Actress and Playboy model June Wilkinson starred as Babette LaTouche in the very successful stage version for many years. When a producer bought the option to produce it for television, Wilkinson was signed to star. But an actors' strike delayed it and the producer lost the rights. When he tried to negotiate for the option again, the writers of the play decided to go with Pia Zadora and lied to the producer saying Wilkinson was too old at 50, but she was really only 37. Wilkinson was so angry that she refused to do the play anymore because she didn't want to make more money for the writers. This television production ended up a flop, and the stage versions without Wilkinson didn't do anywhere near as well as they previously did when she starred. She finally agreed to star in the play again years later during a revival and appeared in it for years; first as Babette, and then as the wife.