On 9/25/2024 at 12:35 PM, soapfan61 said:

I have been traveling to various libraries for the last 20+ years researching the papers of various soap writers. Secret Storm has always held the most interest, probably because there's so little to be had.

I've been able to obtain scripts for many years, but the early years of the show seem to be gone forever. I think the most complete year I have is 1966, but I have scattered dates for many other years in the sixties. 

My goal is to write a book detailing as much of the SS story as I can, but I'm wondering if I'm the only person who would be interested in that. As the years go by there's fewer people who remember the show, and by the time I have it ready will anyone care?

I would absolutely be interested in this. I didn't get to watch the Secret Storm, but enjoy what little I have seen. I'd buy this book in a heartbeat.

I'm fond of the storylines shown in the last few years of the show, but would be curious to read about the 60's stories as I don't know very much about those.

You may already know this, but the man whose cassettes were just uploaded still has one more he needs to transfer, so that is coming soon.

I am still hoping that someone has video of Joan Crawford on the show as the substitute "Joan Borman Kane"!

Yes, I did post some SS stuff many years ago, letters from Roy Winsor, etc. Some really fascinating stuff that I do include in the book I'm revising. I actually did write a book during Covid and had one copy produced for myself. I'm revising it because I've found more scripts and other ephemera. 

On 9/30/2024 at 4:11 AM, Avatar610 said:

I am still hoping that someone has video of Joan Crawford on the show as the substitute "Joan Borman Kane"!

I will sell my soul for this. 

I would be very much interested ! I am myself collection old soap scripts 😍

On 10/2/2024 at 10:03 AM, soapfan61 said:

Yes, I did post some SS stuff many years ago, letters from Roy Winsor, etc. Some really fascinating stuff that I do include in the book I'm revising. I actually did write a book during Covid and had one copy produced for myself. I'm revising it because I've found more scripts and other ephemera. 

The letters from Roy Winsor and the story projections from the Averys were enlightening. They definitely revealed that Winsor was in favor of eliminating the Ames family as early as 1964 because of the success of "Love of Life" at expanding beyond the core family. I brought this information over to this board several years after you posted it and it generated a bit of discussion. The original plans for Janet Hill suggesting a more liberal view to a woman's sexuality and sexual power was also intriguing, though it seemed to be a bit overblown by Winsor.

What is the earliest period you are able to uncover scripts from? I am imagining it would be the stuff in James Elward's collection from his first stint on the show prior to creating "The Young Marrieds." I think the struggle with the early years is the turnover in writers from Lillian and Anthony Spinner to Max Wylie to any number of writers before the Averys longer stint. Irving Vendig and John Hess' much longer starting runs at "Search for Tomorrow" and "Love of Life" mean most of those years are covered in their collections.

In your research, do you have a favorite period or favorite writer from "Storm"? 

 

This stars Ellen Cobb Hill, who would later appear in the first episode of SS as the soon-to-be-deceased Ellen Ames. She looks a bit young for the part here - I wonder how she looked on SS.

 

Ellen Cobb Hill was born in 1923 according to a genealogical record for her father, Lamar. In a sad coincidence, both her parents died less than a month apart from each other in June, 1937. The story of the Ames children might have been very familiar to Cobb Hill. 

I'm a bit curious about how an audience felt about the story where it was revealed Ellen Ames had had an illegitimate child prior to her relationship with Peter. I don't think Pauline was around for that story, but her reaction is something I think would have been important especially since Peter was already dead and the Ames children had started to scatter. 

1 hour ago, dc11786 said:

Ellen Cobb Hill was born in 1923 according to a genealogical record for her father, Lamar.

Oddly enough, Jean Mowry, who played the oldest daughter and "mother figure" post-Ellen's death was also born in 1923. I guess when they cast Ellen Cobb Hill they didn't worry about the (lack of) age difference since she was killed off in the first (?) episode (though I've always been curious if it truly was episode one or the first week or so). Then again, Peter Hobbs (who played her father) was only five years older (b. 1918)...

10 hours ago, dc11786 said:

Ellen Cobb Hill was born in 1923 according to a genealogical record for her father, Lamar. In a sad coincidence, both her parents died less than a month apart from each other in June, 1937. The story of the Ames children might have been very familiar to Cobb Hill. 

I'm a bit curious about how an audience felt about the story where it was revealed Ellen Ames had had an illegitimate child prior to her relationship with Peter. I don't think Pauline was around for that story, but her reaction is something I think would have been important especially since Peter was already dead and the Ames children had started to scatter. 

I don't remember much about that story (admittedly most SS details slip my mind). I wonder how viewers felt about it. Did it have any lasting value?

You're right...that is an eerie coincidence. 

Someone on the Youtube video mentioned that a few letters Ellen wrote to Helen Keller, or at least the letters Helen wrote back to her, are on the site for Helen.

The conversation you have in the post above mine about how even Winsor wanted to start phasing out the Ames family does make me wonder if viewers would have accepted this if the rest of the show had been in a stronger place, or if viewers weren't as upset as we assume and other factors were at play in the show ending.

I still wonder why they never tried one more time with some of the characters like Jerry Ames. (is 1968 accurate as his last appearance?)

9 hours ago, te. said:

Oddly enough, Jean Mowry, who played the oldest daughter and "mother figure" post-Ellen's death was also born in 1923. I guess when they cast Ellen Cobb Hill they didn't worry about the (lack of) age difference since she was killed off in the first (?) episode (though I've always been curious if it truly was episode one or the first week or so). Then again, Peter Hobbs (who played her father) was only five years older (b. 1918)...

I would ask if that's one of the reasons Jean didn't last very long as Susan but then she was still playing a teenager on ATWT in the late '50s.

A week, or even a few days, would make more sense than one episode.

 

Edited December 2, 20241 yr by DRW50

Three out of four of Roy Winsors serials featured the death of either the matriarch or patriarch within the first weeks/months of his shows.

SS: Ellen Ames

Search: Keith Barron

Another Life:  Scott Davidson

It certainly is a good way to kickstart a new show..or to revamp a newer show.

1 hour ago, Soaplovers said:

Three out of four of Roy Winsors serials featured the death of either the matriarch or patriarch within the first weeks/months of his shows.

SS: Ellen Ames

Search: Keith Barron

Another Life:  Scott Davidson

It certainly is a good way to kickstart a new show..or to revamp a newer show.

And Irna used the death of Will Matthews at the debut of Another World, can't think of any other examples of the top of my head.

1 hour ago, Soaplovers said:

Three out of four of Roy Winsors serials featured the death of either the matriarch or patriarch within the first weeks/months of his shows.

SS: Ellen Ames

Search: Keith Barron

Another Life:  Scott Davidson

It certainly is a good way to kickstart a new show..or to revamp a newer show.

 

15 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

And Irna used the death of Will Matthews at the debut of Another World, can't think of any other examples of the top of my head.

I suppose you could count Mama Bauer in GL's revamp, although I am not sure how long she was on the show.

A wonderful new channel about THE SECRET STORM is in YOUTUBE.....it contains one colour episode from 1972!!!!!!!

Enjoy!!!

It is a jewel!!!!!

 

Thanks @MissPalmer that is a wonderful surprise! I see they have a number of episodes. I assume many of those were already available (I see the saynotoursoap watermark on at least one of them) but I definitely never saw a 1972 episode. Maybe it was from the WOST days.

@soapfan770 or anyone else who was more active on there - do you remember?

@vetsoapfan @slick jones @jam6242 @Paul Raven @Vee @Khan @Bright Eyes @FrenchFan @dc11786 @Soaplovers @All My Shadows @Franko @Maxim @Contessa Donatella Sorry for anyone I'm forgetting, just typing up quickly.

Edited January 22Jan 22 by DRW50