SAN DIEGO — Eileen McCarthy, a 104-year-old San Diego resident, has lived a life that reads like a Hollywood script—from childhood radio stardom to brushes with entertainment legends, before ultimately choosing family over fame.
Born in 1921 in Ocean Beach, McCarthy began her entertainment career as a young girl performing on San Diego radio. “From a very early age she started acting on the radio,” said Mike McCarthy, her 81-year-old son. She was an actress and singer on a program called “The Children’s Hour” before television was even invented, making her a broadcasting celebrity during radio’s golden age.
McCarthy used her radio earnings to pursue professional ballet training and became a principal dancer for the San Diego Ballet. Her talent caught the attention of major entertainment figures in Hollywood. At age 17, movie producer Cecil B. DeMille expressed interest in her. “He wanted a star for his movie called The Ballerina,” said Mike McCarthy. She also performed as a dance partner with Lawrence Welk…