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S06 E33 – The International Set (1958)

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

DirectorOzzie Nelson
ProducerOzzie Nelson
Production CompanyStage Five Productions
AiredMay 28th, 1958 on ABC
CastOzzie (Ozzie Nelson), Harriet (Harriet Nelson), Dave (David Nelson), Rick (Ricky Nelson), Parley Baer (Darby), Skip Young (Wally), Madge Blake (Party Shop Lady), Jack Wagner (Caterer), Stanley Farrar (Party Shop Man), Hal Smith (Chef), Sally Hughes (Sally Darby), Maria Tsien (Japanese Girl – Exchange Student Fumiko Yamaguchi)
Harriet Nelson and Maria McClay.
Maria McClay as Mei Soong is being placed as a bet during a high stakes poker game.

Ozzie and Darby throw separate parties on the same night each with a different theme. Things become complicated when they both decide to host their parties together and can’t agree on a theme.

During the course of the ensuing chaos Japanese exchange student Fumiko Yamaguchi (Maria Tsien) offers to prepare a “very good native dish” for the party. The dish, once served, turns out to be “Pizza Pie Tokyo Style”.

As with almost any material from this time period this episode is rife with racial and ethnic stereotyping but, at least, Maria didn’t have to play the usual submissive Asian female character and gets to show a bit of humor.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

1952-1966

Title Card for "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet".

Maria appeared in the 33rd episode of the 6th season in 1958 in a minor speaking role as Japanese exchange student Fumiko Yamaguchi.

The sitcom, which aired on ABC from 1952 through 1966, starred the entertainment duo of Ozzie Nelson and his wife, singer Harriet Nelson, as well as their sons, David and Ricky. After a long run on radio the show was brought to TV, where it continued its success. With 14 seasons it was the longest running live-action sitcom in American TV history until “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” surpassed it on December 1st of 2021 though it still holds the record in terms of total episodes produced with a count of 435.

Episodes

S06 E33 – The International Set (1958)

Ozzie and Darby throw separate parties on the same night each with a different theme. Things become complicated when they both decide to host their parties together and can’t agree on a theme.
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You Bet Your Life

1950-1961

You Bet Your Life is an American comedy quiz series that aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show debuted on ABC Radio on October 27, 1947, then moved to CBS Radio debuting October 5, 1949, before making the transition to NBC-TV and NBC Radio on October 4, 1950. The last episode in its radio format aired on June 10, 1960. On television, however, the series continued for another year, debuting in its final season on September 22, 1960, and with a new title, The Groucho Show.

Episodes

S11 E19 – Dress (1961)

Maria appeared on an episode of the last season of Groucho Marx’s game show You Bet Your Life. the secret word for winning an extra $100 in this episode was “Dress”. Groucho coaxes Maria into saying the word adding to her winnings.
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S02 E35 – Medals for Harry

Alcoa Theatre

DirectorRobert Ellis Miller
ProducerWinston O’Keefe
Production CompanyColumbia Television
AiredJune 1st, 1959 on NBC
CastAlex Nicol (George Hadley), Eddie Ryder (Harry Russell), Ruta Lee (Emily Meadow), Tom Palmer (Prosecutor), Freeman Lusk (Judge), Guy Stockwell (Lieutenant), John Dennis (Quartermaster), Maria McClay (Japanese Store Clerk)
Maria McClay as a Japanese store clerk in conversation with Ruta Lee as Emily Meadow.

Maria plays a Japanese store clerk in this episode of the anthology series.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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Alcoa Theatre

1957-1960

Alcoa Theatre was an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1957 through 1960. Alternative titles under which the series was broadcast include Turn of Fate. Alcoa Theatre was syndicated together with Goodyear Theatre as Award Theater.

The series featured a number of veteran and emerging actors over the years, including Jack Lemmon, Cliff Robertson, John Cassavetes, Brandon deWilde, Cornel Wilde, Agnes Moorehead, Jack Carson, Walter Slezak and Gary Merrill.

Episodes

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Brushfire!

1962

DirectorJack Warner, Jr.
ProducerJack Warner, Jr.
Production CompanyObelisk Productions, Paramount Pictures
Release DateFebruary 21st, 1962
CastJohn Ireland (Jeff), Everett Sloane (Chevern), Carl Esmond (Martin), Howard Caine (Vlad), Al Avalon (Tony), Jo Morrow (Easter), Maria McClay (Lin Chan)

Brushfire! is a low budget black-and-white jungle warfare adventure exploitation film produced, directed and co-written by Jack Warner, Jr the only son of Jack L. Warner of Warner Bros.. Warner planned on making two more films under his Obelisk Productions company but they were never produced. It was filmed at the time of the beginning of American involvement in Viet Nam and Laos brushfire conflicts.

Maria McClay as Lin Chan with her husband Chevern (Everett Sloane).

John Ireland as Jeff and Everett Sloane as Chevern play two American World War II veterans who have settled as farmers in a Southeast Asian nation. When a group of guerillas under the leadership of Martin (Carl Esmond) and Vlad (Howard Caine) abduct a young American couple, Tony (Al Avalon) and Easter (Jo Morrow) Banford the two vets use their expertise in jungle warfare and their familiarity with the land to destroy the guerillas and rescue the couple.

Maria plays Lin Chan, Chevern’s wife. When he explains to her that he wants to help Jeff rescue the American couple she tells him that she may not wait for him and leave with their children.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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A Majority Of One

1961

DirectorMervyn LeRoy
ProducerHarry Stradling
Production CompanyWarner Bros.
Release DateDecember 27th, 1961
CastRosalind Russell (Bertha Jacoby), Alec Guinness (Koichi Asano), Ray Danton (Jerry Black), Madlyn Rhue (Alice Black), Mae Questel (Essie Rubin), Marc Marno (Eddie), Gary Vinson (Mr. McMillan), Sharon Hugueny (Bride), Frank Wilcox (Noah Putnam), Francis De Sales (American Embassy Representative), Yuki Shimoda (Mr. Asano’s Secretary), Harriet McGibbon (Lily Putnam), Alan Mowbray (Cpt. Norcross, his final film role), George Takei (Mr. Asano’s Majordomo), Maria McClay (Mr. Asano’s Maid)

A Majority Of One is an American comedy film adapted from the play of the same name by Leonard Spigelgass, which was a Broadway hit in the 1959-1960 season, starring Gertrude Berg and Cedric Hardwicke.

Bertha Jacoby (Rosalind Russell), a Jewish widow, is convinced by her daughter Alice Black (Madlyn Rhue) to move from Brooklyn, New York to Tokyo in order for Bertha to be closer to her along with her husband Jerry Black (Ray Danton), now stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. Her feelings about the Japanese with regards to her son’s death in World War II start to change on board the ship to Tokyo, where she meets Koichi Asano, a Japanese Buddhist and businessman (Alec Guinness), who also lost a spouse and two children in the war. The two share a bond over lives, their families, and their faiths, which develops into a romance. When she announces to her family of Asano’s courtship, her daughter and son-in-law object to the idea of an interracial marriage.

Maria McClay as a maid at Mr. Asano’s place with another maid, Bertha Jacoby (Rosalind Russell), Mr. Asano’s daughter-in-law (Tsuruko Kobayashi) and Mr. Asano (Alec Guinness).

Maria plays a maid in Mr. Asano’s household and helps get everything set up for an unplanned dinner for two when Bertha Jacoby (Rosalind Russell) shows up unexpectedly at Mr. Asano’s (Alec Guinness) home. Mr. Asano instructs her to pile up some pillows for their guest who is not used to Japanese style seating arrangements. Aside from Alec Guinness’ being in Yellow Face, which is rather uncomfortable to watch for modern eyes, there is a lot of good acting here and one would imagine that Maria very much enjoyed meeting one of the all-time great actors of her time.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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All The Young Men

1960

DirectorHall Bartlett
ProducerHall Bartlett
Production CompanyJaguar Productions, Ladd Enterprises
Release DateAugust 26th, 1960
CastAlan Ladd (Private Kincaid), Sidney Poitier (Sgt. Eddie Towler), James Darren (Private Cotton), Glenn Corbett (Hospital Corpsman Wade), Mort Sahl (Corporal Cran), Ana María Lynch (Maya), Paul Richards (Private Bracken), Richard Davalos (Private Casey), Lee Kinsolving (Private Dean), Joseph Gallison (Private Jackson), Paul Baxley (Private Lazitech), Charles Quinlivan (Lt. Earl D. Toland), Michael Davis (Cho), Mario Alcalde (Hunter), Maria McClay (Korean Woman), Ingemar Johansson (Private Torgil)

All the Young Men is a Korean War feature film dealing with desegregation in the United States Marine Corps. The inimitable Sidney Poitier plays Eddie Towler, a sergeant unexpectedly placed in command of the survivors of a platoon in the Korean War. The film explores the racial integration of the American military, centering on the African-American sergeant’s struggle to win the trust and respect of the men in his unit

Maria McClay as a Korean woman injured by a grenade with her half French daughter Maya (Ana María Lynch) and young son Cho (Michael Davis)

With their radio not working, Towler leads ten healthy survivors and a badly wounded Private Casey on a stretcher to their objective, a strategically positioned farm house in a mountain pass. As they warily approach the farmhouse, one soldier spots someone inside and throws a grenade, which wounds a Korean woman (Maria McClay). The only other occupants are her young son Cho (Michael Davis) and her adult, part-French daughter Maya (the Director’s Argentinian wife Ana María Lynch). Kincaid and some of the others want to leave before the enemy attacks, but Towler keeps them there.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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Never So Few

1959

DirectorJohn Sturges
ProducerMillard Kaufman
Production CompanyMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release DateDecember 7th, 1959
CastFrank Sinatra (Cpt. Tom Reynolds), Gina Lollobrigida (Carla Vesari), Peter Lawford (Cpt. Grey Travis), Steve McQueen (Corporal Bill Ringa), Richard Johnson (Cpt. Danny de Mortimer), Paul Henreid (Nikko Regas), Brian Donlevy (General Sloan), Dean Jones (Sgt. Jim Norby), Charles Bronson (Sgt. John Danforth), Philip Ahn (Nautaung of the Kachin), Robert Bray (Colonel Fred Parkson), George Takei (Soldier in Hospital), Kipp Hamilton (Margaret Fitch), James Hong (General Chao), Mako (Soldier in Hospital), Maria McClay (Jeanine)

In 1943 Burma, a unit of American and British forces under the Office of Strategic Services joins with the native Kachin to hold back the Japanese Army. The unit, under the joint command of American captain Tom C. Reynolds (Frank Sinatra) and British captain Danny De Mortimer (Richard Johnson), with guidance from Kachin leader Nautaung (Philip Ahn), remains frustrated by their grueling duty, limited supplies and lack of medical care.

Maria McClay as French-speaking Eurasian girl Jeanine, being introduced by wealth business man Nikko Regas (Paul Henreid) to Captains Tom Reynolds (Frank Sinatra) and Danny de Mortimer (Richard Johnson).

While Maria’s role is a short one as French speaking Eurasian girl Jeanine at wealth business man Nikko Regas’ Burmese country retreat at the base of the Himalayan mountains, it allowed to her to share the screen with two of the all-time greats, Frank Sinatra and Paul Henreid.

In fact, the entire movie’s cast is a veritable smorgasboard and who-is-who of movie stardom, both current at the time and newly arising. Besides Sinatra and Henreid this movie features the unforgettable Gina Lollobrigida, a younger Steven McQueen and Charles Bronson as well as the inimitable George Takei and the ever-present James Hong, who probably shared the screen with Maria more than any other actor.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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Maria McClay