Edge of Night (EON) (No spoilers please)

[DRW50]

Mariann Alda, or someone using the name, has put up some Didi clips.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy-GqW2-Q2S_BOkpod4tJrA/videos

[Timmy_Faraday]

I have the last episode of the Edge of Night on my youtube channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8IAVvlROZSeFbNjgVHiZ_Q

I also had original videos that I have done-tributes to Sky and Raven, Mike and Nancy, and the Women and Men of the Edge of Night

I also started my blog the Monticello Times https://monticellotimes.wordpress.com/the-monticello-times/monticello-times-stories/

I write about the trials and tribulations of the current and former residents of the city of Monticello from The Edge of Night

Also, I will solve the mystery of Wonderland Lane in it

[quartermainefan]

Cool blog. When is that photo on your page of Forrest Compton and Ann Flood from?

[slick jones]

Thanks, Carl. I've only read about brother Troy and Julius, the ex...

[amybrickwallace]

Great blog, Timmy, thank you for sharing!!

[Timmy_Faraday]

I photoshopped two pictures of them together.

[DRW50]

September 1967 TV Picture Life bio/interview with Heidi Vaughn.

http://boards.soapoperanetwork.com/topic/27061-the-doctors/page-107#entry1415918

[danfling]

Ed Kemmer had appeared on The Edge of Night as Malcolm Thomas earlier, and Bibi Besch was to appeared on The Edge of Night as Susan Forbes #2 later.

[DRW50]

So what was Phoebe's role? She seems to have lasted a number of years.

[victorlord75]

I didn't have the pleasure of being a long time viewer of this series like many of the members of this community have. I only knew of Lee Sheldon's writing, and am rather mystified by the harsh criticism leveled against him. Every once in awhile, I will still go on YouTube and view the final episode that I remember seeing at the time on WNEP Channel 16 from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. (one day delay basis). A poster had pointed out that during the chase sequence in the beginning where Chris is following Alicia, the score music is "Shadow in the City" from Death Wish II--composed by Jimmy Page! I was amazed!

[DRW50]

I imagine fans at the time couldn't understand the change. I'm sure to a modern viewer, like me or you, it wouldn't be as jarring, because daytime has fallen so far.

[victorlord75]

Perhaps so. I don't think I'd want to be a writer or producer in daytime today for all the tea in China--besides putting up with network executives who want the numbers only to go up, up, and up, they have to deal with viewers who are not forgiving if they feel that the show that they love isn't being true to itself. I didn't see Henry Slesar's material, but, from what I've read, the basic format and character types on the show didn't change radically. The main change, according to books on the subject was emphasis on the younger performers--a problem that faithful viewers of all soaps have been complaining about for over 30 years now.

Edited May 9, 2015 by victorlord75

[danfling]

Someone asked about Phoebe Smith.

Phoebe (first played by Heidi Vaughan) was a teen-ager when she was introduced. She had a grandmother who was dying in the hospital. The wish of the grandmother was that a nice family would take Phoebe and rear her into a nice adult.

I am not sure how the Marceau family met Phoebe's aunt, but, anyway, Martha and Bill Marceau (Teri Keane and the late Mandel Kramer) decdied to adopt Phoebe (who retained the Smith name).

Phoebe was a somewhat wild child (probably why the grandmother had worried about her future so much). She loved Martha and Bill, but she had a hard time conforming to their rules. Phoebe's best friend was Liz Hillyer, another somewhat-wild teen-ager who was often influenced by Phoebe. (played by Alberta Grant, who had auditioned for the role of Phoebe) They liked to go to the Teen Center, where the disc jockey was Rick Oliver (the late Keith Charles, in his first daytime soap opera role). Phoebe had a huge crush on Rick. The two of them were awfully flirty with one another. However, Rick was having a actual affair with Laura Hillyer (played by Millette Alexander), who was married to the father of Liz Hillyer, Orin (played by the late Lester Rawlins). Laura disliked being the step-mother of Liz. I remember that she asked Nancy how she had adjusted to marrying a man (Mike) who had a daughter from a previous marriage.

Eventually, Martha learned that Phoebe had such a crush on Rick, so she went there to talk to him about leaving Phoebe alone. Later, Laura came to Rick and announced that she was ready for her new life with Rick and also ready to leave Orin. A stunned Rick told her that he was not ready to join her, and a stunned Laura killed him.

Martha was placed on trial for the murder of Rick. Eventually, it all came out in court that the murderer was Laura. She ran out of the courtroom, jumped into her car, hastily sped away, and was killed in a crash.

Phoebe, who had been stunned by Rick's death and the accusations that Martha had murdered him, resolved to be a better daughter to Bill and Martha.

Later, actress Renee Jarett played the role, but I think that during this time, Phoebe was mostly a background character who continued her friendship with Liz and was an influence on Laurie Ann Carr.

Phoebe later left the show. She returned in the early 1970s, played by Mimi Kennedy. Ms. Kennedy was replaced by Johanna Leister.

I cannot tell you all of the storyline that she had.

But, after the deaths of Colin and Keith Whitney (Anthony Call and Bruce Martin) , she caught the eye of Kevin Jameson (Richard Shoberg and John Driver). Phoebe, by this time, was studying to be a doctor. I don't think that Geraldine(Lois Kibbe) liked Phoebe because of her past. Geraldine also would not like any female who Kevin would like because she wanted to keep Kevin to herself.

Kevin and Phoebe did eventually marry. Dr. Quentin Henderson (Michael Stroka) was attracted to her and also worked with her professionally. She was murdered by poisoning by Dr. Clay Jordan (Niles McMaster).

NOTE: I have since found online that there was a woman named Victoria Dana (played by Joanna Roos) who was a con woman who tried to bilk John Barnes (Barry Newman) out of some money. As I was only a child at the time who attended school, I do not remember this too well. I now remember the Phoebe was in a bed in the hospital for quite a while. Phoebe and Victoria probably accused John of hitting Phoebe in a car accident. This is probably how Martha and Bill met her - in investigating the accident. So, the part about her grandmother above may not be true.

I must say that the death scene of Phoebe was played by Johanna Leister. It was one of the most accurate portrayals of someone who had been poisoned that I had ever seen! Ms. Leister played the role well. She never played a contract role on another soap opera, but she had a recurring role as the Llanview OB/GYN on One Life to Live. She played for role for several years, as my memory serves me.

[slick jones]

I found an article last night that mentioned Leister's role...Dr. Alexandra Fanning on OLTL as of April of 1979. At the same time, John LaGioia, Johnny Dallas on EON got a gig on ATWT as PI Frank Patterson.

Edited December 2, 2019 by slick jones

[DRW50]

Thanks for all the details. Did Leister want to leave or did they write her out? Phoebe seems like an interesting character.

I wish I could see some of Mimi Kennedy's work in the role.

Is her death why Kevin fell for Raven?