GL Tribute

[EastMA2]

Jill Farren Phelps era was brilliant soap opera.

[Mitch]

They totally f*cked up Bert's passing, but this was right after the era where Long started to dismantle the Bauers. Too bad, her passing was the perfect opportunity to bring back Hope and Mike to the canvas (they didnt even bring back the Mike actor for the funeral) especially since this was around the time CB brought Alan back to the show. I like that Curlee points out that her death wasnt handled correctly on the show...(funny how the shows quality and ratings drop when the Bauers are pused to the side,,,why doenst anyone get that?O

[MarkH]

Are you all checking out "Jeff's" Daytime Direct site?

He has been posting the most remarkable tributes to GL.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I love this scene from 1993, shortly after Maureen's dead, Ed confesses to Holly the reason behind his marriage crumbling shortly before Maureen's death.

I loved Ed and Holly's relationship. Maureen and Roger might be the loves of their lives, but Ed and Holly were best friends that were always there for one another. Now that Roger and Maureen are no more, I would love it if Holly and Ed ended up together happy.

Again, this scene just reeks of Nancy Curlee's meticulous brilliance.

[EastMA2]

Here's a little anecdote that I had kinda forgotten about as I think of GL's cancellation and all that it has meant in my life. In 1982, I was lucky enough to be acquainted with someone who could get me into the GL studio as a visitor. I was able to tour the studio and watch tapings twice. I had to stand out of everyone's way and be very quiet.

I realize that this is probably a case of maybe you'd have to have been there to appreciate it - but I was watching a scene being taped with Quint and Mrs. Renfield. Nola had been kidnapped and a character named Jamie Loomis was involved. There was a pretty heated and dramatic exchange between Quint and Mrs. Renfield and the scene was supposed to end with Mrs. Renfield saying "that Jamie Loomis". Instead - during taping she said "that Jerry Lewis". The part where you really had to have been there was the expression on Beaulah Garrick's face when she realized what she said. She had a few choice words that I can't say on here. Everyone cracked up for a long time and it took a good hour or so to get the scene right. Every take after that, someone ended up laughing. It was like the Dick Clark blooper shows where they keep showing take after take and someone ends up laughing.

[All My Shadows]

An extremely rare clip from 1970: Lee Gantry (Ray Fulmer) has just tried to murder his wife, Dr. Sara McIntyre (Millette Alexander), but just when he thinks he's done, Dr. Joe Werner (Ed Zimmerman) intervenes, ending with a dramatic cliffhanger. Very, very good picture/sound quality, considering this is something from the heart of when soaps were generally destroyed and lost forever.

[MichaelGL]

I've always found it interesting that in the early 70s, GL did really well in the ratings despite Agnes Nixon's departure.

[MichaelGL]

This is truly a gem WorldTurner. Scenes like these are what Nancy Curlee excelled at. You had to pay attention to each and every scene on the show, becuase the dialogue was so cohesive with their character. You truly did not know what they were going to say in each scene, but when they would utter a line or two it was so true to their character and who they were. That scene between Ed and Holly was so revealing as to Holly's flaws (to build up a person in her life) and Ed's concern for Michelle. I can honestly say that they do not write scenes like these on today's soaps, and it's a shame.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

^I love scenes like that, especially with Holly. As Dan pointed out before, she's a wonderfully neurotic character that can turn around any conversation and make it about herself.

Holly's a really nuanced character that I think was butchered by every writing regime after Curlee departed. Then again, Curlee wrote all the core characters better than anyone else that came after her.

Here's a similar scene that ties into that one above. This time it's between Maureen and Holly, I just love Holly's little monologue about the types of men she lets into her life romantically.

It starts 2:26 into this clip:

Holly (to Maureen): "I don't think men really love me, I think they get obsessed with me like I'm some DISEASE or something. Roger runs off and drags me through the jungles of Santa Domingo and Daniel makes me play a part in this sick parody of a wedding. THOSE are the kind of relationships I wind up in, and the good men like Ed and Ross, I throw them away. Look at what you have, you and Ed - you love each other, you respect one another, you're raising a child together and you're always the place where everybody goes to for warmth and comfort. You've got what EVERYONE WANTS!"

[Dan]

This is a such a wonderful scene here. I love how Curlee had Holly and Michelle bond in the wake of Maureen's death. Holly helped Michelle through a very difficult portion of her life and Michelle helped Holly to pull herself out of a horrible spell of depression after a difficult year. What I love is how Curlee finds the drama in the sometimes mundane details of life--first periods, mourning, hope, life. This is what soaps should be about. A scene that probably would have been thrown out today on most soaps highlights some very touching character development.

EDITED TO ADD: BTW, the music cue in the final scene is one of the best "happy" themes I've heard on soaps. One of my favorites.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

^I LOVE that scene, and I really love the music cue that starts about 2:22 in.

In many ways, I think Michelle showed Holly that she really did have these maternal instincts that she never thought she could have. Because at the same time this way going on, Holly and Blake's already troubled relationship was tense and Blake always believed Holly didn't love her, when the truth really was, Holly didn't know how to show any affection towards Blake.

In fact, I guess we can trace this thread back to Mo's funeral episode where Holly was the only one abler to get through to Michelle. In that very same episode, I think Blake and Ross finally understood how much their affair really hurt Holly, and those scenes in the kitchen between Holly, Blake, and Ross were pretty telling.

A Blake/Holly scene from 1993, I believe it's from Holly's birthday episode, where she gets totally wasted. LOL! Maureen Garrett is such an UNDERRATED gem, she never gets the respect she's owed.

[Dan]

1992. It was a few weeks after Liz Keifer replaced Stringfield, I believe.

EDIT: It was a few weeks after election night, probably late November-early December.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Really? I assumed it was at the beginning of 93. When did Roger and Jenna get together? I always thought it was very late 92/early 93.

I love how Holly throws the cake at the mirror. LOL! And of course, the dialogue was so realistic.

Thanks, I went by early 93 judging by their hairdos.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Another thing, Peter Simon and Rachel Miner looked so much alike, that was genius casting. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Betty Rea was the be all and end all of soap opera casting directors.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Another excellent Ed/Holly scene from 1993. Ed discusses with Holly the state he's in after Maureen's death and how his life is falling apart, and Holy talks about how alone she is and it's obvious that she's still reeling from Ross and Blake's betrayal.

I love how emotionally raw this scene is and there's a contrast between Ed's depression and Holly's depression, they're both depressed about different things, yet they found a way to be there for one another. Once again, the dialogue is so pure, so very human.

I love Maureen's death music cue that kicks in about 3:30 in. It's so haunting and sad, yet tragically beautiful. I think I could cry if I listened to it long enough.

BTW, this is obviously the porch scene Ed is referring to in the first Ed/Holly clip I posted.