Robert Soderberg and Edith Sommer (GL/ATWT)

[EricMontreal22]

What's the general consensus on Robert Soderberg and Edith Sommer's work, specifically for their major soap work first at GL (69-73) then at ATWT (73-78) (this was back when P&G believed in shuffling their talent from show to show every 4 years or so so I assume they were replaced at GL and moved to ATWT mainly for those reasons). While people seemed to think the shows were dated under them they also seemed to think highly of them (and they did well in the ratings) Interestingly they were followed, (give or take a few failed in between writers) at GL by the Dobsons, who did a lot to "contemporize" the show, who then followed them at ATWT (with Marland in a way doing the same for both shows to them) I also find it interesting that both writers seemed to be plucked from the world of film and primetime, not from other soap work.

[Paul Raven]

When Soderberg/Sommer moved to ATWT,it was when Irna Phillips was fired,so perhaps P&G were looking for strong writers for their flagship show,rather than a decision to move writers around.

As Don Hastings spoke about in the We Love Soaps interview that is up,Irna was brought back when the show was being threatened by Days and GH.Apparently,she did get the ratings up in the short term.This is when she introduced Kim,broke up Susan and her husband and had Liz famously fall 'up the stairs'.However,she seemed to lose her touch and was fired from the show she created.

Soderberg/Sommer stabilised things and kept the show on track through the change 60 min until the resurgence of ABC knocked the show from#1.

Soderberg later wrote for Another World several times in the late 70's,early 80's.Also listed at Santa Barbara.

Back in 1949 he wrote the great movie The Reckless Moment.Edith Sommer wrote the movie The Best of Everything.

[EricMontreal22]

Right, I know both of those movies. It seems Soderberg's work without Sommer (at AW, etc) wasn't as successful. There're a few great clips of their stuff at GL from 1970 on youtube.

[Vee]

Max Ophuls' The Reckless Moment, one of arthouse legend Ophuls' Hollywood efforts, is a noir classic with James Mason and Joan Bennett. I wondered if that was the right Soderberg.

[Paul Raven]

It seems so as he went on to write Born To Be Bad with Sommer in 1950.

Does anyone know if their partnership was personal as well as professional?

Their first stint at soaps was at Search For Tomorrow in 68-69.They were replaced by Ralph Ellis and Eugenie Hunt who later wrote ATWT with them before replacing S&S as headwriters.

At TGL they took over from Irna Phillips who had returned in 68.My theory is that Irna had been called into action due to falling ratings after a timeslot change and the expansion to 30 mins.There had been several headwriters before this.Maybe Soderberg/Sommer were then switched to TGL as they had proven themselves on SFT and P&G felt TGL was in greater need than SFT.

TgL dropped from 3rd to 9th in the 68-69 season.By 69-70 it had jumped back to 4th.

[Vee]

Born To Be Bad's okay too, though a lesser Nicholas Ray film. Joan Fontaine plays a proto-soap bitch.

[EricMontreal22]

I love Ray's films and have never seen it--I'll have to track it down. It is a bit funny to me to think of one of Ophul's American films being penned by a future soap script... Dunno why it is, but... Of course La Ronde is essentially what soap operas are anyway

Paul Raven--GL's ratings also fell sharply when Agnes left didn't they in '66--not just cuz of the move and expansion to 30 mins but cuz no one seemed to be able to fill her shoes? Anyway after a number of quickly fired (very quickly) writers you're right Irna came in for what, Schemering in his GL 50th anniversary book says is just the reason you state--and I assume too that she orP&G liked what Soderberg and Sommer were doing at Search, felt GL needed them more and sent them there.

[All My Shadows]

I'm interested in seeing Soderberg and Sommer's ATWT way more than I am in seeing more of Marland's.

[ClassicsSoapFan]

Soderberg and Sommer were one of my favorite writing teams. I think they did bring a stability to the shows they wrote.I liked every show they wrote.

Ellis and Hunt were good at SFT but a disappointment at ATWT.

I miss the old writing teams of days gone by such as the Soderbergs,Ellises the Averys etc.

[DRW50]

You've probably already seen this, but Oakdalian has one episode from 1978.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zRHBGK-T2k

That was near the end of their run, wasn't it? That disco set alone is hilarious.

I always wonder what it must have been like for fans around 1980 when so many longtime characters were dumped. When that happened in 1995, it was hard for me to keep watching (although the show being so poor following that did not help).

I would love to see the Dan/John/Susan/Kim stories. And more of Jennifer. And Lisa/Grant/Joyce. And Tom. I know nothing about who was Tom then or what the actor was like.

[All My Shadows]

Yes, I've seem that ep several times. I last watched it shortly after they announced the cancellation. It's so drenched in late 70s-ish, and I love it. I love the little piece of funky music that plays at the very end of the teaser right before the opening. I love the dancing at the disco, I love how young and different Babs looks. Just a good episode!

I'm most interested in Dan/John/Susan/Kim/Liz/etc. That little group of romantic entanglements just had to be full of uber-melodramatic moments and soapiness. I believe Tom was mainly involved with Carol/Jay during the early-mid 70s, and then Natalie came along in '75.

[DRW50]

Yes, Schmering said that Kim and Dan did not even kiss for their courtship. The closest they got was touching hands on a doorknob. I love that type of soapy old school stuff, especially these days when there's so much emphasis on supposed "heat" with actors who barely make eye contact.

[Mitch]

I love those clips. Its kind of funny, people are getting "down," in the disco, yet, Nancy and Chris are sitting outside and it is still daylight out.

You can see how clunky yet interesting this time must have been..some nimrod said, "Lets throw in a disco, that is what all the kids are doing," but they didnt know how to incorporate that..and then on the other side of town you still have old time ATWT with Nancy and Chris and Bob and a long scene and Nancy talking about doing everyday things like sweeping leaves off the back steps. Its too bad, I think that those two things could have coexisted but the writers then and the Dobsons, didnt know how, so they through the baby out with the bath water. Look at how many people and sets were used at that time..much more so then today.

[Paul Raven]

Maybe Chris & Nancy should have hit the disco!

Re Reckless Moment,it has other soap connections in that the cast included Joan Bennett(Dark Shadows)Shepperd Strudwick(OLTL,AW) and Geraldine Brooks who later appeared on Love of Life.

[Khan]

You mean, like when Langley and Phoebe were at the grand opening of Erica's on AMC, lol?