Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

I think Simms tried out for some soaps but that was it.

They took away most of Mindy's quirkiness and heart and drive in Simms' last year in the role. By the time they recast, she was just a whiny woman who loved Nick. JFP seemed to have no real use for her otherwise. Barbara Crampton also didn't seem to know how to play Mindy, not helped by being visibly too old for the role. I remember cringing a little at the country line dancing scenes, because it came across as a suburban matron trying to cut loose, not an Oklahoma girl having fun.

I thought toward the end, when they brought Rick back, she was getting better and more believable as Mindy, but Crampton was already leaving.

[DRW50]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD_lEr6BTJA

So Trudy was leaving? That's odd. I thought she was in some of the 1982 episodes when Tony was teaching karate at the disco.

I wonder how many takes William Roerick had to do speaking Spanish.

Love seeing Nola give it to Tony.

This is such an odd group to picture as hanging out. Katie, Tony, Hillary and Kelly are all mid-20s or older, while Morgan, Tim and Trudy are 18. They seemed to address this more when Morgan and Kelly first interacted. I guess that may be why they don't have the chemistry of some other young people groups on GL.

Vanessa is so hilariously pushy with Mike. I kind of wish they'd thrown them together, just to see him crack down on her.

[DRW50]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORbPVmxwr8E

I like seeing all these believable conflicts between Kelly and Morgan. The later stuff with Josh and lying about the stolen bracelet and mugging, or whatever, didn't quite fit.

Looks like Carrie found more people to introduce herself to. She has a knack for it.

The Diane distorted audio flashback with Jackie reminds me more of a Y&R scene. Mowery reminds me more of a Y&R actress, a Lorie or a Jill.

[DRW50]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akni9OMAfYQ

You have to laugh at Carrie miraculously mentioning every single thing that will anger Jackie.

That dancing extra steals the last scene (his biggest moment of glory is around 7:50).

[zanereed]

Flabbergasted .

I was used to recasts as a kid, but since I was familiar with Peter Simon most recently from his work at that time as Ian on ATWT, it was a shock to see Simon in a role that Hulswit had ever since I had been watching. For the first year or two, I had a hard time getting used to Simon as Ed, mainly because I felt Simon played Ed much more relaxed than the often-tensed and confrontational version that Hulswit portrayed.

For example, if Roger Thorpe was still on at that time, I just couldn't see Simon's Ed going head to head with Roger in any way.

[zanereed]

Who didn't Mike Bauer date at that point?

I know Stewart had been lobbying for Mike to be involved with a younger woman (which I believe is why his relationship with Jennifer was phased out after her trial), but I don't think his pairing with Trish lasted very long because by 1982, they brought back Deborah May in her second role on GL as Brenda Lowery/Ivy Pierce.

[John]

How long was Amy Steel on GL. She was on AMC in 1980 prior to GL

I believe Amy left to do Powers Of Matthew Star but the show got benched for a year due to an accident

The program, originally slated to debut in 1981 with the new title and storyline, was delayed when Peter Barton fell backward onto pyrotechnics and was badly burned, while co-star Louis Gossett, Jr., tied to a chair, had fallen on top of Barton but managed to rescue him. After months in the hospital, Barton was released, and the show resumed shooting

[DRW50]

I thought Simon did well against Zaslow in his return, but then, that was almost a decade later.

I guess they wanted to make the younger seem younger or brand new (as they'd done with Tom Hughes on ATWT), but I can imagine it's jarring. And it makes me feel a little sad, because I think Hulswit's still doing good work, and still seems fairly vibrant to me.

I can't even remember what they did with Trish in 1982.

The person uploading these said they only have one more for September (September 25 - Diane's last day) and then a few more from later 1981 and from 1982, but will hopefully get more 1981 episodes in January.

[zanereed]

Carl,

By 1989, I was completely used to Simon in the role, and you are right - he was just fine versus Zaslow at that time. However, TPTB at GL really didn't keep Ed and Roger constantly in each other's radars, which was a shame. They had so much history together between their involvements with Holly, Christina/Blake, Rita, etc. It's a shame they really didn't keep that feud going much, especially when Roger and Maureen got along so well as friends.

Hulswit probably didn't look like "leading man material" for soaps by 1981 compared to when he got the role in 1969 (and certainly not next to his TV brother, Don Stewart), so I'm sure that was one of the factors that caused the role to be recast. The other thing I heard at one time was that it was Allen Potter who decided to let Hulswit go for apparently questioning the writing at that time. However, Hulswit stated in an interview some time in 1981 or 1982 that they let him go as part of a larger plan to remove the Bauers from the GL canvas.

Whether any of that was true or not, I've never been able to confirm it.

[zanereed]

Great news! I hope they have some of the location shooting from late 1981 that involved Mike chasing after Alan when Alan fled to Tenerife after being the prime suspect in Diane and Joe's murders.

[DRW50]

I'd love to see that. A lot of the material from this era sounds exciting. I also would like to see people learning Carrie did it. The murder setup isn't as polished as Marland's ATWT murders, which makes it a little more unpredictable.

Hulswit probably has a point about weakening the Bauers.

Watching these you'd think Bert and Mike would be there forever...even Hope. Obviously they weren't responsible for what happened to Charita, but losing Mike and Hope was such a dumb decision that really took away so much of the show's core. Hilary too.

It's such a shame they didn't bring Rita back in 1989.

Edited December 17, 2014 by DRW50

[John]

Wasnt there issues with the actor playing Mike that he was hard to deal with?

I cant believe that they never brought Hope back especially since Alan Michael was such a presence for over 10 years 1987-97 and 2004-06

Edited December 17, 2014 by John

[zanereed]

Yes, I had heard going back to the early 2000's (and also confirmed in this very thread) that Don Stewart was difficult to deal with, not learning his lines properly and wanting certain things for his character (such as dating younger women).

However, I've also read that Pam Long wanted to write for Mike, and had a long term story line for Mike that involved a love triangle between Alexandra and Lillian (which had already started in the summer of 1984). From what little information I've gathered, Stewart didn't want to go in this direction and Gail Kobe finally had enough and fired him.

I wonder...had Peter Simon stayed on as Ed going into 1985 (instead of recasting Ed with Richard Van Vleet) if TPTB would have considered recasting Mike, just as they did with Ed Bauer three years earlier?

I know that SOD mentioned in 1986 that both Mike and Hope were coming back, but that obviously never materialized. Had that happened, I would have expected new actors in each role.

[cassadine1991]

Was Robin Mattson or Elvera Roussel ever approached to reprise the role of Hope?

[John]

Elissa Leeds (Hope On AW 1966 and On GL 1968-73) claims she was,This was a few years after her GH stint in 1984.

Edited December 17, 2014 by John