Gloria McMillan

Gloria McMillan
Born Gloria McMillan
(1933-03-13) March 13, 1933
Portland, Oregon
Other names Gloria McMillan Allen
Alma mater Mount Saint Mary's College
Occupation Actress
Years active 1952–1990
Known for Our Miss Brooks
Spouse(s) Gilbert W. Allen (1954 - ?)
Ron Cocking (? - )
Children 2 sons
2 daughters

Gloria McMillan (born March 13, 1933[1]) is a former actress who is perhaps best known for her work in old-time radio. She is known for her role as Harriet Conklin, the student of Miss Brooks and the daughter of Principal Osgood Conklin (played by Eve Arden and Gale Gordon respectively) in the popular 1950s sitcom, Our Miss Brooks.

Early years

McMillan was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1933, but her family moved to Hollywood, California, when she was 7. She attended Westlake School for Girls,[1] Immaculate Heart High School, and Mount Saint Mary's College.[2] She also studied piano under Amparo Iturbi, fitting four hours of practice in among her other daily activities.[1]

McMillan's sister, Janet, acted on stage and on radio and was a teacher.[3]

Stage

Early in her career, McMillan acted at the Pasadena Playhouse and with the La Jolla Players.[1] In 1974, she returned to the stage in Seattle, in Under Papa's Picture. The production reunited her with Eve Arden, with whom she had worked in Our Miss Brooks. The play ran for nine weeks and "broke all records in the history of Seattle legitimate theater attractions."[4] The production eventually went on tour to Washington, D.C., Dallas, Toronto, and London.[4]

Radio

At age 4, McMillan was singing on a radio station in Portland. Three years later, her family's relocation to Hollywood enabled her to become involved with radio entertainment there. The first radio drama on which she worked was Big Town.[1]

From 1948 to 1957, McMillan played Harriet Conklin, daughter of high school principal Osgood Conklin, on Our Miss Brooks,[5] from which the show starred opposite Eve Arden. Before beginning that program, she had the role of Sharlee Bronson, girl friend of the title character's ward, in Mayor of the Town.[6] She also was a member of the cast of Meet Corliss Archer[7] and was heard often on Dr. Christian.[8]

Television

From 1952 to 1956, McMillan portrayed Harriet Conklin in the television version of Our Miss Brooks.[9] In 1956, she had that same role in the Our Miss Brooks film.[10]

In the early 1960s, she was host of Faith of Our Children[11] on KRCA-TV.[12] In the fall of 1971, the Chancel Players of First United Presbyterian Church of San Bernardino appeared five times on Sunday Story Time, a children't television program on KABC-TV. The group was directed by McMillan,[13] and she and her husband, the church's pastor, appeared on camera with an introduction and conclusion for each episode.[14]

In 1976, McMillan had the role of nun Sister Ann in the pilot episode of Most Wanted on ABC,[15] and in the 1980s, she appeared on Perfect Strangers, also on ABC.[16]

Teaching

In September 1969, McMillan opened Star Way Academy of Drama with students enrolled in beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels of classes.[17] In 1974, she and Ron Cocking opened Looking Glass Studio of Performing Arts in San Bernardino, with the goal of building self-confidence and self-respect in children, aiding in "the development of the child into a total person", rather than training "primarily for professional roles."[15]

Personal life

On November 23, 1954, McMillan married Gilbert W. Allen,[18] a senior at the University of Southern California,[19] in Beverly Vista Community Church in Beverly Hills, California. The wedding had Our Miss Brooks connections, as Gale Gordon gave the bride away,[20] Richard Crenna was an usher, and Eve Arden's daughter was a junior bridesmaid.[21] They had two sons and two daughters.[22]

Later she married Ron Cocking.[23]

She is a member of Actors' Equity Association, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.[17]

Church activities

As a youth, McMillan was involved in church activities, including teaching a Sunday School class of first-grade children and leading her church's eighth-grade girls' club.[24] Six months after her wedding, McMillan announced that she was giving up acting to help her husband in his ministry as he was preparing to enter the Presbyterian San Francisco Theological Seminary. The couple met through their mutual work with young people at Beverly Vista Community Church. McMillan said, "We've both had a good taste of church work, and we love it."[25]

In 1965, McMillan and Allen led in establishing the first Presbyterian church in Huntington Beach, California, with Allen having been assigned that role by the Presbytery of Los Angeles.[26]

McMillan directed the drama group of First Presbyterian Church in San Bernardino, California, when her husband was pastor there in the late 1960s.[17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "'Our Miss Brooks' Actress Seems Headed For Stage Stardom". The Times. Louisiana, Shreveport. May 1, 1949. p. A-17. Retrieved February 2, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "Mount Drama Club, 'The Upstagers', To Present 'The Heiress' Nov. 29". The View. California, Los Angeles. November 12, 1951. p. 1. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  3. ↑ "Two from Ontario Will Be in Community Theater Play". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. April 4, 1954. p. 13. Retrieved February 3, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 Perlee, Charles D. (June 1, 1974). "Roles somewhat reversed". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. p. 27. Retrieved February 6, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 262–263. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4.
  6. ↑ Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 443. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3.
  7. ↑ "Meet Corliss Archer". Variety. January 30, 1952. p. 31.
  8. ↑ "Gloria McMillan, CBS Feature Player, Reaches Crossroads". The Times. Louisiana, Shreveport. April 16, 1950. p. 58. Retrieved February 3, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 798. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  10. ↑ "Our Miss Brooks (1956)". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  11. ↑ Simpson, Millie (May 1, 1960). "9 P.M., Daring, Thrilling, 'Aquarodeo' on Ch. 4". Independent Star-News. California, Pasadena. p. 73. Retrieved February 4, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Gloria McMillan ToBe Hostess". The Desert Sun. California, Palm Springs. April 30, 1960. p. 9. Retrieved February 5, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ Perlee, Charles D. (October 28, 1971). "San Bernardino's Chancel Players To Appear on TV". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. p. C-1. Retrieved February 6, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Chancel Players On TV Sunday". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. October 28, 1971. p. C-4. Retrieved February 6, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. 1 2 Hite, Rosemary (September 22, 1976). "Poise grows through the Looking Glass". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. p. 34. Retrieved February 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Sheeran, Owen (May 13, 1991). "Kids are getting into the act". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. p. D-1. Retrieved February 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. 1 2 3 "Actress Sets Opening For Academy". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. September 18, 1969. p. 33. Retrieved February 5, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "Marriages". Variety. December 1, 1954. p. 79.
  19. ↑ "Actress Marries". The Marshall News Messenger. Texas, Marshall. Associated Press. November 25, 1954. p. 5. Retrieved February 4, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ Goode, Bud (April 1955). "Faith in each other". TV Radio Mirror. 43 (5): 36–37, 81–82. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  21. ↑ "SC Student to Wed Actress Gloria McMillan". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. November 16, 1954. p. 6. Retrieved February 4, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ Oliver, Ione (May 4, 1969). "She Loves Family, Church and the Arts". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. p. 15.
  23. ↑ Wilson, Margo (April 28, 1994). "Dancers on their toes for new ballet". The San Bernardino County Sun. California, San Bernardino. p. D-1. Retrieved February 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ "Church Leader". The Bridgeport Post. Connecticut, Bridgeport. August 29, 1954. p. 35. Retrieved February 4, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ Bacon, James (September 1, 1955). "Leaving TV For Role as Pastor's Wife". Des Moines Tribune. Iowa, Des Moines. Associated Press. p. 19. Retrieved February 4, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ "Minister, Actress Start New Church". Independent. California, Long Beach. January 9, 1965. p. 9. Retrieved February 4, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
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