Behind-The-Scenes Pix #22: THE POWERS OF MATTHEW STAR (1981)

As mentioned in the previous post, Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy directed an episode or two of the 1981 sci-fi series, The Powers Of Matthew Star. Here are a couple of behind-the-scenes photos of Nimoy and Matthew Star star Peter Barton on the set that I recently stumbled across - I figured this was a good time and place to share them....

THE POWERS OF MATTHEW STAR (1981)

The Powers Of Matthew Star was another show, like The Phoenix, which appeared at the very tail-end of what I define as the Space: 1970 era, premiering on NBC in the Fall of 1981. It starred Peter Barton as the titular character, an alien prince in exile on Earth possessing various psi powers. Helping him hide from his extraterrestrial enemies and keeping his alien identity a secret from us simple Earthlings was his guardian, played by future Academy Award-winner, Louis Gossett Jr. Matthew's human girlfriend was played by Amy Steel.

The show had a troubled production, with considerable changes made between the pilot film (including the character's name) and the subsequent, single-season series. There was also a mid-season course change as the show more-or-less dropped its original premise of a super-powered teenager trying to keep his true identity secret while struggling with the trials and tribulations of high school (rather like Smallville's early years, actually) in favor of Matthew and his guardian becoming secret agents for the government.

A number of Space: 1970 vets worked on the show, including Six Million Dollar Man/The Invisible Man's Harve Bennett, and producer Bruce Lansbury, fresh off Buck Rogers In The 25th Century. Star Trek actor Walter Koenig wrote an episode, and Leonard Nimoy directed one.

I honestly don't recall much about the show. I remember watching the first episode and not getting into it, despite my love of the genre. I think part of it was that I was getting older, and could sense, even if only subconsciously, that the producers and network were battling over the show's direction, and it just wasn't coming together. I also remember thinking Barton looked too mature to be a High School kid.

But it did just well enough in the ratings to get a full season - which is more than shows like Planet Of The Apes, Logan's Run, and the aforementioned Phoenix managed. As the clip embedded above shows, it also aired on the Sci-Fi Channel back in the 90s.

Warren Magazines ALIEN (1979) Collector's Edition

Warren Publishing, publishers of Famous Monsters Of Filmland, Vampirella, Eerie and Creepy, put out several authorized, B&W "collector's" magazines in conjunction with major genre films of the Space: 1970 era. Among these were Moonraker, Meteor, and Alien. These were basically full-issue, Famous Monsters-styled "filmbooks," featuring a long, detailed plot summary, actor profiles and behind-the-scenes articles, all written for 13 year-olds. Which, of course, was pretty much the exact target audience.

Each of these Warren collector's magazines also had plenty of ads in the back for Warren's mail-order outfit, The Captain Company, which offered thousands of genre products - from Warren magazine back-issues to paperback novelizations, posters, models, action figures, masks, t-shirts and LPs. Looking at the representative Captain's Co. ad above, I'm still amazed how many kid-targeted items of merchandise were licensed by 20th Century Fox for an R-rated horror film. Such a thing would hardly raise an eyebrow today, but in the 70s...?

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (1978) Books

The Battlestar Galactica Scrapbook came out around the premiere of the series on ABC, and was less of a "Scrapbook" than it was a fairly in-depth (though written for teenagers) behind-the-scenes volume. I still have my copy, though it's been ages since I last looked through it. One thing I do remember, though, was the interesting tidbit that the flying Viper-styled motorcycles that showed up in Galactica 1980 were on the drawing boards back when the original pilot was made. A chapter of the book described them alongside the tank-like Landram as one of the ground transport vehicles available to the Colonials.

The book was lavishly illustrated with B&W photos (some of which I've never seen anywhere else), plus an 8 pg color section. It was one of the better pieces of original Galactica merchandising, at least from my point of view, because it did actually get into the nuts and bolts of the production.

This hardcover withe the familiar Robert Tannenbaum Galactica key art on its cover, was a 90-page  kid's "novelization" of the pilot film, credited to author Charles E. Mercer and Glen A. Larson, and was fully illustrated with color stills. I never had a copy of this one, though I have thumbed through a copy or two at conventions.

The STAR MAIDENS (1976) Have Landed!

So... I finally broke down and decided to step outside my comfort zone a bit, and ordered the 1976 Anglo-German sci-fi series, Star Maidens, on DVD from the UK (can Blake's 7 be far behind?). It showed up yesterday, and so far, I've only watched two episodes.

It's a weird one, no doubt - resembling a Teutonic sex farce produced by Gerry Anderson. Of course, Anderson had nothing to do with it, but the presence of Space: 1999 designer Keith Wilson certainly contributes to the resemblance.

In fact, so far, it's Wilson's designs, the Old School miniature effects and funky 70s musical score that appeal to me the most. That, and recognizing the exterior Black Park forest locations from all the great Hammer Films gothics (the show was shot at Hammer's Bray Studios home, too).

I keep reading that show re-used Space: 1999 sets and props, but I've seen no evidence of that myself (yet). Would Anderson/Lew Grade actually have let 1999 stuff be rented out, especially when they were still planning a  second season/series? Would they really have schlepped sets from Pinewood over to Bray? (Of course, as a Yank, I have no idea where those two studios are, geographically speaking, in relation to each other.) Not knowing the answers to those questions, I still suspect that people are just recognizing the very distinct hand of Wilson in both shows' design. Of course, as I see more episodes, I may have to revise that opinion.

The show consists of 13 half-hour episodes, so it shouldn't take me long to get through them. Look for a review one of these days (hopefully, right after I finally post my promised Invisible Man  article).

CLIFFHANGERS! (1979) Network Promo

Here's a real rarity! It's nearly impossible to find anything online relating to Kenneth Johnson's short-lived 1979 series, Cliffhangers!, so this vintage NBC promo clip is quite the find. The show was a modern "take" on the theatrical movie serials of the 30s and 40s, with three, 15-minute chapters of three different ongoing stories in each episode.

The one that most fit in with the Space: 1970 aesthetic was "The Secret Empire," an update/rip-off of the 1935 Gene Autry vehicle, The Phantom Empire. Both dealt with cowboys battling the inhabitants of secret underground scientific super-cities. In the Cliffhangers! version, the leader of the villains was portrayed by none other than Mark Lenard of Star Trek and the Planet Of the Apes television series.

Of course, the real gem was "The Curse of Dracula" with Michael Nouri as a very 70s undead Count...

ARK II (1976) Vintage Video Art

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It's difficult to find much memorabilia from the Filmation live-action sci-fi shows. As far as I can tell, none of them got domestic releases on VHS (and if I'm wrong, please let me know - and send scans!). Space Academy did get some action figures (again, I'd love some good pix), and Jason Of Star Command did get one tie-in kid's novel (which I hope to have on my shelf before the end of the week - but that's about it. They came and went just too damned fast for any real exploitation by toymakers and other licensors. As far as I know, all that Ark II got was a Halloween costume... and a Swedish VHS release.

What a shame. Can you imagine how cool model kits of the Ark II, Seeker, Space Academy, or Drago's Dragonship would have been?  Or a Ark II vehicle toy with action figures of Jonah, Ruth, Samuel and Adam so you could reenact their post-Apocalyptic adventures in your backyard?

Anyway, the colorful artwork for that Swedish videotape appears above. Oddly, there are no good shots of the Ark II itself on the video sleeve; apparently the jetpack - and Roamer - were considered more of a selling point.