All My Children, "The Thinking Man's Soap Opera"

[Khan]

I tend to think he's referring to Peter White, since Linc Tyler was a high-profile character on a very popular (in its' day) show, AMC. I don't think I could say the same about Morgan Collins on DARK SHADOWS.

[applcin]

Love that video of Frank and Huggy Bear...I mean Les Baxter. I remember both of them.

[DRW50]

Here is the recap listed in this issue.

All My Children

Phoebe realizes that if she doesn't get the picture of Mrs. Lum away from Kitty, someone may see it, and expose Mrs. Lum as a fraud. On the pretext of visiting Kitty to share her bereavement over the death of "Mrs. Carpenter," Phoebe manages to steal Mrs. Lum/Mrs. Carpenter's picture. Pheobe now feels certain that there is nothing to link her to the fake Lucy Carpenter. Phoebe thinks that no one will ever know that Lucy Carpenter was hired by her to impersonate Kitty's mother to keep Kitty away from Pine Valley and Phoebe's son Lincoln Tyler.

THE SEDUCTRESS BOMBS OUT

Erica made elaborate plans to have a quiet candlelight dinner at her home with Dr. David Thornton. She really pulled out all the stops on the charm and seductiveness she had at her disposal...and David read her as a woman with a mission. After dinner Erica convinced David to take her to The Chateau. She had hoped that Nick would see her there with David and get jealous. Between David telling her that he'd thought she was interested in an evening of sex, and Nick not getting jealous, Erica was furious. She lost out on getting Nick jealous, and David is obviously not too impressed with her either.

Tara and Phil are making plans for their wedding. Everyone is very pleased that Tara and Phil are finally marrying, except their son Little Phil. Every time he sees them together, he gets extremely upset. Phil wants to tell Little Phil that he, and not Chuck, is his father. Tara is not so sure Little Phil could handle that kind of news just yet and pleads with her fiance to be patient. Other than that the plans for the wedding are going full scale. The reception will be held at Kate Martin's home, and Nick Davis will cater the reception. Paul Martin is looking forward to attending with his wife Anne until she announces that her attendance would be an impossibility. Paul is speechless. He pleads with Anne to let someone watch their daughter Beth while they attend the ceremony, but Anne remains firm in her decision. She claims that the baby is too young to be left alone, and that she, and only she, can attend to their daughter's needs. Anne's love for her child seems to have become a neurotic need to absolve herself of the guilt she feels for having given birth to a retarded child. It is beginning to cause a strain on her marriage.

When Kitty misses the picture of her mother, she and Mona search the house for it, but find nothing. Mona soon realizes that Phoebe is the culprit, and goes to her house demanding the return of the photograph. When Phoebe finally admits to her thievery, she goes to her desk to get the picture. It is gone! Phoebe is shaken at the discovery. Little does she anyone suspect that the picture is in the hands of Dan Kennicott! Brooke was rifling through Phoebe's things looking for a phone book, and found Mrs. Lum's picture instead. Later, when Brooke took her books off the desk, Mrs. Lum's picture was caught in a book that Dan loaned her. That afternoon, after she returns the book to Dan, he is surprised to see the photograph of Mrs. Lum fall from his book. Who's hands will the picture fall into now? Will Phoebe finally be exposed?

MONA CONFESSES

Mona, unable to keep her actions secret from Charles any longer, confesses everything to him. He is astounded to learn that his wife Phoebe hired Mrs. Lum to impersonate Kitty's mother. He is pleasantly surprised to learn that Mona forced Phoebe to agree to a divorce by threatening to expose her. Mona now feels at ease with Charles, but makes hi promise never to breathe a word of this information to anyone. They are both concerned over how Kitty would react if she were ever to learn the truth about her mother.

Joe's son Jeff has returned home, and the entire family is very very pleased to have him back. Tara is especially happy that her brother has returned in time to attend the wedding. Jeff considers returning to his old apartment to live, but Ruth and Joe suggest that the memories of his dead wife Mary might be too much for him.

Dr. Thornton has taken an extended leave of absence from the hospital. The sight of Ruth happily reunited with her husband, gives David reason to believe that he no longer belongs in Pine Valley. His leave is for a minimum of six weeks.

Frank Grant has dinner with Caroline and Donna; and tells Caroline that his marriage to Nancy is over. Caroline expresses her sorrow, but Frank is not all that unhappy. In fact, he rather enjoys the fact that he is now morally free to pursue a relationship with Nurse Caroline.

Erica stops by Tara's house to wish her all the best for her marriage to Phil. Erica maintains that even though Phil divorced her to marry Tara, there are no hard feelings.

LITTLE PHIL IS MISSING

Joe, Tara's father, also visits her to see if she needs any help. After all, this is her wedding day, there may be some loose ends. Apparently, the only loose end is Tara's son Little Phil. He has disappeared! When Tara and Joe went outside to find him, he was gone! Now Tara blames herself for getting married to Phil. She feels that she should have waited until Little Phil was better able to accept her remarriage.

Kate and Ruth discuss David. Ruth is sorry that he has seen fit to leave Pine Valley and Kate wonders if he will ever return. Both women silently agree that David still loves Ruth, and perhaps the strain of her having returned to her husband was really too much for Dr. David Thorton to handle.

Lincoln pays his sister Anne a visit about a legal matter. He wants to be The Boutique from her to give to Kitty as a wedding present. Anne happily agrees to the sale, but is sorry that Kitty has yet to set an actual wedding date.

While Phil, Chuck, Tara, Joe, and Ruth frantically look for Little Phil, he has found his way to the Tyler Mansion in search of the man he believes to bis his real father - Chuck Tyler. Everyone realizes that Little Phil is extremely concerned about the pending wedding, and now Tara is having second thoughts; but Phil tells her that if they don't marry now, they never will. Little Phil seems to be determining Tara's life for her, but her love for Phil allows her to overcome her fears. While Tara's son is with his "father," Tara and Phil are exchanging marital vows. They have finally married. We at SOAP OPERA DIGEST wish them all the peace and joy a newlywed couple should have in the days to come.

Little Phil is staying with Chuck while Tara and Phil are on their honeymoon. Erica takes advantage of the rift between mother and son and decides to take Little Phil out herself. Erica is still trying to get closer to Chuck and if Little Philis the way, then Erica will butter him up as much as possible. While at the Tyler mansion, Erica tells Phoebe's niece Brooke that Little Phil's real father is Phil Brent and not Chuck. Brooke is floored by the news and tells Erica that Mrs. Tyler doesn't know the truth about her great-grandson.

Donna goes on another job interview and this time she is hired! She is determined to make Chuck proud of her, and to pay back the money he's spent on her.

LIVES IRREPARABLY DAMAGED

Mrs. Tyler takes her great-grandson Phil out to lunch and while Little Phil gobbles down the french fries and soda, Mrs. Tyler gulps down the double martinis. She attempts to drive him to a toy store and has a serious car accident. She and Phil are rushed to the emergency room at the hospital and Dr. Jeff Martin tries to find Phoebe's husband Dr. Charles Tyler. Dr. Tyler is located at Mona Kane's house. Mona and Charles had just consented to be witnesses at a wedding - the remarriage of Lincoln Tyler to Kitty Carpenter!

Little Phil has apparently not been hurt badly, he only has stitches. Phoebe has not been hurt at all. Tara, still on her honeymoon, is having dreams that Little Phil is pleading with her to return home so she can remarry Chuck, his real father. Little does Tara know of the accident Phil was in as a result of Phoebe's drinking.

Kitty is beginning to wonder whether or not she and Linc should ever get married. Everytime they make plans, they are spoiled.

When Chuck sees his grandmother, he is so annoyed that he leaves the room with little comment to his grandmother, which is just as well for Phoebe. She is soon questioned by a police officer, and her license revoked, because she failed the sobriety test, will not be returned.

When Chuck calls Phil and Tara to tell them about the accident, they make immediate plans to return home. Chuck tries to assure them that Little Phil is all right, but they insist on returning. It seems as though their marital happiness is about to be short lived. After talking to Phil and Tara, Chuck receives the results of the routine tests that were run on Little Phil. He has internal hemorrhaging!

Dr. Charles Tyler, unaware of the complications in Phil's case, left the hospital to join Kitty and Linc at the Chapel. Kitty's fears seem to have been erased. With Charles and Mona as witnesses, Kitty and Linc finally wed. Their happiness seems complete...or is it?

The picture of Mrs. Lum/Lucy Carpenter is still at the Martin home. Kate Martin, the one person Phoebe did not want to see the picture, has seen it. When Dan Kennicott tells Kate the picture is of a friend of Mrs. Tyler's, Kate is more than a little bit surprised. This woman certainly doesn't look like a friend that Phoebe Tyler would have!! When will the truth be exposed? At this very moment Dan is on his way to Phoebe's house to return the picture, and Kitty and Linc and there!

Dan arrives and gives Mrs. Tyler the picture. Kitty stares at it in speechless wonder! What is her mother's picture doing in Mrs. Tyler's possession? Has Phoebe's luck run out? Will she finally be exposed? And Kitty...poor confused Kitty. She continues to stare at the photograph in eerie silence. It's as if Kitty is unable to speak! Is she? Is the shock of seeing her mother's picture too much for her?