Pre-Gloria Monty GH what was it like?

[ER Tosh]

On Soap message boards people rarely talk about pre-Gloria Monty GH and when they do it is usually to say how boring the show was. Has anybody here seen the show back then? Was it as boring as people say?

[DRW50]

I saw an episode on MST3K. It was a bit dull, but not too bad. It's easy to say most soaps from back then are dull but often they can surprise you.

Quite a bit of pre-Monty GH from 1963 to the early 70s was mostly about Audrey, Steve, and Jessie. Jessie had constant marital turmoil with Phil Brewer. Phil cheated on her, lied, and she always took him back. Finally he got together with a young nurse named Diana, who was a young Jessie. He was killed and the killer was someone played by Judith McConnell (I think Judith had been told she would stay around so she was surprised at what happened). Jessie I believe got involved with a younger version of Phil, who also fleeced her. Then they briefly brought her niece and nephew in; the nephew was played by Mark Hammill.

Audrey was a flight attendant who dropped into nursing. Her older sister, tough as old boots Lucille, was the head nurse, and a comedy figure. Audrey and Steve married but when Audrey wanted to get pregnant, she used artificial insemination. She lost the child and left Steve. She returned four years later and married Tom Baldwin (Lee Baldwin's brother). This led to a story where he forced himself on her and she left town pregnant. She returned insisting the baby had died, but actually the little boy "Stevie" (later Tommy) was staying with a woman named Mrs. Nelson. She planned to eventually claim she had adopted the child. Mrs. Nelson started blackmailing her, and was found murdered. Audrey went on trial, but eventually the real killer was found. Audrey felt she had to marry Tom again to keep her son, but eventually Tom left town and died. Audrey then married Dr. James Hobart (James Sikking from Hill Street Blues) after he performed an emergency operation on Tommy. Hobart injured his hand and became a drunk and eventually left town.

The Audrey murder trial was a huge hit and made GH go to #1 in the ratings. This was around 1972. The show started sliding after that.

Other stories involved Lee Baldwin, who married Jessie Brewer (to give her baby a name), then Meg Bently, and he adopted her son Scotty. Meg went crazy after having breast cancer, and when she returned from the institution, she had a stroke and died. Lee then married another woman named Caroline Chandler, whose son was misdiagnosed with a serious illness. When Lee returned to town a few years later they just said that Caroline and her son had been lost at sea.

When the ratings started falling, a series of new writers came and went. The Pollocks (who later wrote for Dynasty) brought in Rick Webber and his wife Monica, said that Monica had always truly loved his dead brother Jeff, then Jeff returned, still alive. Monica and Jeff had a secret affair with lines like "You're my heaven and my hell" and "You're a fever in my blood." Other stories involved Mary Ellen Dante, who was insane and trying to keep her husband from the woman he loved, and Lesley Webber, who married a bad man who raped her and was then killed. During her pregnancy she worried she had a "Satanic fetus."

The one story around this timeframe which paved the way for the future was Lesley's obsession with the daughter she'd given up at birth, Laura Vining.

[TC]

I can't add much except to say my three older sisters thought it was pretty bad and were surprised when it became a hit in the late 70's.

[DRW50]

Oh, Schmering also said they kept their organ music up to around the early 70s, when a lot of soaps had given that up. They used to play a comedic theme when Lucille March would charge down the hallway.

[TC]

Which was the first to lose the organ music? Another World? Days? One Life to Live?

[EastMA2]

My family watched GH. I was about 10 or 11 and remember Augusta MacLoud (sp?) I think Augusta killed Phil? With a rock of some kind? I definitely remember GH pre Gloria days. Who killed Phil Brewer?

[soapfan770]

Heh, I remember those GH shorts that MST3K used. A couple of them were pretty bad if my memory serves me correct.

As far as organ music goes, I believe Days never really used organ music did they? Most soaps that were still using organ music in the early 70s immediately dropped it after Y&R's debut.

[EricMontreal22]

MST3K did an episode of GH??? Really?? *or am I confused lol*

[EricMontreal22]

The P&G soaps were the last to go (prob another reason why they felt archaic to some back then)--I believe by 1973-

The wise Saynotoursoap said this about the subject--in reply to me on youtube (I trust he won't mind me posting the quote here):

All of CBS' house soaps used organ music for their themes and score until 1973 when Y&R debuted. P&G soaps started phasing out the organ for their opening and closing credits in 1973, but most continued to use some organ music for their underscore during scenes. The last P&G soap to switch fully to orchestral music was Search for Tomorrow in 1974. General Hospital continued to use organ music in its underscore until 1975.

With the exception of GH, ABC soaps used orchestral music beginning in 1964. Though third-rated, ABC always tried to be more innovative than the other nets, particularly CBS. An unusual exception on CBS: Love is a Many Splendored Thing. LIAMST started in 1967 with orchestral music then switched to organ in 1968 for the rest of its run.

[Paul Raven]

In the few years before Monty took over,as stated above,the show went through several sets of writers.Apparently,it got to the point where shows were being taped barely a week after they were written.

Jackie Smith (ABC daytime chief)hired Doug Marland away from The Doctors and approaching Gloria.Agnes Nixon took one look at Doug's outlines and recommended he be hired.

Here's a SOD synopses from mid 76

Lesley has received some unexpected help from her good friend, Audrey Hobart. The father of one of Audrey's student nurses is a police lieutenant who's assigned to a division dealing with adolescent runaways. Audrey discusses Lesley's problem with him and Lt. Sage says it looks to him like Laura may be a potential runaway. She fits the profile to a "T." "According to what you have just told me," Lt. Sage says, "it seems that Laura would go running back to Lesley the first chance she gets." He asks Audrey to have Lesley come down to the station. He feels there's a good possibility that he might be able to help Leslie find her daughter.

Lesley's very grateful for Audrey's help. She wastes no time getting in touch with the lieutenant. She makes an appointment for the next day.

Cam is, to say the least, quite surprised by his wife's independent action, and he's quick to remedy the situation. First, he makes Lesley feel quite guilty for running off on her own (how could she do that, when he's doing his best to help), and secondly he runs off to Las Vegas to find Russ Waverly. He is Cam's last hope to convince Lesley that Laura isn't her child.

Quite a Night

Diana arrives at Terri's Place. She's in a mellow mood and she's really looking forward to a romantic evening with her husband (Peter is meeting her at the club after work). She's totally unprepared for what's about to happen. In the span of two hours she has the pleasure of chatting with both Kimberly Hughes and Pat Lambert. They're rather nerve rattling encounters, and they lave her with a dire need for some "tender loving care." She gets a large dose of this "good medicine" from Cam Faulkner (Cam decides to utilize Diana's mood to his advantage. She's the perfect weapon to use against Peter). Cam tells Diana Peter has a perpetual need to fill his ego with new women. Hasn't he been proving this fact time and time again? In fact, at this very moment, he may be trying to make it with Lesley. With a glint in his eye Cam says: "Your husband and my wife are supposed to be working late."

Diana doesn't want to believe Cam, but when she barges into Peter's office and sees him massaging Lesley's neck, what else can she think? No matter what Peter says, Diana knows there is more to that massage than meets the eye.

Lesley Gets the Guilts

Lesley hasn't been herself the last few days. She's been distracted, depressed and her usual cheerful countenance has been replaced by an ever-present frown. What's the cause of Lesley's unhappiness? She's been blaming herself (quite rightly she believes) for the recent fight she had with Cam. Didn't her husband prove how hurt he was by taking off on a sudden, unscheduled business trip? Lesley whips herself with thoughts of how wrong she's been. How could she even think that her kind, loving husband would do anything to hurt her? It was so stupid not to trust him.

Seeking comfort from Peter, she relates these feelings that are tearing her apart. Peter tries to set Lesley on the right track. He advises her to use this time alone to take account of her marriage. Taking Lesley's hand in his, Peter says: "It seems to me that the love Cam feels for you isn't woven from the finest quality cloth. It's too possessive; it doesn't leave room for anyone else -- and that includes your daughter, Laura, the child he professes to love so much!!"

Dr. Monica Webber and Dr. Rick Webber emerge from the operating theater. Monica's eyes are glowing and Rick has a confident, happy smile on his face. Pulling Monica close, Rick says: "We did it. We saved that little boy's life." "You saved him, Rick," Monica humbly says, "all I did was make the diagnosis." "But if it wasn't for her diagnosis," Rick continues, "Joey wouldn't have made it to the operating room." Monica shyly accepts Rick's praise and then says: "Rick, I've made a decision. I want to be a surgeon. I now know it won't be enough for me just to make a diagnosis. I want to be able to correct what I find." She continues: "I'm going to ask Steve if I can transfer to your service." Rick wonders how this decision of Monica's will affect Jeff. They both know how Jeff feels about him (he thinks Rick still desires Monica) and surgery (Jeff gets sick at the sight of blood). Monica says she'll handle Jeff. He'll understand.

The End... Or the Beginning?

Monica is sobbing hysterically. She has just witnessed the death of her first patient, the little boy Rick had operated on a few days ago. She remembers with great pain the events that took place just moments before: the noise and the scurrying as Rick and the Cardiac Team tried to pump life back into little Joey; and the exact second when Rick turned to her, and told her, Joey was dead. The other moments following Joey's death are not so clear, she just knows, that somehow, she has now found herself standing in the middle of Rick's office.

The room's in a blur as she turns around and is locked into immediate eye contact with Rick. She notices something in his eyes, something she thought died for him a long time ago, and she responds instantly to that "unmistakable" glow." Rick returns her stare with equal fervor, and unable to repress his love any longer, takes Monica into his arms and kisses her, long, hard and passionately. They break from their embrace and the realization of what they have done -- what they may have started -- hits home.

Rick reacts quickly, and sands the flames before they're allowed to grow much higher. There's too much at stake. It would be selfish if they were to pursue what is in their hearts -- and their souls. Rekindling their romance would mean hurting a person they both care very much about, his brother and her husband, Jeff Webber. Monica doesn't agree with Rick's quick-and-easy solution to their problem. She doesn't want to hurt Jeff (she is in love with him), but she doesn't want to be without Rick, either. Monica's frustrated and torn, but determined not to let Rick get away.

Can a doctor coming from the upper crust of society actually be in love with a woman, who was only a mere waitress when he married her? Can such a man actually find contentment with a woman, who doesn't even have a college degree? These are the questions Diana Taylor is asking herself and the answers she gets she doesn't like. She feels someday Peter will realize how wrong they are for each other and find himself a more suitable partner, perhaps Lesley Faulkner. It wouldn't be too surprising; he and Lesley are very drawn to each other -- and even if they haven't started an affair, as of yet, in Diana's mind it's only a matter of time.

Finally, Lesley Believes

Russ Waverly is standing in the middle of Lesley Faulkner's living room. Slam. Bam. Pow. He hits her with the truth. Lesley's gut absorbs most of the impact as she listens to the following words which are flowing very smoothly from Russ's mouth: "I'm Laura's father. Laura is the result of an affair Barbara Vining and I had 14 years ago. When Barbara told me she was pregnant, I wasted no time telling her I didn't want to get married. So then Barbara did what any other sensible woman would do -- she shoved the baby off on another guy; in this case, Jason Vining." Lesley turned to Cam to see if her husband would contradict these words but he just says: "He's telling the truth, Lesley. I think it's about time you accepted the fact that Laura isn't your child."

Lesley accepts, but Cam is going to have to pay a mighty stiff price for this acceptance -- he's going to pay for it with his marriage. Lesley now sees Cam for the man he really is -- a man completely caught up with making everything in his life totally his. It's not an attitude that allows for competition, which in Lesley's case now means medicine (Laura has been successfully eliminated).

After suffering a rather nasty spill down a flight of stairs, Steve wakes up in a hospital bed to find himself paralyzed from the waist down. Dr. Rick Webber tells Steve there's hope. There's a radical surgical procedure that could possibly correct the damage the fractured vertebrae lying against the cord has done. Steve agrees to the procedure. He says there's no way he's going to remain strapped to a wheelchair. He tells Rick to contact Dr. Mark Dante, the surgeon responsible for this technique, and invite him to General for a consultation.

It's very sad that this accident came only moments after Steve and Audrey confessed their love for one another. Steve now tells Audrey he can't marry her since this paralysis has left him impotent -- and he won't marry her in that condition!

[DRW50]

Several episodes of MST3K spoofed early GH episodes. They had them in the short features section they did before some episodes.

Episode #413, which spoofed the 1954 film Manhunt in Space MST3K Collection, Volume XIV

Episode #415, which spoofed the 1960 film The Beatniks MST3K Collection, Volume XVII

Episode #417, which spoofed the 1954 movie Crash of Moons, not out on video or DVD that I know of

I don't remember a lot about the episodes. I just remember a car pulling into a driveway, and I think one or more focused on Jessie, and possibly on the young couple in love who were a part of GH's first few years.

[DRW50]

Here are the GH segments(I know the talking over the scenes is crass and a bit mean-spirited, but I did love Joel's era of the show, I try to pretend Mike never happened).

Manhunt in Space:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jvBrSj4S3M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saNLhEUhSwo&feature=related

The Beatniks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj0ga6g51JE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPe1u7gbG0Y&feature=related

Crash of the Moons:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPYE2sGL3JU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oPkF7Rf-Kk&feature=related

[DRW50]

Here are some clips about the early Steve/Audrey story which no2souls uploaded:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNXKq0Pw70c&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L55ACkI041M

A clip from their wedding day, put up by AddieCate.

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[quartermainefan]

Those are some funny clips. I laughed when they called Jessie Nurseferatu.

[DRW50]

Emily McLaughlin was quite striking back then (the 60s soaps had such oddly beautiful women, like Grayson Hall) but with the black cape, I can see why they'd say that.

I remember when I watched those years ago, it's probably been almost twenty years, that was one of the first times I'd seen GH. Even now I'm still baffled that ABC let those go on MST3K, as I've never seen soap episodes used in that fashion before or since. I wish they'd shown a few more, from GH or another soap, as this is the only place I've ever seen those episodes.