November 1958 TV Radio Mirror

Great picture of the show's early cast. Early on, there were several members of Ben Sr.'s generation on the show including Aunt Mildred. I've seen Mildred or another aunt (Myra) in another photo and the caption insinuated that the aunt was meddling in the relationship between Liz and Bruce Crawford.

August 4 1958

Edwin Cooper, the Newtown actor, is taking voer the role of Judge Tompkins in "From These Roots," the dramtic serial seen Monday through Firday on Channel 4 at 3:30 p.m. Cooper was originally cast for this role but had to withdraw from the first few weeks of the series when an automobile accident on July 4th sent him to Norwalk Hospital with serious injuries. The part had been temporarily played by Roger Stehlb.

Other newcomers to the cast of the serial include Robert Mandan as David Allen and Beverly Lunsford as Sally.

In a December 11, 1960, article on soap actors on Broadway Gerianne Raphael is credited as Louisa Corelli and John Boruff as Police Chief Harrington.

Bridgeport Post, September 28, 1961

Veteran character actor Joseph Macaulay will replace Rod Hendrickson in the role of Ben Fraser on WNBC-TV's "From these Roots" series starting Monday (3:30). Macaulay, a native of San Francisco, has performed extensively on the stage and in summer stock all over the country.

As Ben Fraser, he portrays the editor of the newspaper in New England town of Strathfield and the head of the family.

Amarillo Globe Times, June 30, 1958

Life of Family in Small Town in Daytime Show

Beginning today at 2:30 pm on KGNC-TV, Channel 4, audiences are having the opportunity to share in the lives of a typical small-town American family as dramatized over the Monday through Friday daytime dramatic serial From these Roots.

In the words of its authors John Pickard and Frank Provo, "From These Roots" is the story of people in a time of transition, a reflection of contemporary life weaving these universal problems and conflicts caused by environmental circumstances pressing on the individual and character reacting on character.

"From These Roots" is set in the small town of Strathfield. Its principal characters are the Frasers: warm-hearted, philosophical Ben Fraser, editor and publisher of The Strathfield Record, is the oldest member of the clan. Others are his married sister and her family; his unmarried sister and brother; his son, Ben, and daughters, Elizabeth and Emily; and his five grandchildren.

"From These Roots" beings with Ben's youngest daughter, Elizabeth. Liz, when we meet her, is a budding writer who at 28 faces a bright future in journalism. But as her story unfolds, she is confronted with a problem common to many modern women- can a business career be combined successfully with marriage?

Interlaced with the Fraser family fortune is the story of two doctors -- Dr. Enoch McAndrews, long time crony of Ben Fraser and head of the Allen Research Foundation in Strathfield and young Dr. "Buck" Weaver with whom Liz Fraser becomes romantically involved.

Each member of the story faces at one time or another personal problems as vexing as the one faced by Liz- problems further complicated by the tense, jet-propelled age in which we live.

Authors of "From These Roots," John Pickard and Frank Provo are the veteran writing team that created and wrote "Wendy Warren" for twelve years and collaborated on "Young Doctor Malone" for five years.

Thanks! This is great.

“On Thursday’s telecast, Liz and David were married”

This article was printed in February, 1960. Very interesting.

Fan Letters Make Mandon a TV Matinee Idol

Matinee idols used to be made when fans flocked to the theatres and movie houses where their favorite actors could be seen.

Today, however, TV’s matinee idols are made in living room across the country and all their fans have to do is writer letters to show enthusiastic response.

One of TV’s newest matinee idols is handsome Bob Mandan of “From These Roots,” NBC-TV’s daytime drama series (telecast Monday through Friday at 3:30 p.m. on Channel 3).

Thanks to the program’s many viewers, Bob now has a running part on the series about a New England family and its friends

Several weeks after the show’s debut, in the Fall of 1958, Mandan was first cast in the role of David Allen.

“The part was created as an accommodation of the writers- John Pickard and Frank Provo,” producer Paul Lammers recalls. “They wanted someone Enid Allen- who at the time was the ‘other woman’ on the program – could talk to in confidence and thereby reveal her plans and feelings. So David Allen was written in as Enid’s brother and an aspiring playwright.

Lammers and the writers only expected it to be a temporary role lasting until such time as Enid would be eliminated from the storyline. But soon after his introduction, letters began to come in from viewers wanting to know more about the “outstanding actor who plays Daivd.”

Accordin to Lammers, “women were charmed by Mandan’s portrayal. Attractive, witty, creative, David Allen was for many an ideal man and the audience wanted to see more of him.” Before long, letters about David Allen, and Bob Mandan, numbered in the hundreds.

Not one to ignore the audience, especially when it was so vocal, Lammers conferred with his writers and, instead of writing David out, his fortunes took a dramatic turn. As the story developed, he gradually fell in love with Liz Fraser, the series’ central character (played by Ann Flood), and became a pivotal figure on the show.

“It worked out fine,” Lammers explained. “Liz now had two contrasting suitors. Her old friend, Dr. Buck Weaver, who was dependable and kind; and David Allen, erratic, selfish but with a fascination for Liz- and viewers.”

Liz wavered between the two but not the audience. They had definite views and wrote in abot them, too. At last count, Mandan’s alter ego was winning out. David’s fans are urging the show’s writers to let Liz marry him.

One representative letter, for example, is signed by a group of ladies who all agree that David should marry Liz. Others write: “Please don’t let Liz marry Buck. David is the man any woman can love.” Another says, “Certainly hope Liz will accept David … despite his shortcomings.”

So once again, thanks to the viewers, David Allen and Bob Mandan are getting a reprieve.

Does anyone know who played Robin Fraser and Sarah Fraser , children of Ben, Jr. and Rose? I've never heard of that Dr. Enoch McAndrews? Maybe his character name was changed after the article?

Regarding Enoch, it's possible his character's name was changed, but I don't think I've seen any other doctor characters listed. In one article I read, Pickard and Provo stated they had a lot of casting the show because they had such a strong contingent of older characters. Few actors of that age had the stamina or interest in working on a half-hour daily serial. I wonder if Enoch was casted and quickly dumped. Similarly, I've never seen Edwin Cooper's Judge listed, but I have to wonder if he was related to the others with the surname Tompkins.

Here's a photo of Bob Mandan and Ann Flood. Not sure who the 3rd actress is??

I think that is Sarah Hardy.

The week of September 25, 1961:

Monday: Mildred (Violet Heming) warns Margo (Barbara Dana) to beware of Jerry (John Karlen).

Tuesday: David (Robert Mandan) finds a strange ally.

Wednesday: Warnings for Ben’s (Rod Hendrickson) safety mount.

Thursday: Tragedy strikes the Record’s staff.

Friday: Maggie (Billie Lou Watt) and Buck (Len Wayland) make their plea.

The week of October 2, 1961:

(N- episode may be preempted by NBC-TV’s World Series coverage in some section of the country.)

Monday: Lyddy (Sarah Hardy) makes a startling discovery.

Tuesday: David (Robert Mandan) shows his true colors

Wednesday (N): Ben’s (Joseph Macaulay) wild hunch pays off.

Thursday (N): An ambush is prepared for Ben.

Friday: Jerry (John Karlen) reveals his secret.

The week of October 9, 1961:

(*) episodes ay be preempted for World Series coverage.

Monday: Jerry (John Karlen) talks about his past and Cass (Vera Allen) learns of an inheritance.

Tuesday: The adoption case is settled.

Wednesday*: The syndicate makes plans for a tiral.

Thursday*: Gloria’s (Millette Alexander) mixed loyalties indicate danger.

Friday: Ben’s campaign suffers a set back.

The week of October 14, 1961:

Monday: The presses of The Record are silence.

Tuesday: Ben (Joseph Macaulay) is injured during a political rally.

Wednesday: Buck (Len Wayland) gets a problem patient.

Thursday: preempted

Friday: Liz and David (series co-stars Ann Flood and Robert Mandan) encounter a new problem.

An article from the same paper post on October 21, 1961

Series Equals Absorbing Novel

“From These Roots,” daytime drama series on NBC-TV Mondays through Fridays, has been described as an absorbing novel with each show another chapter as the major characters disclose more of themselves and as new people enter their lives.

The action in “From These Roots” centers around the fictional Fraser clan who live in the New England town of Strathfield. Head of the family is Ben Fraser (played by Joseph Macaulay), editor of the town newspaper, The Record. Assisting him in running the paper are his daughter, Liz Allen (played by Ann Flood), who has returned to the newspaper after working in New York as a magazine fashion consultant; his granddaughter Lyddy (Sarah Hardy), and her husband Don Curtiss (Clarke Warren).

Much of the action in recent months has been concerned with the career conflicts and romantic entanglements that threaten the marriage of Liz and her playwright husband, David Allen (co-star Robert Mandan).

Other important characters include Dr. Buck Weaver (Len Wayland), the family doctor and his wife Maggie (Billie Lou Watt), who have just adopted two youngsters; Emily (Helen Shields) Ben’s older daughter; Lynn (Barbara Berjer), an actress who recently married theatrical director Tom Jennings (Craig Huebing) and Kass (Vera Allen), Ben’s housekeeper.

Thank you for posting articles like this> Also, thanks for all of your info on NDIE.

Hal Studer, one time husband of Billie Lou Watts and the original Don on ATWT, appeared as Ahmed, a Pakistani houseboy prior to the summer of 1961.

I wonder if that was a comic relief role.

I don't know.

Jean Shepherd played Milton Sweetwater circa early 1961. Both roles were listed in TV-Radio Mirror

Well, one long time mystery solved as well as a more current one…

In Jim Cox’s book, The Daytime Serials of Television, Gary Morgan is listed as playing Robin, the son of Ben and Rose Fraser. We still don’t know yet who played Sarah Fraser, Robin’s sister.

Also listed in the book is Charles Egelston as Dr. McAndrews, a role mentioned in the initial press release. Egelston was better known for his work on the radio serial, Ma Perkins, where he played Shuffle Shober since the show’s premier. Egelston died on October 31, 1958, which would have ended his involvement with both soaps.

Someone has put online an early draft or unpublished manuscript by Rusty Morris. In his biography, Morris recounts his days in his role as Hugh Devon, the owner of an inn in the Bahamas where Liz and David Allen honeymooned. Hugh was an alcoholic married to a woman played by Joan Wetmore. In his recollections, Morris mentions a rather uncomfortable encounter with a producer who torn his performance down, but he felt that the writers (Provo and Pickard) liked his interpretation enough to reshape the role. In the end, the role ended after seven weeks, which means Morris and Wetmore were around from February until April 1960.

I wonder what happened in the story that kept Liz and David in the Bahamas for so long. Earlier, I read about several African American actors being used during this storyline. Based on the script information online, I think Vinie Burrows and Rick Ferrell may have been the actors involved as I’ve seen them listed in at least one script with Joan Wetmore. I’m not sure who they played.