Booth was 54 years old when she made her first movie, although she had successfully shaved almost a decade off her real age, with her publicity stating 1907 as the year of her birth. Her correct year of birth was known by only her closest associates until her correct year of birth, 1898, was announced at the time of her death. Her second starring film, a romantic drama "About Mrs. Leslie" opposite Robert Ryan, was released in 1954 to good reviews, but was poorly received by audiences. In 1953, Booth had made a cameo appearance as herself in the all-star comedy/drama movie "Main Street to Broadway". She spent the next few years commuting between New York and California. On Broadway, she scored personal successes in the musical "By the Beautiful Sea" (1954) and the comedy "Desk Set" (1955). Although Booth had become well known to moviegoers during this period, the movie roles for "The Time of the Cuckoo" (re-titled as "Summertime" for the film in 1955), and "Desk Set" (1957), both went to Katharine Hepburn.