Radio Soap Opera Discussion

[danfling]

Of course, Mason Adams was later on Another World, and Skatts Cotsworth was on either Somerset or As the World Turns.

[saynotoursoap]

I did, CarlD. Thank you. I am intrigued by Barbara Becker. There is virtually no information about her on IMBD, which should be rectified. These articles should help uncover more information about her. I wonder if any video of her as Doris Crandall on GL exists?

[dc11786]

I don't know if this has been discussed, but most of Radio Mirror and TV-Radio Mirror is available online thanks to the Library of Congress via archive.org. For daytime fans, the Daytime Diary section began in November 1949 and continued until July or August 1956. Starting in late 1953 (November, I think) the show starts covering television serials. They would appear to be about three months behind as "Valiant Lady," premiering in October 1953 is first mentioned in January 1954. Of course there are multiple articles of interest to fans about individual shows across the years. I found one detailing my favorite, "Right to Happiness," about a couple named Whelan who I had never heard about and learned that Carolyn once worked as a reporter. An article about "The Road of Life" detailed a rather juicy plotline in which Sybil Overton, an old school bitch goddess, plotted to pass off the child of her late husband on her maid, Pearl Snow, in order to land her man, Dr. Jim Brent. Of course, in order to do so, Sybil had to arrange a marriage between Pearl and a merchant marine, who fell in love with Pearl and threatened to destroy Sybil's detailed plans.

[DRW50]

I didn't know that. Thanks for letting us know. I'm glad to hear they have complete Daytime Diary sections.

Are you still interested in seeing any articles from those magazines, or have you already seen it all?

[dc11786]

Dr. Carl feel free to post any articles you want, or mention the article and the issue it is in. I'm slowly jumping from issue to issue with no rhyme or reason. Some of those summaries are INCREDIBLY frustrating because they are so repetitive and provide so little information. I've recently read a book written by a radio fan who has turned me onto some other radio series. I'm become very interested in the work of Provo and Pickard ("Young Doctor Malone" and "Wendy Warren and the News") as well as Charles Gusman ("Road of Life"). There were some wonderfully detailed articles on the marriage of Jerry Malone and his first wife, I want say Carol Evans, but that might Dr. Jim Brent's first wife. Anyway, if there is anything that piques your interest, feel free to mention the issue and I'll look it up.

I was surprised to see some of those brief TV serials covered. I'll need to look into more, but according to Daytime Diary synopses, Constance Ford's "Woman With a Past" had a bit of a different set up than the soap historians have recorded and there are additional details about characters on "The Seeking Heart" that I hadn't heard about. I was also shocked to see Joe Sullivan pop up in those Daytime Diary summaries as early 1956 for "Secret Storm" as I thought the character wasn't around until much later.

[DRW50]

I remember a little of Woman With a Past summarized too - not much but some, along with Golden Windows, etc.

If you have any 30s or 40s stuff on GL that would interest me, or early 50s.

What was the name of the book?

[DRW50]

October 1946 (I think) Radio Mirror.

[DRW50]

[DRW50]

[DRW50]

Edited August 19, 2013 by DRW50

[DRW50]

[DRW50]

[DRW50]

Is that the Lucy Ferri who went on to produce GL for many years?

[allmc2008]

Can you send me the link for the Road of Life one?

Edited August 20, 2013 by allmc2008

[dc11786]

It's in the January 1952 TV Radio Mirror. It's about 36 or so pages in.

Given today is the anniversary of Maggie's first appearance on "Days of our Lives," the article is worth looking over. The Faith Richards story is fairly similar to the one involving Maggie on "Days." I know Bell wrote for Irna Phillips. I have to wonder if he didn't write for "The Road of Life" for a few years. Otherwise, it is a rather blatant copy of another author's story.

http://archive.org/details/radiotvmirror00macf