In 1984, Larry Hagman was on vacation in Russia to see the May Day parade. He spoke to Richard MacKenzie, "It was a beautiful, spring day and we had a lovely balcony on two different streets over Red Square. The parade started at 10 o'clock and I invited some embassy people to enjoy it with us (Swedish wife Maj). I had ordered some champagne, caviar and vodka and stuff like that.
"Just before 10, with all my guests there, the KGB came in and shut all the windows and said, 'This is for security.' I said, 'Whose? Yours or mine?' They said, 'It's for security.' I don't know if they thought that I'd become so enamoured by the parade that I'd jump off the (bleeping) balcony and kill myself. I thought later that Americans just don't know what's happening in Russia. They would never allow 'Dallas' to be on air, because people would see that there’s something else happening in the world."
At the time 'Dallas' was the "biggest, most successful television series show in the world. Nobody has ever asked me to make a movie for $10 million and you reach a lot more people with television than with movies." Larry Hagman contributed the success of 'Dallas' to "sex, greed and avarice. People have tried to make it too exotic. That's fine, but I never wanted us to be a 'Dynasty' clone. You see, our major source of audience is the Bible Belt."
Back in Russia, the hotel Larry stayed at was soon surrounded by security people. "After all, it (the hotel) does employ people. So when you have somebody listening in on your telephone conversation, that's one person employed. And somebody else watches you, so that's another couple of people employed. It's a kind of make-work program over there. Of course, there's so much paranoia that most of the people are not terribly happy."
In 1983, Larry Hagman's co-star Linda Gray and Ed Thrasher shocked "even cynical Hollywood" when they announced their marriage of some 20 years was coming to an end. Speaking to David Lewin, Linda Gray expressed, "I'm learning that unless I take care of myself I am no good to anybody. You have to be very strong in your marriage – and I was. Strong enough to know that two people were not going to grow at the same level all the time. One may grow faster than the other at one time and then the reverse."
"Just before 10, with all my guests there, the KGB came in and shut all the windows and said, 'This is for security.' I said, 'Whose? Yours or mine?' They said, 'It's for security.' I don't know if they thought that I'd become so enamoured by the parade that I'd jump off the (bleeping) balcony and kill myself. I thought later that Americans just don't know what's happening in Russia. They would never allow 'Dallas' to be on air, because people would see that there’s something else happening in the world."
At the time 'Dallas' was the "biggest, most successful television series show in the world. Nobody has ever asked me to make a movie for $10 million and you reach a lot more people with television than with movies." Larry Hagman contributed the success of 'Dallas' to "sex, greed and avarice. People have tried to make it too exotic. That's fine, but I never wanted us to be a 'Dynasty' clone. You see, our major source of audience is the Bible Belt."
Back in Russia, the hotel Larry stayed at was soon surrounded by security people. "After all, it (the hotel) does employ people. So when you have somebody listening in on your telephone conversation, that's one person employed. And somebody else watches you, so that's another couple of people employed. It's a kind of make-work program over there. Of course, there's so much paranoia that most of the people are not terribly happy."
In 1983, Larry Hagman's co-star Linda Gray and Ed Thrasher shocked "even cynical Hollywood" when they announced their marriage of some 20 years was coming to an end. Speaking to David Lewin, Linda Gray expressed, "I'm learning that unless I take care of myself I am no good to anybody. You have to be very strong in your marriage – and I was. Strong enough to know that two people were not going to grow at the same level all the time. One may grow faster than the other at one time and then the reverse."
Richard Chamberlain observed, "It is also very difficult for an actor to marry an actress, because you have two careers to deal with – or a given-up career by the woman, which is worse. And it is difficult to marry somebody who is non-showbusiness because they do not have any idea of what is going on – of what the problems of the day are."
Linda Evans reasoned, "Out of any experience – even the bad ones – you can gain some benefit, some knowledge of yourself which you never realized before. I grew up trying to cope and I like Krystle in 'Dynasty' because she shows strength and she understands change. I understand in life that I don’t have to rush things even at my age (41 at the time). Things will come right for me. Perhaps later, but they’ll come right, just the same."
On reflection, Linda Gray added, "I don't mind being called one of the Bitch Queens of Television because of the part I play in 'Dallas'. It is a great title. Remember, my parents thought that becoming an actress was little better than becoming a hooker. I am strong but not tough. I am a survivor, a risk-taker and I can't think of a more exciting life. I have a grand curiosity about life – and no fear. Even being alone is sort of nice."
In 1989, 'Dallas' went on location in Moscow. Some 16 cast and crew members joined 3 Soviet actors and 50 extras for 3 days to film an episode of a 4-part series that begun in Salzburg and Vienna, Austria. Fiona Couldrey reported, "It is not the first time an American series has been filmed in Moscow but the 'Dallas' project has had the greatest Soviet technical involvement."
It was in the final years of Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms of the Soviet Union with glasnost and perestroika. Len Katzman described the story on 'Dallas' as a "curious dichotomy" showing American capitalists in pursuit of a good deal "in the very heart of the Communist bloc." It was understood Lorimar hoped to bring 'Dallas' to Soviet TV screens. Len Katzman told the 'Chicago Tribune', "'Dallas', of all the American series, might be very interesting to the Russian public. We're willing to wheel and deal."
