Jump to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

Soap Opera Network Community

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.
SON Community Back Online

Featured Replies

I've always found this quote about Mary Matthews interesting but also perhaps perplexing.

Quote

The tortured hero, the scheming villainess, etc. One of the biggest changes in soaps was to the view of what is feminine & what the average woman does & is like. More women with jobs, or even careers (HER STORIES 128-129). Specifically in the '60s & mid-60s Bell & Irna considered attitudes toward working women. They imagined Mary Matthews reading THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE, etc.

 

  • Replies 14.5k
  • Views 3.3m
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

  • Member
20 hours ago, watson71 said:

Given what I’ve seen of Hugh Marlowe’s Jim Matthews, any actor would need to substitute lines given how “robotic” he acted on the show.

Beverly Penberthy said Hugh Marlowe had a drinking problem, and was doing this job because he needed to support his family. So he was basically phoning it in, but at least he stuck to the script. Which was all Rauch and Lemay were concerned about. 

Edited by TheyStartedOnSoaps

I believe this represents the Harding "Pete" Lemay Character Creation: 

Amanda, Sharlene, Josie, Sally, Willis, Sven, Janice, Emma, Iris, Elliot, Dennis, Olive, Brian, Robert, Tracy, Gil, David, Larry, Clarice, Gwen, Louise, Beatrice, Vivienne, Angie, Joey, Rose, Eileen, and Blaine

(If you have corrections or additions, lemme have 'em. Thanks.)

 

According to Schemering 1977-1978 AW was 2nd with an 8.6/28 share where ATWT was 1st with an 8.6/31 share. The Lemay years were known for good ratings.

72-73 3rd 9.7/33

73-74 2nd 9.7/32

74-75 2nd 9.7/31

75-76 2nd 8.9/30

76-77 2nd 9.0/29

77-78 2nd 8.6/28

78-79 8th 7.5/25 Mar. 5th '79 1st 90 min. show. 

March 5th, 1979 was really a remarkable day for soaps. 

NBC - AW - 1st 90 min. show & death of John Randolph

CBS - GL - Roger raped Holly

ABC - OLTL - Karen Wolek took the witness stand in a trial. 

The Wonderful World of TV Soap Operas by Robert LaGuardia. Ballantine Books: New York. ©1974 by Random House, Inc.

It took Harding “Pete” Lemay, however, a skilled playwright who thoroughly believed in the heretofore unexplained psychological potential of the daytime serial, to transform Mrs. Nixon’s love-triangle subplot into a balanced story contrasting realistic human behavior and that “other world of fantasy and striving. He found story devices no longer necessary.” For example, Lemay said, “I didn’t feel it was necessary to keep Rachel a black-and-white character. I didn’t see her as a villainess… I saw her instead as a human being who had always had bad breaks and who defeats herself because she is so used to failure. When she lost Steve this last time, I wanted the audience to feel her pain as I felt it. I wanted them to feel her tears.

Mr. Lemay, along with his producer, Paul Rauch, should be given an Award for the Greatest Contribution to Daytime Serials, for completely eliminating melodramatic cliche’s in a daytime drama, and for their invaluable demonstration that, what viewers really want is drama based on psychology rather than on escapist melodrama. Under Lemay and Rauch “Another World”, which had previously used many tried-and-true soap opera devices (although fewer than most other shows), got rid of them, employed inward writing, and became one of the top two or three daytime television shows.

About the only happy event in “Another World” was the birth of Ada’s daughter, Nancy, named after Ada’s dear friend on her deathbed Nancy Wickwire.

  • Member
7 hours ago, TheyStartedOnSoaps said:

Beverly Penberthy said Hugh Marlowe had a drinking problem, and was doing this job because he needed to support his family. So he was basically phoning it in, but at least he stuck to the script. Which was all Rauch and Lemay were concerned about. 

Well, he flubbed his lines, and totally forgot lines so often, I wouldn't exactly say he stuck to the script.  I'm sure it had to be difficult for his acting partners.  Have you ever seen Ariana Muenker's interview on The Locher Room?  She describes a scene between her and Marlowe, in which he completely forgot nearly all his lines and just looked at her blankly. She had to carry the entire scene, trying to blend his lines with her own, because he had simply stopped responding. And Ariana was just 15 or 16 years old when this occurred.  

But I also want to say, despite his difficulties, I loved Marlowe as Jim.  He did play the role with warmth and seemed like a real father/grandfather. And when he did manage to do a good scene, he was charming.   Plus he was actually very good in every film and primetime show I've seen him in.  He just was not prepared to keep up with the pace of daytime.  

Edited by Tisy-Lish

  • Member
29 minutes ago, Contessa Donatella said:

I believe this represents the Harding "Pete" Lemay Character Creation: 

Amanda, Sharlene, Josie, Sally, Willis, Sven, Janice, Emma, Iris, Elliot, Dennis, Olive, Brian, Robert, Tracy, Gil, David, Larry, Clarice, Gwen, Louise, Beatrice, Vivienne, Angie, Joey, Rose, Eileen, and Blaine

(If you have corrections or additions, lemme have 'em. Thanks.)

 

According to Schemering 1977-1978 AW was 2nd with an 8.6/28 share where ATWT was 1st with an 8.6/31 share. The Lemay years were known for good ratings.

72-73 3rd 9.7/33

73-74 2nd 9.7/32

74-75 2nd 9.7/31

75-76 2nd 8.9/30

76-77 2nd 9.0/29

77-78 2nd 8.6/28

78-79 8th 7.5/25 Mar. 5th '79 1st 90 min. show. 

March 5th, 1979 was really a remarkable day for soaps. 

NBC - AW - 1st 90 min. show & death of John Randolph

CBS - GL - Roger raped Holly

ABC - OLTL - Karen Wolek took the witness stand in a trial. 

The Wonderful World of TV Soap Operas by Robert LaGuardia. Ballantine Books: New York. ©1974 by Random House, Inc.

It took Harding “Pete” Lemay, however, a skilled playwright who thoroughly believed in the heretofore unexplained psychological potential of the daytime serial, to transform Mrs. Nixon’s love-triangle subplot into a balanced story contrasting realistic human behavior and that “other world of fantasy and striving. He found story devices no longer necessary.” For example, Lemay said, “I didn’t feel it was necessary to keep Rachel a black-and-white character. I didn’t see her as a villainess… I saw her instead as a human being who had always had bad breaks and who defeats herself because she is so used to failure. When she lost Steve this last time, I wanted the audience to feel her pain as I felt it. I wanted them to feel her tears.

Mr. Lemay, along with his producer, Paul Rauch, should be given an Award for the Greatest Contribution to Daytime Serials, for completely eliminating melodramatic cliche’s in a daytime drama, and for their invaluable demonstration that, what viewers really want is drama based on psychology rather than on escapist melodrama. Under Lemay and Rauch “Another World”, which had previously used many tried-and-true soap opera devices (although fewer than most other shows), got rid of them, employed inward writing, and became one of the top two or three daytime television shows.

About the only happy event in “Another World” was the birth of Ada’s daughter, Nancy, named after Ada’s dear friend on her deathbed Nancy Wickwire.

Lemay created more characters.  They are listed by year of introduction on The Another World Homepage.

ANOTHER WORLD: ANNUAL STATUS CHARTS

 

  • Member
1 hour ago, Contessa Donatella said:

I believe this represents the Harding "Pete" Lemay Character Creation: 

Amanda

It feels very unfair to credit Lemay with the creation of the character Amanda just because he wrote the story in which the baby was born. I suppose one could argue that he created her place in the family and anything that happened later had a dependency on that, but there was no real character in the sense of personality for a number of years.

Of course I suppose that in that sense it is also impossible to give the writer *full* credit for characterization -- so much depends on the contributions from the actor and director. 

  • Member
1 hour ago, Xanthe said:

It feels very unfair to credit Lemay with the creation of the character Amanda just because he wrote the story in which the baby was born. I suppose one could argue that he created her place in the family and anything that happened later had a dependency on that, but there was no real character in the sense of personality for a number of years.

Of course I suppose that in that sense it is also impossible to give the writer *full* credit for characterization -- so much depends on the contributions from the actor and director. 

How is it unfair?  He wrote the birth of Amanda so therefore he is the original creator of the character.  Sure subsequent writers developed her personality and in some cases changed it. 

4 hours ago, Efulton said:

How is it unfair?  He wrote the birth of Amanda so therefore he is the original creator of the character.  Sure subsequent writers developed her personality and in some cases changed it. 

I didn't understand the unfairness idea, either. I was hoping Xanthe might expand. I just thought it was pretty much a yes or no thing, either a certain writer created that character or they did not, because presumably someone else already did. Is there a grey area? 

  • Member
21 minutes ago, Efulton said:

Beverly Penberthy is 93 years old.  This is a very different situation than Drake and his family keeping his diagnosis private. Seriously stop looking for something to argue about.

I agree.  When we post opinions about one another, we are off topic. And even my post (right now) is off topic, in my opinion.  

We should be conversing about Another World here -- not posting about one another.  

When you read a post that offends you, or a post by someone you don't like, try just ignoring it.  That's what I usually do.  Obviously, this post is an exception.  

Ignoring posts that we think are offensive, or posts by someone we don't like is a great way to keep conflict to a minimum, and to keep the focus on our favorite soap opera.  Again, arguing between ourselves is off topic.   

  • Member
3 minutes ago, Tisy-Lish said:

I agree.  When we post opinions about one another, we are off topic. And even my post (right now) is off topic, in my opinion.  

We should be conversing about Another World here -- not posting about one another.  

When you read a post that offends you, or a post by someone you don't like, try just ignoring it.  That's what I usually do.  Obviously, this post is an exception.  

Ignoring posts that we think are offensive, or posts by someone we don't like is a great way to keep conflict to a minimum, and to keep the focus on our favorite soap opera.  Again, arguing between ourselves is off topic.   

👍

Now back to the (formerly) continuing story of Another World. 😀

  • Member
11 minutes ago, Efulton said:

👍

Now back to the (formerly) continuing story of Another World. 😀

Which actor playing Russ Matthews was the best? And why?

Which of Ada's four husbands did you prefer? And why?

Which of the original Frame siblings was your favorite? (Original meaning Steve's generation of siblings). And why?

Who was your favorite of Bay City's many attorneys -- John Randolph, Walter Curtain, Cass Winthrop, Brian Bancroft, Michael Randolph, Mike Bauer, Mitchell Dru, etc.  And  why?   

 

Edited by Tisy-Lish

  • Member

Some people find it highly offensive when people share performers' personal medical information regardless of their age. Others do not find it highly offensive. The forum moderators/owners could make a decision on this and then people could abide by whatever decision they make. This would prevent a lot of problems, and it would keep this discussion thread from getting locked down when the the disagreements get too heated. They may have already made a decision and I did not notice.

  • Member
2 minutes ago, Tisy-Lish said:

Which actor playing Russ Matthews was the best? And why?

Which of Ada's four husbands did you prefer? And why?

Which of the original Frame siblings was your favorite? (Original meaning Steve's generation of siblings). And why?

Who was your favorite of Bay City's many attorneys -- John Randolph, Walter Curtain, Cass Winthrop, Brian Bancroft, Michael Randolph, Mike Bauer, Mitchell Dru, etc.  And  why?   

 

I was born in 1972 and my earliest memories are from 1977.

- I only saw David Bailey as Russ and did not remember him when he returned in 1989.  I would say the majority of fans prefer Sam Groom.

- I loved Charlie and he is the only one I remember. He should not have been killed off. There is a list of characters who should not have been killed off for another discussion. I wish I could remember Dolph Sweet's Gil because I was a huge fan of Gimme a Break.

- Janice # 2 (Christine Jones) was delicious.  I did not see Victoria Thompson in the role.  Anna Holbrook's Sharlene was a favourite of mine.  I have no memory of Laurie Heineman.  I do wish they would have brought back Heineman in 1988 and created a new role for Anna.  Another World did way too much unnecessary recasting.  That is yet another  separate discussion.

- I have no memory of any of them except for Cass and Brian.  Paul Stevens (Brian) is part of actors who I think of as my Another World so he is at the top for me.  But Bay City would not have been the same with Cass.

  • Member
4 minutes ago, chrisml said:

Some people find it highly offensive when people share performers' personal medical information regardless of their age. Others do not find it highly offensive. The forum moderators/owners could make a decision on this and then people could abide by whatever decision they make. This would prevent a lot of problems, and it would keep this discussion thread from getting locked down when the the disagreements get too heated. They may have already made a decision and I did not notice.

As a fan of Beverly Penberthy's I am interested in getting updates on her.  I believe her son gave an update at the reunion.  Or at least I am pretty sure that is how the information filtered back to me.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

Recently Browsing 0

  • No registered users viewing this page.

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.