Allyn Ann McLerie was a Canadian-born American actress, singer, and dancer who had a long and successful career in Broadway, film, and television. She worked with some of the most renowned choreographers and directors of the Golden Age of musical theatre, such as George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille, Jerome Robbins, and George Abbott. She also appeared in many popular shows and movies, such as Calamity Jane, The Tony Randall Show, The Thorn Birds, and The Way We Were. She was married to actor George Gaynes for 62 years until his death in 2016. She passed away on May 21, 2018, at the age of 91, from Alzheimer’s disease.
Early Life and Broadway Breakthrough
Allyn Ann McLerie was born on December 1, 1926, in Grand-Mère, Quebec, Canada. Her father, Allan Gordon McLerie, was an aviator and a World War I veteran who died of a heart attack four months before her birth. Her mother, Vera Alma MacTaggart, moved with her to the United States when she was one year old.
Allyn studied dancing at a studio in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and made her Broadway debut as a teenager in Kurt Weill’s One Touch of Venus in 1943. She went on to replace Sono Osato as Ivy in On the Town in 1944, then played Amy Spettigue in the 1948 Broadway production of Where’s Charley?, for which she won a Theatre World Award. She was a life member of The Actors Studio and also performed in Miss Liberty, Time Limit, Redhead, and West Side Story.
Film and Television Career
Allyn made her film debut as Amy in the 1952 adaptation of Where’s Charley?, reprising her Broadway role. She also played Katie Brown, the love interest of Howard Keel’s Wild Bill Hickok, in the 1953 musical Calamity Jane, opposite Doris Day. She appeared in other films, such as Phantom of the Rue Morgue, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, The Cowboys, Cinderella Liberty, and All the President’s Men. She worked with Robert Redford in Jeremiah Johnson and The Way We Were, playing his mother and his ex-wife, respectively.
Allyn also had a prolific television career, making frequent guest appearances on shows such as Bonanza, The Waltons, The Love Boat, Barney Miller, Benson, Hart to Hart, St. Elsewhere, and Dynasty, among many others. She played Miss Janet Reubner, Tony Randall’s secretary, on The Tony Randall Show from 1976 to 1978. She also played Carmen Carlson, the wife of Arthur Carlson, on WKRP in Cincinnati from 1978 to 1982. She appeared in three episodes of Punky Brewster alongside her husband, George Gaynes, in 1984. She later played Florence Bickford, the mother of Molly Dodd, on The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd from 1987 to 1991. Her last role was on an episode of Brooklyn Bridge in 1993.
Personal Life and Death
Allyn was married twice. Her first husband was Adolph Green, the legendary playwright, lyricist, and screenwriter, whom she married in 1945 and divorced in 1953. Her second husband was George Gaynes, the actor best known for his roles in Police Academy, Punky Brewster, and Tootsie, whom she married in 1953 and remained with until his death in 2016. They had two children, Iya and Matthew, and one granddaughter, Niki.
Allyn died at her home in North Bend, Washington, on May 21, 2018, from Alzheimer’s disease. She was 91 years old. She is survived by her daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter, and two great-granddaughters. She was cremated and her ashes were scattered in Puget Sound.
Allyn Ann McLerie was a versatile and talented star who left a lasting impression on the stage and screen. She will be remembered for her grace, charm, and wit, as well as her remarkable performances in musicals, dramas, and comedies. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, who lived a full and rich life. She will be missed by her family, friends, and fans.
