Working on Land of the Giants wasn’t Heather Young’s favourite adventure; but it was a good life lesson. Karen Myatt speaks with the actress who was so memorable in the role of the Spindrift’s Betty...

Heather on set for Land of the Giants

“I WANTED TO BE THE FLYING NUN”

When the Spindrift took off in the first episode of Land of the Giants, Stewardess Betty Hamilton was on board from the start; but not so much the actress who portrayed her, Heather Young.

“Science fiction was not my favourite genre,” said Young. “I wanted to be The Flying Nun, or something,” referring to the sixties’ television program starring Sally Field. “I felt that comedy was my niche. Being held hostage on a planet with giants? Now that was serious business! I was not really as interested in that.”

Nevertheless, she is fondly remembered for the character of Betty - an idealistic woman who tried to lift up everyone’s hopes and give support when she could, but who didn’t often get to share in the adventures of the little people in the giant land.

Young’s portrayal of the flight attendant, whose compassion sometimes led to finding common ground between the little people and the giants, was natural and inviting. Betty Hamilton was a warm, caring individual whose first thought often was to help people, no matter what their size, even at the risk of her own life. She was a peace-keeper, a cheerleader, someone who rarely bucked the authority of Steve, Dan or Mark; and she could take charge when absolutely necessary. But if Heather Young didn’t care for science fiction, how did she find herself in the cast of Land of the Giants? Several things factor into this, including her personal history.

Born Patricia Petersen in Bremerton, Washington, she and her family lived in several cities, including Logan, Utah; Riverton, Wyoming; and Washington, D.C., before moving to Rolla, Missouri, where she lived from about age 10 to 18. It was in Rolla where she began to sing at the local country club, and also in school projects.

Raised in the Mormon faith, she went on to attend Brigham Young University in Utah. She didn’t originally intend to be in the acting profession. In fact, given the opportunity to become an actress, she took her time pursuing a career as a singer before she eventually wandered into the thespian community.

As Betty Hamilton in Land of the Giants

A model shot; Heather in her contract days -Tom Selleck sits behind her; Heather in a 20th Century Fox acting class

“During my third year at BYU, the University invited 20th Century Fox Studios to receive a ‘best family film’ award for the blockbuster hit, The Sound of Music. Those in charge of the programme (15,000 people attended) asked me if I would do a medley of songs; from Camelot, My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music (all the Julie Andrews songs). Harry E. Sokolov, one of the vice presidents of 20th (and executive assistant to Darryl F. Zanuck) asked if I could come and audition for the studio actors contract programme.”

Coincidentally, Young and two friends with whom she would occasionally sing were going to do a tour in Southern California, and were auditioning for work; it was during this time that she met with studio executives, including Cliff Gould, the head of casting for Fox. He asked her to call him as soon as she finished school in the spring.

“We also auditioned for Capitol Records and Disneyland that same week. We got the job at Disneyland on the spot (singing on the Tomorrowland stage at night), and went right to it when school let out.

“I don’t know what I was thinking, but I didn’t call ‘20th’ that whole summer. I couldn’t believe that they really wanted me, I suppose. But at the end of the summer, I decided to take a chance. The secretary said, ‘Oh, are you the little Mormon girl? We’ve been trying to find you all summer!’ I drove to LA to meet them that next week, and signed a contract with them that very day.

“I remember saying, ‘But I don’t want to lose my job at Disneyland. I’ve been told they will blackball me if I just quit now without notice.’ Mr. Gould said, ‘That’s alright, honey. I know Walt (Disney),’ indicating, I suppose, that he could make it alright for me, if that should happen. I’m sure he got a good laugh over that one.”

UNDER CONTRACT

The contract system was designed, many years earlier, as a way for studios to develop unknown actors and turn them into stars. Young was part of a group of actors who took classes together; among them were Tom Selleck, Jacqueline Bisset, Lyle Waggoner, Linda Harrison and James Brolin. By the time she was signed as a contractee, the system was on its way out.

“Yes, I think that was the last of the contract programmes of that sort. We studied every kind of acting art form and dance. Our workspace was above one of the Peyton Place sets. I actually think that I was the last actor they let go. The studio was going through a real rough patch; everyone was being let go, from all the executive branches as well, I recall.”

Up until the early stages of her time with 20th Century Fox, Young was still known by her birth name; and was billed as “Patti Petersen” for a role on the first episode of Judd for the Defense, titled “Tempest in a Texas Town.” This billing caused a conflict, as another actress used the name of Patty Petersen (and was the sister of Paul Petersen; they both worked on The Donna Reed Show). A name change was necessary.

“They asked what I wanted instead. I liked Heather and they said, ‘How about Heather Young, since you went to BYU?’ I suppose that settled it.”

Early on, Young appeared in her only big screen film role: a tiny part as “Girl with Megaphone” in A Guide for the Married Man, a comedy directed by Gene Kelly. Another small role came in the Batman episode “The Mad Hatter Runs Afoul,” the second half of a two-part story, where she plays an American telephone operator. These parts helped her to “get her feet wet” in the acting business.