The marvelous, glamorous Mavis!

Mavis Paisley was married to more cartoon characters than any other human being. Despite this shocking achievement, she has managed to keep a low profile in the animation business -- until now.

I caught up with Mrs. Paisley at Hollywood Central Studios on Las Palmas in the heart of Hollywood on the evening of October 15, 2001. In honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the first I Love Lucy television broadcast, Viacom's TVLand Network was throwing a party for 150 notables on the original I Love Lucy soundstage. The table to our right was occupied by, among others, Alan Young (principal voice of Scrooge McDuck) and a now-fully-grown Baby Rose Marie, and the table to our left was occupied by, among others, Desi Arnaz Jr.

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Will Ryan: Would I be correct in assuming you've got a lot of friends in this room?

Mavis Paisley: Oh, sure. Hey, there's Alan Young — Yoo hoo! Howdy, Angus! — I worked with him on radio. There's Madeline Pugh and Bob Carrol Jr. They wrote most of the Lucys, you know. And on the way in I was yackin' with John Stephenson. He did a lot of work for them Hanna-Barbera boys.

WR: When they ran the first episode of Lucy earlier tonight, John got the biggest laughs in the show as the on-camera spokesman for Philip Morris cigarettes.

MP: Ya can't beat their 1951 slogan, "Do you inhale? If so, you should smoke Phillip Morris!" And he did it with a straight face, too! Now that's real actin'!

WR: Gee, I'm surprised I haven't seen Janet Waldo and Richard Crenna here. They were in one of those classic Lucy episodes.

MP: What — ? Corlis Archer and Walter Denton? They don't let kids into these shindigs!

WR: Tell me, Mavis. Were you ever married to a rabbit?

MP: 'Course. Bugs Bunny.

WR: Were you ever married to a duck?

MP: Yup. In fact I was a guest of honor at the Graumann's Chinese Theater for the unveiling of the new Daffy Duck stamp a couple years ago. The Honorary Mayor of Hollywood, Johnny Grant, introduced me to the crowd. Had to sign autygraphs . . . Lucky thing I can spell m' own name.

WR: Indeed.

MP: I was married to a human at Warner's too, ya know. Yosemite Sam. Least, I think he was human.

WR: Were you ever married to a big buck-toothed goof?

MP: I can think of at least two of 'em! Goofy was one.

WR: Who was the other?

MP: You should know, you numbskull! You're not only wearing a pin with his picture on it, but you're the one who set it up!

WR: Oh, I guess I did. You're playing Mrs. Elmo Aardvark in an upcoming cartoon.

MP: That's right. And this time I get screen credit!

WR: I know you're sensitive about credit. You so rarely received it. Why was that?

MP: Well, for years it didn't seem important to me. Most people in cartoons weren't getting credit then anyways.

WR: Your voice has been compared to Marjorie Main's. You ever work with her?

MP: Nope. But I worked with Lucy. Played her puppy on one of the TV episodes. Don't look at me that way — it was voice only.