Our Girl Gail Fisher

Born 18 August 1935, New Jersey

It's hard to imagine the television show MANNIX without the graceful, classy and intelligent presence of Gail Fisher. Always the pleasant and efficient secretary, Gail portrayed Peggy Fair with style. While one might see unflattering remarks about Joe's occasional use of polyester, no one would dare make such comments about the smart, timeless wardrobe of Gail Fisher. In twelve episodes she was loving mother to Mark Stewart's Toby. The clever plot device of a widow all-too-aware of the danger and inner workings of police work was well used. She frequently bailed out her boss Joe which, of course, included: saving his life! Oh, and Joe saved her a few times... The writers even considered a romance between Peggy and Joe late in the show's run. The MANNIX fan can relish the thrills and intrigue of TVLand's daily broadcasts of MANNIX and exclaim, "Go, Girl!"

CLICK HERE TO READ GAIL FISHER'S EMMY ACCEPTANCE SPEECH!

You must establish a character and remain within the framework of that character for weeks, months, even years sometimes. This is hard when you must work before the cameras, perhaps only uttering a phrase or two during a whole morning. Most people don't realize what grueling, hard work acting is. They only see the glamour of it.   -- Gail Fisher, quoted in Ebony (October 1969)

THEATRE

The Rocks Cried Out (San Francisco Actors' Workshop, 3 months, 1960?)

Understudy to Ruby Dee, Purlie Victorious

Raisin in the Sun (touring company)

Member of the Lincoln Center Repertory

Gail Fisher with Terry Carter on a MANNIX flashback episode featuring Terry as her police officer husband who was killed in the line of duty.

FILMOGRAPHY

[1961 - the first Black performer to do a national television commercial with spoken lines (dental patient).]

My Three Sons (ABC, CBS 2/8/67) "Gossip, Inc."

Simply Heavenly, Play of the Week (non-network; 6/28/67 [date?]; previously she had worked with director Josh Shelley.

MANNIX   (CBS, 1968-1975, seasons 2-8)   Peggy Fair

Room 222    (ABC, 10/8/71) "Welcome Back, Miss Brown"; 10/15/72 [title unknown]

Love: American Style    (ABC, 9/29/69) "Love and the Hustler"; [title unknown, 11/12/71]

Insight "Incident on Danker Street" (non-network, 1970)

Every Man Needs One (ABC, 12/13/72; 90m TVM)    Pauline Kramer

The Match Game (1973)

Medical Center (CBS, 10/20/75) "Street Girl"

Fantasy Island (ABC, 9/7/79) "Hit Man/The Swimmer"

The White Shadow (CBS, 1980)

General Hospital (1982)

Knight Rider "Short Notice" (NBC, 5/6/83)        Thelma

Hotel "Hearts and Minds" (ABC, 5/8/85)

He's the Major "Take My Father, Please" (ABC 1/17/86)

Mankillers (1987, TVM)      Joan Hanson

The Defenders

The Nurses

The Doctors (hospital patient)

Flip Wilson, Gail Fisher, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Mantan Moreland LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE "Love and the Hustler"

AWARDS:

Emmy, Golden Globe, NAACP Image Awards 1969; Awards (on IMDb)

LINKS

Gail Fisher as Peggy Fair

Gail Fisher - Biography

Nick@Nite Bio of Gail Fisher      Great Gals-Secretarial Division (Thrilling Detective site)

DeVore Modeling Agency    "Victim of Chloroform"       Mr. Showbiz - Mankillers        Mr. Showbiz - Every Man Needs One   EOnline - Every Man Needs One         EOnline - Mankillers     TVGen - Mankillers   Hollywood Online - Mankillers     The Case of Classic TV Sleuths        Ourstory: Black Women    Sistahspace  August 18th calendar    Mankillers (on video)    VideoFlicks

PRINT ARTICLES

Black Women in Television.

Notable Black American Women: Book II.

"Tye-Dye Fashions" TV Guide (8/12/72), pp. 32-37.

L. Raddatz. "Mannix's Girl Friday--Gail Fisher." TV Guide (10/19/68), pp. 23-24.

"Gail Fisher: The Girl from Mannix." Ebony 24 (October 1969): 140-44.

"Private Eye's Girl Friday is Taking Her Success in Stride." Ebony 24 (October 1969): 146-47.

"Hints on Keeping Slim from Famous Personalities." Ebony 30 (November 1974): 76-79.

"The Way We Were." Ebony 31 (November 1975): 77?; 155-58.

"How to Survive in Hollywood between Gigs." Ebony 33 (October 1978): 33-38, 40.

"Gail Fisher's Bid for Stardom." Sepia 13 (October 1964): 48-51.

W. Jenkins, "Portrait of Gail Fisher." Sepia (March 1969): 34-37.

Ronald Kisner, "What Films Are Doing to the Image of Black Women." Jet (6/29/72): pp. 56-60. [mentioned]

Black Stars (Sept. 1977): 50-55; (May 1953): 28-37. [date?]

Detroit Free Press TVGuide 9/23/73: 6; 7/4/71: M-37.

Grand Rapids Press TV Schedule (3/12/71): 19.

Dawn Magazine (July 1982): 4.

Negro Alamanac 1976, p. 826.

Biographical Index

Directory of Blacks in the Performing Arts 1990

In Black & White, 1985

The Negro Alamanac: A Reference Work on the African-American, 1989, pp. 1137-38.

The New York Times Biographical Edition, 1972

Who's Who in America, 1974

Who's Who Among Black Americans, 1985, 1992

If you have any information about Gail Fisher's filmography, painting, lyric writing, or pool playing, please send it along.

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