DAYS: Behind the Scenes, Articles/Photos

[DRW50]

One of the rare 1982 clips on Youtube (most of them tend to involve Marlena, with just a few scattered over other channels that have been up for several years). This is a scene with Gwen and Tony. Don't really know much about Gwen. It sounds like Trish was forced to leave town? Sad, rushed exit for a longrunning character.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zblpmjp5rSI&list=PLC682BAA1BC9C5BD8

[Paul Raven]

I really liked Gwen. I think Anne Marie Martin brought a lot to the part. Gwen was a bit of an all purpose character whom hooked up with different guys.

I think Trish was quickly written out because Patty Weaver decided to go to Y& R.Maybe she was in negotiations when the part of Gina came up.

Days was in a bit of upheaval around that time. I think DePriest and Anderson were making their own mark on Pat Falken Smith's outlines.Maybe they had to make changes for fear PFS would launch another lawsuit!

[jam6242]

I liked Gwen too. And I think Ann-Marie Martin is one of the most beautiful women ever on Days.

[theherowithin]

I loved Gwen Davies too! A scene with Gwen, Bo and Eugene is one of my all-time favorite DOOL scenes. It was when Roman (WN) was hiding out in Eugene's basement. And Stefano had arranged camera's to be placed in Eugene's attic to prject images of Trista to make Eugene think he was going insane. Anyways during a snowstorm, Bo, Eugene, Larry , Hope and Gwen were all stranded at Eugene's place. Eugene sees a image of Trista while upstairs and Gwen happens to see it as well. It's hoot all of it with Gwen, Bo and Eugene going outside in his car to discuss it several times. Gwen figures out that it's a projection. I loved this time at DOOL, crazy drunk Alex thinks he sees a shark in the Salem lake, Eugene has to marry Marlena, Tom makes them get married. It was a great time to watch DOOL! Ann-Marie was married to Michael Crichton and has a child with him. I loved her on the comedy show Sledgehammer too. She can do comedy.

[DRW50]

Thanks for the extra details. It was nice to see her so casually dealing with Tony's sexism. Soaps usually didn't handle that issue very well.

I saw someone say that the time when Renee and Tony got the test results that they were siblings was DePriest. I thought Smith was still around then. I guess not.

Did DePriest write the story where Maggie and Don fell in love while Mickey was being held captive? What did you think of it?

I liked the way they handled Daphne's madness in this clip. It's very sad by the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABQed0hH4i8&list=LLk5YpQN83TaCoh2XtNG7cdQ&feature=mh_lolz

[DRW50]

End of a 1984 episode (I'm sure this clip is already out there many times over, just posting it anyway). I didn't know Doug and Julie were still on the show when Larry and Hope were engaged.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WL3GitwHwvQ

[JackPeyton]

This is the soap story I most want to see.

[Paul Raven]

I hated Don/Maggie because it was way too rushed and made Don & Maggie look like fools.Especially when Mickey returned and Maggie was still torn.

Had a better writer been in charge it might have worked but certainly not so quickly. This was the beginning of the time that Days decided to drop any commitment to vet characters. It seemed like they had these people under contract with a certain guarantee and just shoved them into a story.

[teplin]

I thought Jed Allan and Suzanne Rogers had fantastic chemistry -- but yes, the story was rushed and awkward, a transparent attempt to create conflict for Mickey and Maggie (and Don, as Mickey's longtime best friend and law partner). The story was pretty much over in a blink.

[jam6242]

This is a short early 70s interview with Days writer Bill Rega. Interesting that Days considered doing a prison rape storyline long ago but it was quashed by NBC. That must have been when Bill and Doug were in prison. I wonder who was going to be raped? Maybe Bill as retribution for raping Laura? I do remember Bill getting attacked by a gang while he was in prison and Doug rescued him.

[soapfave06]

Wow thanks for sharing that. I had never heard they proposed that story.

[EricMontreal22]

Interesting piece, I wonder if it was written shortly after Y&R premiered. I'd neverheard of the actors all sitting and watching their show together at the studio.

[DRW50]

Neither had I.

The whole, "I bet you didn't know soaps did this" is always difficult for me because most soaps didn't present abortions the way the Maude episode did.

How long was Rega on the show?

[JAS0N47]

Got the info on Annie Mae when I had the Mike's birth stuff researched: She was classmate of Sandy's. The way Bill Bell wrote up such a detailed debut scene in the script notes, it seems he did have plans for Annie Mae, but the character never appeared again after this one and only episode.

Annie Mae is a student at Salem University. She has a scene with Sandy. Sandy has just learned that her parents are getting a divorce and is crying outside the chemistry lab.

(…Also to the three young women who approach the chemistry building, one of these young women is Annie Mae Jackson—a gentle young woman of quiet composure, whose total being personifies inner beauty—a rich, deep empathy and awareness for and of her fellow human beings. There is nothing physically commanding in her presence. She wears little make-up, her hair is very simply done, her clothes while neat are obviously inexpensive. The flimsiness of her cloth coat seem to contradict the season. But Annie Mae has that spark, that inner quality that insulates her from not only the cold of winter, but also the chill of prejudice; an inner glow, that on contact, warms hearts and melts bigotry; a simple and unassuming young black woman of eighteen. Annie Mae is not unaware of the restlessness of her people, not in any way unsympathetic toward them—or any human being be he black or white—but she is still searching within herself to find a certain status and dignity, is still hoping to find her place under the sun, the key to her own destiny and to that of her people. As Sandy sits there, her books on her lap, Annie Mae and her two friends approach—one black friend, the other white. Since both Annie Mae’s friends are looking in her direction it is not surprising that they are oblivious of Sandy. But Annie Mae does take notice—and it is after they’re walked about five feet beyond Sandra that Annie Mae looks back at this obviously distressed young woman)

Annie tells Sandy that they better get to class because the professor doesn’t like tardiness. They don’t really know each other but Annie explains that she has noticed her in class with a bright smile and feels like helping her would be like figuring out why a flower doesn’t bloom? She at least doesn’t want her staying here in the winter’s cold. Sandy questions why she came to class. She doesn’t know what to do. Annie asks if it's boy trouble. She says no. Then Annie asks if she’s sick. She answers no again. Then Sandy opens up that her parents are divorcing. Annie gives her a huge speech about praying, helping yourself so you can help others, the whole “get busy living” speech. Sandy feels a little better, enough to walk with her new friend to chemistry class.

[DRW50]

Such a detailed writeup. She has so much potential as an interesting character. I'm sorry it never went anywhere.

I wonder if any of that ever went into Valerie Grant, or if none of that was from Bill Bell.