AMC: Character from the past returning

[SteveFrame]

She became popular first on Another World as Lee Randolph. She then played Jill on The Secret Storm. When Jada Rowland left The Secret Storm again in 1971, Lynne Adams moved off GL to play Amy on The Secret Storm. Barbara Rodell had recently left the role of Jill so she was hired to played Leslie.

Barbara Rodell was playing Leslie during the Stanley Norris marriage and she is also the Leslie who finally married Michael Bauer.

Rodell played Leslie from July 26, 1971 to June 1973. Adams return to the role in July 1973. Michael and Leslie married in June 1973.

[juniorz1]

Now you know I LOVE me some Anna Stuart, but I totally agree about Sofia Landon. She was great as a fill-in for Stuart and would have made a far better Donna than Sampler ever did.

[SteveFrame]

Oh I love Anna Stuart too. I fell in love with her all the way back to The Doctors where she played a character nothing like Donna and her later characters. But I totally loved Sofia Landon too.

Same for GL with Anna Stuart. I loved Maeve Kinkead as Vanessa and still do, but when Anna Stuart filled in for her, I could have totally accepted Anna Stuart as Vanessa.

[You're Soaking in it]

Not AMC-related, but I always think about, if Kelly Cramer ever returns to OLTL in the form of Gina Tognoni, how Anna Stuart would make an excellent Melinda Cramer (Kelly's mom / Dorian's sister).

Stuart briefly subbed for Linda Dano as Rae several years back, but I don't think that would be an issue. I never had much exposure to Stuart on AW, but I think she lights up the screen when she's on AMC. So, yeah, bring her to OLTL.

[SFK]

However, Mary and Dorian shared a memorable crossover scene with Adam on AMC. I'd much rather see Mary as a recurring thorn in the sides of socialites in both Pine Valley AND Llanview. She would be interesting as Melinda though. I suppose it's the writing, but Nicole Orth-P. has had absolutely nothing of interest to do in that role. Anna would do well as the "awakened" Melinda, i.e., present-day Addie. I've read other fans opinions that Anna in her early Donna days was shrill, annoying, Strasser-lite.

Hiring Sharon Gabet as Melinda after Robin had left the show seems like more of a missed opportunity rather than a void filler. Even Sharon said in her WoST interview how awesome she and Robin working together would have been. I do believe she and Elaine Princi worked together though (?), I wasn't watching regularly then. Speaking of which, remember the rumors of Elaine being rehired as Melinda after she'd been fired to bring back Robin? Not that the rumors were even remotely ture, but if they were and I was Elaine, I'd tell them where they could shove their Melinda Cramer.

[SteveFrame]

Not trying to get further off subject but will comment a little on Anna Stuart's early days as Donna. I wouldn't say she was exactly shrill in the role, but she was unnecessary in the early days. She had tried out for Felicia when the producers could not get Jane Elliot who had been the inspiration for the role. The producers were impressed with Anna Stuart but gave the role to Linda Dano. They didn't want to lose Anna Stuart so they created the role of Donna for her. She wasn't planned, and you could tell it. Her scenes were just so random and the character had no definition. She was just there. I wouldn't say she was Dorian like - she was an exact rip off of early Vanessa Chamberlain on Guiding Light.

[DRW50]

What storyline did Sharon have as Melinda? Didn't she work at the TV station at one time? There were so many high-powered actress who came and went in a hurry during Rauch's run (Louise Sorel immediately comes to mind).

Melinda always seems like a missed opportunity character. Jane Badler and Sharon Gabet, such powerhouse women, played her and she came to nothing. Kelly was on the show for over 10 years and Melinda only appeared a few times, usually just as a crazy person. I guess they're never going to give real story to Addie or Melinda.

[You're Soaking in it]

OLTL truly bungled Sharon Gabet's Melinda. How could something that started off so incredibly, suddenly fall so flat? I guess the 1988 Writers Strike had a lot to do with it. But what a disappointment.

No, Princi and Gabet never crossed paths, either. I suppose the returned writers could just no longer sink their teeth into the Melinda character, or wanted to shift focus over to Dorian. It certainly was a great decision to recast Dorian. Princi was initially, very easy to adjust to because of her similarities to Strasser. Then when she was given meaty material to play, just WOW... she could really hit it out of the park.

Yeah, I doubt the rumor was true about Princi as Melinda. But like you feel, if it were true, I'd certainly tell them where to put it. I think Princi was treated pretty poorly by Gottlieb and company. Strasser pulled a Rebecca Budig / Peter Reckell - AKA instantly reclaiming your role that's now played by another actor, which I personally see nothing wrong about (it's a business). But I feel Princi (unlike say, Sabine Singh as Greenlee) really solidified the role of Dorian as her own. I recall being blown away by the change. And after watching several weeks of Strasser back in the part, I sort of came to the conclusion that, yes, Strasser defined the character of Dorian... but she wasn't as good at PLAYING Dorian as was Princi.

Oh, we are so off-topic... Let me see... Okay, got it: Princi once played Dorian on AMC opposite David Canary's Adam. Fixed! :-)

[DRW50]

What role did Princi's Dorian have on AMC?

[You're Soaking in it]

Recently released from an institution, she witnessed the mob-hit shooting death of a man who turned out to be Alex Crown, Rob Coronal's estranged father. The story involved Cassie, Jonathan Russell, and paved the way for Rob's return (which created a triangle for Cassie between Rob & Jon - whom she had just snagged away from her own mother, the recently exited Dorian). Melinda's sanity was in question over the incident itself, and the gas-lighting / threats that followed her. It was actually a really exciting story, and gave Sharon Gabet some great material.

[You're Soaking in it]

I can't recall specifically, but it was some sneaky business arrangement. Unfortunately, I don't have my AMC Scrabook nearby to help me out. Maybe someone else will have better info...

[DRW50]

Thanks. I wish some of this was on Youtube or somewhere else.

[SteveFrame]

Patricia Pearcy as Melinda:

Dr. Dorian Cramer arrived in Llanview in 1973 with unstable younger sister Melinda. Their parents had died in a plane crash en route to visit an injured Melinda, whose promising career as a pianist was ended by a fall that had paralyzed her arm. Having lost a third sister to pneumonia, Dorian and Melinda were each other's only family.

Dorian treated Eileen Riley Siegel for her addiction to painkillers, and soon became romantically involved with Dr. Mark Toland, the husband of Eileen's daughter Julie. A furious Melinda, who had also developed a crush on Mark, became further unhinged. When her plan to stab Dorian and Mark in bed failed in 1974, Melinda was institutionalized.

Jane Badler as Melinda:

A recovered Melinda returned in 1978, but soon sabotaged Dorian's new relationship with Dr. Peter Janssen, wanting him for herself. Melinda seemed to win when she and Peter eloped, but her compulsive behavior returned. Resuming her career as a concert pianist, Melinda practiced day and night, putting a strain on her marriage to Peter. She became more unbalanced when a failed audition put a close to her musical ambitions, and in 1979 checked herself into the Compton Clinic. Dorian had Melinda declared mentally incompetent; by 1980, Peter hoped to marry Jenny Wolek Vernon, but couldn't divorce Melinda until she was mentally stable. After threatening Jenny with a letter opener and sinking further into psychosis, Melinda returned to the clinic in 1981.

Sharon as Gabet as Melinda:

Melinda was let out of the institution in 1987 and since Dorian was now living in Mendorra, she moved in with her niece Cassie to Dorian's penthouse. After all the years of therapy, she was now stronger and even a little aggressive. She witnessed Dr. Donald Lamarr murder mobster Alex Crown and since Lammarr knew her medical history, he tried to convince her that she had gone insane again. At first the only one who believed her was Alex's son, Rob, but after Melinda dreamed that Donald murdered her, Cassie and her lover, Jon Russell also joined to try and prove it.

Their plan was that Melinda would pledge insanity and be admitted to Mountain View where Dr. Lammarr had worked, although Cassie was against risking her aunt's life. While inside Melinda dug up some details but not enough, she also became a good friend with Dr. Pringle who helped her a bit. She ran into Blaize Pardee there (Asa's grandma from the old west) and took her to Llanfair to meet Viki. Later when she returned she found out Lammarr was onto her, he conducted a psychotic experiment on her, which almost killed her, but fortunately she was able to escape and go to the police.

After that, Cassie and Rob stopped trying to prove it, but Melinda and Jon kept trying. While trying to prove Lammarr is indeed a murderer, Melinda and Jon had a short fling. When Cassie found out about it she threw her aunt out of the penthouse.

Jon and Melinda were able to prove Lammarr as a murderer during Mari Lynn's trial. They disguised a cop to look like the deceased Alex Crown and when the doctor saw him, he freaked and admitted he did murder him.

Melinda began working at WVLE and had short affair with the manager, Max Holden. She and Bo Buchanan were trying to find out who was the "Fraternity Row" stalker. After that, she decided to leave Llanview for good since Cassie also moved to Mendorra to be with Dorian. Melinda left town.

[SFK]

Carl, Princi's Dorian did an episode or two as the editor of The Intruder, helping Adam with some front page headlines to damage Natalie. They maintained a working relationship, Adam picking up the phone on at least one occasion that I can remember where he threatened Nat, asking the operator to connect him to Dorian Lord at The Intruder.

I always assumed that they brought on Gabet to be a glamorous/bitchy/neurotic Dorian Jr. given her past as Raven on EON, but I was told that her run as Melinda was far from that. I found an old SOD we had where it talked about Cassie kicking her aunt out of the penthouse after she realized what was going on with Rob or Jon.

[SFK]

We have got to get some Elaine Princi up on YouTube. As I said in Another Thread, I was mainly an AMC watcher back then with peripheral OLTL knowledge, so my memories of Elaine were from magazine pics and Psychic Friends commercials. Strasser once said that she learned Princi cried more in the role, something that didn't jive with Strasser as she believes Dorian is afraid of ever breaking down because she may totally unravel like her sisters. Good reasoning, but maybe crying (in a scene) doesn't come to Strasser as easily? I've read other fans' opinions that Princi tried to "copy" Strasser which put me off a bit, I should see for myself to judge. The more I read about Princi and the more OTTTTTTT Strasser seems these days in this Vickeroshit, I am very eager to give Princi a retro-glance.