Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[Khan]

Yeah, Carrie really didn't need to shove her against the fireplace. As much stuff as there was inside Diane's apartment, all she had to do was trip over something and down she'd go.

[DRW50]

It would have been kind of fitting if Diane had tripped over those huge cases she kept that were full of Alan's documents.

[Khan]

Nah, too Pam Long.

[DRW50]

October 1976 TV Mirror.

[DRW50]

would have considered a terrible night's sleep - a grant total of four-and-a-half frequently interrupted hours. But I feel perfectly fine. At the beginning, I used to try and nap during the day when he did, but now I find it's not necessary and I'd rather use that time to catch up on chores around the house, or do some reading.

"I'm also surprised at how fast he changes. I can't believe how quickly he grows out of his clothes, and each day I notice he becomes more and more alert. Each day he focuses more intently on things which interest him, and his attention span is longer. That makes things easier for me because he can entertain himself over longer periods of time. He can lie in his crib now and stare at the mobile suspended over it for an hour at a time. The other night he even stayed up and watched TV with us. Of course, sometimes he gets fussy and doesn't know what he wants. All babies get in those moods. You try giving them a drink, and they're not thirsty; you try feeding them, and they're not hungry; you try bouncing them up and down in your lap, and they're still unhappy. You feel so bad for them, but there's nothing you can do. I'm convinced when babies get like that, their problem is boredom. In fact, I'm sure a baby's number one problem is boredom. I don't think adults stop and realize how frustrating it must be for an infant, not being able to walk or talk. I can't wait until John Stuart starts talking. Then he'll be able to tell me if he thinks I'm doing a good job or not!"

Fran's please to report Roger is doing a great job of fathering. This does not surprise her. "There are some men you just know will make terrific fathers, and I knew Roger was one of them," she points out. "At night, he's the one who invariably hears the baby first. While I'm still trying to pry my eyes open, Roger's already in the baby's room changing his diaper. He's a tremendous help. We have a wonderful nurse, Monica Gittens, in five days a week who's like a member of the family. I can go off to work feeling completely at ease knowing John Stuart's in her care. But Roger is also around a lot lately because he's been concentrating on writing these days, and he pitches right in. I don't know what I'd do without him as far as the cooking and cleaning goes. We've always split the cleaning chores and still do, but he's literally done all the cooking since the baby arrived. Luckily, he happens to enjoy cooking and is good at it."

Fran hates to admit it, but she also wasn't surprised to have some getting back in shape to do. "You don't have to make such problems for yourself," she insists. "If you don't gain more than a certain amount of weight, you'll find yourself pretty much the way you started out before you got pregnant. But it's very difficult. First of all, you really do get strange cravings. I went crazy over starches. Lettuce and other healthy things disgusted me. There were moments when all I wanted was a piece of bread. Ordinariiy I have no trouble avoiding starches. Secondly, you're not as active as you usually are. I always bicycled everywhere, including down to the studio on 26th Street from my apartment near Lincoln Center. Now that's quite a work-out. All that riding around always kept me in shape, even with occasional concessions to my sweet tooth. But I think the main reason women gain too much weight during their pregnancies is because there's not much motivation to watch yourself when you figure you're gonna get fat anyway for a while. You're wearing stretch pants anyway, so it's not like you have to worry about outgrowing your wardrobe, right? I've lost five pounds already, and I've got five more to go before I look and feel myself again. I can't wait - it's awful being out of shape."

Fran's fans will be please to know she has no intention of retiring form show business and being a full-time mommy - for now, at least. "You know what they say about a happy mother makes for happy children. Well, I believe that's certainly true," says Fran. "There's no point in staying home if you're just going to be miserable and take it out on your kids. But every situation has to be considered on an individual basis. I'll just play things by ear and see how it goes. As of now, things are working out fine. Who knows, though - I might just decide John Stuart is so much fun to be around. I'll take a year or two off when he's a bit older. I can't really imagine ever being bored around such a fascinating little person."

- by LINDA ROSENBAUM

[Khan]

Of course, John S. Newman went on to become a script writer (with Fran) at DAYS.

[DRW50]

10/7/86 Digest

[DRW50]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK3imOPQd58

[Khan]

Ugh. Macauley West.

[SFK]

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[DRW50]

I wonder who that AW story was about. Gail Brown? Vicky Wyndham? Susan Keith?

[SFK]

I wondered the same, though I immediately assumed VW. When Grant said, "She was the big star of the show at that point", I wasn't *quite* sure if he meant Beverlee or the actress in question. I kinda wish the camera panned over to Kim when he talked about no one being able to steal a scene from her.

[Thibaut1971]

Soap Opera Weekly Vol.1 #24 05-07-1990

[Thibaut1971]

Soap Opera's Greatest Stories & Stars Vol.8 #3 april 1984

[Khan]

Aside from the fact that it rewrote history and killed off Bill Bauer, it wasn't a bad story.