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==Life and career==
==Life and career==


=== Television ===
=== Early years ===
In the early 1950s, then known as '''Mitzi Steiner''', McCall had the ''Kiddie Castle'' program on [[KDKA-TV]] in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]].<ref name=ppg/> She received national attention in 1952 via an Associated Press story about a five-year-old Pittsburgh girl with a [[Cleft lip and cleft palate|cleft palate]] who spoke her first words while watching the actress in a pantomime on television. Afterward, doctors "didn't know what to say. They held a special meeting, examined Claire, and told the happy parents that she was cured."<ref>{{cite news |title=TV, a Miracle of Science, Works 'Miracle Cure' on Girl |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23954903/mitzi_steiner/ |work=The Lincoln Star |agency=Associated Press |date=February 10, 1952 |location=Nebraska, Lincoln |page=7-D|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate = September 22, 2018}} {{Open access}}</ref>
McCall debuted onstage at the [[Pittsburgh Playhouse]] in ''Strange Bedfellows'' in 1948. In the early 1950s, then still known as '''Mitzi Steiner''', McCall had the ''Kiddie Castle'' program on [[KDKA-TV]] in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]].<ref name=ppg/> She received national attention in 1952 via an Associated Press story about a five-year-old Pittsburgh girl with a [[Cleft lip and cleft palate|cleft palate]] who spoke her first words while watching the actress in a pantomime on television. Afterward, doctors "didn't know what to say. They held a special meeting, examined Claire, and told the happy parents that she was cured."<ref>{{cite news |title=TV, a Miracle of Science, Works 'Miracle Cure' on Girl |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23954903/mitzi_steiner/ |work=The Lincoln Star |agency=Associated Press |date=February 10, 1952 |location=Nebraska, Lincoln |page=7-D|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate = September 22, 2018}} {{Open access}}</ref>


In 1953, she was featured on ''Studio 10'', a program on [[KGTV]] in San Diego, California.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=Harold V. |title=The Drama Desk |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23966601/mitzi_steiner/ |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=November 10, 1953 |location=Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh |page=18|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate = September 22, 2018}} {{Open access}}</ref> She performed in productions at The [[Pittsburgh Playhouse]] before heading to Hollywood.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fanning |first1=Win |title=Radio and Television in Review |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23955286/mitzi_steiner/ |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=November 13, 1952 |location=Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh |page=35|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate = September 22, 2018}} {{Open access}}</ref>
In 1953, she was featured on ''Studio 10'', a program on [[KGTV]] in [[San Diego, California]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=Harold V. |title=The Drama Desk |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23966601/mitzi_steiner/ |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=November 10, 1953 |location=Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh |page=18|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate = September 22, 2018}} {{Open access}}</ref> She performed in productions at The [[Pittsburgh Playhouse]] before heading to Hollywood.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fanning |first1=Win |title=Radio and Television in Review |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23955286/mitzi_steiner/ |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=November 13, 1952 |location=Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh |page=35|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate = September 22, 2018}} {{Open access}}</ref>


She appeared on ''[[Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In]]''.{{r|etvs|page1=913}} and was also a series regular on such television series as ''[[Life Goes On (TV series)|Life Goes On]]'' and (with her husband) on ''[[Silk Stalkings]]''. On animated series, she provided the voice of Auntie Marina in ''[[Snorks]]'',{{r|etvs|page1=986}} the voice of Mother Goose in ''[[Mother Goose and Grimm (TV series)|Mother Goose and Grimm]]'', {{r|etvs|page1=718}} the voice of Sylvia Jenkins in ''[[Free for All (TV series)|Free for All]]'',{{r|etvs|page1=365}} and a variety of voices on ''The Paw Paws''.{{r|etvs|page1=819}} She played Miriam Lerner on ''[[Alright Already (TV series)|Alright Already]]''.<ref name="etvs">{{cite book|last1=Terrace|first1=Vincent|title=Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010|date=2011|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|location=Jefferson, N.C.|isbn=978-0-7864-6477-7|page=33|edition=2nd}}</ref> Other credits include guest appearances on ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'', ''[[Maude (TV series)|Maude]]'', ''[[Dharma & Greg]]'', ''[[Chuck (TV series)|Chuck]]'', as well as voice over work for many cartoons. In 1971, she was the voice of Penny on ''[[The Flintstones]]'' spin-off ''[[The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show]]''.{{r|etvs|page1=820}} She was a panelist on the game show ''[[Match Game]]'' during its 1970s revival, and appeared with [[Charlie Brill]] on ''[[Tattletales]]''.
She appeared on ''[[Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In]]''.{{r|etvs|page1=913}} and was also a series regular on such television series as ''[[Life Goes On (TV series)|Life Goes On]]'' and (with her husband) on ''[[Silk Stalkings]]''. On animated series, she provided the voice of Auntie Marina in ''[[Snorks]]'',{{r|etvs|page1=986}} the voice of Mother Goose in ''[[Mother Goose and Grimm (TV series)|Mother Goose and Grimm]]'', {{r|etvs|page1=718}} the voice of Sylvia Jenkins in ''[[Free for All (TV series)|Free for All]]'',{{r|etvs|page1=365}} and a variety of voices on ''The Paw Paws''.{{r|etvs|page1=819}} She played Miriam Lerner on ''[[Alright Already (TV series)|Alright Already]]''.<ref name="etvs">{{cite book|last1=Terrace|first1=Vincent|title=Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010|date=2011|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|location=Jefferson, N.C.|isbn=978-0-7864-6477-7|page=33|edition=2nd}}</ref> Other credits include guest appearances on ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'', ''[[Maude (TV series)|Maude]]'', ''[[Dharma & Greg]]'', and ''[[Chuck (TV series)|Chuck]]'', as well as voice over work for many cartoons. In 1971, she was the voice of Penny on ''[[The Flintstones]]'' spin-off ''[[The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show]]''.{{r|etvs|page1=820}} She was a panelist on the game show ''[[Match Game]]'' during its 1970s revival, and appeared with [[Charlie Brill]] on ''[[Tattletales]]''.{{cn}}


=== McCall and Brill ===
=== McCall and Brill ===

Revision as of 02:34, 9 May 2023

Mitzi McCall
Born (1932-09-09) September 9, 1932 (age 92)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Other namesMitzi Steiner
OccupationActress
Years active1948–present
Spouse(s)Jack Tolen (divorced)
Charlie Brill (1960–present)
ChildrenJennifer Brill
Signature

Mitzi McCall is an American comedian and actress.

Life and career

Early years

McCall debuted onstage at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in Strange Bedfellows in 1948. In the early 1950s, then still known as Mitzi Steiner, McCall had the Kiddie Castle program on KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[1] She received national attention in 1952 via an Associated Press story about a five-year-old Pittsburgh girl with a cleft palate who spoke her first words while watching the actress in a pantomime on television. Afterward, doctors "didn't know what to say. They held a special meeting, examined Claire, and told the happy parents that she was cured."[2]

In 1953, she was featured on Studio 10, a program on KGTV in San Diego, California.[3] She performed in productions at The Pittsburgh Playhouse before heading to Hollywood.[4]

She appeared on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.[5]: 913  and was also a series regular on such television series as Life Goes On and (with her husband) on Silk Stalkings. On animated series, she provided the voice of Auntie Marina in Snorks,[5]: 986  the voice of Mother Goose in Mother Goose and Grimm, [5]: 718  the voice of Sylvia Jenkins in Free for All,[5]: 365  and a variety of voices on The Paw Paws.[5]: 819  She played Miriam Lerner on Alright Already.[5] Other credits include guest appearances on The Twilight Zone, Maude, Dharma & Greg, and Chuck, as well as voice over work for many cartoons. In 1971, she was the voice of Penny on The Flintstones spin-off The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show.[5]: 820  She was a panelist on the game show Match Game during its 1970s revival, and appeared with Charlie Brill on Tattletales.[citation needed]

McCall and Brill

McCall and Charlie Brill appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, the episode that featured the U.S. television debut of The Beatles. Their act can be seen on the DVD of the Beatles' appearances on the Sullivan show. They were interviewed in 2005 for the "Big Break" episode of Public Radio International radio program This American Life, regarding their Beatles-Sullivan experience, including a dressing room encounter with John Lennon.[6]

They were spotted in 1963 while performing together in Honolulu by the Australian television producer John Collins, who produced The Tonight Show for TCN-9 in Sydney. Collins was seeking a replacement for the then unknown Irish comedian Dave Allen, who had hosted the program for the previous two seasons and wanted to return to Ireland. Collins approached them and they agreed but could not start an Australian engagement until their Hawaiian engagement was complete. They recommended an American comedian, their friend Don Lane, who was also working in Hawaii, to fill in during the meantime. Collins agreed to this. Lane started his Australian engagement and was an immediate success. Ratings were sensational and the network was delighted. It was going to be difficult if not impossible to replace him once the Brills became available. When they did, the preference was obvious and their engagement was cancelled after six weeks. Lane resumed their spot and remained successful in Australian television for the ensuing thirty-five years.

In 1967, McCall and Brill had a comedy recording, From Our Point of View, released by ABC Records.[7] Later that year, the duo signed with Congressional Records.[8]

Shawlee and McCall

In the early 1960s, McCall (just over 5 feet) and actress Joan Shawlee (5'9") formed a night club act,[9] first appearing together at the Club Robaire in Cleveland.[10] In January 1961, syndicated newspaper columnist Dorothy Kilgallen reported that the team was "causing quite a stir", emphasizing while exaggerating the partners' discrepancy in height, "Joan being six feet, three inches tall and Mitzi four feet, 10 inches short".[11]

In 2009, McCall had a supporting role as Bonnie in the film World's Greatest Dad.

Personal life

In the early 1950s, McCall was married to Jack Tolen, a television director and production manager.[1] She and Charlie Brill met in 1959 and married the following year.[12] They have a daughter, Jennifer, a former yoga instructor in Southern California.[citation needed]

Filmography

Films

Television series

Animation

Year Title Role Notes
1971 The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show Penny Pillar 16 Episodes
1972-1974 The Flintstone Comedy Hour Penny Pillar 18 Episodes
1977-1978 Fred Flintstone and Friends Penny Pillar
1980 The Flintstone Comedy Show Penny Pillar
1980-1981 The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang Additional Voices
1982-1983 The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour Additional Voices
1983 Lucky Luke Ma Dalton
1984 The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show Additional Voices
1984-1985 Snorks Auntie Marina 7 Episodes
1985-1986 Paw Paws Additional Voices
1990 Gravedale High Additional Voices
1991 TaleSpin Una Episode: "Destiny Rides Again"
1991 Yo Yogi! Talula LaTrane 8 Episodes
1991 Darkwing Duck Ammonia Pine 3 Episodes
1991-1992 Mother Goose and Grimm Mother Goose 7 Episodes
1994 Duckman Additional voices Episode: "Psyche"
1995 Captain Planet and the Planeteers Mame Slaughter Episode: "Five Ring Panda-Monium"
1997 Cow and Chicken Receptionist Episode: "Part Time Job"
1997 Aaahh!!! Real Monsters Custodian Monster 1 Episode
1998 Hey Arnold! Pearl Episode: "Arnold's Thanksgiving"
1999 Histeria! Golda Meir Episode: "Histeria Around the World 2"
2000 The Wild Thornberrys Vulture Episode: "Gift of Gab"
2002 Ice Age Glyptodont Film Role
2003 Free for All Sylvia Jenkins 7 Episodes
2006 The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Nanny Episode: "Scary Poppins"
2008 American Dad! Old Woman #2 Episode: "1600 Candles"
2011 Regular Show Warden of the Internet Episode: "Go Viral"

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2003 Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits Geedo
2005 Tak: The Great Juju Challenge Thunder Fist
2007 Spider-Man 3 Additional voices
No More Heroes Speed Buster[13]

References

  1. ^ a b Fanning, Win (June 29, 1954). "Radio-Television". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. p. 25. Retrieved September 22, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ "TV, a Miracle of Science, Works 'Miracle Cure' on Girl". The Lincoln Star. Nebraska, Lincoln. Associated Press. February 10, 1952. p. 7-D. Retrieved September 22, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ Cohen, Harold V. (November 10, 1953). "The Drama Desk". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. p. 18. Retrieved September 22, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ Fanning, Win (November 13, 1952). "Radio and Television in Review". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. p. 35. Retrieved September 22, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  6. ^ "Human Spectacle 2015". 2 October 2015. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  7. ^ "Special Merit Picks: Comedy" (PDF). Billboard. April 1, 1967. p. 40. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  8. ^ "Signings" (PDF). Billboard. November 4, 1967. p. 20. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  9. ^ "Joan Shawlee Sparkles Like a Spring Tonic". The Boston Globe. Massachusetts, Boston. April 30, 1961. p. 65. Retrieved September 21, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  10. ^ "They're Back". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. October 20, 1960. p. 54. Retrieved September 22, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  11. ^ Kilgallen, Dorothy (January 7, 1961). "The Voice of Broadway". The Mercury. Pennsylvania, Pottstown. p. 4. Retrieved September 22, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  12. ^ California Marriage Index, 1960-1985.
  13. ^ "Mitzi McCall (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 25 February 2022. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)


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