Category: TV Series

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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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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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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)

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”.
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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)

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).
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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)

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.
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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)

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.
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Bat Masterson

1958-1960

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.

Episodes

S02 E01 – To The Manner Born (1959)

An old friend asks Bat to San Francisco to look into the background of her daughter’s fiancée. Bat learns she is a frequent visitor at a casino where she seems to win but her fiancée seems to lose – even his life. Maria appears as a card dealer employed by the casino who refuses to hand more chips to the dubious fiancée, when he busts out and finds himself broke at the table.
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The Californians

1957-1959

Set during the San Francisco gold rush of the 1850s, this American Western television series follows the adventures of the local vigilante committee trying to keep law and order.

Maria and Adam Kennedy on the set of The Californians

Maria played a role in one episode of the show’s first season alongside Adam Kennedy in the lead role of Irish newspaperman Dion Patrick, who helps the vigilantes. Due to sagging ratings the second season introduced Richard Coogan as sheriff come marshal Matthew Wayne, ultimately leading to the departure of Adam Kennedy and others from the show. Still the show was not renewed for a third season.

The show aired on NBC and features an incredible corny title song matching some of the equally corny acting. But, all in all, for its time it actually seems to have taken some relatively progressive stances, including the episode Maria appeared in.

Episodes

S01 E17 – China Doll (1958)

Dion Patrick and the vigilantes are investigating human trafficking in San Francisco’s China Town. While making inroads with the community Dion wins Mei Soong, played by Maria, from a dubious Chinese business man and must attempt to reunite her with her true love and find the villain behind it all.
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Frontier Doctor

1958-1959

Rex Allen stars as Dr. Bill Baxter, the Frontier Doctor, in this late fifties American Western television series. The series was also known as “Unarmed” and “Man of the West”. The good doctor, based out of Rising Springs, Arizona, rides across the country side in a buggy with his black bag and experiences many adventures as he tries to help those he encounters along the way.

Maria appears in one episode of the series that centers on cases of cholera sprouting up in the vicinity of Los Angeles’ China Town.

Episodes

S01 E16 – Illegal Entry (1959)

Maria plays Mei Ling, an employee of Hong Kong Harry’s, who proves helpful to Dr. Bill Baxter as he attempts to track down carriers of cholera in the city.
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December Bride

1954-1958

Maria appeared in a single episode of the final season of this show, which was canceled in 1959 after ratings started dropping in 1958.

The series was created by Parke Levy and centered on the adventures of Lily Ruskin, a spry widow played by Spring Byington. The term “December Bride” refers to women who got married late in life, a goal Lily was trying to achieve.

The show aired on CBS and was sponsored by General Foods’ Instant Maxwell House Coffee. Many of its characters were revived for a short-lived spinoff series called “Pete and Gladys”, which aired from 1960 until 1962..

Episodes

S05 E02 – The Alaska Show (1958)

Maria, as Tahitian Glamour Girl Tanana, participates in a plan to get back at Matt’s military buddy who played a prank on him and got him an assignment in Glacier Island, Alaska, after Lily signed Matt up for the Air Force behind his back.
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Maria McClay