DAYS: Behind the Scenes, Articles/Photos

[carolineg]

 

I am sure the number was exaggerated, but 1000 calls doesn't seem like that much to me.  I have to doubt Deidre was answering those calls though lol.   All in all, it's basically a harmless publicity stunt that I believed as truth for years.  Looking at it clearer, it's obvious it wasn't real or at least amped up in the press.  It gave DH/Marlena more visibility and gave buzz to an already popular pairing of Roman/Marlena.   At least Days didn't waste the stunt on someone lame like Jessica/Josh or something lol.

 

FWIW, I think the Strangler story did go on for a couple of weeks after Marlena was revealed alive.  I don't think Roman knew for a few days at least. Don knew almost right away. Jake found her in a cabin or something and then Roman had to shoot him.  Really wants to make me want to watch early Roman/Marlena.  They were so good.  

[FrenchBug82]

Even today, people actually still CALL the networks for the DUMBEST things so I don't disbelieve that 1000 people, not a huge number, could have called back then.
But obviously the whole thing was a PR stunt where the impact was exagerated for press consumption.
Honestly I prefer that to, say, all the press Y&R is trying to get right now for hiring Thelma Hopkins for a one-day role just to get a round of coverage about the "reunion" with Bryton James.

At least the Marlena death back then was an organic PR stunt about the *show* rather than trying to ride the coattails of other shows.

[carolineg]

 

Agreed.  Days had to something to combat the Luke/Laura craze.  I don't hate it.  It was a good story, Marlena was a popular heroine, and Roman/Marlena were generally an unproblematic couple.  So the show lied about the impact?  Oh well.  It's a good anecdote about the show's most popular heroine.  I doubt anyone at the show thought it would be questioned 40 years later. 

I definitely take it any day over hiring James Franco to do whatever he did on GH and still feel the effects to this day with publicity that did nothing to help the ratings or the show lol.

[JAS0N47]

FROM THE VAULT: 45 YEARS AGO...MAY 31, 1976...DOUG PROPOSES TO JULIE, BUT KIM HAS A SURPRISE...

 

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Episode # 2652: Julie is stunned when Doug presents her with a cigar band ring and asks her to marry him. Before she can answer, Hank and Rosie arrive for an unconventionally early dinner at Doug's Place. Kim shows up from the wings in one of her native Polynesian costumes, to assume her role as new hostess at the restaurant. When Julie exits, a saucy Kim tells Doug she must speak to him about something terribly important should Julie answer yes to his proposal. Doug is stunned to learn from Kim that if Julie says yes to his proposal he has a big problem: Kim neglected to finalize her divorce from Doug years ago, so legally he is still very much married to her.

[victoria foxton]

I knew of Kim Douglas existence . But i had no idea she was a Polynesian princess.

[jam6242]

I think the princess part was a lie.  As was her claim that she never divorced Doug.

 

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[yrfan1983]

Kim, played by Helen Funai, went on to play cult leader Sumiko during summer ‘80 on YR

[JAS0N47]

 

Cool photo, Jam! Thanks for posting. I'll be posting the 6/1/76 continuation soon, so I'll use this as the photo. I googled for any photos of Helen Funai and Bill together, but didn't see any, so I'm glad you found a great photo of her actually in the outfit discussed in the script!

[jam6242]

Looking forward to reading the continuation!

[JAS0N47]

I did my best to edit out all of the wording on the photo, so hopefully this doesn't look too bad. I'll pair it with the 6/1/76 summary!

 

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[JAS0N47]

FROM THE VAULT: 45 YEARS AGO: JUNE 1, 1976...DOUG WORRIES ABOUT STILL BEING MARRIED TO KIM, AND WONDERS IF JULIE WILL SAY YES TO HIS PROPOSAL...

 

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(Thanks to "Days" fan Jam for finding and posting a photo of Doug, Julie and Kim from this specific week of episodes!)

 

Episode # 2653: Doug is stunned by what it means regarding his marriage to Addie, and to his daughter, Hope, that he and Kim are not divorced. Kim says as far as Julie is concerned, perhaps she isn't ready for marriage, feeling that as his wife, Doug might decide it wasn't so bad after all, the relationship they had. Doug is a man emotionally sweating. When Julie tells Kim that Doug proposed, Kim pretends to be surprised, and wickedly suggests she marry him. Doug is torn to pieces over Julie's answer - wanting her to say yes to marriage, yet knowing he's in a bind if she does. Kim tosses him a kiss from the sidelines as he talks with Julie. Doug sweats bullets and Julie toys with him about her answer.

[JAS0N47]

FROM THE VAULT: 45 YEARS AGO: JUNE 2, 1976: HOPE ASKS DOUG IF KIM CAN BE HER NEW MOMMY, BUT JULIE HAS OTHER PLANS...

 

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Episode # 2654. New Day. Julie enters Don's office, late, having been to see Amanda. It's a moment tinged with sadness, but primarily a happy one for Julie as she tells Don about her marriage proposal from Doug and that she intends to accept it. At Doug's Place, Doug is still smarting from finding out that he and Kim are still married. Kim tells him not to worry, she's found an attorney and will be filing for divorce. Hope doesn't help the situation any when she asks Doug if Kim can be her Mommy. Later, as they babysit Hope, Robert and Rebecca discuss the mysterious Kim while Kim shows up at Don Craig's office for her appointment. After a cat-like exchange with Linda, Kim discusses her divorce from Brent Douglas with Don, who finds Kim thoroughly enchanting. Over coffee in the hospital coffee shop, Doug tells Neil that he's asked Julie to marry him. Doug is worried about the effect all babies seem to have on Julie and tells Neil he wants no part in artificial insemination, nor the money he paid to arrange the adoption. Neil tells him the news that the mother wants to keep her baby after all, that Doug is off the hook. Later, Doug tells Rebecca that he's going to marry Julie and in doing so, jolts Rebecca into seeing that she can not live a lie as Bill and Laura did. Julie is hurt, but not too badly, when Hope rejects her in preference to Kim. She confronts Kim, telling her that Doug has asked her to marry him, that she intends to accept the proposal, and that Hope will have a new mother, and it isn't going to be Kim.

[jam6242]

Thanks for posting the synopses @JAS0N47! 

[JAS0N47]

 

You're welcome! Glad you are enjoying them!!  

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[JAS0N47]

FROM THE VAULT: 45 YEARS AGO: JUNE 3, 1976: DOUG BUYS A DIAMOND RING FOR JULIE JUST AS SOME SALEMITES BEGIN TO FIND OUT HE IS BRENT DOUGLAS...

 

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Episode # 2655: Doug goes to a chic jewelry shop to buy Julie a diamond ring. Meanwhile, Julie questions Don about Kim's legal papers she just put in the filing cabinet. She's surprised to learn that Kim is married and filing for divorce from a man named Brent Douglas who is a friend of Doug's. Doug returns home and happily shows Robert the ring he bought for Julie. Linda arrives with divorce papers for Brent Douglas. Kim told Don that Doug knows where Brent is and will get the papers to him. Doug and Robert are stunned. After Linda leaves, Doug confesses to Robert that he is Brent Douglas and that Kim told him she never got their final divorce. There are many things about his past that Julie doesn't know. Robert warns him he better tell her fast. Julie comes in then and tells the two men about the information she found out about Kim while she was filing papers in Don's office. Did Doug know Kim was married? Doug is saved from answering when Kim and Hope come in from the back yard. Hope throws another bomb by asking Doug if Kim can be her new Mommy when Rebecca gets married. Doug talks to Kim alone, gives her hell for having gone to Don for the divorce. Not only does Julie work there, but Don is in love with Julie. Don could use this information against Doug when he puts the pieces together. Don arrives to ask for Brent Douglas' address. He wants to discuss a financial settlement for Kim with her husband. Doug tries to evade answering Don's questions about Brent Douglas. Finally however, he is forced to confess that he is Brent Douglas. Shocked, Don warns him he'd better level with Julie. Determined not to lose Julie no matter how things are messed up now, Doug gives her the diamond ring and asks her to wear it as a promise of their future marriage.