DAYS: Behind the Scenes, Articles/Photos

[beebs]

I suspect Corday and Rabin were trying to guide things to a spot where Laemmle could take over, but that's pure speculation on my part. I'm already noticing things being unceremoniously dropped in December, so they may have been steering things even then. 

 

It's funny because, on the surface, Laemmle wasn't a bad choice to replace Harrower. She came from a solid background at Peyton Place, and had a good reputation from the sounds of it, but...yikes.

 

 

 

OKAY, Let's start the 80s!

 

 

Stephanie has more sessions with Jordan, and reveals she's been drinking too much ON TOP of the pills, and is worried Alex won't want to marry a woman who's a lush (honey, he won't marry you anyway, so you might as well live your life!). She also is terrified that revealing her identity to Bob will ruin the relationship they've forged. Jordan thinks Bob will be far more forgiving than she gives him credit for.

 

Bob lets Stephanie know her workload will be heavier with Steve in France (and since he won't be back, I guess it'll just stay that way, then). He suggests to her that she get Mary to take over Steve's responsibilities while he's gone, so that she'll be prepared if and when she takes over Anderson in the future.

 

Stephanie suggests that she and Alex elope across state lines. Alex decides at this point that Stephanie is becoming a bore and a nuisance (and is wildly out of character as well, but I digress), and that he must "do something about it". Don't push HER off a baclony, my dude!

 

Phyllis calls Alex at his apartment to let him know her divorce from Neil will soon be finalized. Alex doesn't care in the slightest, and blows her off. He's there with Mary, who he pulls into a kiss. She pushes him away, and as she leaves, calls him a "very dangerous man". Uhh...yeah? What was your first hint?

 

Alex throws a party, and ignores both Phyllis and Stephanie, instead spends most of the evening flirting with Mary. Stephanie and Phyllis are livid. Phyllis takes the step of hinting she'd like to marry Alex, and he responds that he has no interest whatsoever. Phyllis snaps at him, demanding to know who he's sleeping with. Maggie? Linda? Julie? Stephanie? Trish? Cathy? Lee? (All of them? Why not Alice? Donna? MARIE??) Alex tries to reassure her that he's only had a few dinner dates (*bites tongue*), and thinks Phyllis should take things slowly after her divorce, but Phyllis is desperate to marry him, for reasons that are completely beyond me.

 

Mary is officially promoted, and offers Mike another promotion, to an assistant role in the PR Department! Better clear that with Earl first.

 

Alex sends Bob to DC for a meeting with government officials about Chris' solar generator project. He tells everyone except Mary, that he's shipping Bob to LA instead, for "confidentiality" reasons.

 

Melissa has had enough of Linda's sh!t! She confesses to Mary that Linda isn't pregnant, and has been trying to get Neil to GET her pregnant. She's BIG mad at her mama, accusing Linda of only wanting Bob's money and power, and Melissa can't understand why Linda is so awful, when Bob is so good to them. OOOF! When Mary next sees Phyllis, she spills the beans to her about Melissa's confession.

 

Stephanie finds out Bob left Mary in charge of the plant while he's in "LA" and not her, and she's NOT happy, intent to show Bob how hard she's been working in his absence to usurp her sister. But her pill intake and boozing still hamper her abilities, and despite declaring to Chris that she's going to stop taking them, she can't. Physical dependency is a real bitch. Her addiction isn't helped by Bob's excitedly telling Stephanie about how he's grooming Mary to take over (in Stephanie's eyes, take over HER position). Stephanie is determined to make Mary look bad, and have her make very costly mistakes to make Bob second-guess his decision.

 

When Bob returns from DC, he tells Linda how successful it was, and how the solar generator will be a huge moneymaker for Anderson. Linda feels a pang of guilt for not telling Bob about the lack of baby. But just...can't quite tell him. Bob, for his part, has been having pains of his own, in the chest. He has a checkup with Tom, and tells him he's been wavering from his diet. Tom tells him to check himself into UH, but Bob can't, what with the solar panel project on the brink of success. Tom encourages Bob to, at the very least, take it easy.

 

Well, that might be difficult, as Phyllis spies Alex flirting with Linda one day, and makes a beeline to Bob, telling him all about what a conniving bitch his wife is, and how she's making a fool of him, and she ain't even PREGNANT! Bob's chest pains flare up, but Phyllis carries on, telling Bob that Mary is the one who told her. Bob calls Mary into his office, and Mary confirms Melissa's story. Bob doesn't believe the story for some reason, claiming that Melissa is making it up out of jealousy (okay, Bob, sure). 

 

Mary then confronts her mother, scolding her for upsetting Bob like that, and asks her if SHE is the jealous one, noting that Alex has ZERO interest in marrying Phyllis. Phyllis slaps Mary back into 1977 and tells her to stay out of her life, before storming off.

 

Bob has a heart-to-heart with Melissa, who confirms Mary and Phyllis' story about Linda. Melissa breaks down, terrified Bob will kick her and Linda out because of Linda's lies. Bob reassures Melissa that no matter what happens, he won't ask her to leave.

 

Bob, not feeling up to it, sends Chris back to Washington to finalize the solar panel deal, then heads to Neil's office to confront him about Linda's phony pregnancy. Neil starts off by trying to save face, claiming that Linda THOUGHT she was pregnant because she missed a period, but ultimately wasn't. Neil ends up admitting to Linda asking him to fake a miscarriage, and trying to convince Neil to knock her up himself.

 

Bob goes home and lays into Linda for lying. Linda, for her part, plays innocent, claiming she didn't want to disappoint Bob, and that she's still willing to try for a baby with him! Bob tells Linda he didn't WANT her child to begin with! He also expresses that he knows Linda has an ulterior motive for wanting Bob's baby and demands to know what it is. Linda admits she found out that Bob cut her out of the will, and wanted to be back in, so she claimed to be pregnant, and it worked. Bob tells her she won't get another dime from him, and Linda snaps back that she'll punish Melissa for running her mouth. Bob tells Linda that if she lays a hand on Melissa, she'll have her declared an unfit mother in an instant! 

 

Linda still confronts Melissa, shaking her for being so ungrateful when she's (apparently) done SO MUCH for them. Melissa calls Linda a lair and a cheat, and never wants to see her again. Melissa also tells Linda that Bob promised to always care for her, to which Linda counters that if she and Bob split, Melissa will stay with HER, not Bob. Bob walks in at this point, and Linda claims Bob's poisoned Melissa's mind against her. Bob tells her she's full of sh!t, and lays into Linda for trying to poison Melissa's mind, full stop!

 

Tom is extremely concerned that Bob's heart condition has deteriorated, and he could have a fatal heart attack at any time.

 

Bob moves into the Salem Inn, leaving Linda and Melissa at the lakehouse. Linda visits him at his hotel room, begging him to come home, and promising to no longer be duplicitous with him. She claims she "only wanted to give him the son he's always wanted". Bob is revolted by Linda, and orders her from his room. Linda informs him on her way out that she will not make a divorce easy on him.

 

 

Stephanie has an argument at the office (no idea who with), then heads to Alex's to blow off some steam. With drink in hand, she tells Alex she has given him an office at Anderson, so that she can "see what women are hanging all over him". Alex is put out by Stephanie's jealousy, and when Stephanie breaks an expensive tchotchke of Alex's, he snaps at her that she's starting to cost him too much money. Drunk and high on pills, Stephanie throws her drink in Alex's face. Alex throws her out, and demands she never come back. Stephanie leaves, heading for the lakehouse to tell Bob everything, unaware that he's not at the lakehouse anymore.

 

 

 

Trish hears about Steve's sudden departure for Paris, and is worried that Steve will rat her out to Durant, so she gets Terry (of all people) to take new photos of her for the entrance to Doug's Place, even considering dying her hair for it. Earl sees the photos and suggests to Terry that Trish would be "good on the open market" (barf). He also tells him to get Donna's "photograph" ready, cos he's gonna send it to Don to get him to stop his Crusade for Cleanliness!

 

Earl is annoyed that Terry seems to be attracted to Trish, and asks Mike to inform him immediately if Terry goes to Doug's Place looking for her. Mike has to go along with it, because of the debt and stuff. If only Margo had followed through with that call to the Better Business Bureau. Mimi later shows up, demands Trish fork over the diamonds. Trish plays dumb, but Mimi knows better, and invokes the threat of Durant. Trish obliges, and the diamonds are on their way back to France.

 

Don is the Dumbass of the Month, receiving "Donna's nude photo" in the mail, and becoming angry at her for it, apparently unaware that he needs an eye exam STAT if he can't tell that farce of a photo is a fake. Mickey states the obvious that he's receiving this as a message to stop his Uptight Suburbanites Against Visible Areolas campaign. Don goes home and confronts Donna, who vehemently denies posing for the photos. She even goes so far as to show Don the photos she DID pose for. He doesn't like thiose either, but at least they're not the sh!tty fakes. He worries he could be blackmailed with these, and also that, seeing Donna "nude", some letch may follow Donna home at night.

 

Don goes to see Terry, and wants to know if Donna posed for the obviously fake photo. Terry claims to know nothing, but says that someone must be trying to scare him off his campaign (I wonder who it could be?), Don warns Terry that if he's involved...etc. etc. bla bla bla. He also won't let Donna model for Terry any longer.

 

Don heads to the porn theatre, and is apparently shocked that there are teenagers there, because he apparently forgot hormones are a thing. He becomes yet more determined to make sure every porn theatre gets shut down if it's the last thing he does. How noble. SO HE DECIDES TO PUBLISH DONNA'S PHOTO ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE SALEM CHRONICLE! (Interesting that it isn't the Spectator, but, hey...)

 

Somehow Don doesn't become the victim of a murder by his own daughter after publishing Donna's photo, and Trish realizes what Terrible Terry is up to. She visits him and demands he give her the photos and the negatives of the shots he took back, as she doesn't want HER photos doctored the way Donna's were. She even threatens to go to Don, revealing how far a girl could go far in Salem as a hooker (remember what she had to do to get out of Italy). Terry hands the photos over but immediately snitches to Earl, who tells Terry it's time to show Donna's porno movie, and invite the press along for the ride!

 

The mayor, who's always been a little fishy, visits Don and accuses him of launching the Salem Inquisition to gain publicity for himself (clearly on Earl's payroll then). He also implies Donna isn't exactly an innocent in all this, and thinks Don is attractive negative publicity on Salem, when he's trying to lobby federal funding for public transit. He asks that Don stay out of the media until he can absolutely prove Donna wasn't posing for porn shoots. Don insists he will find proof, because he is "concerned for the children of Salem". The mayor points out, rather cynically, that "children don't vote or pay taxes".

 

The gross-ass calls start for Donna, with some a$$hole saying he "saw her photos and wants to touch her body". Pretty sure she's not 18 yet, my dude. Another call, this time for Earl, tells Don that Donna's porno is screening, and that he and Marlena should attend to see some "familiar faces" from the community. Barf.

 

Finding out from Terry that the "screen test" she did was actually used in the porn, Donna panics, but Terry warns her that if she names him, Don will lose limbs. Donna leaves an apologetic note for Don and Marlena, saying she didn't know the screen test would be used in the porno until tonight, and leaves town, hitching a ride with a trucker out of town. (for the 95th time since I started writing these things up: THIS WILL END WELL!)

 

Mike finds out about the scandal of Donna's supposed porno, and contacts Mickey to let him know that the film was shot at "a studio where he frequently sees Earl". Mike has a STRONG hunch Earl and the porn films are connected.  Mickey informs Don of the connection, and Don heads back to Terry's studio, where Earl just HAPPENS to be. Don confronts him, demanding to know where Donna is. Earl doesn't know, not having seen Donna for weeks, but offers to sell him the movie and the negatives for $5k, or the film will make its way all over town (at minimum). Don reluctantly agrees to Earl's terms. Earl smugly declares the mob as being "home free in Salem from now on".

 

Don and Marlena file a police report after Donna's missing for over 16 hours. Donna, still riding the Interstate with the trucker, worries he'll turn her over to the police, and leaves HIM behind at a truck stop. She hitches a ride with a guy named Leo, who the recognizes her from her photo, and tries to force himself on her. She fights him off, and manages to track down a state trooper down the road, who drives her back to Don and Marlena's. When home, Don announces his desire to screen the porn film for the press, with a preamble from Donna about how she got involved with Earl and Terry, in the hopes of nailing them. Donna, terrified of the consequences of this, agrees to go ahead with the plan, regardless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marlena learns from Neil that there is a kidney donor match for Sam, but it's being contested by the girl's father, Mr. Pearson. Pearson claims that his daughter, Amy, signed up for organ donation when she was mentally unstable. Amy is dying of a brain tumour, and he wants her to "leave this world the same way she came into it". I have news for ya, dude. She's a lot bigger now, for a start...

 

Mr. Pearson hears how mentally and physically painful Sam's kidney failure has been on her, and changes his mind. How nice. YET ANOTHER storyline averted!

 

Brain Tumour Amy dies, Sam goes into surgery. I assume it went fine because that's the last we hear about it.

 

 

 

 

Marie recalls giving birth and giving the baby (who was born prematurely) up for adoption on the advice of her doctor. Later, Mother Superior tells Marie that there wasn't a special dispensation for Marie to become a nun, which causes Marie to feel uncertain whether she has a right to be a nun or not. But Mother Superior doesn't want Marie to ask about it any further when Marie asks why there wasn't one.

 

I have no idea what any of that means, but if anyone is Catholic or knows anything about it, feel free to let me in on it.

 

A bit of clarification, Mother Superior is about to die, and finally confesses that Marie actually shouldn't have been a nun because she had a baby, but because she came to her so abused by Alex, she broke the rules to allow Marie into the convent, as she felt Marie deserved a life of purpose. She implores Marie not to tell anyone else about her baby, as doing so would jeopardize her standing in the order. Mother Superior promptly has a heart-attack and dies. Later that same day, Marie's in contact with the doctor who delivered her baby. The doctor tells her her baby died shortly after delivery, and won't tell her where the grave is. Only that she should "forget about her". Because that tactic ALWAYS works. Marie goes to the hospital where the baby was born, gets ahold of her medical file, and sobs after seeing that the baby did indeed die (allegedly).

 

Marie returns to Salem, and is immediately asked by Alex out for dinner to "get advice on personal matters". Marie tells him to buzz off, and Alex claims Marie is afraid of him. Marie denies the accusation rather dramatically, claiming she will NEVER be afraid of him AGAIN. Ok, Marie. Breathe.

 

Marie is suddenly uncharacteristically icy with Basketcase Cathy, telling her she's tired and busy with working at the David Martin clinic, and giving Cathy the cold shoulder. Cathy decides she wants to move back into the nurses' dorm to "be around people her own age". That would be a nice change from pining after a 40-something letch, to be fair.

 

 

 

 

Robert, stuck in Salem with a sick Dougie, reconsiders Doug's offer of a full partnership in Doug's Place, and decides to stay in Salem. Doug is thrilled. Another potential storyline averted!

 

Robert offers to redraw his will to name Doug as Dougie's guardian if Robert dies. In exchange, Doug must destroy the letter from Rebecca revealing the truth of Dougie's paternity, saying Dougie must never know the truth (for...some...reason). Robert also reveals he will rename the boy Charles.

 

 

 

Julie finds out that Doug loaned Steve $50k a year ago (to pay off the debts he owed to the loan sharks). When she consults Mickey about it, he has no idea about the details, and is puzzled when Julie mentions that Steve took a cane with him to Paris. HMMMM....

 

Neil, once again turning his "idle punani-dar" on, zeroes in on Julie, who rejects him soundly, not wishing to trade in a "best" friend for a lover, despite the closeness they've shared since she unceremoniously dumped Doug. I think Julie and Neil were far closer than SOD gives credit for if she's calling him her "best friend".

 

 

Lee tries to ship Hope off to boarding school, claiming that all public schools are good for is teaching kids about drugs and teenage sex. If he agrees to this, I may reconsider my giving Don the Dumbass of the Month award. Lee then marches into Chez Julie, demands a whole bunch of expensive sh!t, and demands she be charged wholesale for them, as Doug is part-owner. Maggie tells Julie, who is PISSED. Julie can't really fight it, as if she DOES, she'll look like a vicious, bitter ex-, taking her jealousy out on a poor bereaved widow (who just married her dead husband's newly rich brother, but I digress). Julie has tried to be diplomatic about Lee for Hope's sake, but she's now fed up. Maggie asks why Julie isn't fighting to get Doug back, and Julie mopes that she won't fight it, because Doug loves Lee (allegedly).

 

Doug, meanwhile, is giving Tom yet more money, to the tune of $40k, to save UH from going under YET AGAIN (one hopes Tom Horton becomes better with money as the years go on, because right now, YIKES!), and offers to do another variety show.

 

Back at Chez Julie, Doug plays good cop, and tells Maggie that he'll take the items for the full price, and that Lee was "just being practical". Sure, Doug. When Julie walks in, he tells her that he and Lee have decided to put Hope in boarding school, because something something sex drugs etc.

 

Lee decides she wants to take a cruise of the Orient with Doug as her honeymoon. The ship leaves in 10 days. Doug says he can't be ready that soon, but Lee nags at him to go, whining that they don't spend enough time together. Doug says he'll "think about it". So of course, he says yes.

 

Lee tries to make it clear to Robert that ANY emergency that comes up, Robert should contact ANYONE except Doug. This absolutely does NOT sound like Lee is trying to get Doug alone and kill him under mysterious circumstances WHATSOEVER.

 

 

 

Greg comes to Chris' office for some reason to tell him that he and Amanda are starting to rebuild their marriage, and have decided to adopt a Vietnamese child, to give Amanda purpose in her life again. He then tells Chris that Amanda loves him and probably always will. That's some nice coarse sea salt for that wound there, Chris!

 

 

 

Bill visits Laura, who would rather stay at the sanitarium until she has a full handle on her guilt, and the result of her mistakes. Bill remarks he can't wait until Laura comes home and is back to work. Laura snaps at him that he won't accept her unless she's DR. Laura Horton, and can't accept her as a woman. Laura asks that Bill leave her be, she needs time to think.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, at least something is happening this time! Still a lot of dropped stories, but the momentum is finally starting to build with at least two stories. It's obvious Bob's death was a long time in the making, and that Stephanie's death was a thoughtless move for shock value. Mary vs. Stephanie could've easily played out for YEARS, with Linda latching onto whomever would help her most at any given time, even if it meant tying her anchor to Chris. What an absolute waste!

 

It feels like Harrower is starting to find her footing, but it's too late now, her time is up!

Edited November 23, 2020 by beebs

[te.]

Ah, yes, it looks like the wiping out of the Andersons is about to begin. It's been so odd to read about these characters that were obviously important to the show for a long period of time that'll just disappear and be dropped within a short period of time.

[Paul Raven]

Bob dying could have been the spearhead for new drama for the Andersons with Stephanies identity revealed, and battles b/w her and Mary. Add Linda,Alex and Chris into the mix and possibilities are endless.

 

The Sam kidney story got a Daytime Emmy award for Hugh McPhillllips as Hugh Pearson in the  guest performance category, beating out (amongst others) Joan Fontaine and Sammy Davis Jnr.

[victoria foxton]

@beebsThe porn stuff is so silly and heavy handed. So far we have 2½ of wonky writing. Under two HW's. Now will are entering the BIG cast purge /revamp era. Infamously known as The Saint Valentine's Days massacre. I've always been fascinated by this era. Ever since i've read about it in Christopher Schemering column Life of a Soap opera. In the late great sorely missed Soap Opera Weekly. Looks like things are going to get even wonkier. I'm dying to read your write ups of this era. 

Edited November 23, 2020 by victoria foxton

[te.]

 

I agree - I've always been fascinated with the cast purge that happened around this era because I can't imagine what loyal viewers thought about it at the time, especially basically eradicating the Andersons that had been a part of DAYS for a decade. I mean some characters people were probably glad to see go (HAI POOR ETERNALLY DYING MARGO!) but others not so much.

[prefab1]

TBH, I've been really bored reading about the various Anderson storylines in these recaps, though I can see how some of them might have played better onscreen, with the various scheming women in that family.

 

But it does seem weird that DAYS wrote out their millionaire industrialist family right at the time when other shows were introducing them (GL's Spauldings, GH's Quartermaines, OLTL's Buchanans, AMC's Cortlandts, etc.). They didn't exactly have their finger on the pulse of the 1980s, did they? 

[jam6242]

I always thought Bob Anderson was boring.  I found Mark Tapscott kind of wooden in his acting. The women in his life were more interesting.  Here is a scene after Bob’s death, with Phyllis, Julie, and Maggie.  Sorry for the quality.

 

[victoria foxton]

@jam6242Thanks for sharing this clip. it's great to finally see Phyllis. And Julie's antique shop Chez Julie.

Edited November 23, 2020 by victoria foxton

[Franko]

Phyllis, Phyllis, Phyllis ... there are much better men than the town pogo stick.

 

This had to have scored Bob some points in the Dumbass of the Month competition.

 

 

This is reminding me of that episode of FAMILY GUY where Lois shows her old porn to the audience at church.

 

Eww. But ha-ha to the idea of Don and Marlena taking in Carter-era porn at the bijou. "Two for A-pair-a-hips Wow, please."

 

Okay, what I think this means is that Marie was a full-fledged nun from the beginning. She didn't have to be a novice and took her vows right when she entered the convent. The thing is, there have been women who've had families who end up becoming nuns, but I don't know if that's a relatively modern idea or if the writers didn't do all their research.

 

This feels so out of character for Tom. Aw, man, we could have had another proto-Nurses Ball?

 

With Bob's upcoming death, Phyllis, Linda and Melissa soon to leave the show, a Mary recast coming and eventually new storylines for Alex, Mike, Chris and David, it feels like the curtain's coming down on the Anderson saga. Eight years ...

 

DOOL was really lucky that the Bradys caught on.

[vetsoapfan]

 

After Harrower left, Ruth Brooks Flippen took over as head writer. She did not last long before being replaced by Laemmle. Who knows how much (if any) power Flippen might have had. RBF was known for low-brow sitcoms and Scooby Doo; how she got hired always baffled me. The writer passed away soon after her stint at DAYS.

 

Laemmle at least had dramatic-soap credits on her resume, but I had seen how Peyton Place had fallen apart and how Rich Man, Poor Man Book II had been a disaster under her, so I was aghast at DAYS hiring her. I felt the show's writing would go from bad to worse...and it did. Nina Laemmle arrogantly remarked that DAYS was "dull and repetitious," but the show became the worst it had ever been while she wrote it. IIRC, she slaughtered 14 characters in quick succession and then introduced 9 newbies of her own. Only Liz Chandler had any real appeal and staying power. Most of Laemmle's other characters came and went pretty quickly.

 

 

It was a major mistake, and fans were in an uproar. I think Margo Horton died while Ruth Brooks Flippen was writing the show, but Laemmle eliminated a staggering number of characters and actors upon starting her 6-month reign of terror. Viewers were livid.

[Paul Raven]

If that clip is any indication, one reason for Days doldrums is those overlong scenes. By now GH was now using editing for shorter scenes, giving the illusion of more pace while Days would have seemed draggy in comparison.

 

When did other shows begin to follow GH's lead and begin tape editing?

[Forever8]

 

[Titus Andronicus]

 

Flippen's name does not appear in any contemporary newspaper articles. Laemmle was announced as taking over in late January 1980. Harrower seems to have written at least a couple more weeks after that.

 

My theory is that Laemmle/Betty Corday/Days planned on using Flippen as a staff writer, but her illness prevented that beyond her short stint. Days had other staff writers, so I don't see why one of them couldn't have done a bit if Laemmle was delayed if Flippen wasn't intended to be part of the staff. I'd imagine that Flippen had absolutely zero power.

 

The contemporary newspaper coverage of Laemmle's reign are angry letters that appear in soap columns. As much as Harrower's run is a bit of a mess, no newspaper soap columns were running angry letters.

 

 

I'm dying of laughter here.

 

Phyllis seems to be attracted to town pogo sticks. 

[soapfan770]

Whatever happened to Laemmle in the end? Did anyone get a chance to interview her after she was fired? 

[JAS0N47]

 

Don't remember seeing any. "Days" was her final writing stint. She lived another 28 years and died in 2008 at the age of 97.