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Gay Rowan in Dead on Target

In 1976, Gay Rowan appeared in what was perhaps her most substantial post-Starlost role, in the TV movie Our Man Flint: Dead on Target. Canadian actress Gay Rowan is probably best remembered for her part in the 1973 cult science fiction TV show The Starlost. The Starlost was only on for a short time but it seemed sure that Gay Rowan would go on to bigger things. It didn't exactly work out that way, but she did make some notable appearances during the decade after the demise of The Starlost.

Our Man Flint: Dead on Target was television adaptation of the successful Flint feature films of the mid 1960s, Our Man Flint and In Like Flint. James Coburn portrayed Derek Flint in the movies and veteran TV/film actor Ray Danton (in one of his last acting roles before turning to directing full-time) assumed the role a decade later for Dead on Target. The ultra-chic '60s motif of the cinematic Flint was updated to reflect '70s chic for this television continuation. This version of Flint also seems a bit more down to earth. He no longer appears to be fabulously wealthy or incomparably slick, rather he seems more like a capable private investigator, driving a rather modest car and living in a nice house. Many of the more surreal aspects of the films are toned down.

Gay Rowan co-stars with Ray Danton as Bonita Rogers, a woman who wants to become Derek Flint's apprentice. Of course, he quickly accepts her and she plays Flint's sidekick for the duration of Dead on Target. Gay Rowan handles herself very well here. She is given limited material to work with but she makes the most of it and comes off as very charming. Bonita Rogers seems to have an affection for Derek Flint, becoming jealous of his masseuse at one point, and there is other occasional back-and-forth interplay concerning their relationship. Additionally, Gay Rowan's character gets to wear a variety of very fashionable 70s gear and she wears it quite well!

One gets the feeling that Our Man Flint: Dead on Target was a pilot film for a television series. I haven't read that specifically, but Dead on Target definitely has the same feel of other pilot films of the 70s and 80s. It's a shame that this wasn't made into a weekly series because I think it would have made a fun show. Obviously, Dead on Target had a few problems but I think they could have tightened things up in a series. It would have been particularly nice to see Gay Rowan return to television after The Starlost and to see the progression of her character from Dead on Target.

Here are some images of Gay Rowan in Dead on Target:

Diana Rigg on The Sentimental Agent

About two years before starring as Emma Peel on The Avengers, Diana Rigg made her television debut in 1963 on The Sentimental Agent. The Sentimental Agent was a spin-off from another series, Man of the World, and starred Carlos Thompson as a sophisticated Argentinian import/export man who involved himself in various intrigues. The show only had 13 episodes.

The Sentimental Agent has the distinction of introducing Diana Rigg to the world of television. She had been performing on-stage since the 1950s, but in the early 1960s she decided to begin performing on TV. The Sentimental Agent was her first appearance, then she did a few teleplays before landing the role of Emma Peel on The Avengers.

Diana Rigg's Sentimental Agent episode, 'A Very Desirable Plot', was originally broadcast in late 1963. The episode takes place in the Caribbean, where a bunch of people have bought plots of land to build homes on. However, the land turns out to be unsuitable for building and the people are outraged to find that they may have been swindled out of their money. The suave Carlos Varela (played by Carlos Thompson) is the one who has sold these people prefabricated houses to put on their land and he is as surprised as they are to find out that the land is a swamp. After some of the landowners place blame on him for being involved with this scheme, he quickly sets about trying to rectify the situation. Carlos Varela must find the man who sold them the undesirable land and then lay a trap for him in order to rescue the large group of scam victims.

Diana Rigg plays Francy, the daughter of a retired British military man who has spent his savings to purchase land and a home in a tropical island paradise. Francy does not trust Carlos Varela and begins her own investigation. Of course, being as enchanting as she is, Carlos takes a liking to her and she appears to like him as well.

Its a bit hard to believe that this is someone's television debut because she acts so naturally. I guess being onstage for years previously had really paid off, because Diana Rigg is wonderful here. She displays all of the charm and understated exuberance that would make her famous a couple of years later in The Avengers. All in all, a very auspicious screen debut and its no wonder that she would become internationally known shortly thereafter.

Here are some images of Diana Rigg on The Sentimental Agent:

Barbara De Rossi in Hearts and Armour

In 1983. Barbara De Rossi starred as Bradamante in Hearts and Armour (the English title of the original Italian title I Paladini - storia d'armi e d'amori). The film is an epic fantasy piece based upon Ludovico Ariosto's 16th century epic poem 'Orlando Furioso'. Barbara De Rossi stars alongside an international cast, mostly comprised of Italian and American actors and actresses.

The first things I noticed about Hearts and Armour were the stunning cinematography by Dante Spinotti and the amazing set and costume design. Disregarding everything else, the movie simply looks fantastic.

Barbara De Rossi made Hearts and Armour very early in her career. Her first film was in 1978, but she didn't really begin her acting career in earnest until 1980. As in most of her English-language features, her voice is dubbed here. Nevertheless, she manages to make quite an impression, especially due to her striking beauty. Beyond that, it is perhaps not difficult to make an impression when surrounded by some of the cheesiest American actors that could be found.

The movie was released to theaters internationally and Warner Brothers dubbed the movie for English speaking markets. However, Hearts and Armour to this day remains a cult classic, not widely seen then or now. The film had a VHS release but I guess no one has deemed it worthy of a nice DVD release. One can only hope that a digital remaster will appear someday and hopefully in widescreen! Hearts and Armour is just too good not to get a bit more recognition.

Here are some pictures of Barbara De Rossi in Hearts and Armour (I Paladini - storia d'armi e d'amori):