That SS plot sounds HORRIBLE and something that no show would get away with doing today.

12 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

THE JOURNAL-NEWS, SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1975

Soap opera heroines fill gaps by Tom Donelly

WASHINGTON-It isn’t every day you can talk to a soap opera heroine in the flesh and when two such heroines come to town for interviews, the chance to clear up various little mysteries is not to be missed. After all, even the most ardent soap opera freak is bound to miss a crucial episode now and then. Lynne Adams and Fran Myers, who play Leslie Bauer and Peggy Fletcher on ‘The Guiding Light” weekdays on CBS were most obliging about supplying answers to nagging questions.

The most baffling single episode I've ever seen on a soap opera took place some time ago on “The Guiding Light.” We zoomed in on a London telephone booth containing Leslie Bauer. Leslie rang up her mother, an enigmatic lady named Victoria Ballenger, and said: ‘‘Hi Mom! I'm in town unexpectedly, and I’m coming right over to your flat.” Or words to that effect. Whereupon Mrs. Ballenger, looking upset in the extreme, turned to the distinguished gray-haired gentleman seated beside her and told him that she couldn’t explain why, but a woman was going to turn up in a few minutes and pretend to be Mrs Ballenger’s daughter, and the gray-haired man should pretend to be a clerk who worked in Mrs. Ballenger’s boutique. Whereupon the man leaped up, announced that Mrs. Ballenger was obviously trying to drive him crazy, and raced for the door, vowing that he was going to take a taxi back to the sanitarium, where he wouldn’t be subjected to such vile and incomprehensible games. ‘‘I can’t explain! But trust me!” shouted Mrs. Ballenger. ‘‘I have a reason!

Now what was that all about? Miss Adams said: ‘‘Well, you see Victoria Ballenger was a really terrible phony. She ran out on my father, Dr. Stephen Jackson, and me when I was a baby, and then years later she turned up pretending she was full of maternal feelings. But what she was after was money to pay for psychiatric treatments for her lover — the man who was in her flat with her. He was on leave from a mental institution. “So I had a big crying scene when I found out she didn’t really love me all that much, and she turned on me and said: ‘You think I’ve been lying to you! Well, your father has been lying to you! He’s not your father!’ So for a few weeks I was terribly upset and wouldn’t talk to him, but then I realized the man who brings you up and takes care of you is your real father even if he isn’t your blood father. You know, like in ‘Silas Mamer.’ The viewers wouldn’t know Dr. Jackson isn’t my actual fatner it they missed a few episodes. We go on the way we’ve always gone on.” See? Naturally a woman who has a lover in the booby hatch wouldn’t want him to know she was raising the money for his cure by telling fibs.

‘‘The Guiding Light” began on radio in 1937 and switched to televison on June 30, 1952. Miss Adams started playing Leslie in 1966 and Miss Myers signed on as Peggy a year earlier.

Although the bloom of youth is bright upon them - MissAdams in 28, Miss Myers is 24, these women have suffered, professionally speaking, more agony than Bette Davis and Joan Crawford collectively endured in all their years in Hollywood. During the course of the interview, I kept calling Miss Myers “Peggy” because, off and on, I’ve watched her grow from a 15-year-old boarding school innocent to a woman on trial for the murder of her first husband to a somewhat older woman whose second husband seems to have disappeared into thin air. Miss Myers said:“The writers just felt he was expendable, I guess. We’re never told why they get rid of somebody. I mean, when it happens all of a sudden like that.” Whatever became of Bill Bauer, the first character in a TV serial to have a heart transplant? Peggy, I mean Fran Myers, said: “He was reported missing after a plane crash in Alaska five years ago. But he might turn up one day.

Miss Adams said: “There’s lots more suspense in soap opera than there is in primetime television. You know Mary Tyler Moore isn’t going to drop dead on Saturday night, and whereas a series hero may be in great peril between 9 and 10 p.m. you know he'll come out of it. But you can’t ever be sure when a soap opera character will be snuffed out.” The soaps are plotted a year in advance, Miss Myers said. But changes are constantly being made, sometimes drastic ones. “The writers often get us involved in a story that looks terrific on paper,” Miss Adams said. “But when I left ‘The Guiding Light’ to play in ‘The Secret Storm’ a couple of years, nobody seemed to mind. I must say I didn’t like the story line on ‘Storm’ at all. I’m married and I think I’m pregnant but by the time I find it’s a false alarm my husband has become paralyzed. He’s living for the birth of our child, so I decide to have one by artificial insemination. And, can you believe it? The doctor who takes care of me is in love with me so he acts as the donor. ” ‘‘Such a romantic gesture,” said Miss Myers. “The whole idea was so icky I really didn’t want to do it,” Miss Adams said. “But you have no choice.”

The two heroines got into a slight argument about how the characters they play on “The Guiding Light” feel about another character, apparently a most irresponsible type “Nobody really blamed her for letting the child catch fire,” Miss Myers said. “I blamed her,” said Miss Adams. “I most certainly did blame her. At first, anyway.” Miss Myers said: “Here we go again. We iust naturally get to talking that wav.” Miss Adams said: “We were in a cab and Fran was saying, Do you think I murdered him?’ I said, ‘I’m not sure.’ And Fran said, ‘Well, he did get me pregnant. We suddenly realized the cab driver was getting more and more nervous, so we put his mind at rest. We’re always wondering out loud whether the characters we play have really done this or that. The producers seem to feel it would spoil the effect if we knew in advance. Laurence Olivier does all right, even though he’s read the third act. But then, he’s Olivier.”

Thanks. Is the husband Fran is talking about Johnny Fletcher?

Was the woman who burned a child Charlotte?

It's very interesting seeing them talk about stories they struggle with and the cab driver getting the wrong idea.

I wonder if they remained friends post-GL.

Funny to see Fran saying Bill could always return...

3 hours ago, Khan said:

That SS plot sounds HORRIBLE and something that no show would get away with doing today.

I remember that storyline like it was yesterday!

The doctor who made the "contribution" was played by Keith Charles, who played Kelly's father and then later played the resurrected Brandon Spaulding. I remember a scene where Amy brings the baby to see him for a check-up (because doctors who perform artificial insemination are also pediatricians, natch) and he was cooing over her and saying, "Oh, look, you wore a pretty dress to see your daddy."

So gross. 😄

That interview is a fun read!

It's too bad Rick's Jackson roots were completely lost.

Fran Myers is still with us and working on Days. Someone should interview her. She's been involved in soaps for 60 years!

20 hours ago, DeeVee said:

I spent some time on the German channel. I am obsessed now with finding the Foley episode.

I did not find it. 😟

But I did find one thing--Hope leaving town was mentioned. Mike ran into Alan at the country club. The translation thing on YT is trash, but what I could gather is that Mike mentioned Hope was offered a job with a designer in NYC and Alan was threatening legal action because of Alan Michael.

It didn't get mentioned again because during this period Alan was busy framing Ross with a prostitute to wreck his run for D.A., looking for Phillip who had run off with Beth, bringing Reva to town so she could wreck Billy's engagement to Vanessa, getting involved with the Dreaming Death research...he was stirring almost every pot in town. While I didn't love every storyline, that is how Alan should have always been used.

Something that I also noticed is that Don Stewart was hardly around late in 1983. I think he was in like three or four episodes over November and December. That should have been a big red flag and it's not shocking he was out for good later in 1984.

I wish I could be more precise about when it aired.

I’m up to July 27, 1999.

Alan and Beth tell Lizzie that Annie has left SF and won’t be coming back, which makes Lizzie sad, but Beth reassures her that she’ll never make her feel lonely again. Alan later tells India he’s proud of her for helping him save Lizzie, but he then says he’s known for quite some time that she’s broke, which surprises her. He tells her not to worry as her secret will stay safe with him, and they decide to go on a nice, friendly dinner together. At dinner, Alan hands her a signed declaration that he will pay for Dorie’s schooling and living expenses (India’s adopted daughter), which surprises and pleases India. He then confides in her that his life is off, it’s not working and he doesn’t even feel like getting out of bed anymore. India says he’ll be just fine because he has so much in life to be thankful for, but as they stand up to leave dinner, he clutches his heart and falls into the table (seemingly a heart attack)! India screams out for help and a waiter calls 911, just as Rick/Abby/Phillip/Harley all walk in for a group dinner. They realize the man having a heart attack is Alan and they panic, with Rick starting to provide aid. They rush him to the hospital where they mention he also has a collapsed lung, and Rick ends up saving him. Phillip cries to Alan, saying he’s always loved him, but they fight too much and need to work on that. Alan asks him to forgive him, but Phillip says he’s a good man and there is nothing to forgive him for.

There is a new actor playing Max, with the announcer naming him as Paul Wasilewski (7/21). This is his original last name, which he later changed to Paul Wesley - also known as James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which makes me so happy to see him on Guiding Light! I’ll miss Jesse Sofer though because I really like him, but I read that he went to school so they were forced to recast. Anyway, Susan is still at the Oakridge camp and is talking in a group circle about why she’s there and Max surprises Susan and the girls by showing up in camp uniform and saying he belongs there. He acts like a jerk to Susan and says he wants to borrow money because his bank card ran out. She asks why he’s being mean and he said she bailed on him when they were supposed to run off together. Susan tells him that he’s an idiot for not going back to Drew because she wants to adopt him, which surprises him. She convinces him she’s telling the truth and they become friendly again and she gives him a little kiss on her cheek. Before he can leave, Jim stops by so he hides under the bed. Jim tells Susan he’s so happy she’s taken camp seriously and he’s impressed with her attitude, so he’s ready to take her home. She’s excited but says she has one thing to admit first, but he already knows Max is hiding under the bed because he can smell his cologne and he tells Max to come out. Jim is surprisingly cool with it and they all leave together happy, with Jim telling Max he needs to go see Drew. Susan and Jim go to the Spaulding mansion and Susan apologizes to Beth for everything she’s done (hard to tell if she’s serious or not).

Michelle is back from her honeymoon in San Cristobel and visits with Drew. Drew shows off her engagement ring and Michelle is happy for her. A social worker comes by as Michelle is leaving and asks Drew where Max is. Selena then arrives in time and they make up a story that he is at the library, but Max finally walks in and Drew is so excited to see him. The social worker then assumes everything is fine and leaves, and Drew/Max hug each other. Max says Susan told him about Drew adopting him, which he was happy to hear. Jesse then tells him that he proposed to Drew and they’re all happy.

Ben and Carmen have dinner at the Towers with Pilar and Bill to celebrate his new job at SanCorp and Matt/Vanessa walk in and see them all together. David and Vicky also arrive for dinner, but David didn’t realize that Vicky also invited his parents, Vivian and Charles (first time seeing these two in forever - 7/22). Frank is there and pulls David aside, telling him this is their chance to get Carmen and they don’t need everyone to be there. Vanessa is upset and tells Matt she can’t watch Bill get pulled more into the Santos family drama. Bill walks up to their table and eventually tells Vanessa that he took the SanCorp job again, which pisses her off. She leaves for the bathroom and Matt tells Bill that while he doesn’t trust the Santos family, he does trust him (Bill), so never be afraid to come to him if he needs help. Later, Michelle privately tells Bill to be careful because Ben and Carmen may not have his best interests in mind.

While alone with David, Charles tells him he can tell something is bugging him and wants to know what, but David denies it. Charles then says he knows it hurt David to know he was forced into buying cheap medical equipment from the Santos family. Apparently they were threatening Vivian and David’s lives if he didn’t comply, which David then said that’s what he thinks led to Charles’ stroke last year (this is all new story that we never saw play out). Charles plays it off and says it’s not a big deal and he shouldn’t worry about it, but David insists the Santos family will pay big for it. After Vicky and Vivian return to the table, Frank and a few cops walk in and surprise David by saying he’s under arrest for fraud and conspiracy! David thinks it’s a gag, but realizes Frank is serious and the Grant family demands to know what’s happening. Frank finally says they’ve received a tip that he’s involved in racketeering, which Vicky and Vivian assume someone is setting him up. Later at the police station, it’s clear that Frank and David are working together in this ruse, where David will try and get on the inside with Carmen to ruin the family. The rest of the family arrives at the station and Frank pulls out a bag he says they found in his apartment and dumps a ton of money out. Vivian and Vicky are distraught and can’t believe it, but Charles pulls David aside and says he knows what he’s doing. David finally confesses and says he has to go undercover to finally bring the Santos family down, which worries Charles, but he promises David he’ll go along with it. Ben offers David to be his lawyer, which plays right into David’s plan of getting inside, so he accepts and Ben is able to get him off on bail so he can go home for now. Later at his apartment, David is a major jerk to Vicky, but she refuses to leave and says she’s not leaving him behind. She tells him to kiss her and he does and they have sex.

Josh calls Danny over to the house and tells him his friend Edmund is a liar, which Danny finds hard to believe until Josh tells him that Reva is being held prisoner at the royal palace. He tells Danny about Olivia’s call about sneaking Reva out, but he wants Danny’s help. Danny surprises Josh by saying his family has a private airstrip they own to drop off certain ‘things’, which Josh realizes he’s talking about drugs, but he turns a blind eye since Danny is offering to help. Danny plans to use one of their planes to fly Josh back to San Cristobel undetected at night. Josh says he owes Danny, but asks him not to tell anyone, including Michelle, which Danny agrees to.

At the palace, Richard tells Reva they were never divorced so they’re legally still married since she’s alive, but Reva refuses to believe it. He then shows her love letters that she wrote to him, which she reads aloud. She starts to cry when she reads a letter about their baby kicking inside her, which he’s memorized. She then has an epiphany when she remembers writing another letter that she reads about her baby. Richard then shows her the last known picture of their son, a blonde toddler on the beach. He tells her his name is Jonathan and Reva cries saying she promises she won’t leave until they find their son. Richard then says she needs to follow the same path that Catherine took in order to fall back in love with him.

Danny is getting ready to fly Josh to San Cristobel, but Michelle comes home and wants to have a romantic evening. Danny says he can’t because he’s behind on work, but Michelle then sees a suitcase and asks where he’s heading. Danny tries to play it off, but she’s not buying it and demands to know what he’s up to. He promises he’ll be back the next day and it’ll be quick, so she wants to go with him. He says no and tries to convinces her he won’t be breaking any laws, so she finally accepts it and says she trusts him. Just as he’s about to leave, he breaks down and finally tells her the truth about Reva and how he’s going with Josh to rescue her.

Danny and Josh are now in a tiny two-seater airplane on their way to San Cristobel, as the palace starts to host a party that evening to announce Olivia and Richard’s engagement. The guys arrive and Danny waits in the plane while Josh enters the palace as planned, just as Edmund and Olivia announce Richard to the gathered crowd. Olivia quickly announces they are getting married, but Richard pulls her aside and asks why she didn’t cancel the party like he asked. Reva is starting to remember more, so she leaves her room and heads to the party, but Edmund stops her just before she enters. Olivia sees Reva and insists she goes back to her bedroom. Richard pulls Olivia aside and tells her he trusts her completely, but she needs to give him the time to work through everything. Edmund then makes a call to Carmen, revealing that Reva is about to remember everything and if she remembers what happened to Jonathan, then he’ll be a dead man. Carmen says she’s heard of Reva, but doesn’t care what happens to her, but Edmund is safe with her and he thanks her for their continued working relationship. Back at the party, Reva tries to tell Richard and Olivia that she’s remembering things, but palace guards, who have caught Josh, wrestle him into the party. Reva runs to him and hugs him as Richard looks on, but Josh starts yelling at him for mistreating Reva. He tells Josh he hasn’t hurt her and she’s a guest who wants to be there, which Josh doesn’t believe, but Reva admits she’s there on her own free will. A guest then calls her Catherine, and Reva pulls Josh aside. Reva tells Josh everything and when he finds out Reva actually had a child, he’s visibly upset and doesn’t want to believe it. Reva continues to tell him she must stay and see this through, so he finally decides to stay with her and help her, leading both to cry into each other’s arms. Richard, however, overhears and says that is not possible because Reva needs to be alone with him as she puts her memory back together. Reva pushes back and says if Josh leaves, she will leave, but Richard says she’ll never find her son that way, so she must decide what’s important to her.

Danny is fed up waiting so he enters the palace and confronts Edmund about lying to him about detaining Reva. Edmund reminds him that he’s a guest in this country and a newlywed, so he would be wise to butt out of it. Danny finally relents and says he’s done his due diligence and decides to leave, shaking Edmund’s hand and still calling him a friend. Richard then overhears Edmund and Olivia talking and realizes it was Olivia that gave Josh instructions on how to get into the palace, which upsets him and he walks out on her, saying she betrayed him. He goes back to Josh, who shows Richard a picture of Marah and Shayne and tells him those are Reva’s children and she will not be leaving them behind while she waits for her memories to come back, but Richard threatens him by saying if he doesn’t allow Reva to stay, he will put her life in even more danger by forcing him to put her on trial for treason and she will be executed. Reva walks in and Josh is forced to say she can stay. Richard leaves and Josh tells Reva he won’t rest until she comes home safely, they kiss and on his way out they say “Always” to each other while crying. Josh and Danny then fly back home.

Carmen magically shows up in San Cristobel and talks to Edmund face to face about Danny being too involved in the Reva mess, but Edmund promises her that their own business together won’t be interrupted and the “Catherine” situation will end as quickly as it will tragically when she dies for the good of their country. Carmen then says when she sends Michelle back down here with secret bearer bonds, she wants Edmund to intercept and charge her, which should put her in prison for at least 20 years. Edmund marvels at her villainy and says Danny is young, he’ll quickly find another pretty young woman.

Meanwhile, Blake and Holly comfort Cassie at the farmhouse while she waits for word from Josh that he’s successful. Cassie gets a letter in the mail that her new tractor on the farm will be repossessed and they talk about her inability to keep the farm running. Holly mentions perhaps selling the newspaper since the internet boom will likely make newspapers obsolete (which for as early as 1999, smart thinking). The ranch hand that was involved with Annie/Lizzie briefly shows up, saying he’s an old friend of Hart’s and needs a little help, but the ladies inform him that Hart died. He then says goodbye to Holly and leaves, and they both had a bit of a long stare with each other.

3 hours ago, alwaysAMC said:

I’m up to July 27, 1999.

There is a new actor playing Max, with the announcer naming him as Paul Wasilewski (7/21). This is his original last name, which he later changed to Paul Wesley - also known as James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,

. Vanessa is upset and tells **** she can’t watch Bill get pulled more into the Santos family drama. Bill walks up to their table and eventually tells Vanessa that he took the SanCorp job again, which pisses her off. She leaves for the bathroom and **** tells Bill that while he doesn’t trust the Santos family, he does trust him (Bill), so never be afraid to come to him if he needs help. Later, Michelle privately tells Bill to be careful because Ben and Carmen may not have his best interests in mind.

Paul Wesley was also in a little thing called The Vampire Diaries.

And yet another instance where **** can go [!@#$%^&*] himself. Bill doesn't need him to "help"---he's got his parents. Both of whom could chew up and spit out any member of the Santos clan.

15 minutes ago, P.J. said:

Paul Wesley was also in a little thing called The Vampire Diaries.

And yet another instance where **** can go [!@#$%^&*] himself. Bill doesn't need him to "help"---he's got his parents. Both of whom could chew up and spit out any member of the Santos clan.

Haha I never watched VD, but that's a great resume. I'll say, he looks like a cute twink as Max, which doesn't match the edgy Sofer that was needed in the role... but he came just as Susan seems reformed and Max is accepting of Drew adopting him, so I'm curious if the character turns a leaf which may suit Wesley more.

Awww, I love that Matt is trying here. He and Bill always had a rocky relationship, and that's all Matt can do to fully support a moody Bill right now. This is where the writers really should have merged characters and families. Vanessa did her thing barging into the Santos mansion to confront Carmen, but it lasted one episode. Otherwise, these storylines are on an island now (literally), and I wish there was more interaction. I'd love to see Matt or Billy tell Carmen what's up.

I really do hate when shows "island" characters out of town for months (in this case literally.) It's always a mistake. And I hate the Santos clan nearly as much as I hated San Cristobel. Crime families have very short shelf lives. Or should have.

10 minutes ago, P.J. said:

I really do hate when shows "island" characters out of town for months (in this case literally.) It's always a mistake. And I hate the Santos clan nearly as much as I hated San Cristobel. Crime families have very short shelf lives. Or should have.

I feel that... when the Santos clan came to town, I immediately felt a shift... in the wrong direction. What I do like is how they've built the Santos family into the San Cristobal story from the start, so umbrella stories draw me in... but on the flip side, they did that with a new family, so now you have new and new within 8 months... leaving the old GL crew to only 10-20% of the show. I mean, I still want to know what happens next... but it's not the same. Barely seeing Vanessa or Matt in 4 months is criminal.

The one big pleasant surprise for me during this whole time is Drew - Tammy Blanchard really became a star in my eyes.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by alwaysAMC

I'm sure the writers thought they were smart in hooking the Michelle/Danny and Reva stories together. And yes, you have to have new blood on shows. But the Santos overstayed their welcome by about three years (or more).

@alwaysAMC You've got 10 years left, do you think you can hang on and finish?

32 minutes ago, kalbir said:

@alwaysAMC You've got 10 years left, do you think you can hang on and finish?

Oh I'll watch it all at some point. I'll be soon going back to the early 90s until I catch back up to Feb 1995.

I'm here for a long time... any year of GL (and others) is better than what we have today.

36 minutes ago, alwaysAMC said:

Oh I'll watch it all at some point. I'll be soon going back to the early 90s until I catch back up to Feb 1995.

I'm here for a long time... any year of GL (and others) is better than what we have today.

You'll love the early 1990s. Spring 1989-Summer 1992 I watched in real time and online.

Edited 19 minutes ago19 min by kalbir