Hi!
When the names of several
guest star "I SPY" alumni were listed on the Courts Autograph Show list ...
http://www.network54.com/Forum/172251/message/1187784179/
I got to thinking that we haven't had a FAVORITE GUEST STAR POLL in a long time.
One the things that made "I SPY" such a stand-out in quality of production was the stellar and varied and extremely talented guest stars that appeared each week - from seasoned character actors to well-known celebrities - all added to and enhanced and enriched the quality of the series.
I (as you can imagine) have many "favorite" guest stars - Ken Tobey, Alan Oppenheimer, Harold J. Stone, Laura Devon, France Nuyen, etc., etc. ) but I'll start with RICHARD GARLAND - a.k.a. "John Irving" .... (and no, no, Tatia did not have him killed - really - I was just in the powder room in that Tokyo restaurant as Kelly said - really!
) I liked John Irving and Richard Garland a
great deal.
He appeared with Culp earlier in some TRACKDOWNS - and in lots of westerns, and also had an interesting career with some "eclectic" films like the wonderful B-movie Roger Corman classics "Attack of the Crab People" and "The Undead."
(... and yes, that's Russell Johnson in the movie also (the Professor on "Gilligan's Island) ... who plays a scientist stranded on a strange island along with several odd characters (and a really BIG crab) who keeps trying to make a radio out of spare parts ... sound familiar??)
Mr. Garland also appeared in one of my favorite "Zane Grey Theater" episodes "The Morning Incident," co-starring alongside Bob and Martha Hyer. All the cast were really spectacular in this rather adult western story (for its day) about an extremely charming (though sociopathic killer), Shad Hudson, who seeks refuge in the barn of a young woman. Culp added these wonderful nuances to his performance, as the killer and lover. Martha Hyer was perfect as the dreamy farm girl yearning for adventure in her life. And Richard Garland was excellent as her upright and long suffering fiancé. For a half-hour TV western of the early 60s, it was very, very well done.
For anyone who would like to read a more detail synopsis, check out Aunty Alta's delightful review of "Morning Incident."
http://www.network54.com/Forum/172251/message/1014832401/Morning+Incident
I also saw Mr. Garland in the MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE episode called "The Glass Cage." At first I did not recognize the prisoner being tortured. But I knew it was someone who looked really, really familiar. He only spoke once in the episode (his character was refusing to speak) and his voice made me realize who it was. This episode was made very close to the time of his death. He was very thin and gaunt, but as riveting as always - there was always a very special charm about him.
I recently discovered that he was once married to "Beverly Garland" (who is also a TRACKDOWN guest star alumni. She starred in the episode "Hard Lines" that featured James Coburn and DeForest Kelley) and is best known as the Mom on "My Three Sons".... I had never associated them together. Love those connections ....
O.K. out there, now it's your turn .... let's hear about some of your favorite "I SPY" guest stars!!
As always,
Tatia
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