Monty M. McDonald; Early TV Show Host

Monty Margetts McDonald, an actress and radio announcer who in 1949 was host of Los Angeles’ first televised cooking show, has died. She was 84.

McDonald, who lived in Encino, died Thursday at the Motion Picture & Television Hospital in Woodland Hills.

The former Monty Margetts was a native of Vancouver, Canada, and began her career as a radio and television actress in 1929.

In 1945, General Mills brought her to Los Angeles to work for NBC as the emerging industry’s first female network radio announcer. Her first show was “This Woman’s Secret.”

Four years later, she began her daily cooking show on television, “The Monty Margetts Show.” The program was telecast for five years on KFI-TV and KNBH-NBC.

As an actress, she had roles on several popular television series, including “Dragnet,” “Adam 12,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” “Bewitched,” “The Red Skelton Show” and “The Smothers Brothers Show.”

She was also in motion pictures, including “Any Wednesday,” “Angel in My Pocket,” “Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?” and “Napoleon and Samantha.”

McDonald was a charter member of the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

The widow of Harold M. McDonald, she is survived by a daughter, Hilary Costley of Woodland Hills, and two grandsons.

The family has asked that any memorial donations be made to the Motion Picture & Television Fund in Woodland Hills.