Mary McCarty (September 27, 1923 – 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.
Mary McCarty | |
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Born | (1923-09-27)September 27, 1923[1] Winfield, Kansas, U.S. |
Died | April 3, 1980(1980-04-03) (aged 56) West Los Angeles, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Actress singer dancer comedienne |
McCarty was born in Winfield, Kansas in September 1923,[1] but grew up in Los Angeles after her parents divorced and she and her mother went to live with her great-grandmother.[2]
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]
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]
In 1977, McCarty was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her work in Anna Christie.[16] As for ‘’Trapper John, M.D.’’, her role would be supplanted with Madge Sinclair as Nurse Ernestine Shoup.
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