Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[saynotoursoap]

The music was a cue used as underscore for sad and tender scenes. I loved the days when soaps had variations of their theme music and used them to score scenes. The music on soaps today is absolute shite.

Poor Chris suffered from ill health for many years. He had contracted hepatitis during the epidemic of the early 70s, and it seemed to have a more serious effect on him than it did other soap stars, who also contracted it. As early as Chris' first year on GL, he required time off for rest and recuperation. I remember him being replaced temporarily by David Bailey. Coincidentally, another actress subbed for Cindy Pickett as Jackie at the same time, which made for odd viewing. Ultimately, Chris negotiated a clause into his contract giving him 8 weeks off with short notice if needed for rest. This is the reason Alan was sent to prison and kidnapped in the spring of 1982.

Had he not developed AIDS in the 80s, Chris' liver problems might have gotten him anyway. It was terribly sad as his performances were brilliant. Pilon and Raines could never hold a candle to him.

[SFK]

Thanks for that interesting background information. I've read that Beverlee McKinsey suggested her Texas co-star Daniel Davis as a possible Alan placement when Bernau fell ill. They share that patrician, at times even effete, yet solid, classical acting style. It's retty well-known that Davis can be a real terror though. I wonder what he was like on the set of Texas and if Miss Beverlee ever had to put him in check.

[DRW50]

I had no idea of all he'd went through. I can't imagine David Bailey as Alan - solid actor but I rarely saw charisma (although people have said he was brilliant on Passions, so I may be wrong). Chris just defined Alan...if that part was recastable GL never showed it. Bernau was such a perfect match to the very odd beast that was GL - witty, vulnerable, arrogant, delicious, most of all, human.

It's even more of a credit to him that through all this illness he managed to keep Alan with such a romantic and sexual nature, with women as diverse as Hope, Rita, and Reva. That vitality and sexuality is something the show, for whatever reason, never bothered with for other Alan recasts.

[Mitch]

Its odd too because with some gay actors, you just can't buy them being these sexual beasts (at least with women) that the script calls for...but even though Alan was supposed to be a bit as you say efette, (or maybe that worked in this case) you could see why these hot babes like Rita and Reva would go for him, and you could believe that he would be a wild man in the sack with them. So its weird a straight guy like RR never could get that across the screen, we just took it for granted that he was powerful in business and with women, because CB made it so.

However, I will say RR was kind of hot on the farm with Reva in the Amish stupidity. I think he was just miscast and could have been better as a more earthy person, like say a Mike Bauer, or if they cast him as Buzz or better yet, the Reardon patriach who was not really dead (though I couldnt see RR with Bea Reardon!!!!)

[juppiter]

Floyd Boyd was a man, Guiding Light's biggest fan

And he wanted to write for the show

But his script got turned down and he left with a frown

'Cause he wasn't quite ready to go.

He had yet to meet Reva, his favorite soap diva

But Floyd had terrible luck!

When he ran on the set, with disaster he met

And now in Springfield he's stuck

^ Anyone else remember this? I do only vaguely and I have no idea whether it was good or totally lame.

[DRW50]

Is that the Pretty Boy Floyd thing? I have an ad of that somewhere. I wonder if anyone bought it.

August 1954 TV Star Parade.

[dc11786]

In 2001/2002, there was this GL sanctioned parody called MisGuiding Light. It was sort of a 'Delerious'-esque story with a wannabe writer ending up in Springfield. I remember Paul Raunch was in one of the episodes. A quick search of youtube shows all the installments are online. I watched a little of the final (part 13) which has a humorous reference to the Tory Granger storyline being a copy cat of Annie Dutton / Sonni Carrera.

[DRW50]

I'd forgotten about that. I guess they were ahead of their time.

[juppiter]

I actually don't mind that kind of thing, kind of breaking the fourth wall but in a cute way; ATWT did the same thing with Barbara when CZP was pregnant. They had other characters comment that maybe Barbara needed to go on a diet. And then right after CZP gave birth they wrote that Barbara was pregnant with Will so CZP ended up being pregnant for like two years.

[juppiter]

The girl who played Tory was really good IIRC. It wasn't a well written storyline but she made it work.

Knowing that these are on YouTube I will check them out later; no idea if they will be good or not. I remember finding them humorous at the time but we'll see.

[rlj]

I didnt know Lydia Bruce (Maggie on the Doctors) subbed for BM as Alex for a few episodes!

[DRW50]

From 1/7/92 Digest.

[Paul Raven]

How long did SF keep GL on the air?

[DRW50]

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[DRW50]

7/15/97 Digest.