January's Space Babe: Tamara Dobson

The first Space Babe of 2015 is the sleek and striking Tamara Dobson, as the mysterious and amnesiac alien, Samantha, on Jason Of Star Command. Discovered in suspended animation within a derelict spaceship by the titular Jason (Craig Littler) at the beginning of Season Two, the stunning Samantha quickly became a valued partner-in-adventure for brash rogue Jason and his Star Command allies. With a variety of vaguely-defined powers, including superhuman strength and assorted psi abilities, Samantha may have been unable to remember where she came from - all she recalled was that her people were conquered by the armies of arch-fiend, Dragos (Sid Haig) - but she soon made a home for herself aboard the Space Academy, and figured prominently in Dragos' final defeat.

The 6' 2" Dobson was a popular magazine model - appearing in publications like Vogue and Ebony in the early 1970s - and actress, who is probably best known for her two turns as blaxploitation tigress "Cleopatra Jones," a kung fu kickin' government agent in two Warner Brothers action films: Cleopatra Jones (1973) and Cleopatra Jones And The Casino of Gold (1975). She also appeared in the Buck Rogers In The 25th Century episode, "Happy Birthday, Buck."

Ms. Dobson passed away in October, 2006.

November's Space Babe: Eddie Benton

Our latest Space Babe is Eddie Benton (a/k/a Anne-Marie Martin), who starred in the 1979 Canadian-made space opera, The Shape Of Things To Come, as the resourceful roboticist Kim. She also memorably guest starred in the first season Buck Rogers In the 25th Century episode, "Twiki is Missing!" as a telekinetic troubleshooter named Stella.

Born as Edmonda Benton in Ontario in 1957, the comely actress with astoundingly sexy legs appeared in a number of TV shows and films of interest to Space: 1970 fans during the late 70s and early 80s, including guest roles on Wonder Woman and The Powers Of Matthew Star. In 1978, she played Clea in the Dr. Strange TV movie. Apparently, she was one of the many young actresses that auditioned for the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars, too. In '81, she changed her name to Anne-Marie Martin, and retired from acting only a few years later.

From  1987 to 2002, she was married to best-selling novelist (and Westworld creator) Michael Crichton. When the couple split up, she reportedly received a 31 million dollar settlement. Needless to say, she now lives a life of leisure, devoting much of her time to keeping and riding horses.

July's Space Babe: Virginia Hey

July's Space Babe (and the first of 2014) is the striking Virginia Hey as Warrior Woman in 1981's Mad Max 2 (a/k/a The Road Warrior). A woman of few words, this post-Apocalyptic amazon wielded her deadly crossbows in defense of her desert community, and gave her life to secure their survival.

Born in Sydney, Australia in 1952, the lovely Hey was a model before launching her acting career with Mad Max 2. She went on to star in several Australian television series, while also making appearances in numerous feature films, such as The Living Daylights.

In 1999, she returned to the sci-fi genre with a co-starring role on Farscape, where she portrayed an alien priestess named Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan. In recent years, she has been focusing her talents on a line of perfumes and aromatic candles.

Her official website: Virginia Hey.

July's Space Babe: Jean-Marie Hon

July's Space Babe is pretty Jean-Marie Hon, who co-starred in two Space: 1970 favorites: Ark II and Man From Atlantis. On the Saturday morning Filmation series, Ark II, Jean-Marie portrayed the youthful and idealistic scientist Ruth, who traveled a post-Holocaust America with her equally-idealistic companions Jonah, Samuel, and talking chimp, Adam, bringing technological and humanitarian aid to the scattered remnants of civilization. On Man From Atlantis, she was Jane, communications officer aboard the advanced research submarine, Cetacean, providing back-up support for aqua-mariner Mark Harris's undersea adventures.

I've been able to find out very little about the lovely Ms Hon online. She was born in 1955 in San Francisco, and acted on television from 1976 (Ark II) through 1985, appearing in TV movies and in guest shots on shows like Hawaii 5-0 and The Hardy Boys. According to what little I've been able to uncover in my Internet safaris, she retired from acting to raise a family and became a pharmacist. She appeared in the supplemental interview material on the Ark II DVD set from BCI a few years back, and still looked beautiful.

June's Space Babe: Ayshea

June's Space Babe is pretty, pouty Ayshea, as SHADO Operative... "Ayshea," on Gerry Anderson's first live-action sci-fi series, UFO. A fixture of SHADO's underground HQ beneath England's Harlington-Straker film studio, the raven-haired lovely with the prominent monogrammed pendant seemed to be one of the organization's most efficient and appreciated operatives. At least, Straker seemed fond of her.

Actress and singer Ayshea Brough was born Ayshea Hague in 1948, and had her first film role at age 9. She was a popular recording artist and TV presenter in England the 70s, hosting such music and variety shows as Discotheque and Lift Off before moving to Los Angeles for most of the 80s and early 90s. According to online sources, she was a well known Beverly Hills socialite and ran a property development and interior design business. She returned to the UK in 1993.

Happy Birthday Sybil Danning!

Today marks the birthday of Space: 1970 favorite Sybil Danning! Best known to Star Kids (probably) as the Valkyrie Warrior St. Exmin in Battle Beyond The Stars, the statuesque Sybil also had a prominent guest role on the original V television series.

For more of the stunning Sybil, check out this VHS intro for the Space: 1999 compilation film, Alien Attack. She was also our Space Babe for March, 2011.

March's Space Babes: Deidre Hall & Judy Strangis

March's Space Babes are Deidre Hall and Judy Strangis as Electra Woman & Dyna Girl - two of the Seventies sexiest Saturday Morning superheroines! A sort of distaff take on Batman & Robin (by way of the campy 1966 television series), Electra Woman & and her teen sidekick, Dyna Girl, battled a bevy of colorful super villains every weekend with the help of their assistant Frank (Norman Alden) and the sophisticated, ray-projecting, "electra-comps" they wore on their wrists.

Part of Sid & Marty Krofft's 1976 anthology series, Krofft Supershow, the microbudgeted adventures of Electra Woman & Dyna Girl featured tiny sets, cheap video effects, ridiculously over-the-top performances, and an awesome theme song. Electra Woman was played by the lovely Deidre Hall, an iconic soap opera actress best known for her 40+ year run on Days Of Our Lives. Born in 1947, the actress worked as a model and in commercials before landing the Electra Woman role and - right around the same time - her part on Days Of Our Lives.

Cute teen sidekick Dyna Girl was portrayed by the pouty Judy Strangis, who was only a couple years younger than her co-star. She had been a regular on the television series Room 222, and was a popular TV guest actress during the early 70s. But, according to the IMDb, she had an unfortunate experience with a stalker and retired from "face" acting; she has been doing almost exclusively voice-over work ever since.

There were only 16 episodes of Electra Woman & Dyna Girl produced, but I remember watching it every Saturday. Back then, I didn't notice the cheapness of the production, all I cared about was seeing the two pretty young women in their colorful costumes shooting laser beams from their clunky wrist communicator/computers.

I even have an Electra Woman action figure on a shelf in my office....

February's Space Babe: Pam Dawber

February's Space Babe is pretty Pam Dawber, of Mork & Mindy, the 70's most successful sci-fi sitcom. As Denver, Colorado native and "girl next door," Mindy McConnell, Dawber somehow managed to hold her own against the nearly-unrestrained comic energy of co-star Robin Williams as the irrepressible alien Mork (from Ork) for four seasons on ABC, beginning in the Fall of 1978.

Like every other kid at the time, I watched M&M pretty regularly - back then, Williams' hyper-paced comic style seemed fresh, original and constantly surprising. But when I caught reruns years later, I found his schtick more tiresome than amusing, and found myself much more impressed by Dawber's steady, grounded, more subtle comedy and her upbeat attitude and genuine warmth. And, damn, she was cute.

Dawber was born in 1951 near Detroit. As a young woman, she was a model and singer. Aside from her star-making role on Mork & Mindy, the talented actress has guest-starred in many other television series and starred in various theatrical productions.

Happy Birthday, Stella Star!

This Star Kid wants to wish the lovely Caroline Munro - Stella Star herself - a very joyous and happy birthday today. The interstellar siren of Luigi Cozzi's pulp romp Starcrash (who also portrayed the savage Dia the Beautiful in Kevin Connor's At The Earth's Core, among many other memorable genre roles) turns a youthful 64 today.

Caroline is a personal favorite of mine, and although I've never had the good fortune to meet her, she remains something of a muse to me in my writing. Many of my heroines resemble Ms. Munro, and that's not a coincidence. It's also notable, I think that Caroline was the very first "Space Babe" on this site!

January's Space Babe: Dana Gillespie

Our first Space Babe of 2013 is lost world lovely Dana Gillespie, from 1977's The People That Time Forgot. Quite fetching in her plunging doeskin, the British-born cavegirl was an appealing ally and guide to adventurer Patrck Wayne as he searched the dinosaur-infested time-lost land for the wayward Doug McClure.

Born in March of 1949, Gillispie is a popular singer of pop and "risque" blues tunes, and was the original Mary Magdalene in the first London production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar in 1971. Aside from The People That Time Forgot, the shapely young actress' genre credits include a memorable role in Hammer Films' bizarre adventure film, The Lost Continent in 1968.

These days, the multiple-award-winning Gillispie still performs regularly in England and Europe with her London Blues Band. Her personal website can be found HERE.

Erin Gray - The Ultimate Space Babe

You may have noticed the "Popular Posts" list over in the right-hand sidebar of this blog. This widget tracks the most popular posts on this blog in the last 30 days. For the last twelve months - give or take a week or two where it may have dropped to number two or three - the most-viewed post on this site has been the "Erin Gray/Wilma Deering Gallery."

I can't say I'm surprised. Not only was Ms Gray's Wilma Deering stunning in shiny spandex, she was a strong, courageous, intelligent and fiercely feminine icon of the Space: 1970 era with a devastating smile and the sexiest laugh ever heard on TV. Star Kids of both genders couldn't help admire her... and that admiration and affection continues today (anyone else watch her on The Guild?). I hereby pronounce her the "Ultimate Space Babe!"

Here's wishing all Star Kids - those who grew up in the Seventies with the sci-fi shows, movies and memorabilia of the era, and those of subsequent generations who discovered this stuff years later - a very happy, safe, and space opera-filled New Year. Enjoy a toast of Saurian Brandy, Tranya or ambrosa tonight (drink responsibly - that stuff has a helluva kick), and I'll see you all here again on the 2nd.

Maren Jensen/Athena Gallery

Here's a Space Babes "Extra" - a gallery of Battlestar Galactica publicity stills I've been collecting, featuring the gorgeous and exotic Maren Jensen as Athena - possibly my favorite 70s Space Babe of them all (or at least tied with Erin Gray).

Maren was the Space: 1970 Space Babe on December 12, 2009. Enjoy!

November's Space Babe: Katie Saylor

November's Space Babe is the lovely and mysterious Katie Saylor as the half-alien Liana of the 1977 television series The Fantastic Journey. The character first appeared in the second episode of the short-lived series, "Atlantium," and joined our inter-dimensional castaways Varian (Jared Martin), Scott (Ike Eisenmann) and Fred (Carl Franklin) as they traveled through the various time zones of a mysterious island in the heart of the Bermuda Triangle.

According to the series, her father was Atlantean and her mother was an extraterrestrial from a heavy-gravity world. Liana possessed superhuman physical strength (due to her being born on a higher gravity planet than Earth) and various psionic abilities. She traveled with a pet cat that she could telepathically communicate with, named Sil-El, which often acted as a scout for the adventurers.

There's very little information online about Ms. Saylor. She became gravely ill during the production of The Fantastic Journey and was written out of the final two (and a half) episodes. She appears to have retired from acting at that time. Conflicting information online states that she either passed away in 1991, or is still alive and living a quiet life in California with her husband. Prior to Journey, she appeared in exploitation films like Invasion of The Bee Girls and The Swinging Barmaids.

Wherever she is now - this world or the next - I hope she knows how many of us remember her fondly for her strong, dignified portrayal of the heroic Liana.

August's Space Babe: Lea Brodie

 

Beautiful brunette Lea Brodie as Delphine, in the John Dark/Kevin Connor production of Warlords Of Atlantis (1977). This month's Space Babe comes from inner space in the fine form of an Atlantean slave girl who comes to the aid of stranded 19th Century mariners led by stalwart Doug McClure (The Land That Time Forgot, At The Earth's Core) in this fun, Saturday matinee lost world adventure.

I admit it - Lea was not my original choice for August, but I just received and watched my new imported-from-the-UK Warlords Of Atlantis DVD and was struck by the beauty of the young actress, whom I immediately recognized from her role in the Roger Moore film, ffolkes. And since this is my blog, she gets this month's nod for Space Babe!

The lovely Lea (also known as Lea Dregorn) had a very brief acting career in the Seventies, appearing on British television programs (including a first year episode of Space: 1999, "Force of Life"), stage, and in a handful of feature films. She retired from acting in the 80s, and is now a spiritual and holistic healer.

Her website.

Caroline Munro in Mediascene (1979)

Issue #37 of Jim Steranko's Mediascene tabloid magazine from the Spring of 1979, featuring Starcrash's Caroline Munro on its cover. The issue featured an article on the stunning Caroline, covering her appearances in a variety of 70s genre films, including The Spy Who Loved Me, The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad, Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter, At The Earth's Core, etc.

July's Space Babe: Yûko Asano

July's Space Babe is pretty Japanese actress Yûko Asano, plucky astronette of Toho Studios' 1977 space opera, The War In Space. As Jun Takigawa, the token female crewmember aboard the Earth spaceship Gohten, she was pretty much destined to be kidnapped by the evil Supreme Commander Hell of the alien space battleship Daimakan ,and his Wookiee-like, battle axe-wielding, "Space Beastman." Also inevitable, of course, was the alien leader forcing her to wear a skimpy leather slave outfit.

An award-winning actress and singer,Yûko Asano was born on July 9th (coincidentally, my own birthday!) in 1960, and has had a prolific career in film and television in Japan.

June's Space Babe: Kirstie Alley

June's Space Babe is Kirstie Alley as the half-Vulcan/half-Romulan Lieutenant Saavik in 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan. One of the most memorable later additions to the original Star Trek canon, Lt. Saavik was introduced as the protégé of Captain Spock, who presumably identified (if not empathized) with her dual heritage. Fresh from the Academy and eager to prover herself, Saavik was instrumental in the defeat of the 20th Century genetic warlord Khan... and then she was replaced by another actress (Robin Curtis) in the next two Trek features.

Although she had appeared uncredited in an episode of Quark as a nameless handmaiden (at least, according to the IMDb - I have to go check that out myself when I get a moment), it was Star Trek II that launched the lovely Ms. Alley into a long and successful acting career that continues today. After Khan, she appeared in a number of TV episodes, miniseries and features until landing a co-starring role on the popular sitcom, Cheers. Reportedly afraid of being typecast, she declined to return to the role of Saavik in subsequent Trek features.

Flight of the Valkyrie!

"Live fast, fight well and have a beautiful ending." The statuesque Sybil Danning - also known as St. Exmin of the Valkyrie in Roger Corman's 1980 space opera, Battle Beyond The Stars, celebrates her birthday today! Space: 1970 wishes the galactic goddess a very happy 60th!

A Space: 1970 favorite, the stunning Ms. Danning was our Space Babe for March, 2011.

May's Space Babe: Lindsay Wagner

May 2012's Space Babe is our favorite bionic beauty, Lindsay Wagner as Jaime Sommers. Kinda mad at myself that I haven't posted a Space Babe since January - but, hey, it's been a rough couple of months here at Space: 1970 headquarters. In any case, I can't think of a better choice to kick off Spring than the lovely Lindsay.

The sexy cyborg's adventures may have been exclusively Earthbound, but as an agent of the Office of Scientific Intelligence, her missions led to several different extraterrestrial encounters. Each week, The Bionic Woman protected America's interests and saved the world with style, charm and humor. Introduced in a two-part episode of The Six Million Dollar Man in March, 1975, as the childhood sweetheart of astronaut Steve Austin (Lee Majors), Jaime Sommers was equipped with bionic replacement parts (an ear, an arm, and both legs) after a tragic skydiving accident. Unfortunately, her body rejected the bionic implants and, well, she died.

Apparently I wasn't the only kid who was crushed by her demise, because the network commanded the producers to bring her back to life, which they did the following season. The character was then spun off into her own weekly series, which lasted for three years (on two networks). Wagner was almost too good an actress for the show, but she treated the role - and the audience - with respect, and brought tremendous heart and warmth to her portrayal. No matter how absurd or far-fetched the plot, she always played it with conviction and a sly sense of humor.

Dancer, actress, activist, model and author, Lindsay Wagner was born in 1949 in Los Angeles. She appeared on many television shows and a few motion pictures throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s, and became a regular fixture in made-for-television cable dramas. In the late 80s-early 90s, she reprised her role as Jaime Sommers in three "Bionic" TV reunion films. She still acts, and has a recurring role on SyFy's Warehouse 13.

January's Space Babe: Joanna Cameron

The first (Super) Space Babe of 2012 is sultry super-heroine JoAnna Cameron, star of the Saturday morning adventure series, Isis (a/k/a The Secrets of Isis), produced by Filmation Studios for CBS beginning in 1975 as a companion series to their popular Shazam! program. The mighty Isis  - with the occasional assistance of Shazam’s Captain Marvel - fought crime and saved lives every week, usually managing to teach kids a nice moral lesson before the end credits, too.

JoAnna Cameron radiated confidence, strength and a serene wisdom both as the mysterious Isis and as her bookish alter ego, California high school chemistry teacher Andrea Thomas. Using a magical amulet to imbue herself with the powers of an ancient Egyptian goddess, Isis protected children from a wide variety of dangers and disasters - and their own poor judgement. With her slender, finely-turned legs showcased by her white miniskirt, Isis gave prime time’s Wonder Woman a run for her money as TV’s sexiest super-heroine for two seasons in the mid-70s. (And for my money, Isis wins.)

The lithe and lovely JoAnna Cameron was born in 1951 and appeared in a handful of movies and television shows (including a two-part episode of the prime time Amazing Spider-Man) during the early and mid Seventies before retiring from acting in 1980. Reportedly, she moved to Hawaii, where she has enjoyed a career in the hotel industry.