As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[Paul Raven]

Don Hastings article from 1977.

In 1978 he would meet Leslie Dennison on set, and later divorce Nan, and marry her.

Don Hastings, Alias "Dr. Bob Hughes" Don Hastings Really Is 'Mr. Wonderful' By Sue McElwee Daily News Staff Writer

The face and the voice are so familiar. And there is that contagious smile that warms the room. Why, then does one feel uncertain, even a little apprehensive? The man, after all, has been in your home, at your bidding, perhaps as many as 200 times a year for the last 17 years. He is a good friend, almost like one of the family. Yet, you have never said a word to him face to face. Who is he? The familiar name is "Dr. Bob Hughes" of Oakdale, U.S.A.; the real name is Don Hastings. Don is one of the leading stars on the daytime television drama, "As the World Turns," a show that is watched by as many as ten million persons each day and is consistently rated number one.

Don Hastings, the man, could be the fellow with the wife and three children who lives two houses down the block. He's the boy-next-door with whom you went to school, and who grew up to be a doctor — except his practice is on television. He's one of the boys whom your husband plays golf with on Saturdays. And he's the neighbor who, when your husband is away, can be counted upon to replace the burned out fuse, search for the lost pet, or rush a sick child to the hospital. He's also the one who gave you the trick golf ball during the club tournament and broke up the PTA meeting with his wisecracks. It's easy to get the point: Don Hastings is an unpretentious, down  to earth, good, human being. In talking with Don, one becomes aware of an intelligent, warm, friendly person. But it is the humor that really makes the point: his wit adroitly catches the person or the situation with just the quip to remind one of life's absurdities. It seems the secret of life to him is the ability to laugh.

The opportunity to talk with Don came last week when he was in Altooiut, along with Kathryn Hays, for performances of their musical, "Hastings and Hays on Love." According to him, the idea for the concert "began a couple of years ago when Kathryn and I were asked to do plays or dinner theater together. That was impossible because they require being away for blocks of time and we can't get away from the show for that long." With the concert format, the two need only two or three days at a time. Concerts are scheduled on the weekends, usually at two week intervals. "The concerts give us contact with an audience and get us out among the people who watch our daytime show. Also, performing live, on stage, in front of people is the most fun kind of work for me," he reports. It is also Don's way of keeping fresh, of reaching out for new professionaI achievement without sacrificing his main endeavor.

"We work very hard on the series so the musical decentralizes me, which is very healthy." For Don, this is his first venture into singing as an adult-"I last sang publicly when I was seven!" However, it was through singing that he got his start in show business. He explained: "One day in 1940, I was taken to watch my older brother, Bob, who was a singer on a children's radio program. While at the studio, the producer heard that I, too, could sing. He then auditioned me and put me on the program 'Coast to Coast on a Bus'." However, with encouragement from his wife Nan and Kathryn, along with guidance from musical director Herb Kaplan, Don has plunged into singing with great enthusiasm. "I'm their remedial musician!" he quips. "Since I can't read music, Herb makes a tape for me to learn and practice." The result is a fine melodic line which showcases his rich, pleasing baritone voice and which blends harmoniously with Kathryn Hays' wide - range soprano.

A favorite topic of Don's is the serial. In his opinion, the show's acting company Is the best in the business. For the most part, he says, they are as closely knit off-camera as on-camera. "We are constantly in touch with one another, but mostly at work. Since we are together several times a week for periods up to 12 hours a day, we don't see a lot of one another socially. However, Don McLaughlin (Chris Hughes) and Helen Wagner (Nancy Hughes) I dearly love, so I do some socializing with them. Also, Hank Forsythe (David Stewart) and his wife. My wife Nan and his wife Doty play golf together. Kathryn, too, is special. "Larry Bryggman (John Dixon) is also a good friend and we frequently have lunch together. He and I are known as the backstage clowns," he chuckles. With only a few exceptions, much of Don Hastings is reflected in Bob Hughes, the character he portrays. This is due in no small measure to the series' creator - writer Irna Phillips' gearing the part to Don's personality as she saw it emerge. However, Bob Hughes is more serious than is Don Hastings. The character did change, though, with the onset of new head writers — Robert Soderberg and Edith Sommer, a California based husband and wile team. "The Soder- bergs have humanized Bob. He is not so serious now nor does he carry the problems of the world on his shoulders. Bob is less of an idol now than before — he's no longer 'St. Bob of Oakdale!' "For many years, Bob wore a shirt and tie even at home in the evenings. Now he wears slacks, sport shirts, turtlenecks, etc. I can even wear my white bucks once in a while!" he says.

In his 17 years on the show, Don feels the series has moved from a stuffy and serious context to a more realistic, life like one. The characters are no longer all good or all bad, which means getting into a character more. "For a long time, the viewer could tell who was good and who was bad by who smoked and who didn't! The bad guys always smoked." Another change is that it is a better looking show. "As the World Turns" has good set designs now. Don attributes that to there being more money available for sets, props, costumes, etc. There is also a greater dependency on creating the personality of the characters. "This comes from within the acting company itself. We must, through our characters, handle various situations and even directions. Now there is a big event with the people reacting and adjusting to it. Before, with Irna, there was more people - to - people conflict which went on and on and on." Don feels very protective of Bob Hughes and the character's integrity. He states firmly, "I am not in it lor the money; I'm truly interested in the story. I want to be a constructive contributor to the show, not what Don McLaughlin calls 'smiling furniture.' This is hard to do if you aren't in the major storyline." The show airs 260 hourlong episodes per year, as opposed to 22 on a prime - time series, and Don appears in about 180 of them. When asked if, at times, it became a grind, he responded, "like World War III! I sometimes feel we are trying to do a Herculean task. It is physically tiring in that we work long hours. 

I wish I had more energy to make the show better, father than spend it solving technical problems and little frustrations." Don prepares himself for each script which runs 72- 75 pages of dialogue per episode, by learning it thoroughly and understanding it. He says "the medical stuff is always difficult, but we have a good technical director to help us." The storyline is developed eight to twelve months ahead and filled in more every three to four months; more detailed outlines come six weeks in advance. Then, the actors get their calls (notification of when they will appear) about three weeks prior to taping. They receive the individual episode scripts a week or ten days ahead. The show is taped one week before airing. The actors are allowed small editorial license, but cannot depart from the basic script. "We can make suggestions about a scene or reaction being out of character, but we are not guaranteed of a change. Someimes, the writers want to create changes within the character which we must adjust to," he explains.

Over the years, Don has been associated with many actors on the series. The one who has had the biggest influence on him is Don McLaughlin. "I've known him since I was a little boy and I've always admired him. He's a good man; one worth emulating. "I've worked with some terrific people over the years; people who have taught me that you can be yourself in this business which is supposedly filled with screwy, wacky, mixed up, temperamental people," he recalls. One such person is Nat Polen, who played Dr. Doug Casson. In person, Don looks younger than springtime and seems to fairly burst with creative energies. Also, he has more color than average in his complexion, which even a deep tan can't hide. He is one of the few actors who use no makeup when working. In addition to his quick wit, he has a calm and serious side coupled to a facile mind. A member of the Writers Guild, Don has written for both his own show and "Guiding Light." "I just recently completed a writing assignment for Guiding Light. There is a possibility the show will be expanding to an hour, so they are looking for more writers. Thev asked me to submit a trial script, which I did," he said. Moreover, he has written a screenplay ("Which has never been done and never will be!") and last year, did "a Bicentennial piece for the town in which I live. It was a slide presentation with dialogue and was narrated by Colleen Dewhurst. It was a fun thing." Also, he wrote the dialogue for "Hastings and Hays on Love." A man devoted to his family, he speaks fondly and with pride about Nan, his wife of 20 years, and his three children: Jennifer, a junior journalism major at Boston University; Julie, who is in high school; and Matthew, a fifth - grader. The Hastings family is very close and "has good times together." He is especially pleased that Jennifer, even though in college, still likes to travel with the family. They have been to Ireland three times and to the Continent once. Don is frequently recognized on the street, although he is not always aware of it until someone draws his attention to it. He says, "It is not a clawing recognition; people are usually very nice." Golf is his favorite pasttime. "1 used to play rather well, but the last four or five years my play has been rather shabby. I nope to work on it again. My wife and I play frequently and I also play with some of my friends - other ne'er - do well golfers around here," he comments wryly. His handicap at present is a respectable 11. The important things in life to Don are "my family, my work, and trying to get through life trying to do some good and not hurting anyone." His goals are to "keep working, keep everyone healthy, and keep going the distance".

[Chris B]

The majority of the B&B episodes get around 10,000 views each with some special episodes hitting over 100,000. When you consider the volume of episodes of people finding it over the years, there has to be a good stream of money coming in. All of those episodes are ad supported. 

[Mitch64]

Nice article....I do love that actors, celeberties and stars are so happy to give interviews about the "love of their life," only to later find another one and do that same interview, over, and over ...so they kind of are like soap opera characters.

Sad the quote about Don McClaughlin and the "smiling furniture" which he was about to become under the Dobsons and then Bunim fired him...until they brought him back and he was too sick to be anything but...I hope those last years made him happy.

[DramatistDreamer]

[adrnyc]

Truth teller. 

 

 

[TEdgeofNight]

B&B is still on the air. I was referring to cancelled soaps. Even ABC passed on a reboot of AMC. 

[TVFAN1144]

Just watched this tribute.   Very well done and an honor to Kathryn Hays as Kim.   Alan usually gets a lot of criticism but did a great job.  Colleen made an appearance.  Wonder why Marie Masters wasn’t on

 

Favorite line from Don “There weren’t any powers that be for the last 10 years of the show “

[Paul Raven]

I wish Don/Colleen/Marie etc would really spill the tea on what went on BTS over the years.

I'm sure they have some great stories to tell.

Don is probably too nice to do it but it would fascinating to here.

[wonderwoman1951]

finally got to see the kathy hays remembrance. my favorite part was when eileen was taking about kathy giving her a place to stay when she split from her second husband and larry, thinking she was talking about lisa’s marriages said something about how many times lisa had been married.

i, too, would live to hear what marie masters has to say. i met her in the mid-90s, and found her more than receptive to both fans and the soap media. so i’m wonder why she hasn’t participated — concerned that she may not be able to. 

eta:

forgot to mention how surprised i was that when asked about memorable storylines, neither don nor larry mentioned one of my favorites — the bob-kim-susan affair that came about, in part, because of kim and john dealing with andy’s alcoholism. it was a storyline that i’ve never forgotten.

Edited November 30, 2022 by wonderwoman1951

[dragonflies]

 

 

 

[Joseph]

I Was wondering I never Saw Her, How Was The Original Rosanna Played by Yvonne Perry?

[TVFAN1144]

For long time fans this is a question I have had

When Barbara entered in 1978 played by Coleen Zenk she was engaged to Stephen I believe.  He broke off the wedding because of a deep dark secret.  This seems like an abrupt aborted storyline.   Does anyone know where this was headed and why it ended the way it did?   

[Paul Raven]

Barbara arrived in September and Ralph Ellis and Eugenie Hunt became headwriters in December so that is the most likely explanation of why Barbara's storyline was changed.

[Soapsuds]

Thanks to a certain poster on here I can relive the Walsh takeover by Conner. Dreams do come true!!

 

 

[Paul Raven]

ATWT went to color on Jan 20 1967, the first of the CBS serials to so so.

I wonder if this was also Eileen Fulton's return as the blonde, more glamorous Lisa? Would have been a nice tie-in.

Edited December 14, 2022 by Paul Raven