Barbara Bain was a young woman who started thinking about becoming a dancer in the 1950s. She eventually turned to acting, which worked out well for her because she was married to fellow actor Martin Landau. She toured with the play, and when it finished, she and her husband went to Los Angeles, where they settled permanently.
She moved to television in 1958, almost always appearing in one-off guest roles. During that time, her husband’s career became even more successful, appearing on television and in a number of notable films, including Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. He later played important roles in the religious epic The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) and the western film Nevada Smith (1966).
That same year, Bane was cast in the pilot episode of the new Bruce Geller-produced spy drama Mission: Impossible. In the mid-1960s, there was a “boom” of spy shows on television, and unlike some other such shows, which usually featured one or two secret agents, “Mission: Impossible” had a team Everyone was there, each with their own specialized skills.
There was a “team leader” who received a mission from a mysterious recording, but then he “self-destructed”. An expert in disguise. Master of electronic devices. And the strong. Bain played “femme fatale” Cinnamon Carter. She usually distracted enemy agents or posed as a female enemy agent. The plot was dense and the team’s plans were never explained in advance, but everything came together in the final scene.
This was Bain’s first regular job in her acting career, and as is usually required, she signed a standard five-year contract. If the pilot was picked up for regular network broadcast, she would star in “Mission: Impossible” for five years.
Martin Landau also appeared in the pilot as disguise expert Rollin Hand, but was reluctant to appear in the series due to his film career. However, producer Geller was so keen on Landau’s services that, without signing a five-year contract, he agreed to have both Landau appear in the pilot and to continue making occasional appearances. Things went well, but the original “team leader” played by Stephen Hill was often absent, so Landau appeared frequently during the first season and was always credited as a “special guest star.”
Landau was satisfied with the series and agreed to sign on as a regular at the end of the first season, but only for one additional season. He did the same when the series was renewed for a third season.
However, Desilu, the studio that produced the series, was sold to Paramount Pictures. Mr. Landau and the new Paramount administration clashed over his salary demands. After several weeks of fruitless negotiations, he informed Paramount that he would not be returning for a fourth season.
Meanwhile, Bane’s television career seemed to be booming, winning three consecutive Emmy Awards for her role as Cinnamon Carter. However, she missed several commitments in preparation for season 4 while her husband’s dispute with Paramount continued. And when she won her third Emmy at the 1969 ceremony, she called it a “bittersweet moment” because she was “the girl who used to be on Mission: Impossible.” — her exit from the series.
Her representatives asked Paramount to release her from her contract, but Paramount refused. Instead, Paramount sued Bain and sought a court order to enforce the contract.
Currently, courts will not compel someone to perform the personal services listed in the contract. Judges don’t want to monitor whether someone is doing their job correctly. Instead, the court order restrained Bain from working in the same “market” — television or film produced in California — until his contract expired. Of course, Bane could always return and perform as she agreed instead.
However, Bane never returned to Mission: Impossible. A court order from Paramount prevented her from appearing in Hollywood productions until 1971.
Eventually, Bain resumed a long series of television guest appearances and also appeared in several films. In the mid-1970s, she and Landau co-starred again in the two-season British science fiction series Space: 1999, which was apparently so bad that TV Guide critic Cleveland Amory wrote: “This series was never produced.” It was like a crime. ”
Her husband’s career languished for a while, but by the 1980s he was in demand again, and he eventually won an Academy Award for the 1994 film “Ed Wood.” However, Bane’s career never fully recovered, which was a shame as he brought grace to the role. And many critics and fans agree that his three-year run on Mission: Impossible was his peak.
Frank Zotter Jr. is a Ukiah attorney.
