Mary Kay Stearns

In her two-and-a-half hour Archive interview, Mary Kay Stearns describes her stage debut as a toddler at the Pasadena Playhouse in California. She talks about her appearances on stage and in film on the West Coast before moving to New York to appear on Broadway. She describes her television debut on the Dumont network on a show called J.J. Juniors, in which she modeled junior fashions. The timeslot was then taken by Mary Kay and Johnny (1947-50), television's first situation comedy. She details her co-starring role on the show with her husband, discussing the format, premise, production, and crew of the program. She talks of her later show, Mary Kay's Nightcap, in which, from 1951-52, she "signed-off" for NBC by telling the viewers what would be on television the following day and doing occasional interviews. She recalls appearances on live television shows such as Armstrong Circle Theatre and Kraft Television Theatre. She also describes her several year stint in the 1950s as the spokesperson (along with her husband) for U.S. Steel, appearing in commercials during The U.S. Steel Hour. Michael Rosen conducted the interview with Mary Kay Stearns for half an hour solo and for two hours with her husband, Johnny Stearns, on August 25, 1999 in Corona del Mar, CA.