Tag: George Takei

Posted on

A Majority Of One

1961

DirectorMervyn LeRoy
ProducerHarry Stradling
Production CompanyWarner Bros.
Release DateDecember 27th, 1961
CastRosalind Russell (Bertha Jacoby), Alec Guinness (Koichi Asano), Ray Danton (Jerry Black), Madlyn Rhue (Alice Black), Mae Questel (Essie Rubin), Marc Marno (Eddie), Gary Vinson (Mr. McMillan), Sharon Hugueny (Bride), Frank Wilcox (Noah Putnam), Francis De Sales (American Embassy Representative), Yuki Shimoda (Mr. Asano’s Secretary), Harriet McGibbon (Lily Putnam), Alan Mowbray (Cpt. Norcross, his final film role), George Takei (Mr. Asano’s Majordomo), Maria McClay (Mr. Asano’s Maid)

A Majority Of One is an American comedy film adapted from the play of the same name by Leonard Spigelgass, which was a Broadway hit in the 1959-1960 season, starring Gertrude Berg and Cedric Hardwicke.

Bertha Jacoby (Rosalind Russell), a Jewish widow, is convinced by her daughter Alice Black (Madlyn Rhue) to move from Brooklyn, New York to Tokyo in order for Bertha to be closer to her along with her husband Jerry Black (Ray Danton), now stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. Her feelings about the Japanese with regards to her son’s death in World War II start to change on board the ship to Tokyo, where she meets Koichi Asano, a Japanese Buddhist and businessman (Alec Guinness), who also lost a spouse and two children in the war. The two share a bond over lives, their families, and their faiths, which develops into a romance. When she announces to her family of Asano’s courtship, her daughter and son-in-law object to the idea of an interracial marriage.

Maria McClay as a maid at Mr. Asano’s place with another maid, Bertha Jacoby (Rosalind Russell), Mr. Asano’s daughter-in-law (Tsuruko Kobayashi) and Mr. Asano (Alec Guinness).

Maria plays a maid in Mr. Asano’s household and helps get everything set up for an unplanned dinner for two when Bertha Jacoby (Rosalind Russell) shows up unexpectedly at Mr. Asano’s (Alec Guinness) home. Mr. Asano instructs her to pile up some pillows for their guest who is not used to Japanese style seating arrangements. Aside from Alec Guinness’ being in Yellow Face, which is rather uncomfortable to watch for modern eyes, there is a lot of good acting here and one would imagine that Maria very much enjoyed meeting one of the all-time great actors of her time.

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.

Posted on

Never So Few

1959

DirectorJohn Sturges
ProducerMillard Kaufman
Production CompanyMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release DateDecember 7th, 1959
CastFrank 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

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

Maria McClay