Irish McCalla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Irish McCalla
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1961 publicity still
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| Born | December 25, 1928 Pawnee City, Nebraska, U.S.
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| Died | February 1, 2002 (aged 73) Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
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| Occupation | Film, television actress |
| Spouse(s) | Patrick McIntyre (1951-57); 2 sons Patrick Horgan (1964-69) Chuck Rowland (1982-89; separated) |
Nellie Elizabeth "Irish" McCalla (December 25, 1928 – February 1, 2002) was an American actress and artist best known as the title star of the 1950s television series Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. Sheena co-starred actor Chris Drake. McCalla was also a "Vargas Girl" model for pinup girl artist Alberto Vargas.
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Sheena
In a newspaper interview, McCalla recalled being discovered by a Nassour Studios representative while throwing a bamboo spear on a Malibu, California, beach, adding of her Sheena experience, "I couldn't act, but I could swing through the trees". Her 26-episode series aired in first-run syndication from 1955-56.
The athletic, 5'9½" (1765.3 mm) tall McCalla said she performed her own stunts on the series, filmed in Mexico, until the day she grabbed an unsecured vine and slammed into a tree, breaking her arm. Her elder son, Kim McIntyre, once told the press he remembered watching his mother swinging from vine to vine and wrestling mechanical alligators. Following the one-season Sheena, McCalla appeared in five films from 1958 to 1962, and guest roles on the TV series Have Gun — Will Travel and Route 66.
Later life
As an artist, she drew numerous oil paintings and collector plates, and sold prints of her work. She was a member of Woman Artists of the American West, and her work has been displayed at the Los Angeles Museum of Arts and Sciences. She made personal appearances at autograph conventions, appearing as late as 1996 in a faux-leopard Sheena costume.
Death
At age 73 in 2002, Irish McCalla died of a stroke and complications from her fourth brain tumor — previous tumors were diagnosed in 1969 and 1981. She was survived by two sons, Kim and Sean McIntyre.
McCalla has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 1722 Vine Street.
Legacy
As one writer described the effect of McCalla's signature character on girls growing up in that era, "Sheena was the only female portrayed on the tube who didn't conform to the fifties stereotype. Sheena was a real rugged individualist. Watching her struggle with a new adventure every week made me feel more capable at a time when everything was so unexplored. If she could handle the jungle, I felt sure that I could handle my world".
Selected filmography
- Sheena, Queen of the Jungle (1955-1956) TV Series 26 episodes — Sheena
- She Demons (1958) — Jerrie Turner
- The Beat Generation (1959); reissued as This Rebel Age — Marie Baron
- Five Gates to Hell (1959) — Sister Magdalena
- Hands of a Stranger, also known as The Answer (1962) — Holly
- Have Gun – Will Travel (1963) Episode "Bob Wire" — Anna Anderson
