As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

Thanks! I thought they just put up material I'd already seen but some of that is new.

[KMan101]

Watched November 1st, 1985 on YouTube just recently. All new to me. I do 'know' the history but some questions ...

What was up with Marie? What an ... interesting? character?

Douglas/Marcia ... what was that about?

Craig and Sierra were great. As were Lily (I assume it was Heather Rattray? I liked her a lot) and Dusty. Of course FRANNIE and Steven Weber's Kevin.

I also liked Heather a lot in the little bit they used her in the episode. Who was that blonde guy with her? Jay/Jake? I couldn't ever catch the name right and don't recognize his face.

JOHN! Great as always. Who was that woman Lila(?) he was with?

And Lisa! It's strange to actually see her be written for! LOL.

Who was the woman in the black dress and hair at the party? DUe to the quality I can't really recognize her. I think the guy in the jersey who I also can't recognize looks like (probably is?) Mark Pinter?

Edited December 30, 2012 by KMan101

[DRW50]

This was Martha Byrne as Lily.

Marie was a nasty, scheming woman Kevin had been involved with at Harvard, which broke up his relationship with Frannie. She told a lot of lies, including one that Kevin had paid for her to have an abortion. I think she also lied that Kevin beat her. She came to Oakdale looking for more money. Marie was played by Fran Heflin's daughter (Fran was Mona Kane on AMC).

Douglas was Marcia's brother-in-law. He had worshiped her sister, Caroline, who had died in a riding accident, I believe. He had moved to Oakdale shortly before this episode, opening a new restaurant, Caroline's. Marcia worshiped Douglas. Viewers later learned that Douglas had been horribly abused as a child, to the point where he was impotent as an adult. As a boy, he'd gone to see Kim in a concert, or worked where she worked, or something. He became obsessed with her. After Caroline's death, he became obsessed with Kim again, as a mother figure, and began stalking her to show his love, as well as wooing Frannie to get closer to Kim. He did care for Frannie, but mostly through Kim. This led to a pile of bodies of characters like Marie, as well as other recurring players, with Kevin accused of the crimes. Eventually Kim and Frannie learned the truth, he kidnapped them, Marcia killed him, kept quiet to punish Kim and Frannie (Kim went on trial - she thought Frannie had killed him; Frannie knew the truth but had blocked it out). Kevin was killed by Marcia at the end of the kidnapping story.

The woman with the dark hair is Shannon, who ran a homeless shelter, and had befriended John and Dusty when she arrived in Oakdale. She was involved with Brian McColl (Pinter) at this time.

That was Lyla, yes.

Jay Connors had dated Frannie when he first came on the show. He was part of a teen group - Frannie/Jay/Marcy/Kirk. He and Kirk had a friendship/rivalry based on Kirk being a spoiled rich kid and Jay being the poor son of the maid. They fought over Frannie. In time Jay learned his mother, the maid, was also Kirk's mother, which was one reason the father, Whit (also Brian's father) had never been as close to Kirk as he'd been to his other children. When Whit told the mother that he was firing her, as the kids were now grown, she snapped, as she was in love with him, and also suffering from a brain tumor she didn't know about. She killed him, blocked it out (sensing a pattern here?), and Jay stood trial. She confessed all at the last minute, and soon died.

Frannie and Jay split, with Frannie going to Harvard, where she met Kevin. Kirk and Marcy separately left town. By the time of this episode, Jay was being phased out. He ran a diner, offcamera, and dated a girl named Speed, offcamera. He and Speed were last seen around spring 1986.

Edited December 31, 2012 by CarlD2

[soapfan770]

Just of out curiosity what did you guys think of Nancy Pinkerton in the role of Dorothy Connors? I know Pinkerton had some popular runs at other soaps her role on ATWT was her last soap role and didn't last a long time either. Most I've really seen is her breakdown at the trial and confession to murdering Whit. Does anyone also think the McColl family could have lasted a lot longer than they did?

[DRW50]

I think Diana could have lasted for a number of years if Kim Ulrich had wanted to stay. I think Marland might have had fun writing for her, as she was such a vulnerable bitch, similar to how he wrote Barbara for a number of years. I could see him using her to help bring down Steve and Betsy. Kirk was a thin character mostly carried by CLB's youth and charm. Brian was pointless. Whit was a bad actor in a bad wig. I think Jay was a perfectly serviceable young leading man and I think he was written out mostly because his last name wasn't Snyder.

I have only seen a few scattered Pinkerton episodes on Youtube - she does a good job with what she's given but it doesn't seem like much of a role.

Edited December 31, 2012 by CarlD2

[KMan101]

Thank you Carl! I can always count on you! I didn't even connect Lyla as LYLA, lol. I was like who the hell is Lila when it was Lyla. LOL Oh well.

Wow, I've always heard good things about the Douglas storyline but man your summary makes it sound so.damn.good. I'd love to see the whole storyline play out.

[DRW50]

Many others know more than I do, but I'm glad I could help a little.

You can see more bits and pieces of the Douglas story and aftermath on that channel, munecojim, Oakdalian, and patc2000.

[Paul Raven]

Rosemary Prinz appeared as Penny for the last time on June 14th 1968 (apart from guest spots in the 80's)

[DRW50]

Thanks. I wonder if they lost any viewers when she left.

[DRW50]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCDsb2TrPb4

[Paul Raven]

I guess in those days,viewers had no idea what was going on behind the scenes.Maybe Penny's departure was played down,and viewers would assume she was just taking a short break as had happened before.

[DRW50]

That's true. They may have been phasing her out by that time. That seems like a little of a grey period for the show.

[danfling]

Our family watched the show, and we had no idea or inkling that Ms. Prinz was not returning.

[DRW50]

It must have been odd when the Penny recast showed up.

What exactly was the story about with Penny taking her brother's child and fleeing to Europe? Did she mean Tom?

[zanereed]

Carl,

I don't think it happened exactly like that. She must be referring to Jimmy, who was Roy and Sandy's son. Roy would have been husband #3 for Penny, I think. Sandy was married to Bob around this time. If I remember the storyline correctly, Penny developed an "overattachment" to Jimmy when she was caring for him when Sandy was sick. Penny married Roy just to get custody of him, but I don't think she took Jimmy to England with ther. This might be wrong? I'm not as well versed on late 1960's ATWT.