The Doctors Discussion Thread

[amybrickwallace]

Here's a list of some of her books:

 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/8576.Barbara_Morgenroth

 

Her blog:

 

http://barbaramorgenroth.blogspot.com/?m=1

 

Interviews:

 

http://interviewswithwriters.com/interview-with-author-barbara-morgenroth/

 

https://ginamc.blogspot.com/2013/06/barbara-morgenroth.html?m=1

[vetsoapfan]

 

 

Cool. Thank you.

 

Have you read anything of hers which you could recommend?

[amybrickwallace]

You're welcome! Actually, I haven't read any of her books yet. I'm going to head on out to the library in the next couple of days and see if they have any of them. I'll get back to you. 😊

[Paul Raven]

July 25 1964

Fans Kept Her From Being Killed By Script Writers

When a character on a serial drama becomes too lovable to write out of the script, what can you do? That's the dilemma which veteran veteran actress Ruth McDevitt presented presented to the producer of NBC-TV's The Doctors (Monday through Friday, 2:30 p.m. on channels 4 and 5). First of all, you call the lady's agent and find out if she is signed for a Broadway play in the fall. When she is (as Miss McDevitt is signed to star in "The Absence of a Cello"), you agree to write around her for many a long week provided she will return from time to time.

Ruth McDevitt signed to play Mrs. McMurtrie, an elderly Irish housekeeper for Chaplain Sam Shafer. The lovable lady of the script was supposed to expire of a kidney ailment but the warmth of the on-the-air relationship relationship with the chaplain drew so much appreciative fan mail, that neither the producer (Jerry Layton) nor the writer could bear to eliminate dear Mrs. McMurtrie. She survived her kidney kidney operation and after a few weeks returned to her duties as the chaplain's housekeeper. The chaplain is portrayed by Fred J. Scollay, whom the actress holds in high regard. "Fred is a very good actor," she says. "But then in daytime television you've GOT to be fast, accurate and good. They don't have time to fool around with people who have to try things a dozen ways before they're right. Some of the best acting on television is done in the daytime."I think many actors make a bad mistake if they look down their noses at daytime drama. It's a great mistake."

Although Mrs. McMurtrie is a woman of impeccable behavior, Miss McDevitt often plays ladies ladies who are somewhat less inhibited. "In my new play," she points out, "I will be seen as an elderly elderly lady named Emma Littlewood who drinks, swears and gambles... but she IS a lady, despite that." Miss McDevitt wagged her head and said firmly, "Don't underestimate Mrs. McMurtrie. She may not drink, smoke and gamble, but I think she is more than a meddlesome old woman in a daytime serial. She's a simple honest woman of keen insight who feels too much responsibility responsibility toward human nature. The only reason she seems meddlesome, I guess,' is that she tries to get everything fixed up for everybody before her life span runs out. I like Mrs. McMurtrie."

 Other people like Mrs. McMurtrie too, as the fan mail arriving at Studio 3B in New York's RCA Building amply indicates. "So glad to see you," writes a fan who has enjoyed Miss Mc-Devitts work on Alfred Hitchcock's Hitchcock's nighttime TV show. "I've always enjoyed your work," wrote another woman who recalled recalled Miss McDevitt as Mrs. Gamadge the national commit-teewoman, in the Broadway production production of "The Best Man."

[amybrickwallace]

I would love to see that era of the show. It's my understanding that many of the pre-1967 episodes are damaged or missing. I hope that some of those episodes still do exist and will be shown someday.

[Paul Raven]

Ruth seemed to be in every 60/70's sitcom as the go to 'little old lady'.

[amybrickwallace]

 

She played the "Queen of the Witches" who abdicated to Samantha on Bewitched.

[Franko]

And, of course, Miss Inch in The Parent Trap. "Let the punishment fit the crime ... the punishment fit the crime."

[amybrickwallace]

Here's a commercial she would have starred in around the time she was on TD:

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[Paul Raven]

Deborah Sherwood listed under the Pollocks as writer on April 16th episode. No sign of Cenedella.

[amybrickwallace]

Lynnwood King was listed under the Pollocks earlier in 1975 for a couple of episodes.

[SFK]

The announcer introduced Armand Assante in this morning's episode.

[Soaplovers]

Kind of a shame they recast mike so fast....they spent months establishing the guy...and he kind of had the build of the previous Mike...though was more laid back.  I just don't get why the change suddenly.

[amybrickwallace]

I don't know why they recast Mike, but Michael Landrum never worked in soaps again as far as I know. These days, he has his own business dedicated to public speaking (helping people with job interviews and such). Armand is #6 out of 10 Mikes. 

[SFK]

 

Good Lord!

A couple of birthdays ago, I bought my dad the DVD of the Gotti movie he starred in.  I was wondering from where I knew him.

Edited January 26, 2018 by SFK