When I saw the credits, lo and behold, it was Sabrina Scharf, the actress who played Miramanee on Star Trek's "The Paradise Syndrome." I never would've recognized this urbane woman as the Indian flower child. Even knowing it was her, it was hard to believe she could play such polar opposites and carry them off.
The Penelope Peterson character on Gidget was Scharf's first acting role. According to IMDB.com, Miramanee was her 13th. In her 10-year career, she appeared in lots of popular shows of the era: The Man from U.N.C.L.E., I Dream of Jeannie, Hogan's Heroes, Mannix, Hawaii Five-O, etc.
She also appeared in a few movies. Her biggest role may have been as Sarah in Easy Rider.
Apparently Scharf played an Indian or part-Indian named Alkini Matthews in "Requiem for Craw Green," an episode of Daniel Boone. Perhaps that's where she got her "Indian" acting chops. Perhaps it's why she was chosen to play Miramanee.
Other Sabrina Scharf trivia from IMDB.oom:
6 comments:
Writerfella here --
Oh, pooh. And why would it have been more difficult for anyone to 'believe' that Sabrina Scharf was a fictional Native American woman than it was for them to 'believe' that William Shatner was a fictional Starship Captain in a TV drama series? Now, THERE is a question for the ages!
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Shatner went from playing white urban roles to a white starship captain. Scharf went from playing white urban roles to a Native flower child.
Let's ignore the fact that going from a businessman to a military leader isn't as big a jump as going from a socialite to a hippie. Scharf changed her ethnicity as well as her occupation; Shatner didn't. Presumably that made her acting challenge more difficult.
Writerfella here --
WRONG-O, Rob! Check Shatner's filmography and then deal with the title of a movie, COMANCHE BLANCO (WHITE COMANCHE) in which he played the lead character, "Johnny Moon/Notah." And he, being Canadian, had played Native theretofore! Oops!
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
Mirimane has been the ultimate woman of my dreams for several decades now, ever since I watched that episode of Star Trek, and cried when she died at the end. I know that now she is an old woman, yet I still dream of somehow meeting her one day.
She'll only be 73 in October...so plenty of time for you to get it on with her!
I don't understand referring to the Miramanee character as a "flower child," at all. In any event, if Sandra Scharf had not left politics, perhaps she would be running for President. And she would win based solely on the Miramanee fantasy.
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