Guiding Light discussion thread

[BetterForgotten]

Newman left when Calhoun was still EP. They had been building something with Harley and Josh in the aftermath of Reva’s “death” that had a lot of potential, and Ehlers and Newman had really great chemistry. 

[titan1978]

I also thought that was going somewhere good during my YouTube watching, the videos were often missing credits, so I wasn’t sure when JFP actually arrives.

[All My Shadows]

My latest 1979 musings:

 

- I knew Anna Maria Horsford was on the show in the late 70s, but didn’t realized she played a prisoner. Not really sure why I’m surprised by that. What makes it worse is that Clara is such a slave-like character! She comes in, listens to Holly’s stressing, swoons over Massah Chapman and Miss Holly’s romance, then vanishes off to her work in the prison. AMH has been a favorite of mine for years and years, and I just hoped that her first foray into soaps would have been better.

 

- I’m so damn tired of everyone calling her “Evie.” It’s just Eve, damn it. Rita and Viola should be the only ones calling her Evie.

 

- Speaking of Rita, I didn’t know that she’d eventually decide against having an abortion. I was really loving the idea of her standing firm in her decision and being annoyed and plagued by everyone around her telling her what she needed to do. I guess they were going for a warm Thanksgiving “miracle.”

 

- I know people have different opinions of Mart Hulswit as Ed, but I’m loving his super emotional, highly dramatic version. I have next to know history at all with Peter Simon’s Ed, so I’m not sure how the character changes, but MH’s yelling and weeping Ed seems to be in line with any clips I’ve seen of Robert Gentry’s 1966-1969 portrayal. It’s a nice contrast to cool and calm Mike, and honestly both of them are believable as sons who were raised in Bill and Bert’s dysfunctional home.

 

- It’s interesting how much more time and energy is spent on exploring the Bauer men’s antagonists, Roger and Alan, rather than on Ed and Mike themselves. 

 

- The time has come for anything, video or audio, from Roger’s early years on the show to surface.

 

- Katie is one of the sweetest and most kind-hearted soap characters I’ve ever seen. Everything about her is just so pure and clean without her being written as the perfect, delicate flower that needs protection at all costs. I love her and the puppets!

 

- Did ATWT and GL share music cues when Mi-Voix took over scoring the shows? There’s a distinct cue that plays from time-to-time that sounds identical to one heard at the very end of a 1975 ATWT episode that used to be online.
 

- Speaking of music, I think I’ve identified a character theme for Elizabeth. I guess I didn’t expect that to still be a thing at this time, besides for characters who had been on for 10+ years by this point.

 

- Were Jackie and Elizabeth always on good terms who was there ever heavy tension between the two? They’re good in 1977, and they’ve been good through 1979, but in between, there had to have been some drama, right?
 

- I really dislike Viola. She’s pushy and kinda passive-aggressive, and she doesn’t really seem to care about Rita’s well-being at all.

 

- Was Ann Jeffers ever more than just Mike’s assistant?

Edited August 10, 2020 by All My Shadows

[Asb23]

JFP arrived in July 1991 according to Wikipedia. I thought it was later (1992) than that but my memory is fuzzy all these years later. 

[BetterForgotten]

July 1991 is correct, there was a discussion about it when those episodes were posted online originally.

[KMan101]

 

I feel like it's more "fun" to watch live. But I can understand wanting an edited version. 

[Forever8]

Over in The Locher Room Ellen Parker (Maureen) talking about how JFP called while she was taking a nap so she can get ready for a show she was doing on stage to tell her they were getting rid of her. 

[Soapsuds]

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JFP is a cold hearted b!tch!

JFP is a cold hearted b!tch!

 

 

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[DramatistDreamer]

Did Rachel say she read in a magazine that her part was being recast?  I'm so glad that Ellen Parker didn't hold back about exactly how she found out about Maureen's fate. The show/JFP was truly cold, these actors deserved better than to be treated with so little courtesy. 

[KMan101]

 

I always assumed she was young and left on her own.

 

I'm glad Ellen was so open. I need to watch this one. I typically wait until after they're done to watch, LOL

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Yeah, I kind of missed a chunk of Guiding Light in the mid-late 90s and when I saw Rachel Miner in other things, I guess I too assumed she left to do other things.  Tells you how much we know, huh?

She said that it was said that she was seen as too young for all the sexuality-based stories they wanted Michelle to be in, so they replaced her and didn't bother to tell her first.

I really do believe that how a company treats their staff/employees will impact the fate of that business. Is it any wonder GL ended up the way it did in the decade that followed?

[KMan101]

 

Interesting. Yeah, I just assumed because she was so talented and had other work she jumped ship like most younger actors do. Agreed, tells you how much we know lol. But after hearing about certain actresses being blacklisted and for years wondering why they disappeared ... I guess we should never assume anymore, lol.

 

I can see that they thought she was too young but sit her down and tell her! lol I've never understood why soaps can't sit the actors down and let them go? DAYS does this [!@#$%^&*] STILL today. It's horrible and a sign of horrible leadership. Agreed that it's probably why they collapsed.

 

And why certain shows struggle and remain on life support after destructive EPs and HW's get done with them.

[Vee]

Maeve and Tina Sloan have not aged!

 

Glad to see Parker, and to see Rachel seems to be doing well with her illness. I'd still have her and the Bauer kids anchor that show.

Edited August 12, 2020 by Vee

[KMan101]

 

I agree Maeve and Tina Sloan have not aged. Was going to post that but didn't. 

 

Anyone see the next AW reunion scheduled? Why does Kale Browne have to be there? Such great women ... I know it's likely because of Anna Stuart being involved but ... ugh, lol. Sorry. Anyway ...

[Vee]

Sloan roasting the Maureen letter is a hoot. I'd forgotten it was apparently her idea to have the scene of Lillian at Maureen's grave at the end of the series, which I appreciated and which made me like the character again. I don't know if she wrote it.