2 hours ago, DRW50 said:

RIP Camilla Carr, who was on AW in 79-80 as Rita Connelly, aunt to Joey's soon-to-be-late wife Eileen Simpson and the estranged wife of Rose Perrini's beau Paul Connelly.

Rita and Paul Connelly were created by Harding Lemay as new characters enlarging the cast for AW's expansion to 90-minutes in 1979. Both were ill-conceived characters, in my opinion -- especially Aunt Rita who was essentially a working-class version of Liz Matthews. Aunt Rita was a shrew to her husband (Paul), and meddled terribly into the lives of her niece and nephew, Eileen and Morgan Simpson, who were late-teens or early-adults at that time. Aunt Rita was simply nasty, with not an ounce of humor, and no redeeming qualities -- unlike Aunt Liz, who had an established background on AW as a lonely widow with plenty of money, but no one to love.

By adding Paul and Rita Connelly to the cast, I believe Lemay was attempting to add some sort of serious religious conflict to AW, as he had done so successfully with social-class conflict. But his attempt was an utter failure, because Aunt Rita was nothing more than a stereotyped religious bigot. And because Rita and Paul were Catholic, the entire story arc gave rather anti-Catholic vibes. I'm not Catholic, but even I was uncomfortable seeing a devote Catholic woman being portrayed as such a nasty interfering bitch. Yes, Lemay's least successful character creation was Aunt Rita Connelly.

24 minutes ago, Tisy-Lish said:

Rita and Paul Connelly were created by Harding Lemay as new characters enlarging the cast for AW's expansion to 90-minutes in 1979. Both were ill-conceived characters, in my opinion -- especially Aunt Rita who was essentially a working-class version of Liz Matthews. Aunt Rita was a shrew to her husband (Paul), and meddled terribly into the lives of her niece and nephew, Eileen and Morgan Simpson, who were late-teens or early-adults at that time. Aunt Rita was simply nasty, with not an ounce of humor, and no redeeming qualities -- unlike Aunt Liz, who had an established background on AW as a lonely widow with plenty of money, but no one to love.

By adding Paul and Rita Connelly to the cast, I believe Lemay was attempting to add some sort of serious religious conflict to AW, as he had done so successfully with social-class conflict. But his attempt was an utter failure, because Aunt Rita was nothing more than a stereotyped religious bigot. And because Rita and Paul were Catholic, the entire story arc gave rather anti-Catholic vibes. I'm not Catholic, but even I was uncomfortable seeing a devote Catholic woman being portrayed as such a nasty interfering bitch. Yes, Lemay's least successful character creation was Aunt Rita Connelly.

Thanks for the info. I knew basically nothing. I forgot Eileen even had a brother. I wonder what Lemay would have done with them.

A late 1969 promo for the NBC Daytime lineup. Just a title card but I thought it may interest you.

2 hours ago, DRW50 said:

A late 1969 promo for the NBC Daytime lineup. Just a title card but I thought it may interest you.

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Interesting, Shepard Strudwick (Jim Matthews) is featured alone in the photo representing Another World. And Strudwick lived until 1983 -- outliving Hugh Marlowe who assumed the role of Jim, after Strudwick's exit.

9 minutes ago, Tisy-Lish said:

Interesting, Shepard Strudwick (Jim Matthews) is featured alone in the photo representing Another World. And Strudwick lived until 1983 -- outliving Hugh Marlowe who assumed the role of Jim, after Strudwick's exit.

Thanks. I thought that was him. I never really thought of Jim as being a male lead of the show, but maybe he was seen that way in these years.

7 hours ago, Tisy-Lish said:

Interesting, Shepard Strudwick (Jim Matthews) is featured alone in the photo representing Another World. And Strudwick lived until 1983 -- outliving Hugh Marlowe who assumed the role of Jim, after Strudwick's exit.

According to the AWHP, Marlowe assumed the rôle in July 1969. If so NBC was making no effort to be current.

7 hours ago, DRW50 said:

Thanks. I thought that was him. I never really thought of Jim as being a male lead of the show, but maybe he was seen that way in these years.

I note also that Macdonald Carey is used as the face of Days of Our Lives. Certainly current in that case but was Tom any more of a lead than Jim at that time? Maybe they were just going for patriarch?