Courier Express, 15 April 1979

Days Actress Has Change of Fortune by Jon Michael Reed.

How quickly fortunes change in soapland. Three months ago Mary Frann was told she would no longer be a regular in the role of Amanda on "Days of Our Lives" A new head writer had altered Mary and Amanda's fates.

Mary joined Days in 1974 after a years stint on the now defunct 'Return to Peyton Place' as industrialist D. B. Bentley. Prior to that had been a 1961 Junior Miss beauty contestant and a TV weather announcer in her hometown, St. Louls, Mo.

The actress' first duties on "Days" involved Amanda Howard's suicidal malaise, which was remedied by married medico Greg Peters, who later left his wife to devote his attentions to Amanda. Another doctor, Nell Curtis, also tailed Amanda relentlessly. But after brain surgery and memory loss, Amanda realized that Nell was a snake in the grass and eventually married Greg. Last fall, the couple moved to Chicago and out of the Salem, U.S.A. spotlight on "Days."

MEANWHILE, the on-screen romance of Chris Kositcheck and Mary Anderson grew stale without a third party to cause emotional conflict. Also, actors Josh Taylor (Chris) and Barbara Stanger (Mary) weren't hiding the fact that they were not, to put it mildly, compatible as a romantic screen duo. They barely speak to éach other once the cameras stop rolling.

The show's new writer has brought Amanda back into the picture, explained that her marriage to Greg wasn't working, and it appears that Amanda and Chris are slated to provide future story juice. Does that mean that Mary Frann is back on ''Days" permanently? According to the studio, "Mary is not a contract player. But we will use her in the story when her schedule and our production schedule are agreeable." And, of course, if Amanda and Chris' sparks ignite audience interest, you can bet that she'll be around the Salem scene more regularly.

Damn.

Sounds like Barbara Stanger and Josh Taylor were the OG Lisa Rinna and Robert Kelker Kelly lol

Too bad that it didn’t work out for Amanda/Mary Frann though