Mitzi McCall, ca. 1931 – 2024

Actress and comedienne Mitzi McCall, who was somewhere in her early nineties, died on August 8. She and her husband Charlie Brill (who survives her) were one of those Nichols and May/Stiller and Meara comedy duets in the 1960s and ’70s. The tiny powerhouse McCall acted at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, and hosted Kiddie Castle on TV; she also teamed with the wonderful, brassy Joan Shawlee. McCall and Brill teamed up in nearly 50 movies and TV shows (Silk Stalkings, 7th Heaven, Laugh-In, Honeymoon Suite, The Girl with Something Extra, Ellen, and numerous talk and variety shows). McCall also acted solo, and provided the voice for many cartoons (Ice Ae, American Dad!, Duckman, Cow and Chicken). McCall and Brill told This American Life of appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show along with The Beatles in 1964. Brill: “There was a knock on the [dressing room] door. And there’s this guy standing there with funny hair and granny glasses. And he said . . .” McCall: “ . . . ‘Give us a coke, luv.’ And he pointed to the machine. What do you think, we’re made out of money, kid? All we thought about was, ‘I wish this kid would go so we could work on our act. Get out of here.’”