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

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Kismet

1955

DirectorVicente Minnelli
ProducerArthur Freed
Production CompanyMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release DateDecember 23rd, 1955
CastHoward Keel (The Poet), Ann Blyth (Marsina), Dolores Gray (Lalume), Vic Damone (The Caliph), Monty Woolley (Omar), Sebastian Cabot (The Wazir), Jay C. Flippen (Jawan), Mike Mazurki (The Chief Policeman), Jack Elam (Hasan-Ben), Ted de Corsia (Police Sub-altern), Maria McClay (Harem Showgirl)

This American musical-comedy film was the fifth version of Kismet, previous versions of which had been released in 1914, 1920, 1930 and, probably the most famous one with Marlene Dietrich, by the same production company, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, in 1944.

In old Baghdad, an impoverished and roguish poet (Howard Keel) is given the run of the scheming Wazir’s harem while pretending to help him usurp the young caliph. The Poet’s daughter, Marsinah (Ann Blyth) meets and falls in love with the young Caliph (Vic Damone), who has been traveling incognito.

Maria McClay as a Harem Showgirl in pink and turquoise with Howard Keel as The Poet.

Maria appears as one of the Harem Showgirls, first when a group of them are carrying around the newly wealthy poet and, later, after being taken into the Wazir’s harem, she witnesses a number of the events of the stories and participates in the chorus for one of the musical numbers of the movie.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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Maria McClay