danfling

Before Gillian Spenser, there was actually another Vicki - sort of. There was an actress (whose name I cannot now recall) who was cast as Victoria. She was replaced before the show's premiere in July 1968, but there were some commercials promoting the show that had featured this actress and Lee Patterson. Before Gillian Spenser, there was actually another Vicki - sort of. There was an actress (whose name I cannot now recall) who was cast as Victoria. She was replaced before the show's premiere in July 1968, but there were some commercials promoting the show that had featured this actress and Lee Patterson. The actresses who played Cathy Craig were: Catherine Burns (196901970) Amy Levitt (1970-1971) Jane Alice Brandon (1971-1972) Dorrie Kavanaugh (1972-1976) Jennifer Harmon (1976-1978) Joanne Dorian (Viki #2) was married, at the time, to actor/writer Michael Zaslow. He later appeared on the show as David Renaldi. Ms. Dorian also returned to show as a voice actress on occasion. (Her voice would be heard on the radio or in airports, etc.)

I learned this week that a writer named Arlene Stadd (who wrote The Doctors in 1979 and General Hospital in 1987) was the wife or the former wife of Leonard Stadd, who had written From These Roots and Our Five Daughters on NBC. He had co-created (with Eugene Barr) Our Five Daughters.

I guess that I misunderstood about Where the Heart Is. The show began as a very traditional soap opera whose major family was very influential. The initial cast was also great and filled by former performers from other soap operas. The creators of Where the Heart Is were former writers (and one of them a one-time performer) from The Edge of Night, Lou Schofield and Margaret DePriest. Return to Peyton Place could be said to be a poor show in its infancy. The performers who played Constance, Rodney, Betty, and Mr Harrington were all eventually replaced.

I also wanted to say that the Procter and Gamble company used at least two advertising agencies to package their soap operas. Both Young and Rubican and Benton and Bowles were the two companies used. I think that the Compton Advertising Agency may have also been used.

I disagree about Where the Heart Is I thought that the storylines were better in the show's beginnings, and I terribly disliked the show as it progressed. One show that I would love to see is the daytime show The Nurses that aired on ABC.

Slick, I was incorrect. It was Audrey Johnston. On The Edge of Night I adored Lori Cardille. She and Logan were wonderful together, and, to quote an old cliche, "they made a lovely couple." I know that Ms. Cardille left suddenly (and later played a small role on Ryan's Hope), but the recasting is notable for as least two things in soap opera trivia. Ms. Braxton and Joel Crothers (who shared many of her scenes) had previously played a married couple on The Secret Storm. Also, the character that Winter murdered (Wade Meacham) was played by the real-life husband of Ms. Braxton, Dan Hamilton.

I do remember him as a character named Gus on the show.

I imagine that Judith McConnell and Mary-Ellis Burin had worked together on As the World Turns. Two recasts which were very good were on The Secret Storm. Joel Crothers became Ken Stevens #2 (following Gordon Gray) and Barbara Rodell became Jill Stevens (later Claiborne) #2 (replacing Irene Bundle, who later returned to the show as Martha Ann, a friend of Belle). Stephanie Braxton, who I do love (I think that she was the most Tara Martin-like actress to play Tara on All My Children) also later replace Linda de Coff as Laurie. I did not like this recast because the character of Laurie (who was "the other woman") and the whole character was changed into a sympathetic character.

Tracy Brooks Swope is a wonderful actress. (I am thinking that one of her relatives is the photographer who takes a whole lot of pictures from the theatre.) Claire Labine and Paul Avilla Mayer worked with Tracy Brooks Swope on Where the Heart Is. The actor who played her love interest, Gregory Ables, was cast in the role of the son-in-law of Maeve and Johnny Ryan (Art Thompson), Diana van der Vlis played Dr. Nell Boulac (and the other character toward the end of the show), and it was said that Robyn Millan was the inspiration for the Delia character. Ilene Kristen, who was cast as Delia, was told to watch tapes of Ms. Millan on Where the Heart Is, and Robyn Millan was Delia #3 on the show (although, supriseingly, she was terrible in the role of Delia).

Search for Tomorrow had probably run its course, although some may think that is debatable. However, Mr. Frons is not the person who "cancelled" it. The decision had been made to cancel the show at a later date. But Procter and Gamble made the decision to end it because they, supposedly, did not want to begin 1987 in the red. Therefore, the show was cancelled on the last Friday of the 1986 year. The network asked Procter and Gamble to extend Search for Tomorrow for, at least, thirteen weeks because the network had no substitute show ready to begin in January. However, the sponsor/owner (Procter and Gamble) refused to extend the show, and made the decision that it would leave the airwaves. The Proctor and Gamble company had also ended The Edge of Night on ABC two years earlier. The company also refused to sell Another World to ABC or even the character of Felicia Gallant to ABC years later. I think that the only shows that Procter and Gamble ever sold to the networks were The Brighter Day to CBS (which moved the production from New York to California) and From These Roots to NBC.

I know that Jada Rowland was considered for the role of Dr. Faith Coleridge, but it was decided that she was too old for the role. (Faith is said to have been written with Ms. Rowland in mind) I have often wondered if Justin Dees may have auditioned for the Dr. Pat Ryan role but was cast as Nell's nephew instead.

Micki Grant (Ada Chandler #2) has unfortunately passed away this weekend.

Here is some terrible news: the multi-talented Micki Grant (Peggy) has passed away.

Do you mean all of the shows that CBS owned in 1970s (Love of Life, The Secret Storm, Love is a Many-Splendored Thing, and Where the Heart Is) or, in addition, the other shows that were airing on CBS (Search for Tomorrow, As the World Turns, The Guiding Light, and The Edge of Night)?

I never knew that Margaret DePriest had co-written How to Survive a Marriage. I do know that she ahd Rick Edelstein had worked together on The Doctors as writers, They had also worked together on The Edge of Night when he was producer and she was initially an actress (Abby Cameron) and later one of the writers.

Concerning Irna Phillips and that California show (Days of Our Lives), my understanding is that Ms. Philllips was there at the creation of the program but never worked on it. She co-created the show with Ted Corday and Allen Chase. I have even heard that her only contribution was either the title or the prologue or both.

I do know that another blacklisted actor, Joseph Jullian, took roles on The Edge of Night, As the World Turns, and Dark Shadows. He wrote a book about his being blacklisted. I cannot remember the name of it, but, when I do, I will post,

I hope that someone will be able to help me. I used to read (and read and read since it was a really thourgh website) about the beginnings of Dark Shadows. This told about things such as Mark Allen's sexual harrasment of the actresses, the firing of the original Matthew Morgan over his not being able to eat the eggs that the prop men gave him, etc. I cannot locate that website any longer. I hope that someone here will be able to tell me how to find it. I have really tried!

And Mr. Linder returned to the soap operas as Ben #2 on The Edge of Night.

Ryan's Hope had some very unsuccessful re-casts. However, I did like John Blazo as Dr. Pat Ryan #2. I liked all of the Pats, I think. I guess I just liked the character.

I, too, really liked Laura Roman as Laura Kirk in the beginning of her run I thought that she was a fresh talent, reminding me of a young Judy Garland in the Andy Hardy-period. However, by the time they were introducing Jim Thomasson - I saw that she had no talent and seemed to have no idea about how to act. I suspect that she attempted to act during the time of Jim's introduction, but that the directors of the show told her that (after seeing her attempts at acting) to show no emotion if that was the best that she could do.

I disagree with Chris 2 and AmyBrickWallace. I loved Mary Carney, as they did. However, after she was dismissed from the cast, I LOVED Kathleen Ryan Tolan as Mary #3. She later became one of the writers of Loving.

Happy aniversary, THE EDGE OF NIGHT/EDGE OF NIGHT!

The late Agnes Nixon was known for instilling humor into her shows, going all the way back to when she was writing Search for Tomorrow. I did not watch Another World when she was the writer, but I am told that Robin Strasser, Ann Wedgeworth, and Audra Lindley were used effectively for comical scenes. Her One Life to Live and All My Children were filled with comic scenes. Yet, when she was writing The Guiding Light, there were few scenes that utilized comedy. I realize that maybe because this was a 15-minute show could be a reason, but so was Search for Tomorrow. Do you remember many comedy scenes on The Guiding Light? I could have forgotten them. Why do you suppose that The Guiding Light was the show without as much comedy?

This article about Irving Vendig fails to mention his contributions to Morning Star on CBS and Paradise Bay on NBC.