Melissa George in Thieves (2001) Pilot Episode

In the year 2001 the powers that be decided it was time to give Australian actress Melissa George her own show on U.S. television. The previous few years had seen this gifted performer gaining momentum in Hollywood and she had spent the years before that honing her craft on Aussie TV. This new project was called Thieves and it would bring Melissa George, briefly, to a very large audience.

Since Melissa George wasn't yet very well known to the average American viewer, for her show Thieves she would have to be paired with an established star...and that star would be the suave actor John Stamos. Stamos had been working steadily in television and film since the 1980s and had rocketed to TV stardom on the hugely popular ABC sitcom Full House. That series had ended in 1995 and now the time had come for him to return to ABC and have his own show. But for the show to work, his female co-star would have to match him in the looks and personality departments, and that match was found in Melissa George.

The premise of Thieves is simple. Two professional criminals (both attractive, both slighty neurotic) are nabbed by the authorities and given an ultimatum: go to prison or put their unique skills to good use working for the government (they, of course, choose the latter option). It's a classic Hollywood trope and one that often leans heavily on the charisma of the performers involved. Stamos and George were clearly up for the task and so a pilot episode was made and eventually a series was given a green light.

The pilot episode of Thieves is, as one would expect, silky smooth and immensely appealing. The well-established John Stamos brings his customary charm and solid looks to the table and accomplishes his task effortlessly. But (as mentioned previosuly) it would all be for nothing if he didn't have someone to perfectly compliment him...and so in comes the visually stunning Melissa George and she as able to match her co-star step for step. Her fresh and fun energy enlivens Mr. Stamos and together they are able to bring to life this portrait of an entirely enticing screen couple.

This introduction to world of Thieves succeeds in it the most important way: it makes the person watching want to tune in next week for more. Of course, I didn't see this program back in 2001 and I would probably have been too cynical back then to sit back and appreciate a frothy adventure such as this. Fast forward a couple of decades and I'm all in and ready to watch and enjoy!

Stay tuned for more!

Jill St. John in Banning (1967)

In 1967, actress Jill St. John appeared in the movie Banning. It was a busy time for this talented performer and she could steadily be seen at cinemas (in four different feature films!) and on television (in one TV movie and multiple guest appearances) throughout the year.

Banning comes from a fantastic era in the history of Universal Pictures and stars Robert Wagner as an unscrupulous golf pro who unexpectedly arrives and causes trouble at an exclusive private club in Arizona. Wagner garners the fancy of three local ladies -- played by actresses Anjanette Comer, Susan Clark & Jill St. John -- each with their own set of problems. With equal measures of potboiling melodrama and thrilling sports action, Banning is an underrated classic from the fabulous 1960s.

As many might be aware, Jill St. John later married her Banning co-star Robert Wagner in 1990. Way back in 1966 (though originally aired at the start of 1967), the pair had first worked together in an item from the early era of made-for-television films, a saucy little number titled How I Spent My Summer Vacation. Later on in 1967, the charasmatic duo again showcased their chemistry in the cinematic charmer Banning...and the rest, as they say, is history!

In Banning, Jill St. John plays the very naughty Angela Barr, a bored, egocentric, and extremely wealthy denizen of the members only El Presidente Country Club. When the handsome and mysterious Mike Banning (Robert Wagner) shows up, her interest is piqued and she sets her sights on him and will stop at nothing in her quest to conquer! This being the '60s her character is described as being masculine due to her upfront demeanor and aggressive attitudes concerning love. St. John and Wagner have a couple of very fun scenes together and it is a pleasure to watch this attractive twosome at work. Additionaly, while all three of the actresses featured in the film deliver excellent performances, it was Jill St. John who stood out the most for me with her extremely appealing screen presence. It should also be mentioned that when called upon to provide some moments of comic relief for the film she does so with the greatest of ease.

Banning is not a very popular film and this is partially due to the fact that, up until recently, the film had not been widely available to view or purchase. It was only occasionally shown on TV (and even then it was 'formatted to fit your screen') and it never had a domestic home video release during the VHS/Laserdisc/DVD era (there was an Australian DVD but it was a full-screen edition). Then came the 2020s and finally Banning has been restored and remastered and its Techniscope glory is now available for all to see on Blu-ray! Hopefully more people will discover this previously hidden gem of a film!

Before we finish I need to mention two things. First, concerning Robert Wagner's character name of Mike Banning...it is interesting to note that this same name is used by actor Gerard Butler in the successful "...Has Fallen" action movie series. Second, Banning contains some terrific golf content. I wouldn't neccessarily call it a pure "golf movie" since its primary focus is on spicy drama but the golf sequences included are indeed fantastic. This title belongs in the pantheon of great golf cinema and, from here on out, I vow to dismiss any 'best golf movie' lists that don't include Banning or at least give it an honorable mention.

Leslie Parrish on Steve Canyon (1959)

In an episode that first aired on January 3, 1959, actress Leslie Parrish made her first guest appearance on American television. She had been toiling away in Hollywood since 1955 and for the first several years of her career she was billed under the name Marjorie Hellen. Leslie Parrish's star began to shine more brightly at the end of 1959 when she snagged the female lead in the successful Paramount Pictures production Li'l Abner. Though she continued to work in feature films throughout the years, Parrish was most often seen on the small screen...and it all began with a brief appearance on the short-lived series Steve Canyon.

Steve Canyon was a comic strip adaptation that aired on NBC between 1958 and 1959. Leslie Parrish appeared in an episode called "Operation Big Thunder" and, even though she is only seen in the first few minutes of the program, she manages to make a nice impression. Her scene partner was actor Tom Gilson (who was murdered in real life a few years later). Gilson plays a character named Brannigan and Parrish plays the aptly titled Brannigan's Girl...but around the two minute mark she disappears and the viewer never learns her name or anything else about her. Still, she manages to make the most of her limited time onscreen and is able to leave the viewer hoping that they will see her again on a different TV show in the future.