DAYS: Behind the Scenes, Articles/Photos

[Liberty City]

I always enjoy interviews that come out from the Television Academy's FoundationINTERVIEWS. And thankfully she found a better experience at All My Children that ABC ruined in the end.

[BetterForgotten]

I guess AMC was a happier personal experience, but she faced the same thing character-wise. Hell, I’d probably go as far to say Ceara was more poorly developed than Diana (despite Agnes Nixon’s involvement). 

[Liberty City]

Which is a shame, because in explaining the job (in the same interview), she said Ceara was a character (over Diana never being one), with back story and all.

[asafi]

After 54 incredible years, it's time to say goodbye to our beloved Doug...

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In the upcoming weeks, we'll get to relive his most touching and unforgettable moments through special flashbacks, and reunite with beloved characters from the past like Liz, Steve Olson, and Marie.

Get your tissues ready - this is going to be an emotional farewell to a true Days of Our Lives legend who brought so much joy, love, and music to Salem

#Days #DOOL #DougWilliams

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[Contessa Donatella]

I'm just not ready. 

[Khan]

TBH, watching Genie Francis play Ceara on AMC always was jarring.  For one - and this is true of every other role she's had on daytime - she never seemed able to shake off the aura of being Laura Spencer.  For another, she was playing a type of character (the scheming vixen) that really didn't suit her, or play to her strengths as an actor.

The incest storyline and romance with Jeremy seemed like a good opportunity to reset Ceara as someone more within GF's acting wheelhouse; yet, if you go back and watch the scenes where Ceara confronted her abusive father, played by Stephen Joyce - that is, if those scenes are still available online - you can see that GF was let down by some directors who allowed her to make questionable acting choices (to put it mildly, lol).  To this day, I believe it was her performance in those scenes, as well as ABC's belief that she was worth more to them as Laura than she was as another character, that sealed her fate, as I don't recall AMC doing much with Ceara after that storyline (her wedding to Jeremy in that ultra-matronly Geoffrey Beene gown notwithstanding).

[Khan]

This story won't be worth a damn if they don't show Doug and Julie dancing to "The Look of Love," or Doug singing "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" to little Hope.

[Contessa Donatella]

Back when they did the public Celebration of Bill's life, they streamed it. What follows was Susan's eulogy. At the time it touched me in my very core. It still does. 

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“The look of love. Bill Hayes had it and made this world shine with it, especially when he was looking at us. He was born to matchless parents whose three boys grew up to become part of what America calls the greatest generation. His lady mother, Betty, had the playful warmth and imagination of a fairy queen Betty. William Foster Hayes, his debonair father, was a nurturing parent with theatrical flair in his robust tenor voice. Billy’s first memory of being alive was climbing out of his crib and crawling along the floor to the top of the stairs so he could hear his father’s barbershop quartet rehearsing. The Hayeses lived in Harvey, Illinois, a suburb of mighty Chicago and little Billy loved to play baseball. He played baseball every day with his brothers and the kids in the neighborhood and he also played piano, with the natural ear to knock out any tune in any key. This unsettled his piano teacher, who discouraged such unbridled musicality. So he switched to the violin and fiddled away until his 92nd year. At Thornton High School, he joined the orchestra and began singing with his dad in the church choir. He told me sometimes in this church, he could hear his dad’s voice harmonizing with him on all the grand old hymns. Back at Thornton in the string section, he sat across from the lovely Mary Hobbs. The petite redhead made quite an impression and was to become the first Mrs. Bill Hayes when they attended DePaul University together.

Yes, during World War II, he joined the Navy and and trained to become a fighter pilot. And the service taught him how to navigate by air and sea, how to fly a Stearman — that’s an open cockpit plane. Goggles, white scarf. Yeah, just like you imagine. The Navy also taught him to dive off a 50-foot platform swim five miles fully clothed in one go, taught him to survive for three days on a deserted beach without food or water, and how to kill a man with his bare hands. Not planning to use these skills in civilian life, he was very happy to muster out of the Navy 24 hours after Japan surrendered. But he loved the flying. He’d dream about it many times, wake up with a smile on his face.

Here are some of the things he accomplished in his marvelous years among us. He raised five children, years later became a positive mentor to his 12 grandchildren. He helped build a village hospital in Angola, he wrote two published published books, was working on the third, he took up dancing seriously at 65, he earned a master of music degree at Northwestern and at 73, a doctorate of education at the University of West Virginia. He also served on the boards of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Professional Dancer’s Society for 30 years and of course, First Christian Church. He had a gold record, he starred on Broadway for Rogers and Hammerstein and in over 100 musicals, plays and national tours. He made the cover of Time magazine in 1976, representing the pop culture of daytime drama, and from 1949 to 2024, participated in the dawn, high summer and sunset of network television as we know it. There is a Lifetime Achievement Award on his piano. I should hope so.

The following list of some of his favorite things — besides chocolate — Italy, grand opera, lyrics, puns of his own composing, family dinners and choir rehearsals and tap dancing and up tunes, new places to visit and old songs to sing. The Dodgers. New York City. Serenades and sunshine in the morning. Performing, poached eggs, The Count of Monte Cristo and Casablanca, every single Christmas card with photos of his friends and family, colored markers and piles of sheet music, an old safari jacket he wore to every continent and the morning sports pages and his grandmother’s violin. Red roses, red lips, red sauces, red wine and an Indian ruby he gave to me. He took me to the Taj Mahal, he took me me to the pyramids, he took me to the Great Wall of China, and he took me to paradise with every kiss.

Songs he composed: ‘Ramshackle Daddy,’ ‘Here Comes The Macy’s Parade’, ‘I Love To Tap’ and ‘I’ve Got The World By The Tail’. Joyful tunes from a heart pounding with the rhythms of life. His mind and spirit never changed, I promise — it never changed til all those happy birthdays took his strength away. What gifts he had, my sweetest of sweethearts, my beautiful, ageless troubadour.

my Luve is like a red, red rose

That’s newly sprung in June;

O my Luve is like the melody

That’s sweetly played in tune.

What will people remember about this exuberant, intelligent, spiritual gentleman? The music, the great performances, the good times? You know, besides his talents, each one of you spoke of his kindness. In Webster’s Dictionary, the word kind means gentle and generous. Yeah, that’s it. I mean, that’s it exactly. He treated all strangers as potential friends and never returned indifference with a harsh word or a cynical remark. Why did we all love him so much? Because he saw us. Bill gave everyone — a visitor at his door or a troubled grandchild — a smiling greeting that was full of optimistic expectation. But he saw in us something wonderful and we became, in his company, as wonderful as we all want to be. No surprise, his favorite movie was Love Actually. He was passionately reaching out to people his whole life’s song, with a song, a story and that look of love, love that transcends time and lifts us all into the light sublime where creation never ends and we all are shining, too. May his love live on to warm you in his light. And oh, how bright is Billy’s light.”

[Contessa Donatella]

These early episodes continue to be eligible for the Star Billing Blog since the voiceover includes: "DAYS OF OUR LIVES, a new dramatic serial starring Macdonald Carey."
11-19-65 
21:14 There's considerable visual clutter, lines, distortion at first but then it settles down & the quality from there on is fine. 
Cast: Mickey Horton, Ben Olson, Jim, Craig Merritt, Tony Merritt, Marie Horton, Tom Horton.
In Salem: Ben comes to Mickey who wants to talk about whether there's any point to this meeting they're supposed to be going to, meet with Harry. Ben thinks it's a good idea. Obviously, Mickey does not. Ben says that Harry got the high school principal, Mr. Yarborough, to write a glowing, complimentary letter about Julie & send it to the judge. Mickey says this judge is not going to be swayed  by that & he's also not going to appreciate this kind of effort. He knows about Julie & her life & her parents. Mickey sums up his position by saying this meeting with Harry will have no effect on the results of next Tuesday's hearing. Ben asks him what he thinks the judge will say. Mickey says he's going to want to shake things up. Ben: You mean, move? Mickey: This, with Julie has been coming on for a long while. She's got to be made to see the consequences of her actions.
In Boston: Jim enters his apartment. Tony's not there. The phone rings. It's Craig Merritt, Tony's dad, and he wants to check on the logistics of Tony flying to Salem later today. As far as Jim knows, everything remains the same. Craig says he & Marie will meet Tony at the airport. 
Tony's in a bar, drinking. 
In Salem: Tom takes a patient phone call while Craig is on the phone. After Marie models a hat for them. Tom says Marie has never liked a hat in her whole life. Marie says Tony loves hats. Craig has no opinion about hats. Marie has a premonition of some sort. She doesn't understand it but she has this bad feeling about Tony. Marie leaves. Tom & Craig head to the kitchen for ice cream.
In Boston: Jim is trying to get Tony to go to the airport. Tony: I can't do it to her. I can't marry her. Do not tell anyone about this illness. I can't help the way it's going to look. I'm definitely calling off the wedding. I simply cannot marry her when she would then have to take care of me for the rest of my life, as an invalid.
Tony & Jim make their farewells. Tony to try to get an earlier flight. Jim says he still thinks Tony has that fellowship sewed up for next semester. 

11-23-65
Same intro
21:34 B&W good quality throughout
Cast: Tom, Mickey, Addie, Ben, Julie, a male judge, Tony & his friend Jim
In Salem, at the Hortons. The phone rings. Tom answers, it's Marie, looking for Tony. Marie & Alice are out doing something for the upcoming nuptials. Tom us quite put out at things being in disarray at the house. Mickey arrives. They are to meet with the judge in Julie's case in 20 mins. Tom dreads it & wishes he didn't have to. Mickey tries to get Tom to relax, telling him its natural things would be crazy when there's a wedding Saturday. We don't see them meet with that judge.
In Salem, at the Olson. Addie is SO upset. You could even say she is a little hysterical. Her POV is how terrible it is that their Julie is in trouble, again. Ben seems less concerned, although he does seem put off by the very idea  of them having to deal with probation officers, judges, lawyers, etc. 
In Salem, at the courthouse, Tom, Mickey, Julie, Ben & Addie are meeting with the judge in charge of her case. He is pleased to have all the reports he needs. He seems optimistic but then he tells them what the conclusion is & it is that nothing is going to change without a change in Julie's situation. They insist that she must move to a different venue. Ben & Addie are quite upset at this news. The judge goes on, it could be a remedial school, which either I or you could choose, or it could be another home. The judge asks Julie what she thinks. Julie says please, another home, my grandparents's home. Tom initially is startled but then he sees that it might be an excellent idea. He expresses this. 
Next, we see Ben & Addie, just the two of them. I'm not sure where they are. It may just be the hallway outside the office they had been in. Addie is so upset. She feels things are terrible & that they are losing their little girl. She cries, hysterically.
Last, and I'm not sure where we are but it seems to be Salem. Present are Tony & his friend Jim. Jim says, "See, this was a good thing. Another day when you're with Marie & things are gonna be fine." Tony shouts, "There is not going to be a wedding! And, you promised not to say anything to anyone about this blood disease." So, there is a very real problem.
 

[Contessa Donatella]

This is SSH giving the eulogy at the public Celebration of Bill Hayes Life at their local church last February.

My Rumble acct. 

acct name shallotpeel

Video title DAYS SSH Eulogy 2-10-24

 

[asafi]

Tom, Alice, Bill, Mickey, Addie and Tommy Jr. are all gone now. Such a profound loss for the Horton family legacy. It would be quite emotional if Marie acknowledges this during her upcoming visit to Salem. The Horton family's history runs so deep there. 

[jam6242]

Bill and Susan performing at the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade in 1981.

https://rumble.com/v46s7ab-november-26-1981-here-comes-the-macys-parade-bill-and-susan-seaforth-hayes.html

[Contessa Donatella]

Early DAYS Recaps

11-24-65 
Intro is the same but there's both audio & visual clutter which obscures part of it. 

20:47 After the intro good quality throughout. A slight hum. A slight pinkish hue. B&W.

Cast: Tom, Marie, Alice, Julie, Tony, Craig

In Salem, at the Horton's. Morning. Tom brings morning coffee to Marie. They talk about his not wanting to give up his only remaining daughter whose wedding is on Saturday. They talk about some guy named Rick who broke her heart. Tom tries to suggest she might not be as happy as she is right now if she hadn't gone through that. Marie seems dubious. She changes the subject to her fella, Tony. Tom teases her that she still has pin curls in her hair & he doesn't want to see that & neither would Tony. 
At the bridal photographer's studio. Marie is in a bridal gown. Alice & Julie are spectators. The photographer gets his picture then asks to get one more, just in case. Julie asks Marie when Tony will get his picture made & she replies Saturday before the ceremony. 
Back at the Horton's. Alice & Marie are pre-packing clothes for their short, planned honeymoon. Marie tries to get Alice to talk about her wedding & honeymoon, but Alice doesn't want to say. 
In Salem, but now moved to Craig's house. He comes in & Tony's already there. Craig asks Tony if he's thought things over as he asked him to. Tony says he's calling off the wedding, which means, no, he didn't think things over. Craig again says he has no reason for doing this. Tony says he is not ready for the responsibility that goes along with it & that Marie will be glad he did so in the long run. Craig asks what his friend Jim thinks. Tony says that Jim came with him to Salem because he thought Tony would come to his senses, change his mind. But he won't. It's the best way out. It's what he has to do. Craig predicts  he will regret this for the rest of his life. 
At the Horton's Tom is reading the paper & Alice is looking at something she's holding & talking about children in Christmas pageants. Tom reminisces that Mickey at 5 years old, came home & told them they were doing a Christmas play & he was to be one of the 3 "wise guys". They laugh & then say how they are grateful for so much but don't specify what. 

Full closing credits. 
 

[Contessa Donatella]

Just did an edit of the very last moments of today's show. 

My Rumble acct.

acct name: shallotpeel

Video title: DAYS 11-28-24 Bye Doug Day 1 

[Contessa Donatella]

Another edit. Same place. Same acct. name.

Video Title: DAYS 11-28-24 Melissa Reeves