Beverlee McKinsey (Joker's Wild) interview from 1991
Marsha Goodman interviewed Beverlee McKinsey in November 1991 and later posted the interview on Facebook. It is reprinted here with Marsha's permission, it's also on the page with this episode's review.
In the summer of 1969 I had done a guest shot on Mod Squad. There were two directors for this series, one was Gene Nelson. The two directors shared the same office, the same desk, and apparently Gene, in preparing for his show, had opened the desk drawer and seen a picture of me, and had come down to the set to have a look at me. I don't recall meeting him at the time, but he told me this later.
A few months later, I was sent on the audition for Hawaii Five-0. When I arrived, I was very put off because there must have been thirty girls in the waiting room. One of them was another girl with my agency. After we sat there for about thirty to forty-five minutes, both of us were getting ready to go. I said, "You know, this is hopeless." Plus, the rumor mill had it that this role was going to go to Tuesday Weld or Yvette Mimieux. So, as this other actress prepared to go, I was gathering my things together and she said, "No, Beverlee. You stay. You're the right type. Look around you. Most of these girls are blonde and similar to you, so I think you should stay." And I did.
When I went into the office, Gene Nelson recognized me immediately and had me read for the role. I was told later that there was quite an argument between him and the producers and whoever else was involved because they wanted a 'name' for this part. But Gene wanted me and simply said that and then left for Hawaii. I got the part, and at that point in my television career, it was certainly the most exciting part that I had played.
I didn't familiarize myself with the format or the cast or anything else. In fact, I had never seen the show. I saw my first episode of Hawaii Five-0 after I arrived in Hawaii. I think it was the night I arrived there. I was unpacking and saw it and thought, 'Hey! This is a pretty good show. I like this.' All that mattered to me when I took the part was (1) I was not in a position to turn down any part; and (2) it was a great role.
I had a lot of scenes with Jack Lord. I had been told by some people who had worked with him that he could be difficult; not so much difficult as distant, really sort of pay-no-attention-to-you. I worked for about three days before I met him and apparently during that time, he had seen the dailies and had liked my work, admired me as an actress, so when he came on the set, he couldn't possibly have been nicer. He was wonderful to me. He was very open, very receptive. I have some magnificent pictures taken of the two of us together. He liked to bring his camera and take pictures of the people working on the show. He was incredibly supportive. I didn't give two thoughts to the fact that he was a star and my character was smarting off to him because he made me feel immensely welcome from the very beginning.
The role of Jo Louise -- the show, that particular episode, which aired in December of 1969 -- was seen by some people at CBS who were looking for a girl to appear on Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing. It was, in fact, as a result of my role on Hawaii Five-0, that I got the audition for the soap opera Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing, which brought me back to New York. My husband also got a role on the show; we played opposite each other. We came back here with my son Scott and we never went back to Los Angeles. It was the beginning of my career in daytime.
I encountered no difficulties on Hawaii Five-0. 1969 goes down in my diary as the greatest year of my life. It was the year I met my future husband; we had just begun to live together when I got Hawaii Five-0. He came there about four days after we started shooting and they put us up in the Kahala Hilton. It was immensely glamorous and romantic. We had great fun. We went out with Gene Nelson and his wife; of course, Gene was a big, big star to me. I idolized him--his dancing in movies I had seen when I was younger. We had a great time. I have the fondest memories of eating outside, walking along the beach, swimming late at night. It was a very, very romantic time for me.
I remember the car scene, which was the most dramatic scene I played. We had a terrible time because the other actor couldn't drive the car at a steady speed. The camera car was going alongside and we kept going in and out of the shot. Of course, he had bright lights glaring in his eyes, but he just could not maintain the speed, so the shot was not working. So they put the cameraman in the car with us and all the equipment under my clothing, under my feet, and that's the way we played it.
We had this chase where Jo Louise was trying to get away from the Hawaiian police and I was driving this sports car as fast as I possibly could through Honolulu in rush hour traffic, with the camera truck in front of us, and all of a sudden I could see Gene screaming and waving, "Cut, cut, cut!" He came back, he was very upset. He said to the guy chasing me, "This is a movie. It's not real life. Don't catch her! She may not be driving as fast as you'd like, but don't catch her, for pity sakes!" So we did it again.
The next time, "Cut, cut, cut!" He came back to me and said, "Beverlee, for God's sake, you're a criminal! Criminals don't use their turn signals when they plan to turn!" So we did it again, and they weren't too happy with it; they didn't think I had driven fast enough. So apparently they did it again the next day, using a stunt girl, and she took a curve and missed it and totalled the car, so they had to use mine, whether I was driving fast enough or not.
I loved the show. I thought it was an immensely successful television show. I became a regular viewer after I'd worked on it. All I can say is, it's a very fond memory. I had the time of my life.
