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Barbara Rainey (Rebecca Holden) is a hidden villainess in the 1984 episode “Catfight” for the TV series “The New Mike Hammer”.

Convicted hoodlum Matt Rainey (John Aprea) is appearing in court for his conviction.  He is being handed over by authorities in the basement of the NYC District Attorney’s office.  Rainey’s wife, Barbara Rainey (Rebecca Holden) has agreed to testify against her husband, stating that she is glad to put him behind bars once and for all.  However, the transfer goes awry, and Rainey is busted free with the help of his friend Jack Rogan (Allan Graf).  Rainey took Hammer's good friend assistant D.A Dave Hunter (David Prather) hostage whom he murdered during his unsuccessful getaway.  The car Rainey was driving explodes and burns Rainey to a crisp.  

Mike Hammer (Stacy Keach) began to look for Rainey’s accomplice Rogan and bring him to justice. The only clue to Rogan's whereabouts is a video tape that Rainey left as his last will & testament.  In the video he directs clues to the three women in his rotten life: his girlfriend, Susan Lancaster (Barbi Benton); his wife, Barbara Rainey (Rebecca Holden); and his ex-wife, Gail Storrs-Rainey (Ann Turkle), as to where he hid 8 million dollars for the three beauties to find.  This all leads to a lot in Staten Island where the stolen money was hidden and where Rogan in finding it ends up being murdered.

Mike thinks one of the three women was the one who gave Rogan the criminal’s location so he’s not sure whom he should trust.  This is a problem, because he needs to work with them in order to find the money.

Gail is the first to make contact with him.  She is a sportswriter and they meet at a boxing rink on a story she is covering.  After the two are attacked, Gail returned to Hammer’s apartment for a shower.  While Gail was wrapped in a towel, the girlfriend, Susan showed up.  Neither was willing to hand over their clue to the prize.

Hammer then made contact with Barbara in a restaurant.  She was keeping time with what appeared to be her boyfriend/bodyguard, King Steele (Lou Ferrigno), who was a professional wrestler.  The two men took an instant dislike in each other.  Barbara told Hammer if he could get the two additional clues from the other girls, she would share the money with him.  However, Mike was not interested in the money, only the whereabouts of Rogan.  Susan showed up and she and Barbara got in a shouting match.  King stepped in and he and Hammer got in a fight.  Hammer was able to knock him out with some sort of mechanical gadget.

Meeting Susan at her hairdressing salon, she attempted to seduce Hammer.  However, the two were interrupted by King Steele, who wanted to renew their grievances.  Hammer was able to defeat the giant by pulling a mink coat off a beautiful girl (Penny Baker) wearing nothing but lingerie underneath.  Mike used the mink coat as a bull fighters cape, and followed it up with a fire alarm to clear the place.

Hammer returned to his apartment with Gail, who gave him a key, which was her clue given by Rainey.  While she was taking a shower, Susan once again showed up with a bottle of wine.  Right on her heels was Barbara.  Finally the three promised to work together in finding the money and Rogan.  While the three of them were talking about the details in Mike’s office, one of Rainey’s men broke in and at gunpoint demanded all three clues.

From memory, the girls were attempting to decipher what the clues were leading them to.  Just then, King came in and apologized to Hammer.  He said he was only protecting Barbara.  In addition, he got a good look at the clue and was able to lead them to the Staten Island docks.

At an abandoned warehouse they found it full of cars.  The key had to unlock one of the cars.  When they found the right one, they found a dead Rogan on the hood of it covered by a tarp.  It was then that Barbara revealed herself as an accomplice to Rainey and pulled a gun on Hammer and the rest of the girls.  Rainey then arrived and Barbara took the gun from Hammer.  Hammer learned that Rainey faked his death and used a drunk as his double in his fatal car accident. Mike realized that Rainey was playing him and the NYPD for suckers in tricking them.  

Rainey and Barbara attempted to get away with the cash loaded in the car.  Hammer did his best in not allowing them to get away.  The two criminals ended up separating in two different get away cars.  Barbara’s vehicle ended up going off the dock and sinking to the bottom of the Staten Island Lower Bay.  Rainey, in a game of chicken with Mike Hammer, ended up incinerated when his rig blew up hitting a tanker.  The money burned up in the flames, and Mike said it was an expensive funeral.

Trivia[]

  • Rebecca Holden appeared as Stella in the 1982 episode "Rendezvous at Big Gulch (Terror in the Neighborhood)" for the TV series "Police Squad".

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