Irish McCalla - Modelling Page 7

MODELLING

Page 7 - First Husband

Irish's modelling career had been going well for several years when she made her first foray into the film industry. In September 1950 she and several other models were filmed boating down the Colorado River in a glamourous travelogue called The River Goddesses (click on the link to see my page about that film). One of the photographers that Irish worked with regularly, Dave Sutton (left) had organised the expedition. He used the opportunity to take numerous glamour photographs of Irish and the other models amongst the gorgeous scenery they encountered. The short film was not released for several years and by the time it appeared in 1952 Irish was already married.

As mentioned on Page 5: Boyfriends, in mid-1951 Irish was engaged to Ben Chapman, a tall, handsome Tahitian. However, the couple had separated following an argument and were not talking when she met Patrick McIntyre. The previous year McIntyre, a tall, good-looking insurance salesman, had spotted Irish in a restaurant. He had supposedly poked his friend and said, "You know, if I met a girl like that, I'd marry her in a minute." A year later they were introduced by a mutual friend and Pat reminded Irish of the green knitted dress that he had seen her wearing at the restaurant where he had first seen her (TV Radio Mirror). Irish has said it was "love at first sight" and three weeks later, in June 1951, they were married in Las Vegas. Irish was 22-years-old.

Until this time Irish was still working at the McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft factory but she quit her night job to spend more time with her new husband. Pat tolerated her modelling career, probably because it was so lucrative, but more likely because Irish was so strong-willed, independently-minded, and very outspoken.

Irish would stay married to Pat for 6 years, which was during the period in which Sheena Queen of the Jungle was filmed in Mexico (see the Filming in Mexico section). During this time she was also travelling frequently, making a lot of personal

appearances in both the US and overseas. In interviews she has revealed that she took the part of Sheena because she wanted a divorce and needed the money to try to develop some independence of her own. She was still under contract to the Globe Syndicate and was appearing regularly in magazines, which in the mid-1950s began to focus on her Sheena persona, as well as regular glamour model work. When asked if being apart created a strain on the relationship Irish replied, "We didn't know it at the time, but we got along much better when we weren't together." (Prevue)

Their first son, Kim was born in early 1952 and their second son, Sean, was born in 1954 (Black & Feret). In mid-1956 the family were living in a ranch-style home in Studio City in the San Fernando Valley. Pat and Irish were divorced in July 1957. Irish would eventually marry two more times (for more on Patrick Mcintyre see Page 3: Those Three Husbands in the Final Years section). The photo at right of Pat, Irish and Sean was taken at their Valley home in 1956.

MODELLING INTRO PAGE

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PAGE 8 - THE VEGAS SHOWGIRL

IRISH McCALLA MAGAZINE GALLERIES
To see what all of the fuss was about and the reason for her popularity, click on the image at right to explore an extensive collection of glamour and television magazines that Irish McCalla appeared in between 1950 and 2008.

SOURCES
• TV Radio Mirror, Jul 56
• Prevue Pinup Special 2 magazine 1994
PHOTOS
• The two photos of Dave Sutton and Irish working under the Malibu Pier are from Eye magazine, Sep 54 - personal collection
• The photo of Irish with Pat McIntyre and their son Sean from TV Radio Mirror, Jul 56, is from my private collection

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