Wendy Kilbourne in Condor

In 1986, Wendy Kilbourne co-starred with actor Ray Wise in a feature-length pilot for a proposed television series called Condor. Condor was a sci-fi project, set in the near future of 1999. Ray Wise played a crime fighting cop named Christopher Proctor, working for the Condor Organization run by the wealthy Cyrus Hampton (played by Craig Stevens). At the beginning of the movie, Proctor is teamed up by Hampton with a new partner: a 'bionic woman' of sorts named Lisa Hampton (Wendy Kilbourne). They go on to battle The Black Widow, a supercriminal who has just escaped from prison and is out to do some damage and get revenge on Proctor for having put her away in the first place.

Wendy Kilbourne was no stranger to television in 1986. She had already been the featured guest star on shows like Knight Rider, Riptide, The A-Team, and Hotel. Her biggest success had come in 1985 after playing a prominent role in the massive cast of the TV miniseries North and South and its subsequent continuation North and South Book II in 1986.

Condor didn't end up getting made into a proper TV series. That's unfortunate because I think it would have made a really fun show. Wendy Kilbourne has such a charming presence, I would have enjoyed seeing more of her in this type of show. I know some people have thought that Condor didn't come off all that well, but I think some of that may be from expecting too much. Condor seems to be designed to be light, fluffy and campy and works best as sheer entertainment.

Following Condor, Wendy Kilbourne maintained her presence on television. In 1987 she was cast in the short-lived TV show version of the movie Nothing in Common. The following year she landed her biggest role since North and South, as rich radio station owner Devon King on the popular NBC series Midnight Caller.

Wendy Kilbourne and Craig Stevens

Wendy Kilbourne's eyes

Wendy Kilbourne and Ray Wise

Wendy Kilbourne and James Avery

Charlotte Rampling in The Long Duel

In 1967, Charlotte Rampling was featured in the supporting cast of Ken Annakin's The Long Duel, a classic adventure film set in India in the 1920s. Yul Brynner plays sultan, the charismatic leader of a tribe that has decided to revolt against British control. Trevor Howard plays the man who must catch Sultan, despite his sympathy to the Indian people and the animosity of his British co-workers. Charlotte Rampling portrays Jane, the daughter of the police superintendent, who falls in love with Trevor Howard's character.

Promotional pic of Charlotte Rampling for The Long Duel 

Before Charlotte Rampling began doing art films, she was in The Long Duel. Her acting career had only begun two years prior, in 1965, with her first substantial role in the movie Rotten to the Core. She followed this up with a very visible part in the popular Georgy Girl. After Georgy Girl, Charlotte Rampling spent some time doing guest appearances on UK television, perhaps most notably on a wonderfully campy episode of The Avengers.

In the summer of 1967, The Long Duel premiered in London. Her role in the film is not huge, but nonetheless memorable. Knowing the type of presence she would bring to the screen in later years, it is fun to watch Charlotte Rampling in the early role, playing it completely straight. She brings a credible, youthful energy to her part and succeeds in livening up the proceedings. Almost all of her screen-time is shared with Trevor Howard and the two work well together.


The following are some images of Charlotte Rampling in The Long Duel:

Charlotte Rampling and Trevor Howard

Charlotte Rampling and Harry Andrews

Samantha Eggar on The Saint

In 1963, Samantha Eggar made her final television guest appearance, before focusing exclusively on feature films for 10 years, in an episode of The Saint. She would not make another TV guest appearance until an episode of Love Story in 1973 (she would also co-star with Yul Brynner in 1972's Anna and the King television series). From the late 1970s to the 2000s, the bulk of Samantha Eggar's screen work would be on the small screen.

In a second season episode of The Saint called 'Marcia', Samantha Eggar plays Claire Avery, an up-and-coming actress. After a more famous actress dies, Samantha Eggar's character is asked to replace the dead actress in an upcoming project. She accepts the role but then begins to receive threatening letters, prompting her to call upon Simon Templar (played by Roger Moore) to get to the bottom of things.

It's a fun episode and Samantha Eggar handles herself well throughout. As you can tell from the forthcoming images, somebody working on The Saint was apparently very fond of close-up shots. Samantha Eggar is shown frequently in tight face shots, emoting and looking lovely.

Art imitates life a bit here. In this Saint episode, Samantha Eggar portrays an up-and-coming actress with ambitions of stardom and that's pretty much what she was at the time. The next year she would begin playing larger roles in films, eventually becoming a big movie star.


Here are some images of Samantha Eggar appearing on The Saint:

Samantha Eggar and Roger Moore

Samantha Eggar and Roger Moore