IRISH MCCALLA BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Irish McCalla was born on December 25th, 1928 in Pawnee City, Nebraska with the birth name Nellie Elizabeth McCalla.  She was one of eight children born to Lloyd and Nettie Geiger McCalla.  Her father worked as a butcher.  The family moved around the country often, finally settling in Des Moines. Iowa in 1939 where her father found work for Condon Bros. meat dealers. 

Nellie went to Washington Irving Junior High School and then her family moved again to Marshalltown, Iowa in 1941 followed by another move yet again to Omaha, Nebraska in 1942.  They then returned back to where she was born where she finished up her High School education. 

When she was seventeen years old she chose to move out west to California and joined some of her siblings there.  She found part time employment as a waitress and worked in an aircraft factory.  Without having a movie contract, she began with a career as a model.  She had a physical beauty so captivating, that a modeling new magazine called, "Eve" was launched because of her.

By 1952 she was already establishing herself as a pinup model.  She appeared along with other models in the film, "River Goddesses" (1952).  When she was on the beach in Malibu, California she was discovered for the role of, "Sheena".  This was followed with an offer to play the character on a total of 26 episodes from 1955-1956 for the series titled, "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle".  She did many of her own stunts and became very well known for this role.  With her background growing up as a tom boy, she fit this character role like a glove.  She was also a pinup model for the artist, Alberto Vargas. 

As her small screen career began to fade, she decided to pursue another interest of hers as an artist.  She moved from Malibu to Prescott, Arizona in 1982 retiring from acting.  Nellie McCalla passed away on February 1st, 2002 in Tucson, Arizona after suffering from a brain tumor and stroke complications.  She married twice during her lifetime, first to Patrick H. McIntyre in 1951 and the couple had two children before they divorced in 1957.  Irish then married Patrick Horgan in 1958, but again this marriage ended in divorce in 1963.  She is survived by two sons, Kim and Sean McIntyre, three sisters and two granddaughters.  

Along with a career as an actress, McCalla was very involved in art.  She was president of McCalla Enterprises, Inc, as well as a member of Woman Artist of the American West.  She has painted more then 1,000 paintings along with eight collector plates and a variety of limited edition lithographs.    She was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 
 

Filmography

1963   Have Gun - Will Travel
1962   Hands of a Stranger  
1960   Five Bold Women  
1959   Five Gates to Hell  
1959   The Beat Generation  
1958   She Demons 
1959   Disneyland '59
1955-1956  Sheena, Queen of the Jungle
1957   The Steve Allen Plymouth Show
1952   River Goddesses