Florence MacMichael
MacMichael in Mister Ed (1964)
Born(1919-04-26)April 26, 1919
Hagerstown, Maryland, U.S.
DiedMay 28, 1999(1999-05-28) (aged 80)
Cambria, San Luis Obispo County, California, U.S.
OccupationActress
Spouse(s)Sebryn Myers (19??–1992; his death)
James McCoy
Children2

Florence MacMichael (April 26, 1919 – May 28, 1999)[1] was an American character actress of stage, film and television, best known for playing Winnie Kirkwood in the television series Mister Ed.

Early life and education

MacMichael was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, to Mary (née Wahl) and Roy A. MacMichael.[1][2] She studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City.[2]

Career

MacMichael began her entertainment career on local radio and theatre and later on Broadway.[2][3] A major role in the Broadway play Out of the Frying Pan led to her first film role in its 1943 adaptation, Young and Willing.[2][4][5] Some of her subsequent film credits include Woman Obsessed (1959), The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968) and Welcome Home, Soldier Boys (1972).[3][5]

On television MacMichael was cast in a recurring role as Florence Pearson in the sitcom My Three Sons (1960–1961),[3] as Winnie Kirkwood in Mister Ed (1963–1965),[3][6] and as Barney Fife's girlfriend in two episodes of The Andy Griffith Show.[3] She also performed in several episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, on The Twilight Zone episode "Mr. Bevis", on the Western series The Tall Man in "Millionaire MacBean", as well as on other television series such Bachelor Father, Dennis the Menace, The Donna Reed Show, and Alcoa Premiere.[3][5][1]

MacMichael was active in local theater as both an actress and director. She was the founder of the Sierra Madre Studio Players and worked too at the Pasadena Playhouse.[2] By the late 1970s, she began teaching stage acting at the Pasadena Repertory Theatre inside The Hotel Carver. One of her more notable exercises in instructing method acting was to have her students perform like a slice of bacon frying on a hot skillet.

Personal life

MacMichael was married twice, first to Sebryn Myers and then to James McCoy. She had two children, a son and a daughter. In 1999, at age 80, she died in Cambria in San Luis Obispo County, California.[1][2]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1943Young and WillingMuriel Foster
1959Woman ObsessedMrs. Bedelia Gibbs
1960Let's Make LoveReceptionistUncredited
1961Alfred Hitchcock PresentsMrs. SimmonsSeason 6 Episode 21: "The Kiss-Off"
1961Alfred Hitchcock PresentsMrs. HackettSeason 6 Episode 33: "A Secret Life"
1961The Children's HourMinor RoleUncredited
1962Alfred Hitchcock PresentsAliceSeason 7 Episode 27: "Act of Faith"
1962The Alfred Hitchcock HourDaisySeason 1 Episode 7: "Annabel"
1968The Horse in the Gray Flannel SuitCatherine
1971Welcome Home, Soldier BoysDanny's Mother(final film role)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Scott Wilson (2016), Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, McFarland, p. 466, ISBN 978-1476625997
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Obituaries: Florence M. McCoy", Herald Mail, June 4, 1999, retrieved March 20, 2018
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dale Robinson, David Fernandes (2012), The Definitive Andy Griffith Show Reference, McFarland, ISBN 978-1476601878
  4. ↑ Young and Willing (1943), AFI, retrieved March 20, 2018
  5. 1 2 3 Florence Macmichael perofile, BFI, archived from the original on March 20, 2018, retrieved March 20, 2018
  6. ↑ Ken Beck, Jim Clark (2002), The Encyclopedia of TV Pets, Thomas Nelson, ISBN 1418557374
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