Re: Julie Christie - NOT an "I SPY" Guest Star ....

As you all know from "Vanity", Bob's old house in the hills had a movie screen that lowered from a mock book shelf in the ceiling. The unit that housed the screen featured the spines of law books hiding the mechanism (he used to tell people they were "My father's law books"). Many was the night we put on 16mm episodes of various shows, including and especially, "I Spy".

I recall Bob being somewhat critical of Jean Marsh when we watched "The Warlord", but his opinion has softened and gotten kinder towards her over the years. Actually Tatia, your astute assessment of Julie Christie's would-be interpretation of Katherine is exactly what he was originally shooting for; a pretty, selfish jet-setter who is ennobled and matured by her alliance with Chang Tzu. In fact, as you recall, Kelly's attitude when rescuing her is to treat this as yet another of Katherine's silly flirtations, something that would have been more in line with a pampered girl accustomed to following her passions at a moment's notice. Bob said he was always sad that Christie didn't do the role, but as we all know, in the end, the episode still stands as one of the best Bob ever wrote and acted in and Ms. Marsh added a gravitas and elegance found with precious few of the women who guest starred on "I Spy".

MBF