danfling

There could be two reasons why Our Private World was called CBS's answer to Peyton Place. It was serialized drama that aired more than once a week in primetime. Also, Irna Phillips had developed the storyline for Peyton Place and was the creator and co-writer of Our Private World.

One reason for a decline in August of 1967 could have been that Ms. Phillips was preparing her new show (Love Is a Many Splendored Thing) and was paying less attention to the older show. Was she still working on A Time for Us in 1967?

Willie Ames had appeared on the long running Eight Is Enough on ABC and also one season of Charles in Charge on CBS before being on Edge of Night (as it was, by then, called).

Maybe the producers were considering Doris Belack as Bernice in the new series. Or, maybe they later considered her. I know that Al Freeman, Jr. (also from One Life to Live as Ed Hall) was placed on the primetime HOT L BALTIMORE by ABC.

Elizabeth Hubbard departed from the show, and Virginia Vestoff was hired as the replacement. I think she was on for about six months. Then, the show hired Elizabeth Hubbard to reprise her role.

Lindsey, the grandmother, was accused of killing the child. I especially hated that Jill Faren Phelps dismissed Laura Bonariggo Kaufman as Cassie and that Paul Rauch dismissed Lillian Hayman (without even telling her).

I had forgotten that Judy was British. I remember that she was a fan of Petula Clark. Many of the plots from certain shows are hardly ever mentioned. This is one of them.

I could not locate a thread for the show Concerning Miss Marlowe. Efrem Zimbalist Jr., who later became a staple of 1960s and ’70s TV as the star of ABC dramas “77 Sunset Strip” and “The F.B.I.,” has died. He was 95. He appeared on Concerning Miss Marlowe as Jim in 1954 and 1955. Zimbalist died Friday at his home in Solvang, Calif., according to a statement issued by his daughter, actress Stephanie Zimbalist, and son Efrem Zimbalist III. “We are heartbroken to announce the passing into peace of our beloved father, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., today at his Solvang, Calif. ranch. A devout Christian, he actively enjoyed his life to the last day, showering love on his extended family, playing golf, and visiting with close friends.”

Ellen and Lisa greatly disliked each other for the two reasons that were listed above (that Ellen had given up her child for adoption and because Lisa had stolen Dr. Michael Shea from Claire) but also because Ellen's cousin Judy had dated Bob (Lisa's first husband) and because Lisa was sympathetic to the desires to have more independence from David and Ellen. I think that it would have been good if Alma and Henry had an older son (who would be Lisa's brother) and he had come to town (in between Ellen's marriages to Tim and David) and been attracted to Ellen. I also think that the show definitely should have (at the time that Nicolas Coster joined the show playing his second character) should have had Ellen (who was, by then, the widow of David) and Lisa competing for his attentions. And, actually, Irna Phillips did not write off the entire Stewart family. Dr. David Stewart, Ellen, and the two daughters continued on the show. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO PENNY. Her birthday is May 1. Chris would send her flowers each year, and, later, Bob continued the practice.

Yes, Willie Ames played Robbie Hamlin. I am not sure how long he was on the show, but it was less than a year. It was during the Isis storyline.

Another storyline that I absolutely despised was when Jessica Buchanan got together (the result of too much drinking which I think was underage drinking) with her step-brother and was impregnated. I still can't think that the show would have stooped that low.

Kathy Glass seemed to be a favorite of writer James Lipton and producer/writer/director Don Wallace. She began her daytime television career on ABC's The Best of Everything. That show may have been a production of Twentieth-Century Fox Television. After its cancellation (which came briefly after its premiere), the trio worked for Twentieth-Century Fox on Return to Peyton Place (which aired on NBC). She was later replaced (and I think that Mr. Lipton was too. I don't know about Mr. Wallace.) in the role of Allison. She then created the role of Jenny Woleck Siegel, R. N. on One Life to Live. Later, longtime producer for ABC Doris Quinlan (The Nurses, One Life to Live, All My Children) was replaced. She was hired by NBC to produce The Doctors, and she took Kathy Glass with her to The Doctors. Kathy Glass was on a commercial that ran for a long time. I seem to recall that it was for a brand of vitamins, but I may be wrong about the product.

What about Robbie?

Today is the birthday of the late Michael Lipton (Dr. Stan Kurtz).

Laura ran away to New York. Later, she and companion Luke ran away. This may have been the same thing, but I am thinking that it was different. (The characters of Jenny and Julie also both ran away to New York. I remember, also, that Dottie and Tad were in New York also.)

I think that Mary was a friend of Penny's. She, Ellen, and Penny were about the same age, or maybe Mary was a bit younger. I also suspect that Mary was an attraction for Bob or possibly for Donald.

Slick, Mary Mitchell was a nurse who appeared on the show in the late 1950s or early 1960s. This was a long time before Ralph was introduced. Swoozie Kurtz, who appeared on As the World Turns as Ellie, has a new memoir: Part Swan, Part Goose: An Uncommon Memoir of Womanhood, Work, and Family. Who has read it? Does she mention As the World Turns, and, if so, what does she say in her book about it?

I thought that maybe it was reveled toward the end of the series that there were two of them (characters). I could not remember. My memory fades over the years. I tend to remember characters and performers a lot better than I remember plots.

I liked the show before Jill Faren Phelps became the executive producer. I don't think that Todd and Blair should ever have been reunited. I liked Blair with this bartender named named Teddy. (Chad Sears played the role.) I also LOVED Maggie and Patrick. The show should have used Andrew and Cassie more effectively. And, pairing Cassie and Kevin is one pairing that I ABSOLUTELY HATED.

One summer, the character of Laurie fled Woodbridge and ran away to New York City. (This was a prelude to the time that Laura ran away on the serial General Hospital.) I SUSPECT that Francesca James was on the show as one of the people in the neighborhood. Laurie was kept in a neighborhood filled with Italian people. Antonio Rey was one of the people in the neighborhood. John Travolta could have been on the show at that time, but it may have been later. I know that it was later when he appeared on The Edge of NIght.

Did Nancy Stafford play two roles? I only remember that she was the mother who was posing as a much younger person.

Slick, a number of performers appeared on The Secret Storm, but I cannot identify who they played or the role of the character on the show. Some of these are Jerry Lacy, Gillian Spencer, Dennis Patrick, and Gloria Howe. I also understand that Robert Gentry appeared on the show briefly. There was a girl who fell in love with the character played by Cliff de Young. She was also in West Side Story. Do you know the name of the actress? Also, District Attorney Ursulla Winthrop had a son. What was the name of the son, and who played him?

Claire Labine tried to write for R. J. and Hank Gannon. She had Hank recalling how their mother treated them as children in one scene.

Florence Stanley and Abe Vigoda were both on Fish. Mr. Vigoda had played the same role on Barney Miller.

Slick, I had not even known that Mia Korf had appeared on Loving. At some point, could you e-mail me? ([email protected])