| IRISH
McCALLA ON TV |
Part 3 - Personal Appearances:
Page 7 - Conclusion |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
| Irish McCalla moved to California
for two reasons - to escape the freezing Nebraska winters
and to study art (see the Childhood
page and Page 1:
California in the Modelling
section). Unlike the average pretty girl from small
town America who moves to Tinseltown, she had no aspirations
to see her name up in lights or to become a famous star
adored by millions. She merely wanted to pursue
the creative interests that had inspired and enlivened
her since she was a young child (see Art
page). Nevertheless, within less than ten years
of arriving in Los Angeles Irish was an instantly-recognisable
celebrity. |
| |
| Irish frequently said that things
just seemed to happen to her without trying. Her
stunning good looks were responsible for the meteoric
rise she experienced in her modelling career (see Page
3: Success in the Modelling
section), making her one of the most sought after glamour
models of the early-Fifties. When she auditioned
for the role of Sheena she was passed over by the producers,
who chose the gorgeous, but unsuitably delicate, Anita
Ekberg, to play the robust and vigorous jungle queen.
Thankfully (for audiences, Ms Ekberg's career
took a fortuitous turn and the part was offered to Irish (see
Page 4: Anita's Relinquishment
in the Audition section).
As Sheena she was a resounding success. Her
noble bearing, her striking Amazonian features, her statuesque
frame, her athleticism, and her naive, understated delivery
made her a truly believable jungle heroine. She
inspired young girls to want more than subservient domesticity
and she stimulated the fantasies of prepubescent young
men and their dads in an era of wholesome, apple-pie womanhood. |
|
|
|
| |
| Without asking for it, Irish McCalla had
become a genuine 24-carat goddess. A Nebraska farm girl had become
an unmistakable superstar of some eminence, travelling the globe and touching
the hearts of multitudes of fans of all ages with her mere presence. When
you learn that Elvis Presley is an avid fan and is very keen to meet you,
you know you've arrived! But, Irish being Irish, this was a television
luminary of a very different mould. She was an intelligent and sensitive
individual who made a concerted effort to retain her unassuming Midwestern
ways. When asked if she hated being typecast Irish replied, "No,
not at all. Sheena has been very good to me. There is a lot
of me in her. I like Sheena." |
| |
|
|
|
|
OTHER SHEENA PAGES
Please don't forget to visit my pages devoted to the twenty-six episodes
of Sheena Queen of the Jungle, if you
haven't done so already. You will find plot summaries, numerous comments
about the individual episodes and video captures from all of the surviving
episodes. There are also large-sized copies of a many of the photos
used on these pages available to download on the Sheena
Photo Gallery page and the Glamour
Photo Gallery page. |
|
|
PHOTO
• Black and white Bruno Bernard glamour
photo of Irish as Sheena kindly donated by Frank
Bonilla
|
|
|
|
|
|
SHEENA
© is the property of Sony Pictures Corporation
This independent, fan-based analysis of the Sheena material is copyright
© 2005-2007 Paul Wickham
This page was updated August 2007
|