VEALS -- REVEALS, WAS THE
CONSUMMATE ENTERTAINER,
AND SHE TURNED OUT ENDLESS
ONE-LINERS.
>> I'VE BEEN RICH AND I'VE
BEEN POOR, AND RICH IS
BETTER.
>> THIS MATERIAL HERE, IS
IT STRAIGHT FROM SOPHIE
TUCKER.
>> YES.
YES, IT IS.
IT IS THINGS THAT WERE
RECORDED.
YOU MIGHT HEAR SOMETHING
AND SAY, ISN'T THAT A HEN
HENNY YOUNGMAN?
YEAH, HE PROBABLY SAID IT.
>> HER SIZE MATCHED HER
PERSONALITY, IN REGARDS,
IT WAS RELENTLESS.
>> HER PARENTS REALLY
STRUGGLED TO MAKE A LIVING
FOR THEIR FAMILY.
SHE WAS DETERMINED TO
PERFORM.
I THINK IT WAS MAYBE THE
LONELINESS SHE FELT AS A
CHILD.
SHE WANTED IT SO BADLY.
I'D LIKE TO WANT THINGS,
TOO, BUT SHE SACRIFICED
HER ENTIRE LIFE.
ß THE MAN YOU LOVE ß
ß AND YOUR FEARS WILL
BRING HIM BACK ß
>> THE SHOW WEAVES IN AND
OUT OF TUCKER'S MORE
PERSONAL LIFE, LIKE THREE
HUSBANDS AND THREE
DIVORCES.
BUT IT IS EASY TO LOOK
PAST, AS TUCKER DID, FOR
AN HOUR OR TWO ON STAGE
EACH NIGHT.
ß I'VE GOT A LOT TO SHOW
YOU ß
>> THIS IS A NICE WAY TO
SIT DOWN AND RELAX AND,
YOU KNOW, COME WITH SOME
FRIENDS.
I THINK IT IS A FUN, SADLY
MISSED, FORM OF
ENTERTAINMENT.
ßßß
>> Rooney: AND JARED
BOWEN IS HERE.
I READ HOW VERY, VERY
LITTLE I KNEW ABOUT SOPHIE
TUCKER, EVEN THOUGH SHE IS
ONE OF THOSE NAMES OUT
THERE IN THE LEXICON.
YOU PULLED UP "WHAT'S MY
LINE."
AND SHE WAS A GUEST.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN HER IN
REAL LIFE.
>> YOU CAN CERTAINLY BE
EXCUSED BECAUSE THERE IS A
HUGE DIVIDE.
BECAUSE SHE DID DIE IN
1966, AND SHE WAS 86 WHEN
SHE DIED.
AND SORT OF THE AUDIENCE
THAT WOULD HAVE KNOWN HER
DIED OFF BECAUSE MOST OF
WHAT SHE DID WASN'T
RECORDED BECAUSE SHE
STARTED EARLY ON.
LITERALLY, EDISON WAS HER
FIRST PRODUCER.
WHO DECIDE TODD HAVE HER
MAKE RECORDS SO HE COULD
SELL HER PHONOGRAPH.
SOME PEOPLE KNOW HER FROM
BETTE MIDLER WHO TURNED
HER INTO HER ACT, WHICH IS
A MUCH DIFFERENT SOPHIE
TUCKER.
>> Rooney: SHE HAS ROOTS
IN RUSSIA?
>> YES.
AND HER FAMILY IMMIGRATED
HERE, AND SHE GREW UP IN
HARTFORD CONNECTICUT.
HER CAREER WAS HER LIFE.
>> Rooney: IT WAS GAUDY
EVEN FOR BACK THEN.
>> WHICH SHE WAS DOING IT
IN 1900s, I ASKED MARY
CALLAHAN, HOW COULD SHE DO
IT.
AND SHE SAID BECAUSE SHE
WAS BIG.
SHE MADE IT OKAY AND FUNNY
AND SAFE.
>> Rooney: MARY CALLAHAN
IS A LOCAL ACTRESS, AND IS
A HUGE TALENT.
THIS IS A BIG PART FOR
HER?
>> AND IT IS SORT OF A
NATURAL FIT, AND SHE SAYS
SHE DOES A LOT OF CABARET,
AND IT'S FUNNY, AND SHE
TELLS JOKES AND INTERACTS
WITH THE AUDIENCE.
BY THE WAY, SHE WENT OVER
TO BRANDICE, AND THEY HAVE
A GREAT ELECTION OF SCRAP
BOOKS AND MARY WENT
THROUGH THAT AT RESEARCH.
AND SPEAKING OF MARY, SHE
JUST LANDED THE ROLES IN
ONE OF THE LEADS IN MAMA
MIA THAT IS TOURING.
THIS IS ONE OF THE CHANCES
TO SEE HER HERE BEFORE SHE
IS GONE FOR A YEAR.
>> Rooney: SHE IS A HUGE
LOCAL TALENT.
WAS SOPHIE TUCKER
FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL?
>> SHE WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL
BECAUSE SHE WAS SO SHREWD.
PART OF THE WAY SHE
MANAGED WHEN SHE WE WOULD
GO TO TOWNS AND TRAVEL,
EVERYBODY SHE MET, SHE
WOULD TAKE THEIR CONTACT
INFORMATION AND WHEN SHE
WENT BACK AGAIN, SHE WOULD
WRITE THEM ALL.
>> Rooney: THAT IS IT
FOR "GREATER BOSTON."
TOMORROW ON MY RADIO SHOW
ON 89.7, STEVE LARSEN'S
BOOKS HAVE BECOME
INTERNATIONAL BEST
SELLERS.
THAT'S AT NOON, FOLLOWED
BY CALLIE CROSSLEY AT
1:00.
AND GUILTY PLEASURES FOR
THE BEACH AND BOX OFFICE
BLOCKBUSTERS.
IT IS THE "GREATER BOSTON"
SUMMER BOOKS AND MOVIES
SHOW.
THAT'S TOMORROW NIGHT AT
7:00.
I'M EMILY ROONEY.
GOOD NIGHT.Wr