Saturday, February 1, 2014

Peggy from Mannix: The Spectacular Rise & Fall of Gail Fisher

Mannix (1967-1975) was one of the most successful of the many private eye shows that were so popular in the late 1960s into the 1970s and, besides the cool swagger of star Mike Connors and the hottest theme song in TV history, it had one of my favorite characters of all time, Peggy Fair, Mannix' secretary.

Peggy was played by Gail Fisher, one of very few African-American women with a weekly role on a TV series before 1970. She was also the rare working mom with a young son at home (her husband was a policeman killed in the line of duty). As a professional, Peggy never took herself too seriously, yet she was the glue that held Mannix' detective agency together - and often found the clues that solved the cases where Joe Mannix couldn't.

Here is an episode from season 2, the year that established her on the show.

No other young African-American woman had ever been presented to the TV watching public in such a serious manner, with such poise, allowing for a wide range of emotions and letting the character dominate the storyline, not a series regular anyway. It had happened in individual episodes of shows like Route 66 for many years, where an African-American (usually an older person) was in a pivotal role, but they were one-offs. Peggy would be back next week, granted in a much smaller role generally. Episodes centered on Peggy were fairly rare but among the best of the series run.

Peggy Fair was not part of the first season cast, the show changed formats when they added Gail Fisher for season 2 and this was one reason Mannix was such a hit, hitting the top ten in 1971-72. Notice only she and Connors were named in the opening titles, Bill Cosby in I-Spy was the only other African-American who shared that honor in 1967. The next year Diahann Carroll starred as Julia, the first series with a black woman (or man) in the leading role playing a dignified character... ever!

She was sunny, upbeat, but when insults came her way Peggy gave as good as she got. A good-naturedness that sprang from a position of strength.

Many Mannix episodes are quite thrilling, even the ones that were boiler plate TV drama, they dazzled with superb cinematography and unusual camera angles shot in exciting locales adorned with fantastic architectural treasures. But it was Gail Fisher who gave the show it's heart, and its soul, otherwise the production would have been just another dry detective show, of which there were dozens.

Gail Fisher was an incredibly effective actress who could jump from humor to dramatic tension easily. Odd how she virtually disappeared from TV after Mannix was cancelled in 1975. She'd won an Emmy for her role, the first black actress to do so, and was nominated for Emmies a total of four times while Mannix was on the air. Fisher was up for a Golden Globe four times as well; she was the first African-American woman to win a Golden Globe and she did it twice.

She couldn't get hired for another series or land many guest shots?

Like most (all?) pioneers she suffered. When has the first black (fill in the blank) not faced intense tragedy as a result?  Gail Fisher developed a troubled personal life including problems with drugs, no doubt fueled by the industry's lack of interest. She made headlines in 1978 after she was busted for possession of pot and coke and for using an illegal phone device. It was as if that became the excuse show business could use to dismiss her with.

There were other roles. She guest-starred in a 1980 episode of The White Shadow and co-starred in the motion picture  Mankillers in 1987 with Edd Byrnes (77 Sunset Strip). Gail Fisher died in 2000 of kidney failure. She was 65.

Remembering Gail Fisher in happier times - on Match Game '73:


(Original page here on Gail Fisher was erased accidentally, hence this new version.)

TVparty!

19 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. I'm so sorry to hear how Gail Fisher died. She was very important to black folks back in the day, because there weren't very many of us on TV at the time.

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  3. Jackie Robinson? Jesse Owens? Booker T. Washington? Rosa Parks?

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  4. Peggy was one of the first black young women I seen on tv.Rest in peace Mrs Fisher

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  5. she was gem in that role as peggy and being a child when the show mannix was on I was surprised that she and mike connners had a romance on one episode at that time it was unheard of I was so happy that they did that love sees no color and i loved gail fisher

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  6. She certainly stood out on the show as a dignified character. I didnt know she won so many awards. This was a good article

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  7. the great comic renaldo ray. Is the contestant. wow

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  8. I loved Mannix and still watch it on ME TV. Mike Conners was so handsome and such a good actor and Gail Fisher was such a beautiful, talented actress! It saddens me that she died so young. RIP Gail Fisher and Mike Conners. Your memories live on with Mannix reruns!

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    1. I do too! I loved that show and still do. Although I was very little, I would watch it with my dad and siblings. My father was a musician so I loved the theme song!

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    2. Was watching Mannix and wondered what happened to Gail Fisher. Died so young. It's a drag she never got her just desserts. It was inconvenient to be black; the offerings were slim; opportunities sparse; enjoyed her work.

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  9. I loved watching this show in the 70s.Mike and Gail made it very interesting to watch. I was happy to learn that Gail played a big part in making the show so popular being she was an African-American woman. I think that Ms. Fisher and Mr. Conners made the show so interesting I did not want to miss an episode. I am so glad to be able to watch the show on Me TV. Love watching it. Thanks Me TV for airing the show. I watch it evey weekday in my hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. I am watching it now.

    Yvonne Simmons (Nicknamed Poochie).

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  10. Lol Dave! Those you mention above were not on “tv programs at the time”, as the poster stated, and are unrelated to their comment. Ms. Fisher was beautiful, talented, and an iconic actress, holding such a role in her day. I’m very sorry that studio interest did not continue, and her life spiraled downward.

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  11. Someone needs to make a movie about the life of Gail Fisher! She was a trailblazer in so many ways.

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  12. Mannix was fantastic show and Gail Fisher was great in it. What a cool guy, Joe Mannix!

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  14. She should have had her own series.

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