Gene Barry – Maria McClay

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

In order to view the video content for this post you must be logged in as a registered user of the site.

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 1, 2021December 3, 2021

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.

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)

October 1, 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.

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.

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

In order to view the video content for this post you must be logged in as a registered user of the site.

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)

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

In order to view the video content for this post you must be logged in as a registered user of the site.