20th Century Fox – Maria McClay

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

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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