16 hours ago, DRW50 said:

 

I love seeing old commercials like this. Thank you! 

Speaking of Stefano, which we were in the other thread. 

Days of our Lives: The Complete Family Album by Lorraine Zenka. A 30th Anniversary Celebration: Regan Books, An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers. copyright © 1995

About his hiring, being cast ... 

Joe Mascolo (Stefano DiMera) I was with Burt Reynolds and Charles Nelson Reilly doing a Neil Simon play in Houston, Texas. My agent called to ask if I would test for this role on daytime TV. I refused. They asked that I read. I refused. Would you come to talk? When I came back to Los Angeles, I agreed to talk. Afterward I told my agent to find out who was the highest paid person on the show and tell them I wanted a dollar more. I thought for sure that they’d tell me to go away. I realized I was being a little difficult. I was having fun with it. The headwriter at the time, Pat Falken Smith, had seen me in a miniseries called, “Gangster Chronicles” and wanted me for Stefano. It was her call. She stuck to her guns. She wanted me for the role in spite of what others said and in spite of my protests. I gave her a few books on power and discussed what I would like to see in this role. The music, the chess, opera, art, culture, sense of power, family loyalty, and love. The bad guy cannot be totally dark. I particularly like the fact that if he gives his word to do something, he will not stop at anything. For the people he loves he will go to the end of the world.

Died December 8, 2016 in Los Angeles, California, USA (Alzheimer’s disease)

According to Soap Opera Digest, he had an open-ended contract on “Days of Our Lives,” which allowed him to play villainous Stefano DiMera whenever he felt like resuming the role (and whenever the writers came up with a good story line). This allowed the character to be “killed off” more times than anyone can count, coming back — in one memorable sequence — through a bargain with Satan himself.

Talking about Stefano as a father reminds me of this portion of Daphne's bio from the old Who's Who in Salem site:

It was no secret to Daphne that Stefano had affairs (and children) with numerous women, but there was nothing she could do about that. And Daphne watched as Stefano snatched those children from their mothers in order to mold them into an image of himself.

If the show wanted to go there, it could have given Tony more half-siblings in the '80s, and/or introduced other Stefano baby mamas.

2 hours ago, Franko said:

Talking about Stefano as a father reminds me of this portion of Daphne's bio from the old Who's Who in Salem site:

It was no secret to Daphne that Stefano had affairs (and children) with numerous women, but there was nothing she could do about that. And Daphne watched as Stefano snatched those children from their mothers in order to mold them into an image of himself.

If the show wanted to go there, it could have given Tony more half-siblings in the '80s, and/or introduced other Stefano baby mamas.

 

2 hours ago, Franko said:

If the show wanted to go there, it could have given Tony more half-siblings in the '80s, and/or introduced other Stefano baby mamas.

They still can if they want to. 🤷🏻‍♂️

6 hours ago, Franko said:

Talking about Stefano as a father reminds me of this portion of Daphne's bio from the old Who's Who in Salem site:

It was no secret to Daphne that Stefano had affairs (and children) with numerous women, but there was nothing she could do about that. And Daphne watched as Stefano snatched those children from their mothers in order to mold them into an image of himself.

If the show wanted to go there, it could have given Tony more half-siblings in the '80s, and/or introduced other Stefano baby mamas.

I'm still offended on Daphne's behalf that that one Tony/Andre retcon had her sleeping with the gardener for gosh sakes, like Daphne did anything to deserve that treatment. I don't even care if the gardener in question had a passing resemblance to a vital, young Don Diamont when they were in need of rescue on that island where Tony & Andre got a quicksand bath! 

They've done the "Stefano has ANOTHER kid!" thing way too many times. Especially since these kids who keep appearing can no longer meet him. Stefan, a grown-ass man who was allegedly a successful corporate raider, changed his whole damn name in honor of a guy he never even met?!

I think they've missed out on multiple opportunities to give Tony, or even Andre, kids. It was smart to introduce a grown child for Megan when they brought her in. It's crazy that Stefano only has (I think) seven grandchildren, considering how many kids they've given him.

41 minutes ago, Michael said:

They've done the "Stefano has ANOTHER kid!" thing way too many times. Especially since these kids who keep appearing can no longer meet him. Stefan, a grown-ass man who was allegedly a successful corporate raider, changed his whole damn name in honor of a guy he never even met?!

I think they've missed out on multiple opportunities to give Tony, or even Andre, kids. It was smart to introduce a grown child for Megan when they brought her in. It's crazy that Stefano only has (I think) seven grandchildren, considering how many kids they've given him.

When you're right, you're very right. Just compare the nuimber of Stef's kids to the number of Hortons.

1 hour ago, Michael said:

They've done the "Stefano has ANOTHER kid!" thing way too many times. Especially since these kids who keep appearing can no longer meet him.

That's why I wrote "in the '80s," when there would still be something of a novelty to growing the DiMeras.

1 hour ago, Michael said:

I think they've missed out on multiple opportunities to give Tony, or even Andre, kids. It was smart to introduce a grown child for Megan when they brought her in. It's crazy that Stefano only has (I think) seven grandchildren, considering how many kids they've given him.

I've always thought the show should have given Tony children.  Someone like Chad would have been ideal as Tony or Andre's child.  

I also think the show would have been better served bringing someone like Peter and perhaps his children back instead of adding kids like Stefan and Jake.

1 hour ago, Franko said:

That's why I wrote "in the '80s," when there would still be something of a novelty to growing the DiMeras.

Totally. It feels like they kinda did that in the 80s, though? We got Renee, Megan, and Benjy alone (plus Andre as a cousin) between 1981-88. Then as soon as Mascolo was back in the 90s, we got Kristen and Peter as adopted children, too, plus Lexie was right behind.

5 minutes ago, Michael said:

Totally. It feels like they kinda did that in the 80s, though? We got Renee, Megan, and Benjy alone (plus Andre as a cousin) between 1981-88. Then as soon as Mascolo was back in the 90s, we got Kristen and Peter as adopted children, too, plus Lexie was right behind.

And EJ a few years after Lexie

I think part of the issue with the 80s troop is they kept killing them off or diminishing them. Renee was dead basically as soon as she was established as a DiMera. Megan only really existed as a Bope spoiler and then got killed off. Benjy was a kid who went to live offscreen. Andre "died" in that quicksand. So I agree in that they never really established strong, long-running half-siblings for Tony -- who himself vanished in '86 -- plus Joe was in-and-out a lot during that decade.

Most of the "babymamas" were pretty irrelevant or unknown, too. Brenda Benet's death was a tragedy, and Lee was probably the one with the most future potential. They didn't really give a Stefano child a formidable mother until Celeste.

Also agree that not bringing back Peter (who could easily be recast!) with kids of his own is a big miss. And we have Benjy's son, Steven Hawk, out there somewhere.

Ron did start mentioning Peter regularly especially after Missy left, so I always figured the show would recast or bring him back.  Oh, well.