Sunday, April 21, 2019

THE HAT SQUAD - REMEMBERING FLORENCE MacMICHAEL FOR HER 100th BIRTHDAY



O'BSERVATION:
Florence MacMichael would have been 100 this coming Friday.  We're celebrating all week long with posts about her various Toobworld characters.

From the IMDb:
Florence MacMichael was born on April 26, 1919 in Hagerstown, Maryland, USA. She was an actress, known for 'Mister Ed' (1958), 'The Twilight Zone' (1959), and 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' (1955). She was married to Sellwyn L. Myers. She died on May 1, 1999 in San Luis Obispo, California, USA.

Nancy Nalven, author of the book "The Famous Mister Ed", had this to say about Miss MacMichael:

The gentle Miss McMichael began her acting career on Broadway and later performed on radio in New York with Henry Morgan, Phil Silvers, and Jackie Gleason. She played the occasional role of Mrs. Florence Pearson, also neighbor, on 'My Three Sons' from 1960 to 1961. Herb Brower still marvels that Florence, who was married to a postman, ever pursued an acting career: "She was too nice a person to be in the business."  A 1963 press release cited reading cookbooks as Miss Mcmichael's hobby. Maybe Herb has a point there…

I've always had a soft spot for the Gracie Allen type of scatterbrained character, which led to a crush on Georgia Engel as Georgette in 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'.  And Miss MacMichael's Winnie Fenton Kirkwood fit into that category.  So I thought a special lady's 100th anniversary should not pass without notice.  I'm just sorry I don't have any character of hers who could be inducted into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.

BCnU!


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