I always got the sense that the Beacon Hotel was separate from the lighthouse. The hotel started off as being abandoned until Cassie or someone wanted to restore it. The Beacon was located near the lighthouse or across from it. 

Folks are going to either find the 2002 opening horrible or just be ambivalent to it lol I just remember being excited that the show was finally updating it's opening credits, because almost every other soap was doing the same, most notably its lead-in ATWT which was looking better and being produced better than its sister soap. I rank it better than any of the following opening sequences the show would have after it was replaced, including that Ellen Wheeler talk show theme one that showed clips of the show and publicity stills. 

 

1 hour ago, j swift said:

I'm thinking of at least one kidnapping and one death that occurred at the lighthouse.  Can anyone recall how many people died, or almost died, falling off of the thing?

Which is why it was odd a few years later that they would build a hotel there.  It seems like an bad idea to construct a tourist attraction on the fatality site of many of the town's villains.  But, then again, who would vacation in Springfield?

 

Are you talking about the Beacon? I had no idea. 

Didn't someone live in the lighthouse at some point? 

2 hours ago, Tonksadora said:

Was that one the anniversary theme? Did it have the lighthouses that looked like playing pieces for a Sorry game?

Rauch's was the one with the cheap lighthouse graphics.

IIRC, Michelle wanted to convert the lighthouse into some sort of nightclub at some point.  And she (or whoever) was gonna call it "Light," or some nonsense, too.

The concept behind Conboy's opening wasn't wrong, but the music and production values for it were.  But, then again, CAPITOL's opening sequences were pretty underwhelming, too.

1 hour ago, Mitch64 said:

ruined the budget to build a baseball set to get him into a uniform

Ah, yes.  I still remember several people online calling it The Maureen Garrett Memorial Baseball Field.

1 hour ago, Mitch64 said:

the show didn't need production, it needed writing and casting.  Blame Conboy but it was MADD who hired him, let him hire Weston, let him turn the show into something even worse then the worst of Rauch.

Agree.

1 hour ago, SAPOUNOPERA said:

...

Rauch's was the one with the cheap lighthouse graphics.

Okay. Good to be able to ID what you hate.

If I had been in charge, I think I would have burned down Company (it was time) and had someone - perhaps Bridget and/or Nola - convert the lighthouse into an independent bookstore/cafe/performance space.  They could have even CALLED it Lighthouse Books.

1 hour ago, MichaelGL said:

Folks are going to either find the 2002 opening horrible or just be ambivalent to it lol I just remember being excited that the show was finally updating it's opening credits, because almost every other soap was doing the same, most notably its lead-in ATWT which was looking better and being produced better than its sister soap. I rank it better than any of the following opening sequences the show would have after it was replaced, including that Ellen Wheeler talk show theme one that showed clips of the show and publicity stills. 

 

Personally I liked the 2002 visuals despite people complaining at the time it looked like life savers lol but do think a simple refresh of HOTL music was all that was needed.  The 2002 ATWT music was good but the ugly gold was awful to look until they switched to blue but it lacked a globe in space opening ehh. 

Lingering Questions:
GL: Pam Long had someone specific in mind for Reva Shayne, not KZ, a redhead, who was it?

The question still lingers.

Rest In Peace, Jerry ver Dorn

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/sparta-nj/jerry-verdorn-10734452

RIP Jerry 😥. We're losing our legends left and right 

On 5/1/2022 at 12:42 PM, Tonksadora said:

I never *got* the idea that the hotel was attached. That was not working. Made zero sense.

Actually, they explained that it was an old hotel that they rehabbed, to not really attached but close, which made sense that it could be a summer hotel...as the lake could have been atttached to Lake Michigan (which makes me again say Springfield should have been in Michigan not Illinois..as Illinois has about two lighthouses and Springfield would have to a north shore suburb with their yachts and things and it never seemed like that...

 

On 5/1/2022 at 12:59 PM, j swift said:

Logically, it would be dumb to build a lighthouse in the middle of a forest, a harbor seems more appropriate, but they rarely referenced what part of town the lighthouse was built.  Was it down near Fifth Street, or uptown closer to the Spaulding Mansion?

I know, but I am saying the rando light house they had Cassie and Reva at made them look like they were coming out of the woods...lost (and hadn't Reva lived in Springfield long enough I wanted her to pick up something pink "Oh, there's mah panties I lost in 1985!!! Was it Joshua, or Kyle, or that crazy guy Cane????") 

Carrying on SF real estate...I wished Rick would have moved to lighthouse (after divorcing boring Mel) and let Ross and Blake move into the Bauer house and they could have become the new tentpoles...(R.I.P. JVD!)

RIP Jerry 🙏 he had such beautiful blue 💙 😢 😞 eyes

1 hour ago, DAMfan said:

RIP Jerry 🙏 he had such beautiful blue 💙 😢 😞 eyes

Jerry & Robert Newman, both of them, show up in pictures like they defy the camera to dull them down. Just POP.

On 4/30/2022 at 8:18 AM, Tonksadora said:

When the supercouple began there weren't any battling fanbases fighting for their couple to get more airtime, etc. Doug & Julie were the first supercouple, literally the first to be dubbed so by the press. And, Julie was a Horton by blood if not by name. And, the couple was an extension of the Horton family as Doug's gateway in had been that he was Bill's prison cellmate.

Back in the day it wasn't just GL's Betty Rea who cast experienced actors. All the NY soaps did. Pete Lemay & Paul Rauch would go to plays together & they would always be on the lookout for possibles to cast.

I think in general when shows get cancellation orders that a question is always asked, who do we want to bring back for the final days. I don't think that question is asked when plans are being made for regular time upcoming stories. Maybe it should've been asked.

Agreed.  I think new characters are necessary and important to keep the canvas of the show dynamic.  But it felt like Guiding Light had so many characters at the end (aside from a core group and returning favorites) without ties to core families.

 

On 4/30/2022 at 9:44 AM, Mitch64 said:

 

On 4/30/2022 at 7:53 AM, Patrick D said:

I think soaps get it wrong when they focus on the idea of super couples. It gets tired quickly, and as was already mentioned, the stories get more ridiculous and they’re often isolated with maybe one other character in a triangle. And it repeats and repeats.

Agreed, and it also effects the budget....showcasing Zimmer constantly ( and I DO like her..not that MUCH of her) gave her too much power and allowed her to write her own ticket...when its an ensemble you can say "Here's the deal, if you don't like it we have Vanessa, Holly, Alex, Amanda...whoever over here with story...."

Yes, exactly.  I liked her too but I think that's why the early 90's worked so well when she left.  The show was an ensemble and a lot different characters/actors were featured.

On 4/30/2022 at 9:44 AM, Mitch64 said:

On 4/30/2022 at 7:53 AM, Patrick D said:

Betty Rea cast trained actors - when did she leave? That might’ve accelerated the decline? Because the caliber was still there with some, but never again with an ensemble like this.

It was a huge loss (Rae) but Rauch said to Mimi Torchin I believe that they had to compete with Skinamax (remember those bad old soft core porn movies..) so they had to cast model types...(as if anyone is watching soft corn porn at 2 in the afternoon and if they are they arent going to turn it off to watch models fully clothed in pastel business suits...) Remember Jim Lemay went from being played by a normal looking guy to being played by that muscle guy who I believe was in some of those movies...but he was still boring and no one cared when he died in that fire (R.I.P. to the actor tho..) 

Compete with Skinamax!  haha.  That tells you a lot right there how the network execs weren't interesting in building/retaining their fan base.  

On 4/30/2022 at 9:44 AM, Mitch64 said:

On 4/30/2022 at 7:53 AM, Patrick D said:

The show at that time was also darker, sexier and moodier. Rauch was praised for brightening the look and feel in the later 90’s but I think it exposed lower production values and made it less intimate and consequently, less exciting.

Agreed but JFP went way too dark...look at the Bauer set, it is bright for Christmas and then they kill Mo and the house is constantly shot dark..okay, storyline reasons there but the whole show was in shadow, along with Mo dying, the recasts, Alex being a cartoon shrew schreeching, Buzz taking over the show and all the women allowing this troll to obsess them..it all became depressing. But agreed on Rauch, the blinding lights on every damn set constantly looked terrible matched with the pastel clothes. The Spaulding mansion with Alan there and Alex gone should have been lit dark and more masculine, Carmen's house should be dark and isolating as her life should have been potrayed...etc.

True, it got pretty dark at times under JFP.  And the Frank/Marion story didn't help.  They did lose a lot in those recasts of key players.  I thought Buzz worked at the beginning as a foil but definitely not for the long term.  Still can't understand why or how there was so much emphasis on the Coopers.

On 4/30/2022 at 9:44 AM, Mitch64 said:

 

On 4/30/2022 at 7:53 AM, Patrick D said:

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that in the end, so many characters from this era were brought back. If they knew that was how to end it, why didn’t they try to return to what worked earlier and keep the show going?

Agreed...we spent so much time in Gradyville...why? Though I think Wheeler struck a good balance during her years, bringing people back like Van and Matt when needed for the story, she attempted to get Simon, Alex was always around (though admittedly not written correctly) and not driving story (which both she and Alan should not have been doing at that time..) Why they couldnt have just brought back Mindy earlier for Rick (his only successful pairing beside Abby IMO) leads me to believe Wheeler had better intentions then Gautman, she just didn't know how to pull it off. 

That makes sense.  Glad she brought back Vanessa and Matt.  I wondered if they chose not to put Kinkead back on contract or she didn't want to work that much.  And yes, two characters that weren't ever brought back to their full potential were Alan-Michael and Mindy (Kimberley Simms).  And they should've never let Ross go (RIP JVD).

On 4/30/2022 at 12:00 PM, Khan said:

Agree.  (By the way, @Patrick D, hello and welcome to the board!)

And I agree with the comments on the lighting and wardrobe during the Rauch era.  He had those same issues throughout his tenure on OLTL, too.  Especially toward the end, when it seemed to be a race between the set designers, the costume designers and the lighting designers as to who could be the most garish in their choices.

Of course, Rauch was replaced by John Conboy, who tried to remake GL into Y&R or CAPITOL and blew the budget to smithereens in the process.  Personally, I don't feel Conboy's aesthetic would have worked for GL, not even if he had had a better HW working with him.

Thank you, @Khan!

Betty Rea retired around 1995…she had been in daytime for decades at that point.

On 5/3/2022 at 6:03 PM, Patrick D said:

And they should've never let Ross go (RIP JVD).

I've always thought that this was an error in judgment. They moved a number of people from contract to recurring at that time, obvious it was crunch time yet again over money. But, I'm sure they thought they'd still have them because what were the odds that they'd land a new job in that market?! Well, guess what? OLTL just happened to be desperate for a new Clint and bless Jerry's heart he was incredibly versatile. Our loss.

On 5/2/2022 at 6:44 PM, Mitch64 said:

Actually, they explained that it was an old hotel that they rehabbed, to not really attached but close, which made sense that it could be a summer hotel...as the lake could have been atttached to Lake Michigan (which makes me again say Springfield should have been in Michigan not Illinois..as Illinois has about two lighthouses and Springfield would have to a north shore suburb with their yachts and things and it never seemed like that...

 

Thank you. It's late but I finally understand The Beacon.

They didn't even say a state name for AW until the early '80s!