Alex 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 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.
Frank 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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Another American Western television series Maria appeared in was “Bat Masterson”, a fictionalized account of the life of the very real marshal, gambler and dandy Bartholemew William Barclay “Bat” Masterson (1853-1921), a US Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, journalist, gunfighter and sheriff in the Old West.
Gene Barry as Bat Masterson
The series ran in 107 episodes over three seasons from 1958 to 1960 and portrayed Bat Masterson as a ladies man, often dressed in Eastern clothing with a preference for solving problems with his walking cane rather than his gun.
This is one of Maria’s more limited roles with very few lines and not a lot of screen time. On the other hand she gets to wear a rather fancy outfit while staring down Bat Masterson as she deals the House 21 and takes his money.
One thing that must be pointed out is that whoever was responsible for proof reading the credits messed up greatly and left her name on screen as “Maria Tsein” instead of “Tsien”.
Scenes Featuring Maria
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