Sebastian Cabot – Maria McClay

1957

*Director*	William Dieterle
*Producer*	Frank Freeman Jr.
*Production Company*	Paramount Pictures
*Release Date*	August 23rd, 1957
*Cast*	Cornel Wilde (Omar Khayyam), Michael Rennie (Hasani Sabbah), Debra Paget (Sharain), John Derek (Prince Malik), Raymond Massey (The Shah), Yma Sumac (Karina), Margaret Hayes (Queen Zarada), Joan Taylor (Yaffa), Sebastian Cabot (The Nizam), Perry Lopez (Prince Ahmud), Morris Ankrum (Imam Nowaffak), Abraham Sofaer (Tutush), Edward Platt (Jayhan)

In the eleventh century, in the Persian city of Nishapur, poet and mathematician Omar Khayyam (Cornel Wilde) meets with his secret love Sharain (Debra Paget), the daughter of his old professor, Imam Mowaffak (Morris Ankrum). Later, Omar greets Hasani Sabah (Michael Rennie), the overlord to the Governor of Gilan, who has come to Nishapur seeking a court appointment.

Though Omar has none of his friend’s ambition, Hasani reminds him of his oath to their childhood friend, The Nizam (Sebastian Cabot), who, as Keeper of the Kingdom, desperately needs people in the court whom he can trust. Brought before the Shah (Raymond Massey), Omar recites a poem which shocks many in the court, but pleases the Shah with its honesty, and is quickly appointed Court Counselor. After presenting the Shah with two beautiful slave girls (including Maria), as well as the severed heads of two enemies, Hasani is made Keeper of the Seal, a high position formerly held by Tutush (Abraham Sofaer), the Shah’s brother.

*Maria McClay as a Chinese slave girl that was brought to the Shah as a gift by Hasani Sabah (Michael Rennie)*

Maria plays a Chinese slave girl that is brought to the Shah as a gift by Hasani Sabah along with another, causing the men of his court to be quite distracted. After that Maria appears alongside a host of other slave and harem girls in a number of scenes throughout the movie. The film also features famous 50s exotica singer Yma Sumac as Karina.

Scenes Featuring Maria

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1955

*Director*	Vicente Minnelli
*Producer*	Arthur Freed
*Production Company*	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
*Release Date*	December 23rd, 1955
*Cast*	Howard 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 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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