June 30, 2010: Sophie Tucker: The Last of the Red Hot Mamas

>> 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