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Telexes
Catacombs Reference Library
In November and December 1973, as filming started on Space: 1999, the London office of ITC wrote numerous short press releases, which were sent to ITC New York by telex. These press releases (often titled "Advance Stories" or "Advance News") could be sent to newspapers and magazines, which would build audience interest in the series. Copies were given to Martin Landau, and these are from his archives. There are 36 here.
Only two are addressed (from David Withers in London to Abe Mandell and Joe Fusco in New York); these are written in capitals with abbreviated "telegram" wording. Others have handwritten "sent to NY" dates, but most are undated.
Several have typing corrections (words typed over with XXX). Landau corrects the grammar of one. Most have a handwritten symbol, probably approving them.
Telex was developed by the German post office in 1926, and spread rapidly after 1945, with Western Union creating a telex network in the US linked to London and Paris in 1958. The messaging system was separate from the telephone system, and enabled reliable text communication. At the time, the alternative was dictation over the telephone (expensive and unreliable), or letters in the post (slow). In the 1980s, the fax machine (operating over telephone lines) replaced it, and in the 1990s both were replaced by email over the internet.
Miss C. Blanc
TELEX TO ITC NEW YORK 13th November 1973
ATTENTION MESSRS ABE MANDELL, AND JOE FUSCO
ITC'S NEW 24-EPISODE FILM SERIES SPACE 1999, STARRING MARTIN LANDAU, BARBARA BAIN, BARRY MORSE BREAKS NEW GROUND FOR BRITISH TV SERIES BY REHEARSING WEEK PRIOR TO PRODUCTION SHOOT.
REHEARSALS TO FAMILIARIZE CAST WITH COMPLEXITY OF LUNAR SETS, PERFECT CHARACTERIZATIONS, MAKE-UP, HAIR, COSTUMES AND SCRIPT. ALL SEQUES WILL BE TV MONITORED.
"SPACE 1999" PRODUCED BY GERRY AND SYLVIA ANDERSON, IS SET ON MOON WHEN BREAKING FROM EARTH ORBIT AND HURTLING INTO DEEP SPACE.
DAVID WITHERS ITO LONDON
TELEX 15th November 1973
ITC NEW YORK (2362678)
ATTENTION MESSRS ABE MANDELL AND JOE FUSCO
ROYAL HAIRDRESSER MICHAEL RASSER FRESH FROM STYLING PRINCESS ANNE'S HAIR FOR WEDDING NOW STYLING BARBARA BAIN'S HAIR FOR HER FUTURISTIC ROLE IN IT'S SCI-FI SERIES SPACE 1999 ABOUT TO GO INTO PRODUCTION.
DAVID WITHERS ITC LONDON
The wedding of Princesss Anne and Mark Phillips was at Westminster Abbey on the day before this telex, Wednesday, 14 November 1973 (the UK made the day a public holiday).
BARBARA BAN and husband MARTIN LANDAU in expressive mood when discussing the roles they are to play in ITC's "SPACE 1999" futuristic lunar adventure series.
(Telex)
Lee Katzen director of The Salzburg Connection, Le Mans and other major movie hits now in London to direct first segment end one to follow of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's production SPACE 1999 for ITC with stars Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Barry Morse.
Katzin is misspelled.
"SPACE 1999"
Martin Landau, American-born, Austrian heritage, has had his enthusiasm for Japanese food appeased by discovering a Japanese restaurant in the heart of London's West End!
All of which should help give an international flavor to his London- based ITC series SPACE 1999, in which his wife Barbara Bain and Barry Morse are co-stars.
Landau is not only addicted to Japanese food but prepares the dishes for himself at home, with a separate store cupboard containing basic ingredients.
He acquired the taste when a friend introduced the Landaus to Japanese food five years back and is now an authority on the subject. Barbara goes along with him and he is already planning his Japanese store cupboard in their London home taken for the duration of "Space 1999".
Sent NY 19.11.73
"SPACE 1999"
First day's family outing in England brought a family scare for Martin Landau and his wife Barbara Bain, now in London for new sci-fi TV series, "SPACE 1999"
They took daughters Susan and Juliet to popular beauty spot Burnham Beeches - and lost them in the thick woodlands
"I gave the family whistle, Martin says. "Three other kids, several dogs and a pigeon responded. It was half-an-hour before our kids turned up, as scared as we were."
"From the family reunion," Barbara adds, "you would have thought we'd been parted for years!"
Sent NY 19.11.73
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
The Landau family - Martin Landau, wife Barbara and daughters Susan and Juliet - will be spending their first Christmas in England this year.
They're all in London while Martin and Barbara star in ITC's new film series "SPACE 1999", and Christmas preparations are already under way.
"You see," Barbara explains, "we couldn't bring all our Christmas decorations with us, but the two girls have turned down the idea of buying new ones. They're up to their eyes now in making them, ornaments and all the other things you find on a tree and room decorations, and all that. The house is full of coloured paper!"
Sent NY 29.11
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Energy crisis or not, nothing prevents the British flying away to the sun for winter vacations these days. Christmas finds the airports as busy as the height of the summer holiday season.
Barbara is happy to be in England, where she is about to star with husband Martin Landau in ITC's new sci-fi film series "SPACE 1999".
"I love the cold," she says. "Maybe I'm mad out of my mind, but it makes me feel good. I don't like heat."
Shivering Londoners, their central heating and fires at low ebb, must envy her!
Sent NY 29.11
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
So much interest is already being evinced in ITC's futuristic new series "SPACE 1999" that arrangements have been made for a group of American students to visit the set at Pinewood Studios in January to watch Martin Landau and Barbara Bain at work.
They are students from the Department of Theatre Arts at Hollins College, Virginia, whose interest is the serious study of film production. The professor in charge of the group will be Thomas R. Atkins, who also edits one of the most respected film magazines in the U.S. the "Film Quarterly".
The visit has been arranged by the Society of Education Through Travel, and approximately twenty students are expected to be in the group which will have the opportunity to watch the production and they will find themselves on lunar sets representing the moon when it breaks away from its earth orbit and hurtles through space.
Sent NY 29.11
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Michael Barnes, casting director on the Gerry and Sylvia series "SPACE 1999" for ITC, has the task on his hands of casting both running characters for the series and the characters appearing in the first episode just about to go into production at Pinewood Studios.
With Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Morse set for the three main starring roles, other regulars signed are Nick Tate, Zienia Merton and Prentis Hancock.
Nick Tate, son of one of the best-known character actors in Britain, Australian-born John Tate, followed in his father's footsteps as an actor in England and then went to Australia five years ago for an eleven-week stage engagement which led him into further stage work and a television series. Within days of returning to England, he was snapped up for one of the key roles as a top astronaut in "Space 1999."
Zienia Merton, playing a control room assistant, is one of the most glamorous Oriental actresses in Britain. Burmese, of mixed Burmese-English-French parentage, she first attracted attention as a Chinese girl seducing Gregory Peck in the movie "The Chairman." Her many TV shows include "Dr. Who," "Strange Report," "Casanova" and "Jason King."
Prentis Hancock has been cast as the Main Mission Controller, Paul Morrow. He is a tall, good-looking and athletic young actor whose many TV appearances include "Shadow of the Tower", "Olympus," "Dixon of Dock Green," "Paul Temple," "Dr. Who," "The Last of the Mohicans," "Z Cars", "Softly Softly," "Spy Trap" and "The Protectors." His stage work has included the Chichester Festival Theatre production of "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" with Topol.
Heading the guest players for the opening segment of "Space 1999" is the distinguished and remarkably versatile British actor Roy Dotrice. Appearing with him will be Robin Scott, Jeremy Higgins, Alf Joint, Roy Scannell, Michael Zorba, Shane Rimmer, Michael Sheard, Anton Philips, Suji Satton, Nik Zaran and Lon Satton.
Sent NY 30.11
"SPACE 1999" Advance News
Husband-and-wife producers, Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, have husband- and-wife players Martin Landau and Barbara Bain as stars of their new ITC series "SPACE 1999."
Now the marital note is taken a step further by recruiting Afro-American husband-and-wife Lon and Suji Sation as members of the acting team, Lon as head of computer operations, Suji as a stewardess who remains on the moon for other assignments.
Lon Satton comes from Philadelphia, arrived in England with the stage production of "Golden Boy" as second lead, taking over from Sammy Davis Jnr. when he fell ill.
Suji Satton, from New Orleans, has been on the stage since she was four years old but has a dual career as actress and woodcut print maker. She and Lon met in New York City during the production of the anti-apartheid programme stage in the New York ghettos, with Lon as head of drama and Suji head of the art programme,
If the world of the future is to be racially integrated, then Suji Satton is well ahead of her time. She has African, Spanish, Irish, French, Iroquois, Scots and Cherokee-Indian blood in her!
Sent NY 3.12.73
We don't know if Suji Satton appears in the series; her name isn't on any call sheets. Lon Satton was previously married to actress Tina Sattin (the stage name of Parthenia Milner).
"SPACE 1999"
Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, in England for ITC's futuristic "SPACE 1999" series, are settling into their home-for-a-year in London's Little Venice.
The picturesque canal-side Georgian house is in marked contrast to the 1999 settings of the film series but in keeping with their English Tudor-style Beverly Hills home built 70 years ago by an English architect,
And it's within easy reach of the American School to which their daughters Susan and Juliet have been enrolled. "Sent there, " the Landaus explain, "because it means continuity of their American curriculum."
Martin was a advance party to London prior to family move to search for a suitable house. Barbara approves his choice!
Sent NY 19.12.73
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Barry Morse, equally at home in England, America and Canada, has never bothered about having an agent for his Canadian work.
But now he thinks he will have to have one. His daughter Melanie has, for the time being at any rate, forsaken her acting career to become an artiste's agent in Canada.
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Barry Morse seems to be whirling madly between the centuries these days.
He is now playing a scientist in the future when co-starring with Martin Landau and Barbara Bain in ITC's new science-fiction series "SPACE 1999.
While doing so, he was still completing his commentary for a Canadian programme, set towards the end of the last century, titled "The Days Before Yesterday."
Before that, he was portraying William Shakespeare for the pilot of another TV series, and he went into this straight from playing an outer space planet ruler in the Canadian series "Starlost."
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Noted British actor Roy Dotrice found an unexpected link with Barbara Bain when joining her and Martin Landau in the opening episode of ITC's "SPACE 199" series which has just gone into production in England.
They had never met before but they had a subject of common interest to talk about.
Barbara Bain was born in Chicago. And Roy Dotrice had just returned from Chicago, where he had been appearing in his famous one-man show.
Roy is hoping to return there. His performance won him a Jefferson Award nomination which means that, if he wins it, he will be invited back to collect it in 1974.
The one man play was Brief Lives and originally opened in London on 1967. Dotrice took the play on various world tours, completing over 1700 performances by 1979. He returned to the role in 2008. He didn't get the Joseph Jefferon award for Brief Lives in 1974, but he did win in 2000 for the play "A Moon for the Misbegotten" at the Goodman Theatre, Chicago.
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Lee Katzin is keeping his cool whilst directing Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Morse in ITC's new science-fiction series "SPACE 1999", now in production in England.
Katzin, who is directing the first episode with another to follow later, is rarely seen without a pipe in his mouth. On his directorial chair is a bag containing five more pipes.
Explains the pipe-loving Katzin: "I like a cool smoke, but I don't like starting on a pipe if it's still hot. So I always have stand-by pipes so that I can always have a cool one waiting."
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Two sides of the moon can be found at England's Pinewood Studios, where Gerry and Sylvia Anderson are producting ITC's new science-fiction series "SPACE 1999", starring Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Morse.
On one set, they have the interiors of the moonbase on the bright side of the moon. On another set, the grim, rocky dark side of the moon has been created.
It takes only one minute to get from one to the other, which is faster than even spacecraft can manage!
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Neither Roy Dotrice nor glamorous Valerie Van Ost was on the set when playing scenes with Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Horse for the opening segment of ITC's new sci-fi series "SPACE 1999," now in production in England.
Their first scenes showed them conversing with the stars via television screens.
Roy and Valerie were therefore in a different part of the studio with television cameras trained on then, relaying their images on screens in the moonbase occupied by the other players.
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Women will still be busily engaged in tapestry work by the end of the century if Barbara Bain is anything to go by.
She can be seen at work on a tapestry carpet between scenes during the production of the futuristic ITC series "SPACE 1999," now being made in England.
"Strictly traditional design," she admits, as her fingers deftly bring out the basic flower motif.
As there is a year's schedule ahead for the twenty- four segments, Barbara is hoping to have more than one rug to take back with her when she and co-starring husband Martin Landau eventually return to the Californian home.
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Martin Landau and Barry Horse, the male stars (with Barbara Bain providing the femininity) of ITC's new sci-fi series "SPACE 1999," have gone up in the world since embarking on their futuristic roles.
The space outfits they wear call for boots suitable for life on the moon.
And the thick heels raise their height by over an inch!
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Martin Landau, Barry Morse and other male members of the cast feel that life in the future is going to have one great snag if their clothing in ITC's new series "SPACE 1999," now in production, is anything to go by.
The tight-fitting uniforms they wear have no pockets of any kind!
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Barry Morse has returned from outer space to find himself flying back again immediately into outer space when joining Martin Landau and Barbara Bain in ITC's new futuristic series "SPACE 1999," now in production at Pinewood Studios, England.
Completing his starring role in the "Zoo Gang" series, Barry took off for Canada where one of his many assignments was that of the ruler of a remote planet in a TV series, "Starlost."
Back again in England, he portrays a scientist on the moon when it breaks away from Earth's orbit and flies off into outer space!
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
It looks as though that remarkable British actor Roy Dotrice may well appear in further segments instead of only the opening one for which he was originally signed in the ITC sci-fi drama series "SPACE 1999," now in production at Pinewood Studios. England.
Just back from Chicago, where he had been giving his famous one-man show, Dotrice was engaged as Earth boss of the outer space probe to be launched with Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Morse in the starring roles.
Last-minute switch takes him to the moon instead of being in contact from Earth, and he's on the moon when it is plunged out of orbit and zooms into space.
"Which means," says Roy Dotrice, hopefully, "that my character is around for further episodes whenever they might want me again. I'm delighted."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
England's royal hairdresser, Michoel Rasser, who styled Princess Anne's hairdo for the wedding, is now styling Barbara Bain's hair for her starring role in SPACE: 1999, Independent Television Corporation's new space science-fiction series.
The series of one-hour science-fiction episodes, now being produced at Pinewood Studios, in England, also stars Martin Landau and Barry Morse.
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Hopeful note for ITC's new series, "SPACE 1999," which has just gone into production with Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Morse starring.
It will be a hit. The stars say so. Stars in the astrological sense, that is, which is apt for a series that takes place entirely in space.
Martin Landau and Barbara Bain weren't in the least surprized when asked to appear in the series, and they knew even before the programme was planned and before producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson themselves knew.
"Because, " Martin explains, "Barbara and I went to a wedding and at the reception afterwards a friend of the bride's got around to telling me that she could foretell the future. One thing she said was that the marriage wouldn't last long right -and she was right. It broke up after ten days!
"She also told me that I would be going into hospital and, as it happened, I was due for my annual medical check-up the following week. She said I would have to undergo an operation but that I wasn't to worry. This was surprizing but a trifle alarming, but she was right. I had to have a very, very minor operation for a small external cyst.
"The next thing she said was that Barbara and I would be going overseas and that we would star in another series together. This was certainly news to us. We had no travel plans and there had been no suggestion whatever that we would do another series together.
"Yet, very soon afterwards, we were approached to go to England to star in 'Space 1999' - our first series together since "Mission: Impossible."
"Everything she said has come true, but what Barbara and I like best of all is that she also said our next series would be just as successful, if not more so, than 'Mission: Impossible.' And that was certainly successful. We did eighty segments in all!
The outlook for "Space 1999" is therefore bright!
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Will Martin Landau and his real-life wife Barbara Bain be allowed to fall in love when they co-star in ITC's futuristic new series, "SPACE 1999," now in production in England?
They are waiting anxiously to find out. Producers Gerry Anderson and his own private-life wife Sylvia Anderson are keeping them in suspense,
Martin and Barbara play a couple who meet on the moon and then find themselves trapped when an atomic explosion rips part of the moon away and the remainder of it hurtles out of orbit and into outer space.
"The only scripts we've seen so far,' Barbara says, "give no indication about a romantic relationship, but there's an obvious attraction. At the moment, all I know is that I'm a widow in the story, refusing to give up hope that my husband is still alive. He has disappeared into space."
Both she and Martin hope they will be allowed to fall in love.
"On the moon instead of under the moon!" quips Martin.
"And wouldn't it be fun to be the first woman to have a baby on the moon!" Barbara exclaims.
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Barbara Bain is delighted with the 1999 hair style provided for her by Michael Rasser, the London hairdresser of the Michaeljohn company who styled Princess Anne's hair for her wedding.
The new hair-style is for Barbara's role with her husband in Martin Landau in ITC's new sci-fi series, "SPACE 1999," now in production in England.
"It has a geometric pattern," she explains. "A beautiful clean look, but by no means way out. Although it's a design for the end of the century, it feels natural for the present time.
What astonished her was Michael Rasser's incisive technique as he cut her hair into the design he wanted.
"Extremely rapid!" she exclaimed. "Absolutely no uncertainty in what he was doing. I could hardly believe it when he stepped beck and said he had finished!"
After the styling came the tinting, again without any exaggeration.
"Very much my own colouring," Barbara explained, "but with silvery highlights that suit the situation I find myself in."
That situation is as a doctor on the moon when it breaks away from its Earth orbit and plunges into the unknown.
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Queen Elizabeth I has stepped from the 16th. century to the very end of the 20th century with the casting of actress Norma West as one of the principal control operators in the futuristic ITC series "SPACE 1999," now in production with Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Morse starring.
The South African-born Miss West was simultaneously on the English television screens as the Tudor Queen in the series "Shadow of the Tower" when she began work on "Space 1999."
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
The biggest blast in history has just taken place. The moon has just blown up in a shattering atomic explosion.
And further mighty blasts are to come.
The details are revealed by Brian Johnson, the quiet, modest young man responsible for it all. He is supervising special effects director on ITC's new TV series "SPACE 1999," now being produced in England with Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Morse in the starring leads.
Mr. Johnson and his team were given the task of blowing the dark side of the moon to smithereens, leaving the remainder of it to break from its orbit and hurtle into space.
"Our first job," Brian Johnson explains, "has been to provide the blast an enormous, blinding flash. This has been done optically. It's the overall picture of the explosion and we are now in the process of showing close-ups of the various buildings and dumps going up individually. It won't occupy much time on the screen, but it is taking us weeks to do it."
And, fortunately, no-one outside the studios will be able to hear it!
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
The world has gone grey!
This statement has nothing whatever to do with the grim international events, the energy crisis and other worries besetting us these days.
It is a fact to be found on the set of ITC's new TV series "SPACE 1999," currently in production in England with Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Morse starring.
The large globe of the world standing on the main control room set on the moon, on which the programme is set. When first taken into the studios, it was of the conventional blues, greens and reds to be found on most such globes.
Producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson didn't like it. Because, they felt, it didn't harmonise with the ultra-modernistic setting and it had too much detail on it. So the whole of the globe was repainted in grey, leaving only the large continents in stand-out black.
That's how the world would look from the moon, anyway. And, a lot of people will fix tell you, that's how it feels these days!
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Morse will soon be flying among the starry heights of the heavens. They are on the moon which is about to break away from its orbit and hurtle into space in the new ITC series "SPACE 1999," which has just gone into production in England.
Martin is taking a keen personal interest in the stars which are said to have such an influence on our lives.
"Because," he says, "I would like it to be known that I am a Gemini. My birthday's on June 20th."
Unfortunately, an early biography was released which gave his birthday as June 30th., which would have meant that he was born under the sign of Cancer.
"With the result," he explains, "that I found myself receiving some strange forecasts of what would be happening to me in the future. They came from horoscope-loving fans. But these entirely contradicted prognostications from other fans who knew my real birth-date, and it was all very confusing until I discovered what had happened!"
Even now, Martin is having to combat that error!
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Producers Gerry and Sylvia Anderson are doing some very odd things to Martin Landau, who stars with Barbara Bain and Barry Morse in ITC's "SPACE 1999" series, now being made in England.
"Because," Martin explains, "some very strange things indeed can happen in outer space."
One week after being crushed to death but miraculously returning to life, Martin is now scheduled to reach the age of 1,000 years in another segment of the series!
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Bad news for the tobacco barons - but good news for the World Health Organization.
Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, producers of ITC's new science- fiction series "SPACE 1999," have decided that smoking will have lost its popularity by the end of the century.
Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Barry Morse and other players in the series will not be seen smoking at any time.
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
It's been rapid promotion for Australian actor Nick Tate who, after working in England, returned to his homeland for one show but remained five years before turning up in England again and immediately winning a role with Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Morse in ITC's futuristic "SPACE 1999" series.
Signed for the role of an astronaut, he has had his character switched to the far more important one of chief astronaut and head of space reconnaissance.
His original role has been given to another actor, and Nick will be featured far more prominently throughout the series than he had hoped.
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Electronic wizardry is the order of the day throughout the Space Mission sequences in ITC's current sci-fi series "SPACE 1999," starring Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Barry Morse.
But Barbara Bain confesses that the scientific marvels baffle her.
"I don't know how they work!" she exclaims. "But I can say one thing. Electronics are far more demanding than human beings!"
"SPACE 1999" Advance Stories
Martin Landau and Barbara Bain have acquired an addition to their canine family, already numbering three back home in California.
Now in London to star in ITC's sci-fi series "SPACE 1999," they have bought their fourth dog, this time a Tibetan temple guard dog of the Lhaso Apso species, a very rare animal in the Western world.
"He's cute, lively and lovable," Barbara reports. "We missed having a dog around us and couldn't bear the idea of being without one for the year we expect to be in England for the series."
The Landaus have named him Pippin, and he accompanies them to the studios every day.
Barbara Bain with her Lhasa Apso dog, Pippin