strikingly beautiful young woman who last
year landed on Space: 1999's Moonbase
Alpha as Maya, the syndicated sci-fi
show's resident alien. Now, aliens, as we
as we all know, come with some strange traits.
Schell's is the ability to transform her
molecules for short periods of time,
enabling her to make herself into what-
ever she--and the show's scriptwriters--
consider exciting. Among her many
transmogrifications, Schell's molecular
metamorphoses have included a lioness
(top center), a lunging gorilla (far left),
a hairy snaggletoothed man (above) and
an orange tree (below center). Becoming
a lion or a tree is simple--it's done
with trick photography, of course.
The other roles, though involve long
makeup sessions, or weird costumes
--some of them like the one flanking
Schell here. Most viewers, however,
find the real Catherine Schell more
exciting than any of her metamorphoses.
In fact, they agree that she is one
alien who has no need at all to transform
a single beautiful molecule.
