I've always been a fan of Ms Kitt success in was little, and I'm just now watching this episode of I Spy which features her as Angel, a drug addict and a nightclub 'chanteuse', in who's dressing room, Scotty's being held captive.
What's terrific about this, is the episode was shot around the same time Ms Kitt was 'purrimg' her way on AbC's Batman, as the fabulous feline, Catwoman, and here, she gives a stellar performance which is about as far as one could get. She's a someone who's so obviously just barely holding on - she performs a few terrific numbers, and her portrayal of Angel, who's a junkie is so spot-on (I know, I once had a bad habit myself), that i it's palpable.
Along for this episode are a couple of standout performances by Jacki Sheldon (a real trumpeter, who's best known for being a member of the NBC Orchestra under Doc Severinson, as well as School House Rock (Mr Morton, I'm Just a Bill, just to name a couple), and Albert Paulsen, as Ramone).
There's a truism about dope, and other things like this; you never remember your worst times. Whenever you hear former addicts talking, they rarely look back, much less remember those times when time seemed to stop, because when you're sick, every second seems like an eternity.
Ms Kitt was that memory; those times when it was agony to blink. And Ramone tortures her needlessly. Rather than letting her just get well, he'd make her sing for her hit, and she'd sing a few bars, them she'd slump towards the piano - looking away from the camera, her whole body trembling - every millimetre of skin just feeling like your were crawling out of it.
I wish she'd received some recognition - perhaps an Emmy for this, but, I sunny think she was nominated.
'As far as I'm concerned, you won my heart for this, Ms Kitt', and she leaned over have me a big hug, a kiss, and whispered 'that Jenna a lot'.
A terrific episode.