I guess Lemay struggled with actors who didn't suit his idea of acceptable performance. He said he cut short her madness story because he didn't think she had the talent. She wasn't a great actress but she did suit a certain range. He just didn't want to write for that. And I can't imagine she was worse than some of what I've seen of Susan Harney (who wasn't bad but wasn't exceptional).

No she was not but I loved Susan Harney as Alice but of course, they took Alice on a different route. they replaced Harney with Wesley Pfenning and again, nothing wrong with her acting but she is far from what I would call Alice Matthews Frame. She was hired by Lemay/ Rauch

Some Halloween 1986 has been uploaded. I continue to not care for...well, really, any of Mary's story, but Denise Alexander gives an amazing performance in some of these clips. It's also a chance to see more of Rhonda Lewin as Vicky, and some nice moments between Matthew and Mitch. And some great and romantic moments for Cass and Kathleen.

Poor Sharon Gabet really was given a dud role.

Edited November 1, 201114 yr by CarlD2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmja6dz9ioE&feature=related

Ooooh, looking forward to watching these clips.

I never cared for Denise Alexander's Mary (and she even got special billing!). I could never figure out what was so special about her, though I do see now that it was probably more Mary than Denise. However, when Soapnet was to start airing AW, I looked forward to seeing her, if only for nostalgia purposes. The funny thing is I reallllly liked the rest of the McKinnons, even Vince. All of their girls were interesting IMO.............well, MJ only under Kathleen Layman. Sally Spencer ruined that character IMO.

I can see sometimes why Denise would be an acquired taste (sometimes she gets very quavery and warbly and overly neurotic), but I've been very impressed by her work in these clips. There's a beautiful scene with Kathleen and Mary in clip 5 I think you will enjoy. Just gorgeous.

What did you think of this Vicky? I don't think she's that bad at all, although I am very glad they brought in Anne Heche.

I'm impressed at how effortlessly Mitch fits back into the canvas. I enjoy his scenes with Matthew the most, but even dumb stuff like calming Brittany, he's just as good.

I hate what they were doing to Donna at this time.

I like Sally Spencer. I think she's a good actress. I just don't care for how victimized MJ had become, and how weak she was.

I remember discussing Denise's special billing some years back, maybe on WoST. Some of the older fans explained that she was a VERY big deal on NBC back in the day so it was deserved, i.e., Rosemary Prinz in the first year of AMC.

This is the episode where Quinn was killed. I thought this was a needless storyline, especially since AW had few long-serving characters and Petronia Paley is a superb, charismatic actress. I also don't like stories which revolve around women being seen as whores and being murdered. I hadn't ever seen the episode, but now that I have, it doesn't change my mind, although the work from James Pickens Jr. is very very good (the hammy acting from Ed Fry and the pissing contest with Chad, not so much).

The Mitch/Felicia scenes are a much-needed tonic to this and to the boring stuff with Michael and Donna. Linda Dano had such easy chemistry with her love interests. It's still hard to believe she hadn't even been on AW 5 years at this point - she seems like one of the show's liferafts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdDt_FmLZq4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckq_Zf-5CBo&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Surprisingly enough for myself one of my favorite AW stories I've talked about her before actually made a SOW cover back in 1993:

I don't believe there are any YT clips of the story I'm afraid, and its a shame both SoapNet and Hulu never made it that far. Patti D'Arbanville

There are some short clips at FebWriter's channel.

I have seen a little of Susan Trustman as Pat, but I sometimes wonder how much of an impact she must have made to AW viewers at the time - she left somewhere around 1967 and yet up to the mid-70s people would write into magazines and ask where she was and if she was coming back.

I have seen a little of Susan Trustman as Pat, but I sometimes wonder how much of an impact she must have made to AW viewers at the time - she left somewhere around 1967 and yet up to the mid-70s people would write into magazines and ask where she was and if she was coming back.

Where did that post come from? And where have you seen clips of Pat?

It came from reading old magazines.

A while back, quite a few years it seems like, I saw one or two episodes on tape around the time Susan's Pat was losing her mind due to her abortion.

Does anyone know what stories of Harding Lemay's actually aired when he briefly came back in 1988?

I would guess the main bulk was Iris' return, and Matt finding out about the origin of his conception.

Thanks Carl. I know I read somewhere that those few months he was there set up all the good story Donna Swajeski got credit for. Then I read in an interview last year he wanted to tell a controversial story of children being in a work camp. I wish P&G would have let him stay and tell that. It sounds groundbreaking.