Galaxina (1980)
★★★★★
The ill-fated Dorthy Stratten’s first, last, and only star vehicle
If it weren’t for the fact that this was ill-fated Playmate of the Year Dorothy Stratten’s star vehicle, Galaxina probably would have been one of the more forgettable Playmate star vehicles, and a forgettable film altogether. However, since this was Dorothy’s first and only starring role, and she was who she was, and because of the tragic way her life ended just a couple of months after this film was released, this one is a must for any cult film collector.
Aside from the flat-falling humor of then-popular funny man Avery Schreiber and the role of the “heroic love interest” of Galaxina (played by Stephen Macht), that should have been better cast, Dorothy shows some genuine acting skills in this one. It’s evident after her character becomes less “robotic,” after her ship lands on the planet Altair One, and she’s allowed to venture out alone to interact with the locals. Had she lived, she probably would have gone on the have one of the most successful show biz careers of any former Playmate. One that would have predated those of Pamela Anderson and Jenny McCarthy by over a decade.
An interesting footnote here is that January 1977 Playmate Susan Kiger, who had several acting credits to her name at this point, but now resides in the “Whatever Happened to..?” file, has a small role in this one as “Blue Girl” in the brothel scene. I’ve often wondered, if Dorothy would have turned down this role or would have been killed before the film was made, if it still would have been made with Susan in the title role.
About the author
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Chris flirted with the music business there and in Nashville before joining the U.S. Army and serving in South Korea. He remained in Asia for several years afterwards, teaching English, traveling, and covering the regional entertainment scenes. Currently in a mindset between Seoul and San Francisco, besides Idol Features, you can also catch his writings in the print edition of the monthly magazine, Effective.
