Watched the first episode of Star Trek: Strange New Words (which I loved) and was most surprised to see Mr. Spock’s intended T’Pring. I thought I would pay homage to 60s starlet Arlene Martel who originated the role on the original Star Trek in “Amok Time.” Below is an excerpt from my interview with her from my McFarland & Co. book, Drive-in Dream Girls: “Every time Celia Lovsky pronounced one of the Vulcan words Bill Shatner would whisper something funny about it and get me to laugh, which was terrible to do… Of course Ms. Lovsky wasn’t aware of this. But she had difficulty pronouncing the Vulcan words. Bill was like a naughty schoolboy and suddenly I became five years old. At one point, the director[Joseph Pevney] Threatened to throw us both off the set. I have very good concentration, but Bill just broke me up.” As for Leonard Nimoy, Arlene remarked, “Leonard was rather removed. Maybe he was maintaining his character–I don’t know. Or maybe he genuinely didn’t like me.”
In 1984, Carol Lynley had one of her best TV roles on Tales of the Unexpected as an insecure older woman desperate to hold on to her young lover (MacKenzie Allen, ex-Jim Speed, Ryan’s Hope). They even off her husband so they can live off his money but her vanity does her in when the husband’s secret mistress (Randall Edwards, ex-Delia, Ryan’s Hope) plots with her boy toy against her.
In my recent interview with Randall Edwards for a book on Ryan’s Hope, she remarked, “I was in awe of Carol Lynley and thought she was amazing. I could not believe I was doing a TV show with her. We did not have a lot of social interaction but she was very professional and was like what people have said about me—internally doing their work and staying in this little bubble. She was absolutely lovely.” Read more about the episode in my BearManor Media book Carol Lynley: Her Film & TV Career in Thrillers, Fantasy & Suspense.
1972 was a banner year for Carol Lynley. It began with her playing the supportive girlfriend to reporter Darren McGavin in the Dan Curtis-produced made-for-TV vampire horror film The Night Stalker, the highest rated TV-movie up to that point in time with over 50% of all households TVs tuned in, and ended the year as a terrified hippie rock singer in the classic disaster movie The Poseidon Adventure the highest grossing movie of 1973. Read more in my BearManor Media book Carol Lynley: Her Film & TV Career in Thrillers, Fantasy & Suspense
Beginning my shopping days to Christmas highlighting performers from my BearManor Media Books Today is Carol Lynley in her first fantasy role playing the lovely Rapunzel to Agnes Moorhead’s wicked witch on Shirley Temple’s Storybook. Read more in my book Carol Lynley: Her Film & TV Career in Thrillers, Fantasy & Suspense available at Amazon.com.
Although my Carol Lynley book (it is NOT a bio, as some disappointed folks seemed to believe, but a career retrospective) focuses on her genre work, I do discuss her work in comedies, romances, melodramas, etc. One of her most praise-worthy roles was that of the ill-fated Mona Fermoyle who goes from nice Irish Catholic girl to a tango-dancing prostitute in Otto Preminger’s Golden Globe-winning, multi-million dollar epic The Cardinal (1963). It traced the rise of Steven Fermoyle (Tom Tryon) from parish priest in Boston ca. 1910s to Cardinal in the 1940s. When the runaway Mona is found she is about to give birth and her priest brother must decide to either save the mother or the baby. He chooses the later due to Catholic dogma, and the final scene of Mona being rolled to her death and letting out one final scream, “Steve!” is chilling.
Only 2 days left to vote! Voting ends on Sunday April 25 at 11:59 pm.
If you liked my BearManor Media book Carol Lynley: Her Film & TV Career in Thrillers, Fantasy & Suspense or want to show Carol Lynley some love then vote for Book of the Year Nonfiction from the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards.
Below is Carol Lynley is some of her later horror-themed performances.
If It’s a Man, Hang Up!
The Cat and the Canary
One of her many appearances on Fantasy Island
With Christopher Cazenove in “In Possession” on Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense
Blackout
With my book Carol Lynley: Her Film & TV Career in Thrillers, Fantasy & Suspense nominated for Book of the Year Nonfiction by the Rondo Hatton Horror Classic Awards (you can vote at https://rondoaward.com/rondoaward.com/blog/ ) I thought I would share a nice review of my book. Thanks Shock Cinema!
I am honored to announce that my book Carol Lynley: Her Film & TV Career in Thrillers, Fantasy & Suspense has been nominated by the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards for Book of the Year (Non-fiction). Click here to access the ballot open to the public to vote for any and all the categories listed.
My long awaited tribute book on Carol Lynley is now available for purchase via BearManor Media.
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