Bill Bauer

The mid-40s was a weird time for the show. Even though the setting was still Five Points, the focus went off the Ruthledges and Kranskys and seemed to focus solely on the story of Tim, Claire and baby Ricky. Ricky was Claire's adopted son who turned out to be the biological son of Tim (the man she was romantically involved with). Tim didn't know he had a son because his ex-wife Nina had kept it secret that she was pregnant and gave the baby up for adoption while Tim was overseas fighting in WW2. It was by chance that Tim met Claire after he got back from the war. I don't know how they figured out that Ricky was Tim's biological son. I guess Nina told them. Greg was just a guy that was vying with Tim for the affections of Claire. I think Nina was trying to get back with Tim. I don't remember. Anyway, everything focused around Tim and Claire. Tim and Claire got married and Tim died in a plane crash and then Claire wound up marrying Jonathan. Claire and Jonathan were the only characters to make the jump to Selby Flats. Peter was one of the few characters still left from the first years of the show. His name was Peter Manno. I don't know anything about his storyline in the first couple of years on the show. I think he was just a member of one of the poor immigrant families in Five Points that Rev. Ruthledge helped out. He left the show after a couple of years but he came back on the show later as a lawyer. Angie was his wife, I believe. Reverend Gaylord took over for Reverend Ruthledge at his church when Reverend Ruthledge went overseas to serve as chaplain during the war. I'd be curious to hear how the transition worked as well. All of a sudden, there just seemed to be new characters and all the old characters were gone. The next transition seems like an easier jump to make. The show left the air for almost a year and, I believe, when it returned production was in Los Angeles and the setting of the story changed from Five Points to Selby Flats, California with a whole new cast of characters for that location. That makes a lot more sense. I don't really understand what was going on around 1943/44. It just seems like from 1942-1947 The Guiding Light was in a very long transition period. And I don't know what would allow the Kranskys to move up the social ladder either.

I wish all the guests were as honest as Susan. She's great. Did anybody watch this live? Something got edited out at the 1:07:49 mark when they were talking about the death of Maureen Bauer. Right before Alan says "I don't think she'd like to hear that". I wonder what got cut out. Must have been good for Alan to censor it.

Do you know if Right to Happiness was set in Five Points?

Yes, it is confusing. It's also strange that the Cunninghams, Rev. Ruthledge and all the Kranskys would be in the cast of the new show. That means either The Right to Happiness was set in Five Points (which I don't think it was) or the new town was close to Five Points and Rose went back and forth. That's the most likely scenario. There's no way all of those people would follow Rose to a new town. I do believe the Greenman story started up when Rose went back to TGL. I don't think Rose or any of those TGL people were on RTH for very long.

I'm very curious as to what Rose Kransky's storylines were over on The Right to Happiness. I don't think there are any surviving episodes with her in it from that show and I can't find any written synopsis of her time there.

Does anybody know whatever happened to Suzanne Davidson? I really liked her as Betsy Stewart. I can't find any information on her post-ATWT.

Pamela Sue Martin WAS Fallon. They should have just let the character die when the actress left the series. And the recast was just plain odd. Not only does she look different but she has a different personality and is all of a sudden British? I'm definitely in the minority with this opinion but I think Dynasty was at its best in the first season. It was really well-written and actually had some depth to it. Before it turned into a campfest. I'm not even anti-camp. It was just hard to take it seriously the further it went along. I don't think PSM would have fit in. Neither would have Al Corley. I think they were wise to move on. And I don't remember Blake not being Fallon's father. Was Sammy Jo lying?

Thank you, Jason!

Thanks, Paul! I have an episode with Dr. Ruthledge's secretary in it but this is the first time I've ever seen her mentioned in print. She's not in any of the history books for some reason.

Thanks so much for that! That's all kinds of awesome! In regards to the the Norma Greenman story on The Guiding Light, I love how, basically, her jealousy gets operated on.I love the 40s!

That would be great. I really liked both Bill Shanks and Casey Peretti. I wonder what happened to Bill Shanks. Does he still act?

I actually liked Pam too. She was down-to-earth and rational (two qualities in short supply in Oakdale back in those days). I think she was ruined by Beau. I found him gross and creepy and he kind of made her seem that way by association. While we're on the subject of unpopular opinions, even though I was never a fan of Lyla's singing, I love that song by Lyla that was Casey and Lyla's theme.

Ellie seemed to have the right amount of fans to make this an unpopular opinion but I never could stand her. She was my least favorite Snyder (which is saying a lot).

Yes. I got it from the Guiding Light 60th Anniversary Book by Julie Poll.

I was just reading the history of the show around that time and I came across this: "At Ed's urging, Holly and little Freddie went on a picnic. The outing ended when Freddie's clothes caught fire. Afterward, Leslie insisted that Holly never care for her son again unless Ed was present. Then Mike took Freddie, who was both his nephew and his stepson, on a canoe trip. During the trip, Freddie was washed downstream. The frightened boy was rescued by a mountain man and suffered from a brief bout with amnesia." Sounds like at least one writer had fantasies of offing the kid. LOL.