TV Series Episode – Maria McClay

January 26, 2024January 26, 2024

S06 E33 – The International Set (1958)

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

*Director*	Ozzie Nelson
*Producer*	Ozzie Nelson
*Production Company*	Stage Five Productions
*Aired*	May 28th, 1958 on ABC
*Cast*	Ozzie (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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December 9, 2021December 9, 2021

S02 E35 – Medals for Harry

Alcoa Theatre

*Director*	Robert Ellis Miller
*Producer*	Winston O’Keefe
*Production Company*	Columbia Television
*Aired*	June 1st, 1959 on NBC
*Cast*	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 plays a Japanese store clerk in this episode of the anthology series.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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December 9, 2021December 9, 2021

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

S02 E35 – Medals for Harry

December 9, 2021

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

February 14, 1964December 9, 2021

S01 E20 – Who Killed Carrie Cornell? (1964)

Burke’s Law

*Director*	Byron Paul
*Producer*	Aaron Spelling
*Production Company*	Four Star Television, Barbety
*Aired*	February 14th, 1964, ABC
*Cast*	Gene Barry (Cpt. Amos Burke), Gary Conway (Det. Tim Tilson), Regis Toomey (Sergeant Les Hart), Leon Lontoc (Chauffeur Henry), Michael Ansara (Big Bwana Smith), Jim Backus (Pork Pie Hannigan), Fernando Lamas (El Greco), Diana Lynn (Marion Van Martin), William Shatner (Arthur Reynolds), Joanie Sommers (Pee Wee Wilson), Fred Barry (Robert), Percy Helton (Hudkins), Amzie Strickland (Woman), Michael Fox (Coroner), Diana Birk (Annabelle), James Secrest (Jennings), Bill Catching (Keeler), Maria Tsien McClay (Madam Butterfly/Amiko, a Japanese girl), Lou Byrne (Woman)

Carrie Cornell, singer and model, is found murdered on a beach. A photograph of her in “Girlicue” magazine links her to sleazy millionaire Martin Van Martin and he has disappeared.

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”.

Maria had played alongside Gene Barry 5 years earlier, in 1959, in the episode “To The Manner Born” of the Western television series “Bat Masterson”, in which Gene played the main character of the same name. Here her scene culminates in the exchange “You’re flitting away like butterfly?” – “I have to. Butterfly have short mating season.” “If it got any shorter butterflies will become extinct!”.

Other notable appearances in this episode include Diana Lynn as drunk millionaire’s wife Marion van Martin, trying to use one of those strange Walton Belt Vibrator machines that were supposed to shake loose and disappear body fat. And a strange beatnik folk performance in a dark club with everybody wearing sunglasses. And also William Shatner (yes, that William Shatner) as crazy artist and sculptor Arthur Reynolds.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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March 12, 1962December 9, 2021

S01 E24 – Square Cop (1962)

87th Precinct

*Director*	James Sheldon
*Producer*	Winston Miller, Boris D. Kaplan
*Production Company*	Hubbell Robinson Productions, Revue Studios, MCA TV
*Aired*	March 12th, 1962, NBC
*Cast*	Robert Lansing (Det. Steve Carella), Ron Harper (Det. Bert Kling), Gregory Walcott (Det. Roger Havilland), Norman Fell (Det. Meyer Meyer), Lee Tracy (Otto Forman), Jack Hogan (Johnny Forman), Dennis McCarthy (Joe), Paul Genge (The Lieutenant), Paul Smith (Ed), Victor Creatore (Edward), Faye Nuell (Millie Haines), Allen Jung (Mike), James Hong (Mike II), Maria Tsien McClay (Mary), Gene Roth (Cassidy), William Bakewell (Mr. Somers), Dorothy Kingston (Mrs. Somers)

Veteran patrolman Pat Forman, who is due to retire in a few days, is out on the beat showing the ropes to his replacement, Eddie Haines. A jangling burglar alarm sends them running to a
supermarket where Eddie is gunned down by the fleeing thief. What does Pat Forman know and how is he involved in this crime?

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. The detectives try to reassure her.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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February 20, 1962December 9, 2021

S05 E22 – Summer Romance (1962)

Bachelor Father

*Director*	Earl Bellamy
*Producer*	Everett Freeman
*Production Company*	Bachelor Productions, Revue Studios (later Universal Television)
*Aired*	February 20th, 1962, ABC
*Cast*	John Forsythe (Bentley Gregg), Noreen Corcoran (Kelly Gregg), Sammee Tong (Peter Tong), Allison Hayes (Loretta), Maria Tsien McClay (Lin Sing), Gary Clarke (Bruce Dalton)

*Maria McClay as lepidopterist Lin Sing making the aquaintance of Sammee Tong, as house boy Peter Tong.*

Bentley (John Forsythe) and Peter (Sammee Tong) panic when they hear from Kelly (Noreen Corcoran), who is waitressing in Yellowstone, and who informs them she’s getting married. They immediately head to the park to put a stop to her wedding to budding forest ranger Bruce Dalton (Gary Clarke).

While in Yellowstone both Bentley and Peter find themselves in the company of attractive and interesting women, Loretta Prentice (Allison Hayes), who manages the waitresses, and lepidopterist Lin Sing (Maria McClay). All three couples independently decide to spend some time in a near by mountain lodge, leading to all manners of confusion and hijinks and an encounter with a large bear.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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January 25, 1961December 9, 2021

S01 E17 Night Cry (1961)

Hong Kong

*Director*	Walter Doniger
*Producer*	Art Wallace
*Production Company*	20th Century Fox Television
*Aired*	January 25th, 1961, ABC
*Cast*	Rod Taylor (Glenn Evans), Lloyd Bochner (Neil Campbell), Liam Redmond (Marriott), Michael David (Bartley), Antoinette Bower (Laura), Dean Harens (Hal Spencer), Maria McClay (Sou Mei), Peter Chong (Old Chinese Man), Barney Phillips (Crane), Victor Sen Yung (Tung Poy)

Where is Rod Taylor? The headlining star is almost completely absent during the one episode of the series that Maria played in. Instead this episode is about his friend, 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, Sou Mei, helps out by pretending to blackmail the murderous cop in order to get him to confess or give himself away otherwise. While this is definitely one of her shorter appearances in a TV show, she actually not only has a lot of lines but is able to show off a considerable range all the way from sweet and submissive to hard-nosed and intense as she clearly enjoys squeezing her victim for all he’s worth.

This is also the first time, at least as far as what we’ve been able to determine, that she appears in the credits as Maria McClay rather than Maria Tsien or Maria Tsien McClay.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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October 1, 1959December 9, 2021

S02 E01 – To The Manner Born (1959)

Bat Masterson

*Director*	John Rich
*Producer*	Frank Pittman, Andy White
*Production Company*	Ziv Television Programs, Metro Goldwyn Mayer
*Aired*	October 1st, 1959, NBC
*Cast*	Gene Barry (Bat Masterson), Myron Healy, Audrey Dalton, Jack Hogan, Ernestine Barrier, David Thursby, James Hong, Maria Tsein (sic) (Card Dealer)

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.

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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January 10, 1959December 9, 2021

S01 E16 – Illegal Entry (1959)

Frontier Doctor

*Director*	William Witney
*Producer*	Edward J. White
*Production Company*	Studio City Television Service (Hollywood Television Service, a division of Republic Pictures)
*Aired*	January 10th, 1959
*Cast*	Rex Allen (Dr. Bill Baxter), Harold Huber (Hongkong Harry), Maria Tsien (Mei Ling), John Crawford (Sergeant Blake), Lyle Talbot (Police Chief), Joe Forte (Staff Doctor), Marshall Bradford (Mr. Mahew)

When a patient dies of cholera, the doctor is determined to find the carriers of the disease. His investigation leads him to Hong Kong Harry’s in Chinatown, a “low class hangout for derelicts of every class and color, with a tawdry, sordid atmosphere that attracted innocent sightseers as well as worldly thrill seekers.”. Here he meets Mei Ling (Maria), an employee of Hong Kong Harry’s, who helps him greatly with his cause, after the owner, played by Harry Huber in Yellow Face, proves to be less than forthcoming.

This episode features Maria in a more extensive speaking role and she is present throughout the entire second half of the show. Unfortunately this episode is also rife with racial prejudice of the 50s, mostly “Yellow Peril” kind of stuff, as well as the obligatory use of Yellow Face (Harry Huber as Hong Kong Harry).

Scenes Featuring Maria

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October 9, 1958December 9, 2021

S05 E02 – The Alaska Show (1958)

December Bride

*Director*	Frederick de Cordova
*Producer*	Frederick de Cordova
*Production Company*	Desilu Productions
*Aired*	October 9th, 1958, CBS
*Cast*	Spring Byington (Lily Rushkin), Frances Rafferty (Ruth Henshaw), Dean Miller (Matt Henshaw), Verna Felton (Hilda Crocker), Harry Morgan (Pete Porter), Pierre Watkin, Peter Leeds, Bob Duggan, Maria Tsien (Tahitian Glamour Girl Tanana)

Lily Rushkin (Spring Byington) signs up Matt Henshaw (Dean Miller) with the Air Force Reserves, ruining his plans for a vacation in Acapulco with his wife. His buddy in the air force, Major Walker (Peter Leeds) pulls a prank and gets him an assignment in Glacier Island, Alaska. In return Matt and the rest of the gang trick him into thinking that Glacier Island is a tropical paradise full of beautiful women in order to make him switch assignments. This is where Maria comes in. As part of the ploy Tanana, a Tahitian glamour girl, played by Maria is hired to pretend being one of the women from Glacier Island. An effective strategy, it turns out, as Major Walker is quite enamored with Tanana and the plan succeeds.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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