Y&R: Old Articles

[YRfan23]

haha...Y&R is definitely "off-beat" for sure....and this is coming from someone who was a fan of "Passions"

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but Y&R has always been such a unique animal, in the soap world......with it's production and somewhat "old-fashioness"  but yet still up to date on the current culture.....that's what intrigues me about it the most. 

[Broderick]

 

Yep, in those early years, it didn't even RESEMBLE anything else on television.   The content was relatively old-fashioned (people talking about romance and relationships, mostly), but it was so slick and lush and moody, featured so much SKIN and sensuality, moved in such a free-flowing and liquid manner, didn't seem to play by the rules of other shows.   One scene might show Snapper stepping out of the shower and taking Chris to bed; the next scene might show Brock strumming a hymn on his guitar while Kay frantically chain-smoked cigarettes.   It had a such a strange and stylized look -- not like "real people", but like someone's IDEA of real people.  You just never knew what you were gonna see on Y&R. 

[SoapDope]

I noticed Bell made sure his dialogue would mention the character's name being spoke to. Like " Chris you're in love with love" Leslie I know your first love is the piano......go back and look at the 1975 episode where all the characters make sure to  often speak the name of who they are talking to. I guess Bell wanted a potential new viewer who may stumble upon the show while channel surfing could  pick it right up if they started to watch.

[YRfan23]

I like that.....It always makes it easier for me to know "who's who" which like you said was probably Bill Bell's intent.

[BoldRestless]

 

I also remember things like Gina continually referring to Danny as "little brother."

[Broderick]

 

I believe that the constant repetition of NAMES was something that Irna Phillips developed in the 1950s, and then passed along to Bill Bell.   The idea of repetition initially stemmed from the realization that viewers might wander into the kitchen or the utility room during the show, but if the names were being repeated during each line of dialogue, viewers would know who was speaking even if the viewer was merely listening (like the old radio shows), rather than actually watching.  (Plus, as y'all said, it also reinforces to newer viewers who the characters are.) 

 

Bell was a master of "stylizing" his dialogue.  For instance, a scene would start with, "What brings YOU by?"  And the answer would be, "I think you have SOME IDEA why I'm here."  The first character would then say, "No, I can't imagine what YOU could POSSIBLY have to say to ME."  And the answer would be, "Oh, I think you KNOW what I'm here to discuss with you."  "Well, I'm not interested in anything YOU have to say."  "Oh, you'll be interested in THIS -- very interested, indeed!"  (lol.  Who the hell talks that way in real life?!   But it slowly develops the tension of whether or not *the secret* that frames the scene is about to be revealed to the other character and to the audience.)

 

Bell's characters were also very STYLIZED in their stage movements, though this was probably a joint effort between Bell and John Conboy.  We saw this type of stylization VIVIDLY in the 1975 episode where Jennifer Brooks was being wheeled into the operating room for her mastectomy.  There were six characters present for Jennifer's surgery --- Stuart, the four daughters, and Bruce Henderson.  At the end of the episode, as the orchestrated music swelled to its climax, all six of the "surgery witnesses" strode into the hospital corridor and struck stylized, non-realistic, magazine-type poses that would linger in the viewer's mind long after the closing credits rolled.  Peggy threw herself into Stuart's arms, carefully projecting her profile toward the camera.  Bruce Henderson stood against the wall and struck a GQ pose, with his arms folded across his chest.   Lorie, Chris, and Leslie positioned themselves directly in front of the operating room doors like Charlie's Angels, with the blonde girl in the middle, and the two girls with darker hair flanking her on either side.   They all placed their arms around each other, with Lorie and Leslie gazing toward the camera, while Chris raised her face and looked toward the ceiling, allowing the lighting to gently carress her beautiful blonde hair.  The girls' outfits were carefully selected in advance from Giorgio's of Beverly Hills so that the girls would look color-coordinated with each other, and none of them would clash with the operating doors that they would be posing in front of at the conclusion of the episode.

 

THAT'S the kind of stylized posing, posturing and voguing that made Y&R look so strange and so astonishingly unique.     

[Legacy]

Did victor ever get scenes with the other brooks women because i can only remember lorie and peggy unless he had scenes with chris and leslie randomly.

 

I think leslie knew of victor involvement with lorie but i dont think they ever shared a scene but im not sure, also i do know victor knew stuart cause isnt that how eve came into the picture originally

[will81]

Leslie gave Nikki piano lessons at one point. I think Victor hired her. I assume they shared a scene or two.

[Legacy]

I remember hearing that was through casey and even when leslie showed up to the ranch they made it sound like as if victor wasnt there or maybe its different occasions she showed up who knows

[will81]

Oh right, yeah it is definitely possible that Leslie and Victor never shared a scene in that case. Very interesting.

[Legacy]

Also i think it would have been wonderful if they had put jill in other orbits other then chancellor and fosters, she could have had a stronger rivalry with lorie or leslie through the prentiss orbit and also that would have been good to see vanessa reaction to jill which could have possibly made for some kay and vanessa plotting on jill, lorie conversations lol

 

But then again they did put her in a whole new family orbit when john and jack were being developed.

Edited September 15, 2019 by Legacy

[Broderick]

 

I can only remember one ocassion when Jill interacted with a Prentiss.   Around 1979, Leslie Brooks disappeared off the face of the earth for a while.  (She was with Jonas at his nightclub.)  Lance Prentiss was concerned that perhaps Leslie had another nervous breakdown or whatever, when he wasn't able to locate her anywhere.   He called Stuart Brooks' house (of course) to see if Leslie's father had any knowledge of Leslie's whereabouts.  I guess Stuart wasn't on the show that day, so Jill answered the phone.   It was like a 30-second conversation.  "Hi, this is Lance Prentiss.  Who is this?"  "This is Jill."  "Oh.  Is Mr. Brooks there?"  "No."  "I was wondering if maybe Leslie was there ...."  "No, haven't seen her."  "Has Leslie been by there at all today, or yesterday, or the day before?"  "No."  That was about the extent of it, lol.     

[YRfan23]

I can picture a brief interaction happening like that!

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  Bill Bell seemed to always do that whenever characters who didn't cross paths at all shared a phone conversation. but that's so amazing!

I have to point out too (and I apologize if this was mentioned way before) but when Snapper and Chris married in 1974. Jill was a bridesmaid and did share scenes with the entire Brooks family when they were helping Chris get ready.( I watched the episode at the Paley Center)  It seemed like Jill and Chris were good friends, but also Leslie seemed to like her too, and Jennifer was very friendly towards her....Lorie obviously was indifferent because I guess she had just gotten back to town a couple months earlier.

[SoapDope]

I would love to see that episode. I have seen clips, but not the entire thing. 

[YRfan23]

It was a great episode!

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 I always figured the Brooks and Fosters had some interaction with Chris and Snapper being married, but it was just great to see Jill with the 4 Brooks sisters all being like family.....I guess things fell apart when she married Stuart.