Spotted: Before "Santa Barbara," Stella Stevens saw some stars (and stripes)

Playing the mom of the devious Gina DeMott Capwell on our beloved "Santa Barbara" must have had certain prerequisites. We're quite sure listing "wrestling Wonder Woman" on her resume must have moved Stella Stevens to the top of the casting list! Sure enough, Stevens, known to us as Phyllis Blake on "SB," starred in the first season of the 1970s "Wonder Woman" TV series starring Lynda Carter. Heck, she starred in the very first episode.

Stevens is a secret Nazi agent cloaked in the guise of Major Steve Trevor's assistant in the show's pilot, "The New Original Wonder Woman," originally airing in November 1975. As Marcia, her blond curls are piled high on her head, and her luscious '40s fashions could create almost as much a stir as when the enthralled Wonder Woman herself parades down a Washington, D.C., sidewalk for the first time in the old red-white-and-blue. Trim of shoulder, tight of waist, florals optional -- Stevens wears the dresses well. When the mysterious new Wonder Woman thwarts her secret plans, Stevens' Marcia sets out to learn more about her. Things get a little ugly when she tries a little hand-to-hand combat with the Amazon princess, however. Meow!!!!

Witness it for yourself at the WB.

Catfights .... hmmmm .... Remind you of anything? It should -- executive producer Douglas S. Cramer went on to work on "Dynasty" with Aaron Spelling! He comments in the DVD set for the first season of "Wonder Woman" that he sent this early catfight scene to the production crew of "Dynasty" while the show was being written!

The pilot episode of "Wonder Woman" is not without some other classic (and soapy) stars: Eric Braeden, legendary as Victor on "The Young and the Restless" plays a Nazi pilot intercepted over the Atlantic by Major Steve Trevor.

By the way, BRBTV's bud Tracy has been doin' some star-spottin' herself as she makes her way through Season 4 of "Charlie's Angels": Steve Kanaly of "Dallas" in "Avenging Angel," Louise Sorel of "Santa Barbara" in "Caged Angel," Peter Mark Richman of "Dallas," "Dynasty" and "SB" in "Cruising Angels," and Robin Mattson of "SB" in "Of Ghosts and Angels."