DAYS: Behind the Scenes, Articles/Photos

[carolineg]

I am not a great historian on this but it seems like it was a bridge between Oliver and Forsyth.  I know DH was "temporary" or recurring for awhile and she herself said she was just a 6 week character.  I think it was more of a device to help Mickey with a new blonde shrink while they figured out what to do with Laura.  I personally think it's one of those things were a character took off while Laura burned through a lot of story and suffered from recasts.  

[Khan]

Given Mickey and Laura's history, it made sense for another psychiatrist to come in and help Mickey recover from his breakdown.  Otherwise, if it had been Laura, it would've been a conflict of interest of the highest order, lol.

I think the only actress who could have matched Susan Flannery's take on Laura was Erika Slezak; and obviously, she was otherwise engaged at the time.

Edited December 6, 2023 by Khan

[j swift]

Did Maggie ever get a memorable scene of confronting either Laura or Linda?

I've been thinking a lot about Linda with all the Eve talk over on Y&R.  They don't build villains like that anymore.  Margaret Mason was an icon, Talk about a cool blond. I bet she sold a ton of bleach.  Her haircut became such an important part of the character. (I know she wasn't the only Linda; yadda yadda).

And there are few things on soaps that I prefer more than the mousy good girl finally standing up to the cunning bad girl.

Edited December 6, 2023 by j swift

[carolineg]

Yeah, it's been years and I only saw DH/Marlena's edit but there were a lot of mentioned parallels at the time about her looks/personality compared to Laura.  Marlena even said she wasn't a natural blonde so she didn't worry about Mickey trying to hurt her.  Her children probably prove otherwise with the blonde thing lol.  But it's interesting to the think about the behind the scenes acts to make Marlena low key the new Laura and how it grew.  But pivoting her to Don instead of the Hortons.

[Khan]

They probably should have killed off Laura when SF left, since Susan Oliver and Rosemary Forsyth weren't successful recasts.

[SoapDope]

Macdonald Carey co-stars as Gidget's father Russell Lawrence in "Gidget Get's Married". This was an ABC TV movie of the week in January 1972 that was a proposed pilot for a series that ABC passed on. The cast is full of soap vets such as Joan Bennett, William Gray Espy, Judith McConnell, Elinor Donahue, Corinne Camacho, Helen Funai etc...I read somewhere that Monie Ellis who played Gidget was married to Chris Hubbell from AMC. Not 100% sure on that.

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Edited December 6, 2023 by SoapDope

[carolineg]

Probably and they could have always brought Laura back if they found the right recast because......it's Days.

[teplin]

Yes, and Elaine Princi was even worse as a replacement for Margaret Mason than JLB was for Susan Flannery. 

[Joseph]

True! We Went from A Mix Of Krystle Carrington & Tracy Kendall to A Rip-off Alexis! From what I read and Saw, At least Mason's Linda Loved her Kid, Princi's Not so much!

I guess if there was a confrontation between Maggie and Linda, We would have to be content with One With Princi & Rogers!

[Bright Eyes]

We don't talk about that. How could Sheri Anderson (et al) get it so horribly wrong? 

[SoapDope]

Elinor Donahue mentioned in her Archive Of American Television interview that she was being considered for a role on Days several years prior to playing Evil Nurse Honeycutt. She said she was replacing someone in a popular role and even tested in a blonde wig (which she said was hilarious). She was trying to remember the character and the interviewer jumped in and asked her if it was Marlena (Deidre Hall)....Donahue thinks and minute and agrees it may have been that role.......I think Elinor meant Susan Flannery (Laura Horton) before the interviewer side tracked her.  

[Joseph]

Laura or maybe even Linda!

[Khan]

Has Elaine Princi ever had a role on a soap that didn't end with disappointment and dissatisfaction?  Frankly, I don't know why shows kept hiring her.

Edited December 6, 2023 by Khan

[Joseph]

I loved her Dorian!

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[Joseph]

Well kinda off topic but, Has Maggie Fell off the wagon previous to 2019??? I have thought a lot about that, If not, the scenes involving her relapse were the biggest burning red flags of Ron Carlivati's Blatant incompetence!!! Extremely simple scenes for such a Big Deal as The End of 40 freaking Years Of Sobriety!

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