As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

From the July 1959 TV Radio Mirror.

[Paul Raven]

Carl, this stuff is so much fun to read! Do you have the whole series?

I know Wendy Drew retired to get married. I wonder if she ever watched the show after she left?It seems such a 50's thing to leave a frontburner role in a top rated soap to become a wife and mother. Did she have regrets? It would be interesting to track her down if she is still alive and see what she thinks.

[DRW50]

Not all of them but I might have a few others.

I never knew that about Wendy. I know she was in something with James Dean.

Edited March 19, 2011 by CarlD2

[Soapsuds]

He was the best and the hottesst of them all.

[DRW50]

September 1969 Afternoon TV.

[DRW50]

Edited March 22, 2011 by CarlD2

[Paul Raven]

More great stuff Carl- photos i've never seen before.Keep 'em coming!

Reharding Paul on ATWT, I wonder why they never kept one actor in the role?Michael Hawkins,Dean Santoro and Marco St John all played Paul during the time John Colenback was Dan.Were they unhappy with the actors, or was Paul a difficult role to cast?

[DRW50]

I've never known that either. I wish we knew. I think Michael Hawkins talked about it once but I can't remember what he said. This Paul is kind of cute, although I've never seen him acting obviously.

Thanks for the kind words. I post this stuff hoping no one else has seen it either. I was especially interested to see the photos of Dagne Crane, as I have only seen her Sandy in one or two photos, looking more severe. I wish we could see more of her. And this must be very very early John Dixon. "Friend of Dan's" indeed.

Does it annoy you when you see articles calling Don Hastings "an original cast member"? This isn't the first time I've seen this from around this time. You'd think a soap magazine would know better.

[juniorz1]

I'm really missing ATWT right now. They had my favorite cast of characters of any show for the past 10 years and I miss them all dearly. Days, Y&R, and B&B don't compare and, when I tune in now & then, OLTL, AMC, and GH don't either. I'm no stranger to cancellation, but I guess ATWT's is hitting me moreso than AW and even SB on some level because there's no show I can tune into that will take it's place. Or even ease the pain for that matter.

It's pissed me off A LOT lately when I read on the boards that ATWT and its actors shouldn't have submitted themselves for 2011. The show was far and away the best soap of 2010 and they had the best cast in daytime right up until the end. Even with all that JPiss (everyone blames Goutman, but it was her lazy writing that drove the show into the ground for years!) did to kill the show, there was still always something that was uniquely ATWT about it. I miss the hell out of it.

[DRW50]

ATWT was never the same for me after about 1995 and it was tough to watch when the show that was so beautifully tiered was demolished, but I was always going back, to try, then leaving again...I think it was finally Goutman/Sheffer who drove me out for good. But I started again in 2009 even though I knew it was probably over, and I do think the show could have continued on. No other soap has ever had the collection of vets ATWT did, incredibly talented and charismatic actors who could still carry a story even when they were near 80 years old. There were also some solid actors in the middle age range and a few like Billy Magnusson with promise in the early twenties range. With more time and effort I think ATWT could have gained back more viewers and defied the odds. I did not feel like there was a natural end, as I did with GL. For that reason I do still miss the show, every day. The only way I "replace" the show is through Youtube and reading old magazines, but it still isn't the same as knowing and living the characters.

It especially frustrates me because I felt like they finally got Barbara and Lucinda again, after a decade or more of misuse, and had incredible newcomers like Reid. It just wasn't time to go.

Edited March 23, 2011 by CarlD2

[JellicleCat]

Why shouldn't they? They deserve to be recognized for the wonderful work they did, and if there's any justice they will be rewarded for it. At the very least Colleen Zenk should get an Emmy. I dare anyone to find someone more worthy of it than her. She was the brightest of all the shining stars on the show the final year.

[edgeofnight]

Many thanks, as always, for posting these pictures, particularly of Dagne. Can't wait to show her. Did you notice, as I did, a factual error in one of the photo captions that described Don Hastings as being an original cast member of ATWT? When, in fact he was part of the original cast of Edge. This coming April 2 (their original CBS premiere dates - 1956) will be very tough knowing that we don't have either of these two great shows with us anymore.

[DRW50]

Yes I did notice. It's strange that they put that in there, since it wasn't that long ago at that time he'd started on ATWT (about nine years).

I have another photo of Dagne too I will post when I find it again.

[Paul Raven]

What were the circumstances behind Jill Andre being cast as Sandy in in 68. Was it a temporary thing due to illness/maternity leave etc? Or had Dagne actually left?

I noticed that Jil Andre was also playing Sara McIntyre on GL that year. Were the two events interconnected in any way?

[P.J.]

I can't believe anyone would begrudge the actors submitting themselves for their work. If hacks like Vanessa Marcil or Drew Tyler Bell can win for a couple of months' work, certainly being on a canceled show shouldn't disqualify Maura, Michael or Colleen from contention.

And honestly, having suffered through six months of Y&R and it's bland, robotic "suspense" delivered (mostly) by actors who seem to be on autopilot, I'm even more impressed by our actors who took crap and made it seem urgent.