|
Barbra Eden unbottles feelings on "I Dream of Jeannie" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by Louis R. Carlozo
|
|
Tuesday, 13 February 2007 |
|
|
|
|
 Several months back, I interviewed Marlo Thomas, who as the star of "That Girl" influenced an entire generation of `60s women just like her: liberated, smart and independent.
And then there was Barbara Eden, star of "I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Third Season" (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, $39.95).
Though Eden's series was as popular as "That Girl," the two main characters couldn't have been more different. With her pink veil and carefully concealed navel, Jeannie played the eager servant to Larry Hagman's NASA astronaut, Maj. Tony Nelson.
Looking back, Eden has no apologies. "She's not human; this is a fantasy," she says. "She was a genie: It was her job and she loved her job. The word 'master' — note the semantics — it may mean one thing to humans. But to a genie, that's what (Maj. Nelson) was. And that's all. He was the first to take the cap off the bottle. You can't compare a career girl with a genie."
Eden, now in her 70s, has kept busy since the 123-episode show ended in 1970. From her starring turn in 1978's "Harper Valley P.T.A." to her recurring Great Aunt Irma character in "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch," she's stayed active; this year, she's starring in the touring play "Love Letters." (Eden also had a prior career as a 1950s pop star.)
Still, it's Jeannie that she'll always be remembered for, and that's just fine with her.
"I like her," Eden says. "She's easy to live with; it's a character I'm proud of. It's not a drag at all. I've done so many different things and I hardly knew until the last eight years that (the show) was still on the air - and that it had never been off the air. It only becomes a problem for people when they don't work. And I enjoy working."
Last year, Eden reunited with Hagman, who co-starred with her in "Love Letters." (This year, Hal Linden is taking over the role.) Prior to that, Eden had done several guest appearances on Hagman's hit show "Dallas."
"He was a delight," Eden says of her stage run with Hagman. "Larry and I have talked about this and we seem to be on the same give-and-take kind of network. Our rhythms mesh well. It's always fun for me working with Larry. We just seem to fit."
As for intermittent reports of a "Jeannie" movie with Eden in a supporting role: "God knows! It's like a whole other planet when you're talking about getting a film off the ground."
___
Louis R. Carlozo:
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
| Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
