vetsoapfan

I adore watching vintage soap episodes from the 1950s to the 1970s. It really goes to show that you don't need a lot of flashy gimmicks, sensationalism, or violence to entrance an audience. All you need is good, character-driven writing.

Right. As created by Agnes Nixon, Steven Frame was an only child, but when Harding Lemay took over the reigns in 1971, he had the character admit to Alice that he had several siblings. One of his brothers was named Otis, who showed up in Bay City in 1978 and announced that he wanted to be called Vince from then on because he disliked his original name. We also saw Willis, who had arrived in Bay City in 1975. The original siblings were: brothers Steven, Otis/Vince, Willis and Norman Frame, and sisters Emma, Janice, and Sharlene Frame. Jason Frame never existed way back then. He was a re-write by later writers.

Yes, the reason George Reinholt popped into my head when writing about Stewart is that, if the stories about them are true, then both men shared similar attitudes and behavioral problems as their popularity soared. More than likely, the actors knew that their huge and devoted fan base offered them more security and protection than the Average Joe. (I do wonder, however, if Stewart would have lasted so long on TGL if he had had to work with the likes of Paul Rauch and Harding Lemay.) I agree that if Stewart had just reigned in his complaints and gone with the flow, he might have survived producer Gail Kobe's and writer Pam Long's massacre of the cast, but no one knew how long they were going to last, and it's hard to bite your tongue and remain quiet when the work environment you dislike may go on indefinitely. It is rare to find actors who are different types, like Stewart and Hulswit, but who work so well together and who actually "feel" like brothers, so Stewart's departure, even if it ended up being understandable, was a blow to TGL. Do you remember when, years after Stewart left the show, we heard Mike's voice over the telephone during a brief phone conversation? The actor chosen to play him had a bit of a southern twang, which was totally wrong for the character. I took this scene as a hint that perhaps the character was headed home to Springfield, but alas, that never happened. A much better voice-only replacement was the actress chosen to play Hope when we heard her speak to Alan-Michael on the phone, explaining why she would not be coming to his wedding to Harley. Only through her voice, the unidentified actress really made the audience feel Hope's pain about how her life and relationships had been when she left town. Since even TPTB knew how unhappy the audience was about losing the Bauers, it's unreal to me that no producers ever brought at least Mike and Hope back. There were so many many mind-bogglingly stupid decisions made on this show during its final decades. No wonder fans are still annoyed at the cluelessness and incompetence exhibited by those in charge.

But the absurd thing is, when the show flirted with the idea of having Trish Lewis as a potential love interest for Mike Bauer, Stewart said in an interview that she was too young. No actor should have the power to dictate storylines or on-screen couplings, based on their own personal preferences. Look how damaging Tony Geary's dictates were to the character of Luke Spencer and GH. If given my druthers, I would have wanted Stewart to remain on TGL in a major capacity, but like George Reinholt before him, smetimes even the most popular leading men need to be relieved of their duties. Jed Allen and McKinsey would have been grand, if you ask me.

Ahhh, videos from 1953. The great Irna Phillips was writing the show back then. The good old days. EEEK! Videos from 1998 with Cleva! The not-so-good final years! LOL!

The writers were generally incompetent and ignorant of history, so they took the lazy was out.

An on-line biography of Demming claims she retired from acting in 1974, and I have never seen her in anything else, but I do not know for sure if she did any more acting after TGL. Not a lot of information is available about her. I thought she was a good actress too, and although Meta eventually became more of a minor, supporting player, I still loved seeing her. I felt the same way about Emily McLaughlin of GH, who went from being the show's leading lady to not much more than a bit player, but I adored her and wanted her on the show. I was saddened and annoyed when Meta stopped appearing on TGL. Ditto, Jessie Brewer on GH, BTW. I had the same reaction as you did when Van Fleet showed up in Springfield, calling himself Ed Bauer: if we could not have our Mart Hulswit back, Peter Simon would have been better than Van Fleet. UGH. The show screwed up big time by casting both PS and RVF, although VF was even a worse choice.. I would have put a bullet through my TV. No Bauers at all would be better than this. Great answer to all those comments.

Yes, but since no Hannah Bauer actually existed in the canon TGL universe, I'm glad Stuart ended up playing Meta. I never understood why the show dragged in all these newly-created "fake" Bauers, when they could have mined the established family tree.

Bert Bauer passed away in March, 1986, but if the writers had waited just another nine months for this to happen, Mary Stuart would have been free to play Meta after SFT's cancellation in December of that same year. Of course, no one could have known that SFT would be cancelled, but I wish Stuart had had another job to go to immediately after Search's demise. I would have accepted Ann Flood as Meta, even though she was too young for the role. The hair and make-up department could have helped with that. Or even Teri Keane. We did not need the fake Bauers like Jack and Lainie to be introduced, when Keane could have assumed the role of Meta. (Flood and Keane playing Meta and Trudy Bauer would have been a hoot for longtime soap fans, considering they played best friends on TEON for many years.) I also would have accepted Dorothy Green (ex-Jennifer Brooks, Y&R), who was 66 years old in 1986.

Yes, Rita was never written as a moustache-twirling villain, which is what kept her interesting and viable. On soaps nowadays, writers often turn antagonistic characters into unrepentant degenerates who commit heinous crimes and who have no redeeming values. That's why the likes of Sonny and Jason on GH repulse me.

I had wanted Aunt Meta to return way back in 1986, after Bert passed away. When Charita Bauer died, the writers had Bert go to Florida to care for Meta after Meta had had a stroke. Meta's last husband, Bruce Banning, was never mentioned at all, either when she had that stroke, or later in 1996 when she finally did return to Springfield, so we presume that after Bert passed away in Meta's home, Meta was alone. (SoapCentral claims in their biography section that Bruce and Meta had divorced, but that was never spoken of on the show.) Knowing that she was alonr in another state and recovering from such a serious medical crisis could easily have compelled the Springfield branch of the family to suggest Meta come back home. As for Jed Allen, he was warm, charming, and very sexy, but also a good actor with a commanding presence. His Mike, along with a returned Mart Hulswit's Ed, Elvera Roussel's Hope, and Aunt Meta, would have been a dream come true for Bauer fans who continued to clamor for the family's resurgence right up until the show was cancelled. I never warmed up to Marj Dusay's Alexandra. BM's Alex was like an asp in diamonds. Marj's version was breathy and lumbering, and lacked the spark Alex needed. I thought a good recast for the character would have been Barbara Rush, who was age-appropriate and even resembled BM somewhat. Oh Lord, Bert was quite abrasive when we first met her, but life's harsh lessons taught her a thing or two, and she developed into a good, strong, loving woman. With careful writing, Rita could have evolved as well, the way AW's Rachel and ATWT's Lisa did. I agree that a recast Mike would have been jarring alongside a recently-recast Ed, but if TPTB admitted that Simon was miscast, and lured Hulswit back to the show, a new Mike (particularly with a fine actor like Jed Allen in the part) could have worked. The idea that Gus might be Rita's son was wishful-thinking; an idea dreamt up by creative fans who knew the show's history better than most PTB did. It would have been a smart move to bring in another son for Ed, via Rita, or even to bring back Paul Kinkaid (Hillary's brother) and have him turn out to be Bill Bauer's offspring. But the writers were all clueless and/or indifferent to the Bauers, and never bothered trying to reinvigorate the family.

Judging from past soaps with rich, intelligent writing and complex characters, I believe that even outrageous ideas and pairings can work out well in the hands of the right scribe. Who would have thought that Bill Horton raping Laura on DAYS could possibly produce a searing, longterm storyline that lasted 10 years? Mike and Holly might have clicked quite well if the progression of their relationship (platonic and supportive at first) was handled sensitively. Ed would be justifiably vexed that Mike was ending up with ANOTHER one of his ex wives. Mike and Rita might have clicked too. On AW, Sam Groom as Russ and Robin Strasser as Rachel had excellent chemistry, which made me occasionally hope that Rachel would soften up and grow up enough to deserve him. Lenore Kasdorf was such a fine actress. A repentant Rita may have eventually made the audience grow to care for her and root for her, the way Judith Light's endearing portrayal of Karen Wolek on OLTL made the world love her previously disposable character. If the audience grew to care for Rita and genuinely believe she was evolving towards the light, a Mike/Rita pairing might have intrigued viewers. I agree. If the rumors are true that Don Stewart was difficult to work with, they could have just replaced him with another actor. I became focused on Jed Allen as a potential new Mike. A respected actor full of intelligence and charm, he would have been great. Hope definitely should have been brought back to the canvas too. As a blood Bauer with only one marriage and one child to her name, she was still a viable character. If she had had a son after leaving Springfield, it would have helped solidify the Bauer name which she would naturally reclaim. And after Bert died, they should have brought Aunt Meta back much sooner than 1996. Bauer Power 4Ever!

As Leslie Bauer, Rodell had a sweetness and nobility that Adams lacked. Adams was a capable actress, to be sure, but her interpretation of the character was cooler and more reserved. Compare Hillary B. Smith's emotional and loving Margo Hughes to Ellen Dolan's colder, more aloof version and you'll get the idea. I wanted to protect Rodell's Leslie, but with Adams...ehhh, she could take care of herself. LOL! ITA that Elizabeth was too neurotic and unstable to fit the role of the Bauer matriarch, and while I liked Trish, she was way too young for Mike. Of his remaining potential love interests, Jennifer Richards would have been the most viable, but with Don Stewart's resistance to various leading ladies, the actor was sealing Mike's fate to remain single...and be written off the show. Stewart did praise Deborah May, and claimed that she and he had on-screen chemistry, but I never found her Renee Dubois or Ivy Pierce to be particularly interesting. I saw no chemistry with Mike Bauer there, like I did with Stewart and Rodell.

Good ideas. Maybe Marian or Christine could even have had twin boys who would eventually take the Sugden name and therefore replenish the ranks of the dwindling clan. Even if the introduction of new Sugdens felt awkward at first, I would forgive an awkward story if it meant reestablishing the show's original founding family.

TGL had had three actresses in the role of Leslie, and fortunately for the show, they had all been pretty good. Barbara Rodell, the third actress to play the character, might have been the best of all. It's hard to say which decision would have been better for the series and its future: killing off its future matriarch or replacing her with another actress and hope for the best. When Mart Hulswit played Ed, I had wanted Ed and Holly to be the end-game too, but Ellen Parker won me over as Mo, and even after Holly was back on the canvas, Garrett and Simon lacked the chemistry shared by Garrett and Hulswit, so I was then rooting for Ed and Maureen and Holly and Roger.

That would have been a wise and emotionally satisfying idea for longtime fans, TPTB on soaps are so often short-sighted, and they do not plan ahead for the stability and longevity of their core families.

Alas, it's true. I started watching Y&R on its very first day, eager to see what the wonderful William J. Bell would do with a series of his own, after crafting such masterful stories at DAYS. I think that many longtime viewers have been turned off by the serious reduction in quality of the soaps, however, and drifted away many years ago.

That's nothing. After playing the lead role of Jo of SFT for DECADES, and after memorably bringing Aunt Meta back to TGL, the idiots at P&G/CBS could not even spell Mary Stuart's name right. In her "tribute", they referred to her as Mary Stewart. EGREGIOUS!

The writers claimed that they wanted to free up more story potential for Mike Bauer, so the show was going to eliminate Leslie in any case. Kathryn Hays was another replacement for Adams, in 1971.

OMG, I had this issue! I adored Afternoon TV, and would read it from cover to cover, even the articles about soaps I did not watch. Trying to track down vintage issues now is a pain. Magazines I originally paid 35 cents for are being sold for $25.00 on eBay. Grunt. I'd kill to read all the old Afternoon TVs, Daily TV Serials, and Daytime TVs. It just goes to prove that the suits have always been clueless, incompetent and destructive. A genius like Slesar being outdated? Pffft! He was one of the few soap writers who could do it all: create interesting characters, tell romantic love stories, and dish out chilling, complicated mysteries too. And firing him to save money? Again, pffft! Look at all the money soaps lose when crappy writing drives the ratings down and results in the shows being cancelled. You are right about the legacy characters too. One of the best parts about EDGE's final days was watching Nancy and Laurie talking about the past and referring to beloved characters like Winston Grimsley.

Possibly. She was a good actress, and did solid work on LIAMST. fans just never forgave her for not being Donna Mills, LOL.

Buzz: UGH. Firing Ellen Parker as Maureen Bauer to free up money to pay for Justin Deas as Buzz (or so the rumor goes) is akin to axing Olivia Walton and replacing her on The Waltons with Zak Dingle.

Barbara Stanger was on Love is a Many Splendored Thing in 1972-3, so IMDB must be wrong...again, LOL.

The core Bauer family was introduced to The Guiding Light in 1948, and the earliest story that hooked me on the show was from 1950, when Meta Bauer went on trial for the murder of her abusive husband. The Bauers remained the show's cornerstone until 1982-4, when new and clueless PTB started to dismantle and butcher them. The Shaynes came aboard in the 1980s, with generally fake Southern accents, loud mouths, and abrasive personalities and behavior. Imagine watching The Waltons for many years and loving that family, only to see them gratuitously killed off or written out, and replaced by the Bundy clan of Married with Children. Dear God in heaven! It was a nightmare!