Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[zanereed]

 

Inspired by this thread, I took out my DVD-R's of "Roger Thorpe: The Scandal Years" and a compilation from March/April 1980 when Ed and Mike were pursuing Roger and Holly in Santo Domingo, resulting in Roger's "death" at that point. As I was watching the scenes on each disc that featured Hulswit's Ed, especially during confrontations with Roger, I tried to imagine Simon and Van Fleet acting in those scenes, and I couldn't. I could not see Simon's Ed actually having any physical confrontation with Roger at all, as Hulswit's Ed had. Even though Hulswit certainly wasn't in peak physical condition to chase Roger through the jungle (although Mike certainly looked it), I had no problem believing he was doing it because Ed was not going to give up finding Holly and bringing her home safe. I just couldn't see Simon portraying that effectively (and certainly not Van Fleet).

[vetsoapfan]

 

Exactly. Through his acting acting skill, warmth, and intensity, Hulswit made you BELIEVE in his character. I did not care that he was not a perfect physical specimen. Truth be told, I don't believe physical perfection is the main criterion demanded by most viewers, regardless of what some PTB may believe. While shows have hired muscle hunks and beauty queens for decades, ordinary-looking actors like Hulswit, Tony Geary and Judith Light have captured viewers' imagination and loyalty.

 

Mart Hulswit simply was Ed. The morose portrayal offered by Simon and the simpering interpretation given by van Fleet did not cut it.

[Soaplovers]

 

 

There was a few weeks between SS's last day and LK's first day.  But I recall LK tried to mimic SS and it didn't work.  It took a little time for LK's to make Blake her own.

 

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[GH_Girl]

 

Yup, I've watched all those clips on You Tube. It felt like the writers tried to keep the dialog the same, the first few episodes with LK I could totally picture/hear SS's Blake saying those things. But pretty quickly it seemed to adjust.

[zanereed]

 

Exactly. Try imagining this particular scene with Simon or Van Fleet:

 

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[vetsoapfan]

Now THIS is the Ed Bauer whom we knew and loved, and who should have remained at the center of the show until the Light went dark!

[~bl~]

The show knew that Sherry Stringfield planned to leave the show before Blake decided to go after Ross to get revenge on Holly. She stayed for weeks beyond the end of her contract leaving Keifer to wait in the wings literally to start. Soap Opera Digest wrote about this years ago.

 

I wonder if the looks issue was just an excuse with Mart Hulswit. I recall reading something about him being involved with the union, (I wish I could find the article...was it posted here?) and if that was a factor. 

[Aback]

Why would SS stay longer on the show if LK was ready to take over?

 

OMG LK acted like a bratty teenager when she first came on... I think with some actors you can tell they don't have an ounce of evil in them. The same happened with Jess Walton on Y&R. I mean, I don't know these women personally, of course, but they strike me as people that would not hurt a fly... Hence they were not suited to play vixens like at all.

[NothinButAttitude]

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[RavenWhitney]

What a great group of writers. So sad that Phelps and P&G had to tinker with the writing.  Although I think Curlee needed to retire to raise her kids.  She was the emotional backbone of the team.

[cassadine1991]

Curlee and Stephen Demorest's children are probably in college or high school by now

[NothinButAttitude]

 

Yeah I think I remember reading an interview of her declaring that she wanted to raise her kids, which is understandable. I do miss her presence in daytime now. I truly think she is one of the few writers that could fix any 4 of the shows if given full control.

[Sapounopera]

Blake was Roger and Holly's daughter, she was raised as a Bauer, had three kids with Ross Marler and she had been married to the Spaulding brothers. She should have been the show's leading lady. Do you think that casting Liz Keifer ruined that chance? Would someone like Michelle Stafford, Jamie Luner or Sarah Brown fit the part better?

 

Of course with Kim Zimmer and her crazy Reva stories dominating GL's last decade, would there really be room for Blake working at Spaulding Enterprises, raising three teenagers, feuding with Beth and Dinah, flirting with Alan-Michael... etc... 

[GH_Girl]

 

Oh god, kill me now. I can't stand her. lol From the clips and episodes I've watched, I think by 93 LK Blake was great. I think it was more the writing that crapped out on Blake than the actor not being able to handle it. Blake not having any career was strange. Plenty of women are stay at home moms in real life (me!), but on a soap there isn't much for a character to do if they don't have a job of some kind. So much of SS Blake was business woman and then LK's Blake was eventually mom Blake. And because it's a soap, the kids aren't around all that often so the mom either looks like a crappy one off having adventures leaving whoever to raise the kids, or the mom isn't around because she's off caring for the kids.

[BetterForgotten]

I don't know, I think Sherry was just a hard act to follow and LK, though competent, just didn't have the same appeal/charisma. I don't think I ever stopped missing Sherry's interpretation of Blake.