Mitzi McCall (born Mitzi Joan Steiner; September 9, 1930 – August 8, 2024) was an American comedian and actress. She was known for her work with her husband, Charlie Brill, and their performance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, the same episode that featured the first appearance of The Beatles on the show.

Early life Mitzi Steiner was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 9, 1930.

Career Steiner hosted the Kiddie Castle television program in Pittsburgh. 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."

In 1953, she was featured on Studio 10, a program on KFSD-TV in San Diego, California. She performed in productions at The Pittsburgh Playhouse before heading to Hollywood. Around 1955, she adopted the surname McCall to use professionally, inspired by McCall's magazine.

She appeared on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and was also a series regular on such television series as Life Goes On and (with her husband, Charlie Brill) on Silk Stalkings. On animated series, she provided the voice of Auntie Marina in Snorks, the voice of Mother Goose in Mother Goose and Grimm, the voice of Sylvia Jenkins in Free for All, and a variety of voices on The Paw Paws. She played Miriam Lerner on Alright Already. 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. She was a panelist on the game show Match Game during its 1970s revival, and appeared with Charlie Brill on Tattletales.

Ed Sullivan Show 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. As the last act to go on before the Beatles' second set, they performed a hastily truncated version of their full act before a studio audience of impatient Beatles fans who showed little interest in their comedy; Brill said that he and McCall "laid the biggest egg of all time". 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, whom they did not recognize. The poor reception to their appearance derailed their career for the next six months.

In 1967, McCall and Brill had a comedy recording, From Our Point of View, released by ABC Records. Later that year, the duo signed with Congressional Records. They continued to perform until the 1980s.

Shawlee and McCall In the early 1960s, McCall (just over 5 feet) and actress Joan Shawlee (5'9") formed a night club act, first appearing together at the Club Robaire in Cleveland. 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". In 2009, McCall had a supporting role as Bonnie in the film World's Greatest Dad.

Personal life and death In the early 1950s, McCall was married to Jack Tolen, a television director and production manager. She and Charlie Brill met in 1959 and married the following year.California Marriage Index, 1960-1985. They had a daughter.

McCall died at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, on August 8, 2024, at the age of 93.

Filmography

Films

You're Never Too Young – Skeets Powell (1955) Machine-Gun Kelly – Harriet (uncredited) (1958) War of the Satellites – Mitzi (1958) The Cry Baby Killer – Evelyn (1958) Deep Blood – Ben's Mother (1989) White Palace – Sophie Rosen (1990) The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them – Freida Crown (1992) EDtv – Fig Lady (1999) Hard Four – Myrna Segal (2007) World's Greatest Dad – Bonnie (2009) Crimson Peak – Additional voices (2015)

Television series

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In – "herself" in "The Fun Couple" sketches (1968–1969) Maude – Estelle Ellinger (Episode: "Nostalgia Party") (1974) Family – Sally (Episode: "Princess in the Tower") (1978) Life Goes On – Midge (1991–1992) Silk Stalkings – Fran Lipschitz (1993–1999) Seinfeld – Donna (Episode: "The Secretary") (1994) Ellen – Rochelle Shapiro (Episode: "Too Hip for the Room") (1996) Alright Already – Miriam Lerner (1997–1998) Caroline in the City – Lois (Episode: "Caroline and the Little White Lies") (1998) Becker – Mrs. Gould (Episode: "Hate Thy Neighbor") (1999) Dharma & Greg – Florence (Episode: "With a Little Help from My Friend") (2001) The Suite Life of Zack and Cody – Doreen (Episode "Club Twin") (2007) Hannah Montana – Woman (Episode: "My Best Friend's Boyfriend") (2007) Chuck – Blanche (Episode: "Chuck Versus the Broken Heart") (2009)

Animation Year Title RoleNotes1971–1972The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show Penny Pillar16 Episodes1972–1974The Flintstone Comedy Hour Penny Pillar18 Episodes1977–1978Fred Flintstone and Friends Penny Pillar1980The Flintstone Comedy Show Penny Pillar1980–1981The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang Additional Voices1982The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour Additional Voices1983Lucky Luke Ma Dalton1984The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries Additional Voices1984–1985Snorks Auntie Marina7 Episodes1985–1986Paw Paws Additional Voices1990Gravedale High Additional Voices1991TaleSpin UnaEpisode: "Destiny Rides Again"1991Yo Yogi! Talula LaTrane8 Episodes1991Darkwing Duck Ammonia Pine3 Episodes1991–1992Mother Goose and Grimm Mother Goose7 Episodes1994Duckman Additional voices Episode: "Psyche"1995Captain Planet and the Planeteers Mame SlaughterEpisode: "Five Ring Panda-Monium"1997Cow and Chicken ReceptionistEpisode: "Part Time Job"1997Aaahh!!! Real Monsters Custodian Monster1 Episode1998Hey Arnold! Pearl Episode: "Arnold's Thanksgiving"1999Histeria! Golda MeirEpisode: "Histeria Around the World 2"2000The Wild Thornberrys VultureEpisode: "Gift of Gab"2002Ice Age GlyptodontFilm Role2003Free for All Sylvia Jenkins7 Episodes2006The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy NannyEpisode: "Scary Poppins"2008American Dad! Old Woman #2Episode: "1600 Candles"2011Regular Show Warden of the InternetEpisode: "Go Viral"

Video games Year Title RoleNotes2000 Clifford the Big Red Dog: Thinking Adventures Loretta, Traffic People 2003Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits Geedo2005Tak: The Great Juju Challenge Thunder Fist2007Spider-Man 3 Additional voicesNo More Heroes Speed Buster

References

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