Mary McCarty (actress)

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Mary McCarty
Born(1923-09-27)September 27, 1923
Winfield, Kansas, U.S.
DiedApril 3, 1980(1980-04-03) (aged 56)
West Los Angeles, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActress
singer
dancer
comedienne

Mary McCarty (September 27, 1923[1] - April 3, 1980) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and comedian perhaps best known for her role as a nurse on the television series Trapper John, M.D.

Early years[]

McCarty was born in Winfield, Kansas,[1] but grew up in Los Angeles after her parents divorced and she and her mother went to live with her great-grandmother.[2]

Career[]

McCarty's versatility as a performer was highlighted in a review in the September 11, 1948, issue of the trade publication Billboard. Reviewer Bill Riley described McCarty as "a versatile, pretty young Ethel Merman-to-be, who can sing a novelty or a torch song, dance a turn ... or act a sketch with the best of them."[3]

McCarty began appearing in musical revues in Los Angeles when she was 5 years old.[4] As a youngster, she performed with other child actresses, including Shirley Temple and Jane Withers.[5] Her first screen credit came in Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.[6] By 1934 she had appeared in approximately 75 films.[7] Her films as an adult included The French Line (1953),[8] All That Jazz (1979), and Somebody Killed Her Husband (1978).[9]

In the era of old-time radio, McCarty starred in the comedy The Redhead (1952),[10] and she was a regular on the variety show This Is Broadway (1949).[10]:332​ On television, in addition to portraying nurse Clara Willoughby on Trapper John, M.D. (1979),[11]:1104​ McCarty was a regular on the variety series Admiral Broadway Revue (1949)[11] and The Arthur Murray Party (1950).[11]:59​ (1950).

McCarty's Broadway credits included Anna Christie (1977), Chicago (1975), Irene (1973), Follies (1971), A Rainy Day in Newark (1963), Bless You All (1950), Miss Liberty (1949), Small Wonder (1948), and Sleepy Hollow (1938).[1] She replaced Ethel Merman as the star of the national touring company of Gypsy. Her appearances in regional theatrical productions included Panama Hattie in St. Louis, Missouri.[8]

She performed in stage revues as a child. At age 10 she sang in six languages and was "quite an accomplished dancer as well."[7] As an adult, she performed in night clubs, including the Mocambo in West Hollywood, California,[6] the Chase Club in St. Louis, Missouri,[8] and the Flamingo in Las Vegas, Nevada.[12]

McCarty's other professional activities included choreographing a production of Man of La Mancha in Israel and teaching at the Herbert Berghof Studio.[13]

Personal life[]

McCarty never married. According to biographer and historian William J. Mann, McCarty was the life partner of actress Margaret Lindsay.[14]

On April 3, 1980, Lindsay found McCarty dead on the floor of her home in West Los Angeles. She was 56.[4] The cause of death remained undetermined after an autopsy, with results of a toxicology awaited.[15]

Recognition[]

In 1977, McCarty was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her work in Anna Christie.[16]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "("Mary McCarty" search results)". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  2. ^ Kleiner, Dick (March 21, 1980). "Trapper John gets a nurse who can carry a tune". Austin American-Statesman. Texas, Austin. p. E 6. Retrieved 15 July 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Small Wonder" (PDF). Billboard. September 11, 1948. p. 47. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Actress Mary McCarty dies". Detroit Free Press. Michigan, Detroit. Associated Press. April 6, 1980. p. 13 F. Retrieved 15 July 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Carr, Georgia (December 26, 1948). "The Main Stem". The Atlanta Constitution. Georgia, Atlanta. p. 5-D. Retrieved 15 July 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Parsons, Louella O. (September 26, 1953). "Mary McCarty Big Hit As Singing Comedienne". The Ottawa Citizen. Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. p. 35. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "Clever Kiddie Deserts Screen for Stage at the Paramount Theatre". Hollywood Filmograph. 14 (32). August 18, 1934. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Mary McCarty to Star in Muny's 'Panama Hattie'". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Missouri, St. Louis. May 2, 1954. p. 86. Retrieved 15 July 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Character actress Mary McCarty, 56". The Boston Globe. Massachusetts, Boston. April 6, 1980. p. 67. Retrieved 16 July 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 282. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b c Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  12. ^ "What Hollywood itself is talking about". Screenland Plus TV-Land. 57 (9): 8. July 1953. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  13. ^ Burke, Tom (May 15, 1977). "Mary McCarty —The Quintessential Character Actress?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  14. ^ Mann, William J. (2001). Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped Hollywood, 1910-1969. New York City: Viking Press. p. 137. ISBN 0670030171.
  15. ^ "Autopsy fails to solve Actress' death cause". The Decatur Herald. Illinois, Decatur. Associated Press. April 6, 1980. p. 28. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  16. ^ "("Mary McCarty" search results)". Tony Awards. Tony Award Productions. Archived from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.

External links[]

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