Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

 

 

I think that Vigard and JWS had some chemistry, although I put their connection partly down to Vigard's strong presence. 

Beyond what @Sapounopera mentioned about Marland wanting to recreate Scotty and Laura, I think they may have also had the wedding early because they knew Shipp probably wasn't going to stay around long-term. 

The whole Kelly and Morgan story was, IIRC, pitched in part as fantasy vs reality - I think Marland talked about the whole image the young heroine has in her head of her first time and the pain of reality. I imagine that was what they would have done with the marriage between Kelly and Morgan too - showing the reality of a marriage compared to the fantasy. They still tried with Cooke but it didn't work because she lacked Vigard's innocence.

I think the original plans for Nola were probably for her to remain as somewhat of a schemer, as initially Quint was more of a mysterious figure, not a leading man, and Nola still had some feelings for Kelly. Maybe after they became popular with viewers the show changed course. Either that or Marland's close friendship with Lisa Brown led him to be more reluctant to keep her as a bitch, given the heavy viewer hate she had to deal with and the likelihood that she wasn't going to be able to stay on the show very long.

Marland's version of Trish I could see her playing. She was a drug addict, I believe, and was a heavily abused wife. There was a lot of darkness. 

After that point Trish became an extremely underwritten character and rested on Rebecca Hollen's inherent warmth and classiness.

[P.J.]

Rebecca said they'd been trying to cast Trish for a while, and Betty Rea found her in CA and asked her to audition. She got the job and then shared a dressing room with Maeve.

She and Jane started within a few weeks of each other, but the Andy story was wrapping up, so maybe they couldn't wait. Then again, maybe Jane wasn't interested in that role, and Doug came up with something she was. I know I've heard her say she was most proud of Carrie, because it challenged her as an actress.

While Jane would've been completely wrong for the part, the idea of Jane and Jordan Clarke arguing in scenes fascinates me.

Edited August 17, 2024 by P.J.

[Mona Kane Croft]

That's ironic, because Vigard is the actor who left GL almost immediately after the wedding, and Shipp stayed around for several more years. 

And I know several posters here insist there was no chemistry between Kelly and Morgan.  I wasn't watching at the time, so I don't have an opinion about that.  But the viewers (especially the younger viewers) were CRAZY about Kelly and Morgan -- chemistry or not.  I know people who took off work to watch their wedding.  And I happened to be at a public swimming pool on the afternoon of their wedding, and people at the pool had found a way to listen to Guiding Light on the radio!  Yes, the radio.  I'm not kidding!   No idea how they worked that out, but people at the pool were huddled around a radio listening to Kelly and Morgan's wedding.   

Edited August 17, 2024 by Mona Kane Croft

[DRW50]

She was fired, but yes.

I do think they had chemistry, but I can see where people might not. I never thought Reva and Josh were very interesting together but many loved them.

[Mona Kane Croft]

I always thought Reva had more sexual chemistry with Billy than with Josh.  With Josh it always felt a little forced.  But I will admit, Newman and Zimmer used their acting skills to push through the lack of chemistry and make it work.   Chemistry isn't everything.  Acting and writing are both more important than chemistry.  

[Contessa Donatella]

Have you ever seen them sing duets, live? UNBELIEVABLE how good.

[Mona Kane Croft]

No, I haven't.  Where did you see them singing  duets?   on TV or theatrical?   

[Contessa Donatella]

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[P.J.]

I can't speak for everyone, but as a preteen, it was Nola/Kelly/Morgan that got me hooked on GL. Granted, I probably didn't even understand what "chemistry" was, and maybe it was more the chemistry between the three of them that sold the story, but there had to be something there that drew people in.

Of course, now I'm a little creeped out by the optics of it. lol

And while we couldn't listen to GL, I definitely remember one of my classmates having a boombox and a bunch of us listening to Y&R over lunch.

[Mona Kane Croft]

Wonderful!  Thanks for sharing.  We all need to see some talent like that occasionally.     

[Khan]

Remember, folks: the original plan was for Kelly and Nola to hook up eventually, but the chemistry between Lisa Brown and Michael Tylo caused Douglas Marland to change his mind and have Nola end up with Quint instead.

Edited August 18, 2024 by Khan

[P.J.]

I don't think Newman/Zimmer lacked chemistry, I think Reva/Josh was the same old story. Josh always ended up looking like a fool for falling for Reva's lies, then he'd fall for someone crazy and realized Reva's craziness was a lot more manageable.

I think the difference between Billy and Josh was that no matter how big an [!@#$%^&*] Billy was being, you wanted to hug him. When Josh was an [!@#$%^&*], you wanted to slap him.

[Mona Kane Croft]

But didn't Kelly and Nola hook-up while he was involved with Morgan, giving Nola the excuse to say her baby was Kelly's?   Wasn't that pretty much the thing that kept Kelly and Morgan apart for a while?    

Does anyone know the age difference between Clarke, Zimmer, and Newman?  

[DRW50]

I guess Kelly and Nola were eventually meant to be a couple for real (or maybe a Josh/Nola/Kelly/Morgan quad).

Robert Newman - 1958

Jordan Clarke - 1950

Kim Zimmer - 1955

[Khan]

That's what I meant.  Thank you, @DRW50!