Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

There are some instances where soaps wait until the family is ready (the real life family), but I do think this sounds more like passing the buck. And the service was terrible - not anywhere near as much effort as would later be made for HB or even Henry. The lack of respect for a woman who helped make GL a beloved institution for generations was shocking and shows just how little respect that era had. Even the last years of GL had more respect.

[Robluvthebeach]

There is an interview of Jeff Ryder (I think it was in Soap Opera Digest) prior to him leaving and saying the writers wanted to keep the memory of Charita alive by not killing her off (makes no sense) but the audience demanded a final end to the story (so they penned a funeral). The short interview was so obnoxious and condescending --blaming fans for making them write a funeral scene (and then not bringing anyone back from the past to honor her memory--so weird). At the end of the interview, there is a postscript where it says Jeff has left his writing duties at Guiding light (all I could think was good riddance)

[Mitch64]

Island Man actually, while being no great shakes as an actor, had that "thing" that makes a good soap actor..(believe it or not they don't all have to be GREAT thespians) and I don't mean his chest. He had good chemistry with Zimmer, Wright but especially with Moniz Dinah. He was the one character who could call her out without totally vilifying her. I know the cartoon thinking of Rauch and company was that Dinah was the bad girl and Cassie perfect, but it would have been interesting to see Moniz do more then whine about her mommy issues or hang on to a total turd like Grillo's Hart (even though they had no chemistry I think he an the vapid Cassie deserved each other.) I agree, he and the Clone doctor could have done so much more..(I would have made Clone Doctor a recast Jim Reardon in conflict with his nephew Matt over Van. ) 

And yea, I remember that Grillo had more chemistry with that weird actor who played Cassie's ex, then either of his female costars. 

It was Kobe that said they wanted to keep Bert alive for Rick to be able to make a phone call..."Grandma, I need you." which was weird and dumb. I think that Charita dying of course threw them...(I remember the Christmas episodes had Bert taking a nap upstairs in the Bauer house, which was no "unBert" like that I knew they had to hastily rewrite. I think that Long was the only writer attached to the show that could do Bert's death justice (and in her defense, I think Long would have written the hell out of it) but she was on maternity leave and Ryder was totally clueless (the show had absolutely no warmth during his stint.) 

And yes, her death could have been the catalyst to turn the show around...bringing back a recast Hope(just before Alan returns) who I would have inherit Bert's old house and want to continue her legacy (taking over the old "Patient Advocacy" program,) though having a hard time living up to it. I would have Alex do whatever she could to manipulate Hope to stay, so that there was another Spaulding to "mother/smother" and she and Hope argue over AM.  I actually think that the actress who played Reva's mom would have been a good recast for Meta, and she and Charita knew each other so she would do it justice, but they could have also just brought back Lawson as Bea for a mother figure.

[Mitch64]

I remember when Don McLaughlin on ATWT died Helen Wagner commenting that the atmosphere on the set became strange...people were fighting and normally ATWT was a calm set, and that all went away once they acknowledge his death and filmed Chris funeral.  I could imagine that, even though a lot of the actors never worked with Charita that her presence was even greater on that set and that they would want to do it not only for the viewers who grew up with her, but the cast and crew.

[robbwolff]

My mom used to buy Star magazine, which had a soaps column that was fairly accurate. Sometime in 1985, the column reported that the show was considering recasting the role of Bert. They even named one of the actresses who was supposedly up for the role.

[Mitch64]

I remember that..can you imagine that..it would be even more notorious than Roger being recast.  For some reason I think they were considering the woman who played the German caterer on Mindy and Kurts' wedding...she looked like Charita.  But why go to that trouble and not jut bring in Meta or Bea? I do know that in an interview Long said she always wanted to bring back Meta..now why she didn't who knows.

[bboy875]

The actual postscript was that he was let go

[P.J.]

And I don't get that thinking. All fans really want for a good funeral is to remember the character (and performer, if they've died IRL). Where writers fail is being too lazy to do the homework and have a character remembered honestly, instead of making BS up to fit the current writer's version of a character the viewers have known longer.

[vetsoapfan]

I remember thinking at the time that if TIIC even DARED to try replacing Charita Bauer with another actress, there would have been WAR.

Literally, the fans would have gone berserk.

[j swift]

What was the sequence of timing between Charita Bauer's death and Mike's exit?

[robbwolff]

As I recollect, Mike last appeared around September 1984. That was the same month that Richard Van Vleet took over the role of Ed and Marsha Clark's Hillary was killed off. Charita was definitely at Hillary's funeral. Charita last appeared in December 1984 and then passed away in February 1985. 

 

[DRW50]

There are a few cases where I am glad the show kept the character alive - after all the tragedy Sally Spectra suffered and how much joy and fun she provided B&B, I was happy the show just let her live a good life away from LA - but never Bert Bauer. She was home to many viewers, and they would want to say goodbye. 

It seemed like Long ended up going through the motions with the Bauers when she came back. I wish she had brought Meta on - Johnny's cancer would have been a good reason. Maybe she thought Sarah served as a matriarch, but wonderful as Audrey Peters was, Sarah was an isolated character. 

[j swift]

So, is the funeral as meaningful if the cast is not around? 

As I recall, a lot of the emotional heft was put on Josh because they shared time together in physical rehab. 

But, without Mike, and with a new Ed, it seems like it was an unfortunate time to honor the character because creatively they were limited by circumstances.  For example, it would make sense to hold off on the memorial until the audience warmed to the new Ed, and could be empathic to his loss.

Edited December 5, 2024 by j swift

[robbwolff]

I don't think they even show the funeral. I think they show everyone at the Bauer's house. It felt very hollow. The best part, for me, was the flashbacks at the end of the episode.

And, no, there was no focus on Josh. Robert Newman left the show in December 1984 and didn't return until around November 1986.

And they did hold off until the new Ed had been on the canvas for some time. Van Vleet arrived in September 1984. Charita last aired in December 1984 and passed away in February 1985. Bert passed away in March 1986. In a matter of months, Van Vleet would be gone and Peter Simon back as Ed. The scenes with Ed grieving felt very hollow to me. I was more moved by Ellen Dolan's performance as Maureen as she and Charita had shared some beautiful scenes right before Charita passed (involving Bert having to move into Ed and Maureen's home). Ironically, within weeks of Bert's death, Dolan would be off the show and replaced by Ellen Parker.

[DRW50]

Many years ago, I remember seeing the script for the episode - it may have been in one of the GL books - and the main focus seemed to be on Rick kicking his pill addiction because of wanting to do right by Bert's memory. I'm sure that was moving for some viewers but that shouldn't have been the best the show could come up with for a character who had existed even on the radio version of GL.

Van Vleet has a big eulogy at Hillary's funeral and it's hollow there too. He was a good fit for Chuck Tyler but was much more of a glossy ABC soap type than suited for Ed Bauer. An early example of how P&G's ABC-ification hurt them.