Sylvia Sidney in Behold My Wife

One of the greatest stars of 1930's cinema, Sylvia Sidney, had a fantastic run of starring roles during that decade. In 1934, the amazingly gorgeous and skillful actress was featured in a brilliant (and what would nowadays probably be considered quite controversial) drama called Behold My Wife.

The plot of Behold My Wife revolves around the alcoholic son of a wealthy family and his attempt to 'get back at' his rich and rigid parents by marrying an unsuspecting Native American woman. The premise is handled with a certain degree of care and it's certainly the type of film that could not or would not be made today.

In a somewhat unlikely bit of casting, this motion picture has Sylvia Sidney portraying a Native American person. It's worth mentioning that two years before this movie, Sidney had played a Japanese girl in the 1932 adaptation of Madame Butterfly. Perhaps it was her success in that role which led to her being cast here. Regardless, the talented actress handles her part in Behold My Wife with ease and she looks great doing it. It's an entertaining film with equal measures of disturbing social commentary, thick melodrama and snarky humor. This is to be considered a definite must for fans of Sylvia Sidney's early work.

Jo Ann Harris on Barnaby Jones in 1974

1970's TV goddess Jo Ann Harris made three appearances on the popular private detective series Barnaby Jones. Her first guest spot on the show was in 1974 in an episode titled "Odd Man Loses," which also featured guest stars Dick Van Patten and Christopher Stone.

Jo Ann Harris & Buddy Ebsen

In this episode of Barnaby Jones, Jo Ann Harris portrays the young and beautiful wife of an older man (Dick Van Patten) who works as an accountant for a large company. Reluctantly, Van Patten has teamed with the two other guys from his carpool to steal a briefcase full of cash from an important executive. Of course, the robbery goes horribly wrong and, even though the trio of amateur criminals get away with the money, they have to cover-up a murder and try to keep their cool when a private investigator starts asking tough questions.

Jo Ann Harris & Dick Van Patten

The excessively lovely Jo Ann Harris does a terrific job here. She gives a strong, confident performance as a woman (perhaps unwittingly) involved in a heinous crime. In the beginning of the episode she acts like a spoiled wife and, by the end, she has had an opportunity to utilize her patented 'bad girl' persona. Overall, this can be considered yet another '70s television triumph for the talented and visually striking actress.