As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[danfling]

Roy, the ex-husband of Sandy, was the fourth husband of Penny (if you count the marriage to Jeff that was annulled). She never took Jimmy (her step-son and also the step-son of Bob) to Europe. She may have considered and rejected this. (I imagine that she did.) Penny left. We did not know that Rosemary Prinz had left. But, the second Penny, Phoebe Dorn, appeared much later, so we knew that Rosemary Prinz was gone (plus, we had read it in a magazine).

I am considering Roy as husband #4 for Penny because, when Rosemary Prinz appeared as a guest on Art Linkletter's House Party once, she referred to her character as "Penny Hughes Baker Hughes Baker Wade McGuire."

[DRW50]

I can't get past seeing Justin Deas act. I don't mean bellow to the rooftops, I mean genuinely act, with emotion and understatement and quiet pain. I guess falling in love with your costar can bring out your best. It's amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QCj9nbpV1A

[Mitch]

Wow Carl, you are right, Deas is really good there....now THAT acting deserves accolades, not his Buzz Cooper scenery chewing. Also weird to be reminded that I used to find him sexy, and I can see why with that clip.

Weird time for ATWT..they were so obsessed with "young,' characters yet the sets are so cheap and creaky looking and dimply lit as opposed to the ABC soaps at the time.

Herrara was sexy as hell but even then James was a one dimensial villian. What the HELL did he do all day besides plot John Dixon's demise and try to keep Babs and Gunnar apart? Meg Ryan's Betsy was ackward and slightly retarded.

[DRW50]

There are a number of other episodes too on that channel (from 83-84).

Betsy does seem a little dumb, although I can see her appeal (I generally preferred Lindsay Frost). Craig also seems to be more of an open jackass here than I remember him being toward the end of his relationship with her.

I had to laugh at that music in the Gunnar/Barbara scenes. So very 80s. It almost sounded like a video game intro.

[Paul Raven]

Pheobe Dorin as she appeared as Penny. Physically it was a good recast and the writers at the time seemed smart in not giving Penny a big storyline,rather letting viewers get used to her in the role.

For whatever reason,she was dropped and Penny never returned as a main character.

Do any viewers from that time (Saynotoursoap,Danfling etc) wish to comment on Penny as played by Ms Dorin?

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[DRW50]

That's nice. Not a fan of the headband though.

[Paul Raven]

Never seen this before

[DRW50]

Never seen Rebecca like that before.

Was Nick related to Valerie?

[Paul Raven]

Nick was Val's ex who came to Oakdale and got himself killed. That period 77-79 seemed to be a bad time for ATWT. The ratings drop only made things worse.There doesn't seem to be one memorable story from that time.I wonder if the hour format finally did them in?

The Soderbergs seemed to run out of steam.

[danfling]

Wasn't that the time that Douglas Marland wrote the show for the first time?

Most people hated his stories, but my mother (98 years old now) loved the stories. They were wrapped up quickly, and she stopped watching the show, have been a view since its premiere.

[danfling]

I liked Phoebe Dorin, but NO ONE ELSE seemed to like her.

I realized that no performer actually was the character, and the character sometimes had to change.

Phoebe Dorin and Rosemary Prinz later were on How to Survive a Marriage together (Peter Brandon was also on the show.). I image that they laughed about this, but I have no way of knowing how they treated one another.

[DRW50]

I wish we could see Phoebe as Penny.

This is a weird scene between Whit and Lisa (close to Eileen's leaving). I wonder if Eileen hated the "you're a half-wit" line and camped it up to show how stupid it was.

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

[Mitch]

I hate watching these scenes cause I have to remember that I once thought, pre-spitting, scenery chewing, flapping arms Buzz Cooper that Deas was sexy.

It is a weird scene...the show could be over the top during this time but they didnt take advantage of a lot of the drama....Lisa and Whit should have been seriously at odds during this time with their sons on opposite sides..but Lisa just kind of stands there and says nothing until the end. I don't want to bring up the dreaded Santa Barbara comparison but I think the Dobsons were trying to make Lisa and Whit kind of like Lionel and Augusta (I think) two powerful people in love and married but contantly bickering and at odds, but it just didnt work. The Whit actor and his toup and dentures dont fit the character and what is up with Lisa's dowdy outfit and hairdo...(she looked terrible with red hair.)

Wonder how much that set cost to make??? It was freaking huge with the snack counter and looked like a real courthouse.

[DRW50]

She looks like Orphan Annie.

They kept using that set up to the early 90s, right?

The tone of the show seems kind of off around this time, shown in those Craig/Betsy scenes.

Betsy: I love banana daquiris.

Craig: They're nice. Wait...they remind YOU OF STEVE! YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH ANDROPOLOUS!!!!

Betsy: Wait, no, I...

Craig: It's OK. It's OK.

(next scene)

Craig: I tried.

Betsy: It's fine, honey.

Craig: Honey? YOU LOVE STEVE ANDROPOLOUS!!!

[saynotoursoap]

Personally I liked Phoebe Dorin as Penny and did not think only one actress could play the part. There were several Bobs and Dons. There was no reason why Penny could not be successfully recast. However, CBS was in a panic in the early 70s when ABC and NBC began to present serious ratings challenges. Anytime a new performer takes over a core role, there will be protests. CBS and P&G overreacted in my opinion. Had Dorin been given half a chance, she probably would have won over the audience in time.