Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[soapfan770]

I’ll always remember on the old WOST website watching Rita in the hall of mirrors running from Roger as Enough is Enough blared only for it to awkwardly divulge into the 1975-81 theme.

As far “Ritournelle” goes this is what I have saved in my deep in my notes I saved in my Archive: @DRW50@Vee@BetterForgotten

The premiere of The Young and the Restless in 1973 and the popularity of its theme music resulted in a daytime revolution. Several soaps changed their openings between the Fall of 1973 and the summer of 1976 in an attempt to incorporate easy listening pop ballad theme songs. The Guiding Light was no exception.

On November 5, 1975, a new theme song by Charles (or Dina) Paul debuted. The theme was titled "Ritournelle," which is French for "harping on the same tune," and the original version had a wordless vocal chant by a female voice over a repeated harp figure. The accompanying visual was a shot of sunlit flowers and tree branches and the words "GUIDING LIGHT" set in modern Helvetica Bold type and positioned in the lower right-hand corner of the screen.

By the beginning of 1977, the female voice chant was replaced by a high semi-muted violin rendition of the theme melody. This beautiful "harp and strings" rendition of "Ritournelle" would run until the end of 1981.

From 1976 to 1980, the end credits ran over a shot of the sunlit flowers and leaves from the opening. The 1980/81 season closing sequences featured a shot of an Emmy statuette slowly revolving on a turntable against a black background. The end credits were set in Helvetica Bold with the credit in gold and the name of the cast member/production staffer in white. By the late 1970s, GL's long crawl cast list would always begin with senior cast member Charita Bauer (Bert), usually followed by Millette Alexander (Sara) and Don Stewart (Mike) in precisely that order. Also, I get the impression that before 1982 the rest of the GL cast was billed in order of seniority.

 

 

[Khan]

Compared to the other P&G soaps' openings from that same period, I'd say "Ritournelle" was the weakest.

ATWT's was the best, of course, followed by EON's and AW's.  SFT's also was good, if a little too simple, but GL's was too muddied (IMO, anyway) and SOMERSET's was just too vague.

Edited January 8, 2024 by Khan

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[DRW50]

Thanks @soapfan770 although "harping on the same tune" makes me laugh for some reason. Soap fans know all about that.

[Paul Raven]

Instead of the proposed headwriting stint  at AW in 93, imagine if the Dobsons returned to GL.

I think only Ed, Ross and Roger were still around.

Wonder how they would have reshaped the show?

[Contessa Donatella]

Very interesting idea! 

[BetterForgotten]

And Holly!

[SoapDope]

Maybe the Dobsons would have brought Jackie, Elizabeth, Rita and Hope. They could have written better material for Robert Gentry when he returned as Ed. 

[Mitch64]

Believe it or not...Reva's diva wandering around the country side in her wedding dress (with no one gawky at this big blonde bride.."Frank is that THAT SHAYNE woman??? White????") was shot in Peacock.  It is actually a lovely spot so I just think Wheeler and Co. looked for the crappiest places to shoot. I have no idea where Quint and Nola's wedding shoot was...but I love the church they used for exteriors and I think they used that in the ending shot of the opening for a bit.  

The couch clip reminded me how much funny Billy and Van were at first..I have no idea why they made her a frumpy boring wife as soon as they got married.  The opening shot also has the infamous scene of Phillip watching Mindy do yoga...urban legend is that GA was pulling his leg up as he had a hard on.

Edited January 8, 2024 by Mitch64

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[SoapDope]

I found this recent interview with Cindy Pickett. She talks some about Guiding Light.....she also mentions Sada Thompson was going to do a role on the show, but it was such a fast pace it didn't work out.....first time I heard of this. I always though Sada could have played Bert Bauer's sister. I guess it was for the best since she did Family.

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[Contessa Donatella]

Here is the rest of the Patrick Mulcahey notes, most is GL, although it ends up on GH at the very end. 

Patrick Mulcahey at GL

Spent a lot of apprentice time with Douglas at GL.

(He always said Douglas, never Doug.)

Allen Potter fired Jane Elliot & he & Douglas had this huge falling out over it.

In this one scene Mike Bauer was chasing Alan Spaulding on horseback & a helicopter dipped down & saved Alan. P&G pitched this lame idea that instead it was a blue Mercedes not a helicopter.

Nola - Kelly - Floyd - Morgan, these were his Emmy material people.

Patrick was Douglas's protege & Douglas was his mentor.

Douglas was a terrible liar but he morphed into this great storyteller.

Douglas asked his niece Tracy, what would be the most romantic thing to happen? She said, "The cutest boy would notice me & only me."

John Wesley Shipp was very tight with Douglas.

There is nudity in A New Day In Eden, that soap on Showtime has men's bare behinds shown.

GL: I understand staying away & I understand coming back but I don't understand getting from one to the other.

Nancy Curlee & Douglas:  not much in common.

Ross's election night dream.

Ed & Ross conversation, that was mine.

Rachel Miner & Bryan Buffington & Ben Reade: that they actually did the scene that I wrote especially for them!

Lisa Brown & Maeve Kincaid.

Voices in your head? YES

Melissa Hayden!

He said he is not optimistic about broadcast soaps when they are off of network goodies.

Streaming! The future.

He said Bob Guza created Carly. But, the outline did not make any sense.

Click. Boom!

You do what you think is right.

Producer Wendy Riche!!

Gloria Monty: not "real people".

We were ordered: Do NOT write kisses for L&L.

There are 2 Patrick Mulcahey's - him & his husband.

 

 

 

[wonderwoman1951]

the one before ross married blake, right. i’ve always wondered who wrote that perfect scene. thanks for sharing.

[Contessa Donatella]

Some say that Mulcahey is the best at 2 person dialog, literally of anyone. 

Of course, I've also been told that Bruce Barry is the best director who ever lived. 

And, this is coming from people in the business, not from fans. 

Also, you're totally welcome. 

[P.J.]

Thanks! I agree---that church is awfully charming.