Catacombs Reference Library
UK Press
It Was Hate At First Sight

Weekend #3741, 10-16th November 1976, cover and centre pages.

The stars of Space 1999 have been married 19 years. But they admit...

It was hate at first sight

Martin Landau and Barbara Bain are far out in the universe in their hit TV show. But they have a down to earth view of marriage By Dick Maino

The stars of ATV's sci-fi series Space 1999 - Martin Landau and Barbara Bain - are married to each other but they won't share the same dressing room.

When they're working together at Pinewood Studios - 10 hectic 11-hour days for each show on Lord Grade's £3,500,000 brainchild- it's separate make-up tables and separate everything else.

"We work together but we're not a husband - and - wife team." says Martin, 47, who plays the strong- jawed Commander John Koenig, leader of Moonbase Alpha.

Barbara plays Dr. Helena Russell, Koenig's beautiful assistant.

Martin says "Sure, we love each other - that's why we got married. But that doesn't mean we have to be together for every second, especially as we're on the same show.

"That's why we like separate dressing rooms. It's more practical, too. If I want to concentrate on my lines while Barbara's drying her hair, there's no problem. The same for her-when I play my radio loudly."

Barbara chipped in: "Remember we were in Mission Impossible for three years, so we've been through this situation before."

Barbara collected three Emmys (TV Oscars) for her role.

She relaxes at their luxury rented Georgian home In Belgravia, London, by doing tapestry. Martin sometimes helps her with the designs - he was once a newspaper illustrator. He still paints and writes.

But neither has much time for art since they started work on Space 1999 three years ago. They left their Beverly Hills home and brought their two daughters - Susie, 16, and Julie, 11.

Ever since Moonbase Alpha was blown out of Earth's orbit by a nuclear waste dump explosion, Commander Koenig's crew have been travelling farther and farther into space.

Can the show and its intrepid crew last another year?

"Yes," says Martin, "I have high hopes of its being around for several years. It has been one of television's biggest gambles and it looks like it's paying off.

"It's so successful in New York that it's now being shown on Saturday and Sunday instead of just one day a week. In France, it's often the No. 1 show."

"The British are so much more eccentric than Americans. The London streets are really colourful too. You have so many more individualists here.

"Here, someone could stand at a bus-stop in a gorilla suit and nobody would take any notice."

The Landau's first meeting was anything but romantic.

Barbara said: "It was hate at first sight."

Martin remembers his first impression of her: "She looked like an empty-headed model." (Modelling was what Barbara was doing after an unsuccessful attempt at a dancing career.)

Martin agrees he was no bargain either. He had shoulder-length hair, a full beard and was rude with it.

He was teaching acting in a ramshackle Manhattan building.

Martin wanted to be an artist, but at 20 changed his mind and went into the theatre.

After their first disastrous meeting, Martin and Barbara met again at a party and argued all night. But they kept seeing each other - and Barbara says she knew they were going to marry.

Despite rumourmongers' predictions that they were breaking up the Landaus have been happily married 19 years.

Martin demonstrated his loyalty to Barbara when he quit Mission Impossible at the peak of its popularity - because she had been sacked.

She says: "The studio got rid of me because they were mad at Martin. They wanted him to sign a five-year contract. He refused. So to get back at him the new production company of the series cut me out of the cast.

"I only found out when a journalist rang me to ask about it. The new people were making a lot of budget cuts.

"Martin didn't like what they were doing and didn't sign up. It wasn't because of money: we weren't holding them to ransom."

The Landaus' children are attending an American school in London.

Barbara says she wouldn't worry if they never went back to the States.

"Working here is basically the same as working in America. But I suppose I'd like to spend my time between the two countries.

"I really love London. It reminds me a lot of Chicago where I was brought up (her parents were émigré Russians who started a wholesale grocery business). It's windy and rainy there, too.

"You British are really polite. You have complete respect for privacy.

"It's really nice in pubs. People we don't know send over drinks to us.

"That's very friendly without being pushy. It's a civilised country."