Blog – Page 2 – Maria McClay

December 6, 2021December 8, 2021

Omar Khayyam

1957

*Director*	William Dieterle
*Producer*	Frank Freeman Jr.
*Production Company*	Paramount Pictures
*Release Date*	August 23rd, 1957
*Cast*	Cornel Wilde (Omar Khayyam), Michael Rennie (Hasani Sabbah), Debra Paget (Sharain), John Derek (Prince Malik), Raymond Massey (The Shah), Yma Sumac (Karina), Margaret Hayes (Queen Zarada), Joan Taylor (Yaffa), Sebastian Cabot (The Nizam), Perry Lopez (Prince Ahmud), Morris Ankrum (Imam Nowaffak), Abraham Sofaer (Tutush), Edward Platt (Jayhan)

In the eleventh century, in the Persian city of Nishapur, poet and mathematician Omar Khayyam (Cornel Wilde) meets with his secret love Sharain (Debra Paget), the daughter of his old professor, Imam Mowaffak (Morris Ankrum). Later, Omar greets Hasani Sabah (Michael Rennie), the overlord to the Governor of Gilan, who has come to Nishapur seeking a court appointment.

Though Omar has none of his friend’s ambition, Hasani reminds him of his oath to their childhood friend, The Nizam (Sebastian Cabot), who, as Keeper of the Kingdom, desperately needs people in the court whom he can trust. Brought before the Shah (Raymond Massey), Omar recites a poem which shocks many in the court, but pleases the Shah with its honesty, and is quickly appointed Court Counselor. After presenting the Shah with two beautiful slave girls (including Maria), as well as the severed heads of two enemies, Hasani is made Keeper of the Seal, a high position formerly held by Tutush (Abraham Sofaer), the Shah’s brother.

Maria plays a Chinese slave girl that is brought to the Shah as a gift by Hasani Sabah along with another, causing the men of his court to be quite distracted. After that Maria appears alongside a host of other slave and harem girls in a number of scenes throughout the movie. The film also features famous 50s exotica singer Yma Sumac as Karina.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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December 6, 2021December 8, 2021

The 27th Day

1957

*Director*	William Asher
*Producer*	Helen Ainsworth
*Production Company*	Romson, Columbia Pictures
*Release Date*	July 1957
*Cast*	Gene Barry (Jonathan Clark), Valerie French (Evelyn Wingate), George Voskovec (Prof. Klaus Bechner), Azemat Janti (Ivan Godofsky), Arnold Moss (The Alien), Stefan Schnabel (Soviet General), Paul Frees (Ward Mason), Maria McClay (Su Tan), Ralph Clanton (Mr. Ingram), Friedrich von Ledebur (Dr. Karl Neuhaus), Paul Birch (Admiral), Theodore Marcuse (Col. Gregor), Emil Sitka (Newsboy)

Englishwoman Evelyn Wingate (Valerie French), American reporter Jonathan Clark (Gene Barry), Chinese peasant Su Tan (Maria McClay), German physicist Klaus Bechner (George Voskovec), and Soviet soldier Ivan Godofsky (Azemat Janti) are randomly transported to an alien spacecraft in Earth orbit. There, they are met by a humanoid referring to himself only as “The Alien” (Arnold Moss), who explains that he is the representative of a world orbiting a sun about to go nova. Needing a new world to inhabit within the next 35 days, yet prohibited by their moral code from killing intelligent life, The Alien provides each of the five with sets of three capsules in a clear, round, hand-held case. Each capsule is capable of destroying all human life within a 3,000-mile diameter, with the expectation that humanity will use all the capsules, obliterating itself, leaving the Earth free for alien colonization.

This 1957 black-and-white American science fiction film is based on the screenwriter John Mantley’s own 1956 original science fiction novel of the same name. The file recycles some flying saucer stock footage from the previous year’s “Earth vs. The Flying Saucers”.

Maria’s role as Su Tan, a Chinese peasant who loses her husband in the ongoing civil war, is one of her most extensive among her feature film credits. Despite not having any lines to speak she is present for the entire opening and setup of the movie and has a complete arc for her character.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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December 4, 2021December 8, 2021

The King And I

1956

*Director*	Walter Lang
*Producer*	Charles Brackett
*Production Company*	20th Century Fox
*Release Date*	June 28th, 1956
*Cast*	Deborah Kerr (Anna Leonowens), Yul Brunner (King Mongkut of Siam), Rita Moreno (Tuptim), Terry Saunders (Lady Thiang), Martin Benson (Kralahome), Rex Thompson (Louis Leonowens), Patrick Adiarte (Prince Chulalongkorn), Alan Mowbray (Sir John Hay), Geoffrey Toone (Sir Edward Ramsay), Carlos Rivas (Lun Tha), Maria McClay (Royal Wife)

This American musical film was based on the 1951 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical of the same name, based in turn on the 1944 novel “Anna and the King of Siam” by Margaret Landon. That novel in turn was based on memoirs written by Anna Leonowens, who became school teacher to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the early 1860s. No Thai actors were cast into any main character roles, although a few roles were given to Philippine-American and Chinese-American actors, and Brynner was of part East-Asian ancestry.

A widowed schoolteacher, Anna, arrives in Bangkok with her young son, Louis, after being summoned to tutor the many children of King Mongkut. Both are introduced to the intimidating Kralahome, Siam’s prime minister, who escorts them to the Royal Palace, where they will live, although Anna had been promised her own house. The King ignores her objections and introduces her to his head wife, Lady Thiang. Anna also meets a recent concubine, a young Burmese, Tuptim, and the fifteen children she will tutor, including his son and heir, Prince Chulalongkorn. In conversation with the other wives, Anna learns Tuptim is in love with Lun Tha, who brought her to Siam.

Maria McClay as one of the Royal Wives of King Mongkut of Siam played by Yul Brunner, seen here with Deborah Kerr as Anna Leonowens during the musical number known as the “March of the Siamese Children”.

Anna still wants her own house and teaches the children about the virtues of home life, to the King’s irritation, who disapproves of the influence of other cultures. She comes across Lun Tha and learns that he has been meeting Tuptim in secret. He asks her to arrange a rendezvous. The lovers meet under cover of darkness, and Lun Tha promises he will one day return to Siam and that they will escape together.

Maria appears as one of the Royal wives in various scenes throughout the movie.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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December 4, 2021December 8, 2021

Kismet

1955

*Director*	Vicente Minnelli
*Producer*	Arthur Freed
*Production Company*	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
*Release Date*	December 23rd, 1955
*Cast*	Howard Keel (The Poet), Ann Blyth (Marsina), Dolores Gray (Lalume), Vic Damone (The Caliph), Monty Woolley (Omar), Sebastian Cabot (The Wazir), Jay C. Flippen (Jawan), Mike Mazurki (The Chief Policeman), Jack Elam (Hasan-Ben), Ted de Corsia (Police Sub-altern), Maria McClay (Harem Showgirl)

This American musical-comedy film was the fifth version of Kismet, previous versions of which had been released in 1914, 1920, 1930 and, probably the most famous one with Marlene Dietrich, by the same production company, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, in 1944.

In old Baghdad, an impoverished and roguish poet (Howard Keel) is given the run of the scheming Wazir’s harem while pretending to help him usurp the young caliph. The Poet’s daughter, Marsinah (Ann Blyth) meets and falls in love with the young Caliph (Vic Damone), who has been traveling incognito.

Maria appears as one of the Harem Showgirls, first when a group of them are carrying around the newly wealthy poet and, later, after being taken into the Wazir’s harem, she witnesses a number of the events of the stories and participates in the chorus for one of the musical numbers of the movie.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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December 4, 2021December 8, 2021

The Left Hand Of God

1955

*Director*	Edward Dmytryk
*Producer*	Buddy Adler
*Production Company*	20th Century Fox
*Release Date*	September 2nd, 1955
*Cast*	Humphrey Bogart (James Carmody), Gene Tierney (Anne Scott), Lee J. Cobb (Mieh Yang), Agnes Moorehead (Beryl Sigman), E. G. Marshall (Dr. David Sigman), Jean Porter (Mary Yin), Carl Benton Reid (Father Cornelius), Victor Sen Yung (John Wong), Philip Ahn (Jan Teng), Benson Fong (Chun Tien), Leon Lontoc, Sammee Tong, Maria McClay (Woman in Kimono)

In 1947 Catholic priest Father O’Shea, played by Humphrey Bogart, makes his way to a remote mission in China to replace a priest who had been killed there. He meets Dr. David Sigman, Sigman’s wife Beryl, and nurse Anne Scott, the only other Western residents. They run a hospital for the surrounding villagers, at a time when competing warlords and communists are engaged in civil war. Anne becomes uncomfortable as she is romantically attracted to him. Beryl suggests to her husband that Anne be sent back to the United States, but he refuses to consider it, needing her at the hospital. Beryl suggests that O’Shea consult with Reverend Martin, a Protestant minister at another American mission, for advice. He agrees.

Maria had only a minor uncredited role in this film, described simply as “Woman in Kimono”, and appears among the family members of a man Father O’Shea must deliver some bad news to about the death of a woman he cared about. This minor role, however, allowed her to work with and appear next to one of the all-time greats, Humphrey Bogart.

Also among the cast are James Hong, who appears in a number of the same productions as Maria, Leon Lontoc, whom she’ll appear together with in an episode of “Burke’s Law” years later and Sammee Tong whom she also appears with in an episode of another series, “Bachelor Father”.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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December 4, 2021December 8, 2021

Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing

1955

*Director*	Henry King
*Producer*	Buddy Adler
*Production Company*	20th Century Fox
*Release Date*	August 18th, 1955
*Cast*	William Holden (Mark Elliot), Jennifer Jones (Dr. Han Suyin), Torin Thatcher (Humphrey Palmer-Jones), Isobel Elsom (Adeline Palmer-Jones), Murray Matheson (Dr. John Keith), Virginia Gregg (Anne Richards), Richard Loo (Robert Hung), Soo Yong (Nora Hung), Philip Ahn (Third Uncle), Donna Martell (Suchen, Suyin’s Sister), Maria McClay (Rosie Wu – uncredited), Ashley Cowan, James Hong

Mark Elliot (William Holden) plays an American reporter covering the Chinese civil war in 1949 Hong Kong. While undergoing a trial separation from his wife, he meets Dr. Han Suyin (Jennifer Jones), a widowed physician from mainland China. As they fall in love with each other they experience disapproval from both her family and his friends about their interracial romance.

The fact that this film touches on racial issues prevalent at the time, while at the same time employing the use of Yellow Face by picking Jennifer Jones to play Dr. Han Suyin creates an absurd sense of both approval of the film taking a rather progressive stance for the 1950s, and severe discomfort and sadness in the face of the reality of 1950s Hollywood, which would almost exclusively use white actors only for any lead and supporting roles, regardless of the characters’ ethnicities.

Maria had a minor uncredited role in this particular movie as Rosie Wu, the giggly and somewhat out of control date of a British sailor played by Ashley Cowan, whom she accompanies to the hospital for treatment by Dr. Han Suyin, after having bit him. Apparently this is something her character had done before as the doctor scolds her for doing it again despite telling her not to the last time around.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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December 3, 2021December 3, 2021

Burke’s Law

1963-1966

This American detective series starred Gene Barry as the millionaire captain Amos Burke of the LAPD’s homicide division, who is chauffeured around in his 1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II as he solves various crimes.

Gene Barry’s character and dialog fits every pattern of early 60s sexism and fails amusingly at creating the mix of James Bond and Hugh Hefner it is so transparently gunning for, instead producing a bargain basement version of its own vision.

Gene Barry as Amos Burke irresponsibly firing a gun for no apparent reason.

Extremely formulaic the show drops a body within the first five minutes of every episode, finds our hero dressed to the nines in tuxes or ascots, often in the company of a sexy babe, whom he promptly leaves behind to jump in his Rolls and take off to investigate the heinous crime while a husky voice from the off purrs “It’s Burke’s Law!” over the ensuing credits. Every episode’s title starts with “Who killed…”, which, I presume, is fair enough, given that the main character is captain of the homicide division.

Episodes

S01 E20 – Who Killed Carrie Cornell? (1964)

February 14, 1964

As always, almost-but-not-quite-James-Bond, captain of the LAPD homicide division and millionaire Amos Burke must leave a beautiful woman and hop into his waiting Rolls Royce to investigate a terrible crime. In this case the beautiful woman is Maria McClay in the role of a Japanese girl who left a message for Amos in lipstick on a mirror, signed “Madam Butterfly” and then another, signed “Amiko”.

December 3, 2021December 3, 2021

Bachelor Father

1957-1962

Bachelor Father follows the adventures of Bentley Gregg (John Forsythe), a wealthy bachelor attorney living in Beverly Hills who assumes the responsibility of raising his niece, Kelly (Noreen Corcoran), after her parents died in an automobile accident. Other members of the cast included houseboy Peter Tong (Sammee Tong), teenage neighbor and Kelly’s on and off boyfriend, Howard Meechum (Jimmy Boyd), Kelly’s best friend, Ginger Farrell (Bernadette Withers) and Jasper, the dog.

John Forsythe, Noreen Corcoran and Sammee Tong.

This sitcom premiered on CBS in 1957 before moving to NBC for the third season in 1959. The series’ fifth and final season aired in ABC in 1961/2. The series was based on “A New Girl in His Life,” which aired on General Electric Theater on May 26, 1957. It is the only primetime series ever to run in consecutive years on the three major television networks, ABC, CBS and NBC.

Episodes

S05 E22 – Summer Romance (1962)

February 20, 1962

While in Yellowstone both Bentley and Peter find themselves in the company of attractive and interesting women, Loretta Prentice, who manages the waitresses, and lepidopterist Lin Sing (Maria McClay).

December 2, 2021December 3, 2021

87th Precinct

1961-1962

Manhattan’s 87th precinct forms the backdrop for this grim and gritty American crime and police drama based on the long-running series of novels by Ed McBain. The storylines focus on neighborhood crime, and the lives of the officers of the 87th and their families: Det. Steve Carella (Robert Lansing) and his deaf/mute wife; rookie Det. Bert Kling (Ron Harper); long-time veteran Det. Roger Havilland (Gregory Walcott) and the wryly philosophical Det. Meyer Meyer (Norman Fell).

Episodes

S01 E24 – Square Cop (1962)

March 12, 1962

Maria plays Mary, a shop clerk and reluctant eye witness to a murder, being interviewed by the detectives. Understandably she is rather worried about retribution from the mob and about having to go to court and testifying in public.

December 2, 2021December 3, 2021

Hong Kong

1960-1961

Hong Kong was a 26-episode adventure and drama series that aired from 1960 to 1961 on ABC and helped to catapult Australian actor Rod Taylor into major movie stardom in the 60s. Most notable he went on to star in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”.

*Rod Taylor as journalist Glenn Evans and Lloyd Bochner as Inspector Neil Campbell*

The series follows the adventures of U.S. journalist Glenn Evans, played by Rod Taylor, who works in the then British Crown Colony of Hong Kong, and his friend Inspector Neil Campbell, played by Lloyd Bochner. His search for stories leads him deep into the underbelly of the city where he encounters smugglers, murderers, drug peddlers and mysterious women who, for some reason, tend to disappear behind beaded curtains.

Episodes

S01 E17 Night Cry (1961)

January 25, 1961

Inspector Neil Campbell (Lloyd Bochner in official Hong Kong police shorts) who must track down a bad cop who kills guy and then frames an old friend of the police chief. Maria’s character helps out by pretending to blackmail the murderous cop in order to get him to confess or give himself away otherwise.