In 1976, Gay Rowan appeared in what was perhaps her most substantial post-Starlost role, in the TV movie Our Man Flint: Dead on Target. Canadian actress Gay Rowan is probably best remembered for her part in the 1973 cult science fiction TV show The Starlost. The Starlost was only on for a short time but it seemed sure that Gay Rowan would go on to bigger things. It didn't exactly work out that way, but she did make some notable appearances during the decade after the demise of The Starlost.
Our Man Flint: Dead on Target was television adaptation of the successful Flint feature films of the mid 1960s, Our Man Flint and In Like Flint. James Coburn portrayed Derek Flint in the movies and veteran TV/film actor Ray Danton (in one of his last acting roles before turning to directing full-time) assumed the role a decade later for Dead on Target. The ultra-chic '60s motif of the cinematic Flint was updated to reflect '70s chic for this television continuation. This version of Flint also seems a bit more down to earth. He no longer appears to be fabulously wealthy or incomparably slick, rather he seems more like a capable private investigator, driving a rather modest car and living in a nice house. Many of the more surreal aspects of the films are toned down.
Gay Rowan co-stars with Ray Danton as Bonita Rogers, a woman who wants to become Derek Flint's apprentice. Of course, he quickly accepts her and she plays Flint's sidekick for the duration of Dead on Target. Gay Rowan handles herself very well here. She is given limited material to work with but she makes the most of it and comes off as very charming. Bonita Rogers seems to have an affection for Derek Flint, becoming jealous of his masseuse at one point, and there is other occasional back-and-forth interplay concerning their relationship. Additionally, Gay Rowan's character gets to wear a variety of very fashionable 70s gear and she wears it quite well!
One gets the feeling that Our Man Flint: Dead on Target was a pilot film for a television series. I haven't read that specifically, but Dead on Target definitely has the same feel of other pilot films of the 70s and 80s. It's a shame that this wasn't made into a weekly series because I think it would have made a fun show. Obviously, Dead on Target had a few problems but I think they could have tightened things up in a series. It would have been particularly nice to see Gay Rowan return to television after The Starlost and to see the progression of her character from Dead on Target.
Here are some images of Gay Rowan in Dead on Target:
