danfling

I would love to read a reprint of the T V Guide article about Kathryn Leigh Scott. I remember reading back in the 1960s, and it was the first article about a soap opera star in that magazine that I ever noticed. Could someone share that article?

The above synopses are from the period that Irna Phillips was the head writer.

Maybe CBS should have introducted Where the Heart Is the same way that ABC introduced Ryan's Hope. They could have moved Love of Life to 10:30 (11:30 ET) and placed Where the Heart is thirty minutes later. Then, after a year or so, switced the time slots. That is the way that Ryan's Hope and All My Children did over on ABC.

Ms. Monty had left The Secret Storm and had worked on Bright Promise a number of years before The Secret Storm left the air.

The Edge of Night, after being moved to ABC, may not have "flourished" ratings-wise, but it did flourish artistically. April, Steve, Deborah, Logan, Calvin, Miles, Denise, Raven, Schyler, Jody, Winter, Derek, Gavin, Jinx and Kelly were all introduced while the show was on ABC and were beloved by the show's audience. The demise of CBS as the leading network in daytime television was caused by two-fold reasons. CBS had either purchased or introduced Love of Life, The Secret Storm, Love Is a Many Splendored Thing and Where the Heart Is. The shows were in the company of the Procter and Gamble shows Search for Tomorrow, As the World Turns, The Guiding Light and The Edge of Night. The early 1970 years brought about a "cancellation fever" at ABC. Cancelled early were The Best of Everything, Dark Shadows and A World Apart. Procter and Gamble Productions (which was probably planning an expansion of its Another World on NBC) wanted a big block of its shows, so CBS was persuaded to comply with this. Search for Tomorrow and As the World Turns remained in their former time slots (These two starting times had always existed.) Following were The Guiding Light and The Edge of Night in new time slots. Love Is a Many Splendored Thing had a new timeslot (the one during which The Edge of Night was a ratings success), and the show eventually moved into a storyline about politics, etc. Procter and Gamble even had its Somerset aired twice by NBC during the daytime. In addition to its 4:00ET/3:00 CT slot, it was also aired at noon. This did create a block of soap operas owned by Procter and Gamble: Search for Tomorrow, Somerset, As the World Turns, The Guiding Light, The Edge of Night and Another World. Ratings for the CBS shows fell following these changes. One executive at the CBS network wanted to cancel all of the shows that the network owned. However, the only ones to be cancelled were Love Is a Many Splendored Thing and Where the Heart Is. Even Procter and Gamble wanted to use the 1:00ET/12:00CT time during which the affliates are local news for expansion to forty-five minutes for Search for Tomorrow and As the World Turns. (This was after two programs had been expanded on NBC). Later, (in 1973) The Secret Storm was cancelled (and left the air in 1974) and Love of Life continued for the rest of the decade. The decision by Procter and Gamble to create its block and the expansion of the thirty-minute shows were the reason that CBS lost so many rating points.

I do not believe that at the time of the network switch, Procter and Gamble would have voluntarily allowed the cancellation of its serials (Somerset) to allow the pick-up of another of its serials (The Edge of Night). The purpose of the network switch was to keep The Edge of Night and to preserve its continuity.

Malcolm Groome is one of my favorite soap opera actors, but I also enjoyed all of the actors who played Dr. Patrick Ryan - expecially Pat #2 John Blazo!

Wasn't Pat Ashley paired with Adam Brewster?

Sebastian Blayne was a pen name for Ms. Huckins.

Actress Inga Swenson has passed away at the age of ninety. She did not appear on any soap operas, but I understand that she had been hired to join the cast of Love Is a Many Splendored Thing prior to its cancellation.

I am not attempting to begin an argument, but that this show is the first soap opera to be set in a real city is false. ABC's The Best of Everything was set in New York City. CBS's Love Is a Many Splendored Thing was set in San Francisco. 1954's Woman with a Past was set in Manhatten.

I wish to pose a question: In the late 1970s, there were three popular characters on The Edge of Night: Raven (played by Juanin Clay. April (played by Terry Davis) and Deborah (played by Frances Fisher). When Ms. Clay departed the show, the role of Raven was recast. However, during probably an eighteen-month period, the show lost Draper, Logan, Steve, Deborah, Winter, Kevin, and April. Had the show made the decision to recast the roles of April and Deborah, what actresses would have been good in these two roles? (Also, the show should have recast Steve Gutherie. I suppose that the show knew that Ms. Fisher was going to leave and decided that to not recast would be the best decision. I still think that there should have been a new Steve!)

I have just been told some information about a performer about whose activities I had wondered for quite a few years! Kathryn (Kate) Dezina has been in France working in theatre since she was last seen on the ABC series The Hamptons!

I do not know the name of the character, but actor Marco St. John (Dr. Paul Stewart on As the World Turns) played the role of the physician. Erica had her abortion earlier than 1973. (1973 was the year that Jason Maxwell was murdered.) She tried to hide the abortion from the Martin family. She had complications from the abortion and had to remain in the hospital. Jeff and Joe were concerned about why she was ill. I think that this may have been when Mary Kinnecott, R. N. was introduced. (Jacqueline Bosworth was the first actress in the role.)

What was the reason given for the dual personality of Serena Travis Feriday?

I never cared much for Ms. Booth as Andy, but Wendee Pratt was one of my favorite actresses on the show. I feel that her storylines with Antonio were extremely good. I loved them together! Andy's first husband, Hunter Gutherie, was an attractive young actor, but the storylines were bland to me.

I saw Nicholas Benedict throughout his run on All My Children, and I also kept up with the performers through the various magazines. I do not remember anything about his love life as has been mentioned. Did he date another performer? I cannot recall. Several of the actors who played Dr. Jeff Martin are still living who was not mentioned above. The first actor (Christopher Wines) has indeed passed away. James O'Sullivan and John James are still living. I am not sure about Robert Perrault or John Tripp. John Tripp is the only performer who may have not had scenes with Erica or any real storylines with her. Robert Perrault was probably intended to have a big storyline with Betsy Kinnecott, R. N. (Carla Dragoni). James O'Sullivan was involved mostly with Robin Strasser (as Christina), but he also was in the storyline in which Erica wanted an church annulment of the marriage of Jeff and Erica.

Here is an obituary of the writer John Hess. (It was written by Doug Martin, who obviously is not the character from Search for Tomorrow played by actor/writer Kenneth Harvey.) It mentions that he worked on Search for Tomorrow in its early years, and I wonder what he did. The show's creator was Roy Winsor; its first head writer was Agnes Eckert (Agnes Nixon); succeeding her was Irving Vendig. So, how was he involved with the show? John Hess, 85, Noted Writer; Created an Early Soap Opera By Douglas Martin May 2, 2004 John D. Hess, a prolific writer who originated one of the earliest television soap operas, ''Love of Life,'' died April 15 at his home in New Hope, Pa. He was 85. The cause was lung cancer, said his brother, Carl B. Hess. Mr. Hess was the originator of ''Love of Life.'' ''Search for Tomorrow'' began three weeks earlier in 1951, and the two shows, both on CBS, were among the first daytime dramas to become long-running successes on television. ''Love of Life'' was broadcast until 1980, and he often wrote two or three episodes a week in the early years. Mr. Hess also wrote episodes for many other shows over the years, including the comedies ''M.A.S.H.,'' ''Alice'' and ''One Day at a Time,'' and the dramas ''The Streets of San Francisco,'' ''The Rockford Files'' and ''Ben Casey.'' His play ''The Grey-Eyed People'' opened on Broadway in December 1952 and closed after five performances. In 1961, Mr. Hess wrote and produced a movie, ''A Matter of Morals,'' in Sweden. Its distribution was limited because of objections by the Catholic Legion of Decency to a scene in which a fully clothed couple emerges from a bedroom. Mr. Hess wrote fiction for The Saturday Evening Post, Colliers and other magazines. In 1961, he turned a story he had written for Esquire into a television comedy called ''The Wicked Scheme of Jebel Deeks,'' which was broadcast on Ford Startime to critical praise and starred Alec Guinness in his American television debut. John David Hess was born in Chicago on April 17, 1918. He graduated from the University of Chicago Laboratory School and from Dartmouth, where he twice won the prize for the best original play. He spent a year at Yale Drama School before becoming a writer for WGN radio in Chicago. During World War II, he was a tank officer, and he later assisted victims of concentration camps and helped relocate refugees. He wrote ''Move Out, Verify -- The Combat Story of the 743rd Tank Battalion.'' In 1946, he returned to WGN in Chicago and began his writing career. In 1954, he was named playwright in residence at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope. His plays ''The Facts of Life,'' ''The Better Mousetrap'' and ''A Perfect Frenzy'' had their first performances there. His first wife, the former Jane Vosper, died in 1996. He is survived by his second wife, the former Mary Ann Van; his brother, Carl, of Manhattan; his sons Anthony G., of New Hope, and Oliver G., of Ojai, Calif.; and two grandsons.

This information about two writers appeared on the Search for Tomorrow page. It was posted by RavenWhitney. "Leonard Kantor was a prolific and successful television writer until his death at 59 (likely from HIV/AIDS) in NYC in 1984. He was brought in to The Doctors in 1982 to help young writer, Barbara Morgenroth, in the final six months of the show. "Doris Frankel was briefly head writer of Somerset with Winifred Wolfe in 74. It was a much talked about period when the writers focused on Ellen's May/December romance with a much younger man and the introduction of Carrie along with several other senior citizens. i watched with my grandmother and it was smartly written and entertaining. Doris also wrote for AMC" Any information about any of the writers is always appreciated!

Also, my understanding is that The Widening Circle would have been a spin-off from The Secret Storm that would have featured the family of Judge Stevens. I could imagine that Ken would have had a selfish, hateful sister.

The last names of Nola, Laurie and Wilifred was Hollister - not Lockwood. I never understood Valerie and Nick. There did not seem to be an attraction to me. The initial plan was probably to link Nick and Amy, but the show did not want this to be grounds for the upcoming divorce. They wanted the divorce to be Paul's fault.

I remember when the character was introduced onto the show. I enjoyed Tina with Greg Huddleston! This news is quite tragic. Prayers are sent on behalf of her family. She and Wayne Massey (Johnny) have been divorced for many years.

This appeared on Playbill's website. It is about Jonathan Tunnick, the husband of Lee Beery. HOW DID I GET HEREHow 2 Phone Calls Changed the Life of Frequent Sondheim Orchestrator Jonathan Tunick The Tony-winning orchestrator, currently represented on Broadway with the revival of Sweeney Todd, also penned the orchestrations for the upcoming revival of Merrily We Roll Along. BY ANDREW GANS JULY 07, 2023 Graphic by Vi Dang Tony winner Jonathan Tunick, currently represented on Broadway with his orchestrations for the Tony-nominated revival of Sweeney Todd, was Stephen Sondheim’s orchestrator of choice, arranging nearly all of his musicals. And, we do mean nearly all: Tunick's credits include the original Broadway productions of Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, Passion, and Merrily We Roll Along. He also penned the orchestrations for the recent, acclaimed Off-Broadway revival of Merrily, which begins previews on Broadway this fall. The New York native, who has orchestrated over 50 Broadway productions—including the original stagings of the Pulitzer Prize-winning A Chorus Line and the Tony-winning Nine—won his Tony in 1997 for Best Orchestrations for Maury Yeston's Tony-winning score for Titanic. It was the first Tony to ever be given in that category. Tunick, who was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2009, is also one of the few artists who has achieved EGOT status, with an Emmy in 1982 for Night of 100 Stars (Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction), a Grammy in 1988 for No One Is Alone (Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals), and an Oscar in 1978 for A Little Night Music (Best Music, Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score). In the interview below for the Playbill series How Did I Get Here—spotlighting not only actors, but directors, designers, musicians, and others who work on and off the stage to create the magic that is live theatre—Tunick shares how two phone calls changed his professional life and how he's never worked a day job in his career. Lonny Price, James Weissenbach Ann Morrison, George Furth, Ron Field, Jonathan Tunick, Stephen Sondheim, and Harold Prince in rehearsal for Merrily We Roll Along What made you decide to become an orchestrator? As school children, we heard records such as Peter and the Wolf and Tubby the Tuba that showed me that musical instruments could portray characters and tell stories. This idea grew into an obsession that has dominated my life. Was there a particular production or performance that influenced your decision? Bye Bye Birdie, which caught my attention as the first really hip musical, and introduced me to the work of Red Ginzler. Tell me about a time you almost gave up but didn’t. Although I was a performed composer at 19 (Take Five) and orchestrated my first Broadway show (From A to Z) at 21, my 20s were a steady stream of false starts and disappointments. Nevertheless, I was very stubborn and persisted. Josh Groban, Annaleigh Ashford, and cast of Sweeney Todd Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman How did you get your first job in the theatre? I spent the summers of 1959 and ’60 at Tamiment, a resort in the Poconos that provided entertainment for its guests in the form of an original musical revue each week. There was a resident staff of performers, writers, composers, designers, director, choreographer, an orchestra and…an arranger. I was still working on my masters at Juilliard, and Tamiment was the link between being a student and a professional musician—my first experience as a paid arranger. I was paying my way through Juilliard by playing clarinet and saxophone or piano in bands. A trumpet player friend told me he’d gotten a job for the summer playing at Tamiment, and thus inspired, I called the musical director, Milton Greene (who was later the conductor of Fiddler), to inquire about the possibility of a job in the band for myself. “What I really need,” he said, "is an arranger. The arranger that I’ve had for the last few years isn’t coming back.” “Well,” I said, “I don’t have any experience—or credits—but I am a composition major at Juilliard, and I can do arranging.” He was over a barrel; he couldn’t find anyone. And so, not without trepidation, he gave me the job. Once at Tamiment I immersed myself in musicals and theatre orchestration. We did a show a week for 10 weeks, the last a full musical, as opposed to a revue. Milton was a bit of a martinet—a real stickler and methodical, but he knew his trade, and gave me a good deal of advice and guidance that’s held true to this day. It was at Tamiment that I learned many of the basics of working in the theatre, and made some of my first contacts that led to work in the time to come. Some of these were Dorothy Loudon, Mary Rodgers, Fred Ebb, Gary Geld, Woody Allen, and Michael Cohen—who, in addition to being a fine composer, ran the music department at Grey Advertising for many years and often called me in to provide music for TV commercials. What do you consider your big break? It would have to be the call, seemingly out of nowhere, offering me Burt Bacharach’s Promises, Promises—the show that first really put me on the map. What is the most memorable day job you ever had? I am proud to say that I’ve been able to support myself solely by music, even at the beginning. I have never had a day job or collected unemployment. Jonathan Tunick Is there a person or people you most respect in your field and why? Robert Russell Bennett, the Grand Old Man of theatre orchestrators—a great musician and a great man. Red Ginzler, who I consider the greatest theatre orchestrator of all time. Tell me about a job/opportunity you really wanted but didn’t get. I really would have liked to do 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue; I had worked with Bernstein on Mass and found him endlessly inspiring. Also, I really would have liked to have put in some time on the road with Woody Herman’s band. What advice would you give your younger self or anyone starting out? Don’t turn up your nose at a job that doesn’t pay enough, or for which someone else will snag the credit. As long as you think the gig will bring you some profit in the form of experience, a promising connection, or some musical or professional growth that will help your progress. In the early stages of your career, you will be exploited. It’s all right to let this happen as long as you’re compensated in other ways. What do you wish you knew starting out that you know now? Being right is not an effective defense. Your work is so associated with the music of Stephen Sondheim. Can you share what that means to you and/or something that Sondheim said to you over the years that was particularly meaningful? While planning the score for Merrily We Roll Along, Sondheim quipped to me, “Since the plot runs backwards in time, maybe we should put the overture at the end of the show, rather than at the beginning.” “Yes,” I agreed. “And the overture should end with a timpani roll.” [Editor’s Note: This humorous plan didn’t happen, though Sondheim did place ‘reprise’ versions of songs before fuller arrangements of the same tunes later in the evening.] What is your proudest achievement as an orchestrator? I’m still here.

What was the real reason that James Fitzpatrick left Another World and his role Willis Frame #1?

I am wondering about two performers today: Paul Carpinelli (Flip Malone on The Guiding Light - and another role on The Edge of Night) and Abaigail Kellogg (Robin #? on The Guiding Light - and another role on Love Is a Many Splendored Thing). I think that Ms. Kellogg may have been the actress who was a temporary substitute for Rosemary Prinz as Penny on As the World Turns around 1965.