BARBARA FELDON

The somewhat obscured face that graces the header on this blog is none other than Get Smart's Agent 99 herself, Barbara Feldon. When I was a kid, my dad used to talk into his shoe all the time. He thought that joke was so hilarious. He'd even attempt to mimic the voice of Maxwell Smart, played by Don Adams. "Got it, Chief," he would respond earnestly when I would tell him my mom went to the grocery store.

Most people don't know that the show was created by comic genius Mel Brooks and SNL writer and cast member Buck Henry. The show was well-cast and extremely sharp-witted, and could go head-to-head with some of today's best TV comedies.

Agent 99 was smart, witty, lovely and always impeccably dressed. She absolutely shined in the iconic 60s fashion staples: shifts, pencil skirts, mock turtlenecks, trench coats and cigarette pants, just to name a few. She was often used to distract the bad guys while Maxwell sneaked the top secret documents out of a briefcase. She was Bond Girl Meets Ivy League Co-Ed. No wonder Mr. Smart fell in love with her and married her. She was the full package.

 

  

 

Oh, how Maxwell pined for 99. Can you blame him?

 

 

I was always told that the Toto song entitled "99" was a tribute to Feldon's character, but alas it was an homage to the 1971 George Lucas film THX 1138. I refused to believe this until I watched the video, in which the band members look a lot more like characters from the Lucas film - complete with white space jumpsuits and white walls - than an episode of Get Smart.

Then again, Feldon could pull off a white space jumpsuit like nobody's business.