Return To Peyton Place Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

This sounds like good stuff. Her DAYS character often seemed to be out of control of much of her life, from what I've read. This sounds more like the character she played on WKRP. Who was she involved with romantically on this show?

[Paul Raven]

[Chris B]

I'm so curious to see Patriciai Morrow on this show. I *loved* Norman and Rita and I was so happy in the later years when they took center stage a bit more. She's one of the main reasons I'd like to see this show.

[jam6242]

Warren Stevens (Elliott Carson) has died.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/actor-warren-stevens-who-played-doc-ostrow-in-forbidden-planet-dies-in-la-at-92/2012/03/29/gIQAH9stiS_story.html

[DRW50]

August 1972 Daytime TV casting news.

John Hoyt began his role as Martin Peyton the end of May. John Levin joined the week of April 24 as Mathew Carson, son of Constance and Elliot Carson (Bettye Ackerman and Warren Stephens) and Ben Andrews started April 25 as Benny Tate, mysterious beau of Allison (Kathy Glass).

[DRW50]

November 1972 Daytime TV

Dino Fantini was added to the cast as Gino, a friend of Benny Tate (Ben Andrews)

[Paul Raven]

Variety

June 72 Yale Summers ( ex-" Daktari") has replaced Lawrence Casey in the role of Rodney Harrington in NBC's "Return To Peyton Place"

Sept 72 Susan Brown, who starred on NBC-TV's "Bright Promise" for two years, has joined that we b's "Return to Peyton Place," replacing Bettye Ackerman as Allison MaoKenzie's mother

March 73 Frank Maxwell has been signed to temporarily replace the late Stacy Harris in NBC-TV's "Return to Peyton Place," debuting in the Leslie Harrington part on March 28...

Katherine Glass, who for the past year has played the role of Allison Mackenzie in NBC-TV's daytime strip, "Return To Peyton Place," has asked for and received a release from her contract.

[DRW50]

Did Maxwell stay in the role?

[Paul Raven]

Yale Summers,who played Rodney Harrington, has died aged 78.

[toml1962]

Possibly not. Daytime TV Stars July 1974 issue has a brief synopsis of the whole two years, as well as final cast list. Mind you these things can be wrong, but here is what I found based on that article and one other.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 384px;" width="385"> <colgroup> <col /> <col /> </colgroup> <tbody> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="width: 223px; height: 18px;"> Character</td> <td style="width: 161px;"> Actor</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Allison Mackenzie Tate</td> <td> Pamela Susan Shoop</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Constance Mckenzie Carson</td> <td> Susan Brown</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Elliot Carson</td> <td> Warren Stevens</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Eli Carson</td> <td> Frank Ferguson</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Betty Anderson Harrington</td> <td> Lynn Loring</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Rodney Harrington</td> <td> Yale Summers</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Norman Harrington</td> <td> Ron Russell</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Rita Jacks Harrington</td> <td> Patricia Morrow</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Ada Jacks</td> <td> Evelyn Scott</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Dr. Michael Rossi</td> <td> Guy Stockwell</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Selena Cross Rossi</td> <td> Margaret Mason</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Steven Cord</td> <td> Joseph Gallison</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Hannah Cord</td> <td> Mary K. Wells</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Martin Peyton</td> <td> John Hoyt</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Monica Bell</td> <td> Betty Ann Carr</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Bob Whitmore</td> <td> Rodi Solari</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Matthew Carson</td> <td> John Levin</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Nell Abernathy</td> <td> Mary Jackson</td> </tr> <tr height="18"> <td height="18" style="height: 18px;"> Tom Dana</td> <td> Charles Sailor</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

Edited May 31, 2012 by toml1962

[toml1962]

SYNOPSIS OF TWO YEARS:

Constance and Elliot Carson had moved back to Peyton Place with their young son Matthew, now seven years old. Connie still ran the book gallery and Elliot was the editor of the Clarion. Elliot's father, Eli Carson, the genial wise man of Peyton Place, was a little older but still running the general store, supplying advice along with all the staples of life. Betty and Rodney Harrington moved to New Bristol along with Rodney's brother Norman and his wife Rita ... where the two brothers were now running a small fishing business, but not too successfully. Rod­ney had still not accepted his inher­itance, and Betty continued to urge him to get back to Peyton Place and the lucrative business started by Martin Peyton years ago.

Hannah Cord was still occupying the Peyton Mansion and running it all to please Martin Peyton (he was living in the Bahamas unknown to anyone else in Peyton Place, having arranged his own funeral to be able to stay around and from behind the scenes make sure that the provisions of his will were in­deed carried out). Steven Cord, Han­nah's adopted son and Martin's bastard grandson, was virtually running Peyton Industries as the company attorney.

Ada Jacks was still running the Tavern on the wharf in touch with and always there with her good sound ad­vice for her daughter Rita Harrington. She also was in touch with Leslie Har­rington, Rod and Norman's father, who was still dreaming big dreams and scheming big schemes to return to the Peyton Industries and take over, since his son wouldn't.

Allison MacKenzie had gone away at the end of the nighttime show and now returned to Peyton Place after an absence of two years. She said nothing about where she had been, but seemed weak and ill. Her parents of course were delighted that she had come home. In fact, she was addicted to drugs which Mike Rossi soon discov­ered, but with Mike's kind and under­standing help she slowly recovered and eventually was able to "kick" the habit. It was revealed that she had been addicted to drugs by her hus­band, Ben Tate, whom she met and married while in New York.

Ben Tate followed her to Peyton Place, and proceeded to terrify every­one in his efforts to get her back. He used every means available with the help of friend Gino Panzini to frighten Allison back to him. Finally, he kid­napped Allison's young brother and exchanged his hostage for Allison.

Allison was unaware that she had married one of twin brothers. Her hus­band in fact was a victim of a rare disease, and had left Allison rather than burden her with his care in the last months of his life, and it had been his twin brother, Jason Tate, who in­stead of telling Allison the truth, simply substituted himself in a relationship he coveted. In order to keep Allison from suspecting the truth he addicted her to drugs.

After he kidnapped her he attempted vainly to re-addict her. In her efforts to free herself from Benny (Jason) Allison struggled over a gun, and was knocked out; when she awoke Benny (Jason) was dead! Allison then stood trial for his murder. Rod Harring­ton, suspecting something amiss, was the one responsible for finding the dying Benny (the real husband), bringing him back to the courtroom to confess the killing. The real Benny died entrusting Allison to Rod's care.

Elliot Carson, Allison's father, and her mother Constance, began having marital problems during this period, but Allison—now cleared of the murder charge—went to work for her father's paper and helped persuade him to see a marriage counselor with Constance. This did not work out, and Elliot left town and went to work for a paper in Baltimore.

Betty Anderson Harrington had a fight with her husband, Rodney, and began an affair with her former hus­band, Steve Cord. When she became pregnant by Steven, she returned to Rodney, telling him it was his child, and gave birth to a boy. To keep up the farce, she told him the baby was premature, since it was small in size, and kept it in an incubator longer than necessary. Steven, upset over the cir­cumstances, had been warned by his mother, Hannah, to "cool" it.

Rita Harrington, taking care of her mother's bar while her mother was away, decided to modernize it with a student, Monica Bell. Monica started a romance with Tom Dana, a hitchhiker who got a ride into town with a man who suffered a heart attack. Tom had some medical background, but refused to acknowledge his past to anyone.

Although Selena Cross, nurse to Dr. Michael Rossi, was jealous of Constance's friendship with him, he and Selena were married in a huge wed­ding at the Peyton Mansion and went off to the Bahamas for a honeymoon. Their marriage, however, as the story came to a close, was not a solid one.

It was up in the air what Constance's future would be like. When the story came to a close it was suggested by the producers that she and Elliot Car­son would become a happy couple again.

Also, Rodney and Betty could not keep on living their sham of a marriage —Rodney sued her for divorce, leav­ing her to find happiness, possibly, with Steven Cord, the real father of her child.

The story did end on one very positive note: Rita and Norman Har­rington were to have another child.

Obviously lots more happened on the show, but that is what the article had.

Edited May 30, 2012 by toml1962

[Susan Hunter]

Was this the first (non supernatural related) evil twin storyline in daytime?

[toml1962]

I do recall the Julie Hillyer story from EON (68-69), where she was a twin of the late Laura HIllyer, but Laura was already dead when she appeared. There were many soaps I did not follow so it is possible there were others.

[dc11786]

There was also a pair on "Love of Life" and "Search for Tomorrow." After Maggie Porter died on LOL, her twin sister came to town and seduced her dead sister's husband. On SFT, the twin sister of Arthur's first wife arrived to cause havoc.

[DRW50]

July 1973 Daytime TV

John Hoyt (Martin Peyton) and Dino Fantini (Gino Panzini) left the end of April, and Betty Ann Carr joined as Monica Bell the beginning of April.