Click here to read Stephen Bowie’s first-rate, in-depth article on the cult 60s sci-fi TV series The Invaders starring Roy Thinnes as the only human who knows aliens are secretly living among us to cause harm. Kudos to Stephen for rating “The Believers” episode with guest star Carol Lynley one of the series’ best.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOLGrXOtuwQ
Over the past year, a number of 60s personalities have died, but the one that has most saddened me is Jill Haworth who died in her sleep yesterday. She was one of my most favorite interviews as she graciously invited me into her home in 1999. She was just so saucy and honest holding nothing back. What makes it even sadder for me is that I am reading the new entertaining Sal Mineo bio by Michael Gregg Machaud and Jill is quoted extensively throughout as she had a long romance and friendship with the actor.
Petite blonde Jill Haworth made three movies while under personal contract to Otto Preminger–Exodus (where she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Female Newcomer), The Cardinal, In Harm’s Way–before going freelance. After starring in the British horror movie It! she landed the role of Sally Bowles on Broadway in Cabaret. The musical was a huge hit and Jill remained in the role for 2 1/2 years. To this day I still prefer the original cast album over the movie’s. Especially love Jill’s singing “Don’t Tell Mama.”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptAdY1D53c0
Surprisingly, when she returned to Hollywood in 1969 all she could get were TV guest spots and thrillers (including The Haunted House of Horror with Frankie Avalon, Horror on Snape Island, and a TV-movie that gave me the creeps as a kid, Home for the Holidays with Sally Field whom Jill adored). Though Jill never stepped on a Broadway stage again, she did do regional and Off-Broadway theater during the 70s and 80s (There’s a Girl in My Soup, Butterflies Are Free) and then concentrated solely on voice over work. She did one last movie Mergers & Acquisitions in 2000 playing a loopy ex-hippie mother of two competing sons. She stole the movie and was the hit of a screening I saw on top of a hotel in Manhattan one summer night.
Below are some of Jill’s sassiest comments to me:
When asked what she thought of John Wayne from In Harm’s Way.
“He was the meanest, nastiest man with the worst attitude I ever worked with.”
Asked why she stayed in Cabaret so long, she jokingly replied:
“Just to spite Walter Kerr.” (Who in his NY Times review wrote maliciously and unjustly “the musical’s one wrong note is Jill Haworth whose worth no more to the show than her weight in mascara.”)
When asked if she ever had a chance to play Sally in the film version of Cabaret, she said:
“No, they always wanted Liza Minnelli for the movie. She’s still doing the movie!”
When Cabaret was revived on Broadway in 2000 with Natasha Richardson and Alan Cummings, Jill was miffed that she was not invited to the opening. When I said “maybe they couldn’t find you”, she snapped, “I have only been living in the same apartment since 1966!”
Jill never let her stardom go to her head. She was in awe of her Sutton Place neighbor Greta Garbo who walked her dog almost the same time Jill would walk hers. But Jill was too shy to ever say anything. After Cabaret opened, she passed the reclusive star who said, “Good morning Miss Haworth” to which Jill replied, “Good morning Miss Garbo.” Jill told me that was worth more to her than anything.
Finally, I received one of the nicest compliments from her after my book Fantasy Femmes of Sixties Cinema was released (now available in soft cover). She called to thank me for including her and told me that of all the interviews she had given, the piece I wrote really sounded like her and she appreciated that. Farewell dear Jill. Here’s hoping you went like Elsie…
Lovely Anne Francis passed away recently and in tribute below is a portion of her profile from my book Film Fatales: Women in Espionage Film & Television, 1962-1973, which I co-wrote with Louis Paul, where we pay homage to Francis’ cult TV spy series Honey West.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPK_eZJLMtM
Anne Francis (born on September 16, 1930 in Ossining, New York) had a long career before she starred as TV’s first female private detective cum secret agent Honey West. She began as a child model and soon progressed to appearing on Broadway and in a number of radio soap operas. In the late forties Hollywood beckoned but after appearing in few minor roles Francis returned to New York. She appeared in a number of live television productions and hosted the NBC series Versatile Varieties from 1949 through 1950. Darryl Zanuck took notice of her and signed her to a contract with 20th Century-Fox. After three years she left Fox and signed with MGM where she starred in some of her most memorable films including Bad Day at Black Rock (1954), Battle Cry (1955), Blackboard Jungle (1955) and Forbidden Planet (1956). Francis went freelance in the late fifties and after appearing in a few films including Girl of the Night (1960) and The Crowded Sky (1960) she concentrated on television, which included an appearance in “Jess-Belle” one of the best episodes of The Twilight Zone.
Francis’ journey to being cast as Honey West began at the famed Brown Derby. Writing in her autobiography entitled Voices from Home: An Inner Journey, Anne Francis stated, “One day I had lunch with my agent at the Brown Derby. Although he knew I had not wanted to be tied down to a series…what kind of project might I find interesting? I presented the idea of a kind of female Amos Burke with lots of action, glamour and a comedic flair.” The next day Francis’ agent received a phone call from producer Aaron Spelling who had seen her at the restaurant and thought she would be perfect for the role of Honey West. Francis was first introduced as the slinky detective in the episode entitled “Who Killed the Jackpot?” (4/21/65) on Burke’s Law as West and Amos Burke (Gene Barry) find themselves investigating the same murder.
Honey West began as a regular TV series that September. It was based on the popular series of novels by Gloria and Forest G. “Skip” Fickling beginning with This Girl for Hire in 1957 and ending with Honey on Her Tail in 1971. However the pulp Honey was always losing her clothes and being rescued in the nick of time by her loyal and virtuous boyfriend Sam Bolt. The series kept the boyfriend (played by John Ericson) but the TV Honey had no problems keeping her exotic wardrobe on. It was one of the first continuing drama series to star an actress in the lead role. Honey West was a private eye who relied first on “smiles, sweet talk and flapping eyelashes” to outwit the bad guys. But if things got rough or out of hand she was an expert in karate. (Francis trained with Hawaiian instructor Gordon Doversola to look authentic in the close up shots.) If things got really desperate, Honey would reach into her black alligator attaché case and pull out a pearl-handled derringer or a fountain pen that sprays tear gas or exploding earrings or even a walkie-talkie concealed in a jeweled compact. And Honey could be rest-assured that her adoring boyfriend/ partner was always nearby. No expense was spared in outfitting Honey with nothing but the best. She drove a Cobra sports car equipped with a telephone and $50,000 was budgeted for her wardrobe, which included “a tiger-skin bathing suit with matching cape, an all-black ensemble consisting of leotards, boots, turtle-neck shirt, belt and gloves, and a billowing ball gown that converts into culottes for chase sequences.” And Honey also owned a man-hating ocelot named Bruce Biteabit, which she had tied to a silver leash.
Produced by Aaron Spelling, Honey West first aired on September 17, 1965 on ABC opposite Gomer Pyle, USMC on CBS and the second half of The Sammy Davis Jr. Show on NBC. The premiere episode entitled “The Swingin’ Mrs. Jones” had Honey going undercover in high society to bust up a blackmail ring. More of a private eye than spy series, Honey investigated such standard crimes such as arson, kidnappings and robberies usually showcased on detective series. In most cases, Honey must masquerade as someone to uncover the culprit. In “The Princess and the Paupers” (10/29/65) Honey grooves with the record business crowd to locate kidnapped a rock ‘n’ roll singer (Bobby Sherman). “A Nice Little Till to Tap” (12/31/65) features Honey as a bank teller who is being wooed by a suave thief (Anthony Eisley) for inside information. The 2/11/66 episode featured Francis in a dual role as Honey and as her look-a-like Pandora Fox, a thief who sets Honey up for a heist of missing furs.
Honey West received mostly fair reviews during its run while Anne Francis received relatively good reviews for her performances. For example, Variety noted that “ the good meat of this little half hour continues to be on the fine bones of star Anne Francis rather than the scripts.” One exception was Cleveland Amory writing in TV Guide who nicknamed her character “Jane Blonde” and commented, “The very casting—or miscasting—of Miss Francis to begin with should set your mind at ease: Her unsuitability for the role is proof it’s a spoof.” Most critics disagreed and Francis went on to win the Golden Globe Award for “Best Actress in a Drama Series.” She was also nominated for an Emmy award but lost to Barbara Stanwyck in The Big Valley.
Despite excellent ratings, ABC cancelled Honey West after only one season. According to Anne Francis, “They [ABC] were able to buy The Avengers from England for less than it cost to produce our show.”
Stella Stevens and Carol Lynley reenact a scene from The Poseidon Adventure at the Castro Theatre’s salute to the movie and below Stella is interviewed on a local LA TV show.
I’ve always liked Stella Stevens for the most part from Li’l Abner to Girls! Girls! Girls! to The Nutty Professor to The Silencers to The Ballad of Cable Hogue to The Mad Room and finally to Poseidon. Stella usually gives every part her all and is very good but when Stella is bad, she is bad (Sol Madrid, Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows anyone?).
Though it is wonderful that she has remained so active and does not lack for work, the word “selective” is obviously not part of her vocabulary based on the titles alone of some of her later movies—The Terror Within II, Little Devils: The Birth, Attack of the 5’2” Women, The Granny and Bikini Motel.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSsU3B-G1TU
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5cx-dSplIE