"Secret Storm" memories.

[will81]

Thanks for tagging me in this. One thing I love about seeing these is, when you hear about the 50's soaps sometimes it is often talk about flubs and sets falling over and other things that make that era sometimes seem like a mess. Then you see these episodes and they are well crafted and acted and I find myself wanting to see more. 

[Matt]

Pictorial/summary from the November 1955 issue of TV Radio Mirror.

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[Contessa Donatella]

You may have seen this but I just discovered it. 
At The Secret Storm they were next to Captain Kangaroo in Liederkranz Hall & so animals were often on the set. Jada Rowland reported watching a cow chase the director Gloria Monty the entire length of a hall. David O'Brien said that people had a lot of fun playing tricks on Gloria. One day they put a chimpanzee in the control room & everyone but her had so much fun with it. "She was always on the edge of hysteria. She was a terribly good director, but anything that had fur & crawled around made her hysterical."

 

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[Contessa Donatella]

And also 

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[Janet Marlowe]

After working with Joan (and her hip flask), Gloria aged 40 years overnight. 

Gloria the day before Joan:

Edited February 1, 2024 by Janet Marlowe

[Contessa Donatella]

Absolutely! I mean, just look at Glo's facial expression! WHOA. 

And in case y'all don't have this 

https://www.welovesoaps.net/2015/07/remembering-woodbridge-the-secret-storm-1.html

Edited February 1, 2024 by Donna L. Bridges

[danfling]

Actress Marla Adams (Belle Clemens Britton Kinkade) passed away recently.

 

The Amy-Belle rivalry was one of the best in daytime television history.

[SFK]

SS was before my time, so I can't attest to this takeaway, but I was intrigued by what I read years ago that Belle had no in-depth motivation for her villainy, she simple enjoyed causing trouble.

[FrenchFan]

A few document I found in Wisconsin archives. Hope you'll enjoy !

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[DRW50]

Thanks @FrenchFan ! Never knew National Review reviewed the show (or sort of reviewed it).

Edited July 17, 2024 by DRW50

[dc11786]

Thanks @FrenchFan for all you do. 

The Valerie Hill bio I suspect is something written by Ira and Jane Avery as I think they were the ones to introduce the character. It's interesting to see listed that Janet Hill was originally suppose to have children. They kept the Swedish professor husband it seems, but nixed the children. Also, wasn't Bob Hill a lawyer by the time he made it on screen?

The Alex Waugh article is interesting. I believe, and I may be incorrect, that the period of intense change came as a result of the Averys departure and John Hess' arrival as head writer. I think Waugh's point though is important about the changes when Winsor was attempting his revamp of the show to explore a less Ames-focused serial in the vein of the then-current "Secret Storm."

If the show could have kept those women front and center, I think the show would have been better off. I don't even recognize Haila Stoddard. I think they should have recast if Stoddard was focused on theatrical productions. I apologize if I have said it before, but I think Barbara Becker who played Sybil on "Road of Life" might have worked or maybe Lesley Woods. 

[FrenchFan]

You are right about the Averys. They left in early 1967 and John D. Hess took over with the shift to the Porters. When I read scripts from 1965 and one from 1967, I am amazed how much the show had changed (only Valerie, Peter, Janet and Susan remain).

[dc11786]

Max Wylie was stated to be the only writer for the show as of Monday, May 17, 1954. So it would look like Lillian and Anthony Spinner were probably the writers from February - May, 1954. 

Janet would have left and come back in the process. 

I was re-reading the memo from Roy Winsor about his plans for the show circa fall 1964, which looked at completely writing out and/or backburnering the Ames children as early as mid-1965 with the intention of exploring new facets of Woodbridge by having Peter and Valerie Ames move into a new home and infiltrate their way into the problems of their new friends and neighbors. The Porters were just one way to do so. It is interesting that they chose to introduce Janet and Kip into that story sans Amy. 

I have to wonder if the Averys fought to keep the Ames children on. Jerry ended up being involved with Hope Crandall in 1965 into 1966. The story with Amy and Paul continued well into 1966. Susan was involved in the Casey Arnold plot. It seems like it all just came to a close right before Hess arrives.

[FrenchFan]

Exactly. In the 1967 episdes I have read the scripts, Susan is still quite an important character. Alan is MIA and she is quite involved with Frank Carver but Bob Hill is also interested in her.

[AMCOLTLLover]

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