10 hours ago, Neil Johnson said:

Has anyone read any of Harding Lemay's plays?  I've read a few, and they seem very much like his work on AW.  Families with lots of conflict.  And nobody is really a total good guy (or girl).  All the characters have flaws that influence their actions.   

 

Yes, I own a couple of them, tucked away somewhere. I haven't read them in over a decade, but I kind of remember the one that starred Constance Ford and Beverlee McKinsey. Lemay was self-published, the plays are probably still available to order. I got mine through Barnes and Noble where my significant other was working at the time.

5 hours ago, amybrickwallace said:

 

I didn't even know any of his plays were available to read. Cool! ☺

A lot of his plays are available in e-book form. I think you can buy some of the print editions on Amazon too.

His plays were published about a decade ago, and available at very reasonable able prices.  They are now out of print, but can be found on Amazon and Ebay occasionally,.  Unfortunately, the prices have gone up significantly.   Well worth reading, if you are a fan of Lemay.  

Has anyone here read his memoir, Inside, Looking Out? Supposedly, that book was what convinced P&G to give him the job as AW's HW. 

Yes, I've read it.  Maybe 20 years ago.  It is very interesting, and very detailed.  But I don't understand how anyone would think "Oh, this guy would be a great writer for a soap opera," based on that book.  His plays give a much better understanding of his ability to write drama.  

Thanks. I'll have to check them out. Maybe someone can do audiobook versions of his writings.

So I am chugging away through 1981.  Mac just got custody of Amanda.  (Who is played by the cutest little girl...she is just a sweetheart on the screen).  "Steven Frame" is back in town as David Canary now plays him, but he has yet to reveal his identity.  Mac is planning on marrying Alice (which I am guessing never happens...)  Rachel is packing to move to California (which I am also guessing never happens...) I love the scenes with Ada, although as I had said earlier when I watched in the mid to late 80's as a much younger person I did not appreciate.  Cecile is pregnant (shocker...) we know that one plays out.  It's October 1981 in my world, a simpler time across the board.

16 hours ago, ScottyBman said:

So I am chugging away through 1981.  Mac just got custody of Amanda.  (Who is played by the cutest little girl...she is just a sweetheart on the screen).  

 

Dana Klaboe played Amanda until 1986 before she was aged to blonde Sandra Ferguson. I liked her a lot as Amanda and Mac's daughter. It seems likely that they chose the dark colouring to emphasize that she was Rachel's, especially if Mac was engaged to Alice. The hair colour was one superficial reason why I was disappointed in the first adult Amanda. When they cast Christine Tucci she felt more like the grown up version of the dark-haired little girl.

I recently stumbled across this article.  I had no idea Beverly Penberthy was so vocal when the was written out.  Good for her!  She is completely accurate in everything she says.  Paul Rauch should have done more to keep her in on the show.  Corinne Jacker made many mistakes during her one year as head writer. Writing out Pat Matthews Randolph was her biggest mistake of all.

 

Here is a link to Pat's final episode.  Coincidentally it is also Kyra Sedgwick's first episode as Juia Shearer.

 

 

Edited November 25, 20196 yr by Efulton

Wow. This is an amazing article.

 

Thanks for posting @Efulton

 

It’s really a shame what happened to AW in the late 70s and early 80s. The show never really recovered after General Hospital got so popular. There’s so much we don’t know about what went on behind the scenes during Corinne Jacker’s tenure and this sheds so much light on it. It sounds like Beverly Penberthy was hinting that the only reason CJ brought in so many new characters was to make money, rather than try to save the show.  

On 11/7/2019 at 9:34 PM, amybrickwallace said:

 

I didn't even know any of his plays were available to read. Cool! ☺

 

1 hour ago, AbcNbc247 said:

Wow. This is an amazing article.

 

Thanks for posting @Efulton

 

It’s really a shame what happened to AW in the late 70s and early 80s. The show never really recovered after General Hospital got so popular. There’s so much we don’t know about what went on behind the scenes during Corinne Jacker’s tenure and this sheds so much light on it. It sounds like Beverly Penberthy was hinting that the only reason CJ brought in so many new characters was to make money, rather than try to save the show.  

While Corinne Jacker was a horrible head writer she did create some good characters - Cass and Stacey Winthrop, Henrietta Morgan, Thomasina Mason and Alma Rudder who was one of my all time favourites.  After rewatching many episodes on YouTube from the eighties i have realized that December 1982 through February 1985 is really a great period for the show. If you have not done so I encourage you to watch.

Edited November 25, 20196 yr by Efulton

Ms. Penberthy certainly seemed dissatisfied in 1976 when reading the article in the soap treasures thread from the Daytime TV series interview alongside Michael M. Ryan. I have to wonder what the actors playing the Matthews family in 1975 thought of the storyline change. She never seemed to be the lead actress during her run.

 

12 minutes ago, Albert said:

Ms. Penberthy certainly seemed dissatisfied in 1976 when reading the article in the soap treasures thread from the Daytime TV series interview alongside Michael M. Ryan. I have to wonder what the actors playing the Matthews family in 1975 thought of the storyline change. She never seemed to be the lead actress during her run.

 

 

I agree about that 1976 interview.  Considering the wonderful things Harding Lemay said about her in his 1981 book, Penberthy seemed rather unappreciative of his writing five years earlier.  I always got the impression she did not enjoy working with Michael Ryan -- that she perhaps thought he was too old, or that John was too boring, to be Pat's love interest.   But that may just be my impression.  

28 minutes ago, Albert said:

Ms. Penberthy certainly seemed dissatisfied in 1976 when reading the article in the soap treasures thread from the Daytime TV series interview alongside Michael M. Ryan. I have to wonder what the actors playing the Matthews family in 1975 thought of the storyline change. She never seemed to be the lead actress during her run.

 

Are you able to post the article here?  I would like to read it.

13 minutes ago, Efulton said:

Are you able to post the article here?  I would like to read it.

 

It is on page 5 of this thread: