IRISH BEFORE SHE WAS QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE

She was born Nellie Elizabeth McCalla, one of eight brothers and sisters in Pawnee, Nebraska on December 25, 1928. "Irish" McCalla frequently moved around the country while growing to the Amazonian height of 5' 9 1/2" by the age of fourteen. At 16, she filled out her statuesque, athletic frame into a 39 1/2-24-37 figure.

She graduated from High School in 1946 and moved to Los Angeles, landing a job at a McDonnell Douglas Aircraft factory, also working a waitress. During this period she was "discovered" (some reports say by a photographer who saw her throwing a bamboo spear on Malibu Beach) and signed a contract with Global Photo Syndicate.

Astoundingly photogenic, she quickly found herself on and in dozens of men's magazines, men's cartoon digests and became one of California's top pinup models.

Although she had no experience in acting, her break came when she was offered the role of Sheena, Queen of the Jungle for a TV series. Sheena, of course, originated in Fiction House's JUMBO COMICS and later in her own title. The show was cancelled after just 26 episodes, but during that short time she became the idol of untold numbers of adolescent boys and her likeness wearing her leopard-skin bikini has since entered the halls of popular culture. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 8, 1960.

After a few roles in B-movies (SHE DEMONS, THE BEAT GENERATION, HANDS OF A STRANGER) and various TV shows, she failed to further her acting career. Moving to Malibu, she concentrated on raising her two sons and pursuing her love of painting. After marrying her third husband, she relocated to Prescott, Arizona. For a number of years she battled cancer and after suffering a stroke, Irish McCalla passed away on February 1, 2002 at the age of 73.

In the February 2008 issue of PLAYBOY, an article covered her career and included several nude shots never published before, taken in 1951 by Bruno Bernard (the famed photographer "Bruno of Hollywood") at the behest of Peruvian artist, Alberto Vargas to use as reference shots for one of his legendary pinups. McCalla never posed nude and this was the single exception. Vargas' finished product appeared in the men's magazine, CAVALIER. Needless to say, the aforementioned article and pictorial caused a sensation and brought McCalla back in the pinup culture limelight over 50 years later.

Her biography, "TV's Sheena Irish McCalla", was written by Bill Black and Bill Feret and published in 1992. In the book, looking back at her career, she modestly said:

"I never figured why it was so important to be bigger busted than someone else. I was full grown in height and had a thirty-nine-and-a-half inch bust at the age of 16 and I was very embarrassed by it all. I was always proud of my long hair and my flat stomach, but no one seemed to mention them, did they? But let's face it, if it hadn't been for my measurements I would have been just another pretty gal and possibly lived an average life, which wouldn't have been half as much fun."

TV Show Trivia:

• Anita Ekberg was originally chosen for the role of Sheena, but opted at the last minute to sign with movie production company. Debra Paget was also considered. McCalla actually signed Anita Ekberg's contract with her name scratched over Ekberg's.
• Both Will Eisner and Jerry Iger wrote numerous scripts for the series. The Eisner and Iger studio had originally packaged the JUMBO and SHEENA comic books for Fiction House.
• Brother of world boxing champion Max Baer, actor Buddy Baer was in two episodes. Baer played the "Diablo Giant" in GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN (1958).
• Charles Horvath was in two episodes. Horvath starred as "Mike" in THE THING THAT COULDN'T DIE (1958).

Irish McCalla before SHEENA:

Photo-feature from EYE magazine (March 1954):

Irish McCalla models for Alberto Vargas (note Bruno Bernard in one of the photos) in 1951:

Irish McCalla as Sheena:

SHEENA TV show trailer (1955)

SHEENA TV (full episode) "Crash in the Jungle (1956):

"Sheena Battles the Vampire Vultures" from SHEENA, QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE #2 (Fiction House, Winter 1942), scripted by W. Morgan Thomas and drawn by Bob Webb. Included is a Sheena text story by Lynn Saunders.

See the Irish McCalla PLAYBOY article HERE.

SHEENA'S JUNGLE COSTUME

The American actress with the Irish name, Nellie "Irish" McCalla, is famous for her role in the TV show, SHEENA, QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE. I remember watching her (with fascination) as a kid, along with a number of other "jungle" series like Johnny Weissmuller's JUNGLE JIM, that were popular at the time, due in part to the documentaries about Africa and other "exotic" lands by folks such as Lowell Thomas. The series ran for 26 episodes from 1955-1956.

Blonde, shapely and beautiful, and standing at a statuesque 5' 9"+, McCalla was extremely athletic and performed all of her own stunts until she injured herself and was replaced by male stunt doubles wearing blonde wigs (!).

Before her career as the Queen of the Jungle, McCalla -- like so many other women who became actresses -- spent a few years as a model and pinup girl for magazines like EVE, CAVALIER, SHOW, JEST, and articles about her appeared twice in PLAYBOY. She was even painted by the famous Peruvian pinup artist, Alberto Vargas.

McCalla was also cast in the Richard "Giant from the Unknown" Cunha cheapie, THE SHE DEMONS, in 1958.

Miss McCalla passed away in 2002 at age 73 after suffering a stroke.

Below is the costume that was worn by McCalla when she played the role of Sheena on TV. It was owned by Miss McCalla until she died and was certified at auction by the family as being authentic. When the gavel dropped, Sheena's faux-leopard skin outfit sold for $10,625.00.

Auction Description:

Irish McCalla Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Extensive Screen and Publicity Worn Costume Ensemble (Nassour Studios, 1955). Without question the most iconic and erotically-charged female comic-book character brought to the television screen, most surprisingly at the height of censorship and conservative family values. Blonde Amazon Irish McCalla, at 6 ft. 1 [Heritage's claim] in and sporting an exceptional classic figure for a woman of her stature, was the ideal personification of the golden age comic mythical jungle heroine.

From her own collection come (2) variations, 1-screen-worn and 1-for personal publicity appearances, of her faux-leopard tunic and loincloth complete with 1-belt, 1-scabbard, 1-horn, 2-armbands, 2-chokers and 1-leather moccasin. The screen-worn tunic retains original wardrobe labels, 1-silk yellow-label, "IRISH McCALLA," and 1-maker's bias label, "Designed by Lydia, Hollywood," and the briefs retain Western Costume Co. label with, "IRISH McCALLA/ 10-1373-1."

BONUS!  Here's the first issue of Sheena's comic book with her own title (Fiction House Comics, Spring 1942).

BEWARE! PYGMIES AHEAD! READERS WHO ARE OFFENDED BY THE CONTEMPORANEOUS DEPICTION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES SHOULD SCROLL NO FURTHER!