All My Children Tribute Thread

[DRW50]

Judith Barcroft's outfit in that photo baffles me every time I see it. It's like a matronly flower child of the Highlands.

Margo - never any good hair.

[danfling]

Claudette's husband was named Spencer Montgomery. It was never said if Spencer was related to Travis and Jackson. They all had presegious relatives. When Jackson was first introduced, Sallie Gracie was playing an aunt of the two brothers. Anyway, the show never stated if these three men were related or not.

Claudette's father was actually Jason Maxwell, although Margo had been married to Harry Flax at the time of her birth. Margo had been trying to get two sets of child support over the years.

To say that Erica and Margo were friends is an exageration. Margo resented Erica. Margo allowed Erica to live in her apartment, but it was only because Margo was feeling a financial pinch and needed the extra money. Margo had struggled to send Claudette to a private school and was now needing to have money for Claudette's lavish wedding. Margo also was jealous of Erica because she was a new, young model and the career of Margo was coming to an end because of her age. Also, Erica was having an affair with Jason, Margo's former lover and Claudette's father.

Margo moved to Pine Valley because her career as a model was over. She took a job at the Boutique.

Later, Claudette visited Margo and announced that her marriage to Spencer was over.

Paulette Breen was the original Claudette, and probably the one that most people remember. She moved to Pine Valley and became involved with the drug smuggling because she was a drug user and could not afford it so she allowed herself to be used in the sales. It was not Eddie Dorrance who was initially involved. Rather it was Hal Shea, the first husband of Kitty. Hal was using the name Hal Short. He was having drug shipments sent to The Boutique in shipments of soap. Both Kitty and Margo worked for Ann, who had bought The Boutique from Sidney when she left Pine Valley.

Claudette eventually took a drug overdose, and she was sent away to prison. She later returned to Pine Valley being played by Susan Platt-Winston. She possibly would have died had Dr. Frank Grant not been there when she collasped.

Following Kitty's death, Myrtil left Pine Valley. Both Erica and Claudette wanted Lincoln for themselves. Claudette, I think, actually fell in love with Lincoln.

It was Myrtil who initially found the Kitty look-alike, Kelly Cole. Kelly was a musician (both a singer and songwriter) who was managed by Eddie Dorance. Eddie controlled Kelly by giving her drugs, and she was dependant on him.

Myrtil brought Kelly to Pine Valley. Eddie followed. She became a singer at The Chateau, and he became the manager after Nick Davis (former husband of Kelly) left Pine Valley. Ellen Shepherd also worked at The Chateau at the time, along with its Ma"tre d Freddie.

Kelly even tried getting drugs from Dr. Joe Martin by pretending to be sick with narcolespy.

Claudette also had a one-night stand with Phil Brent (Erica's second husband). Susan Platt-Winston was pregant at the time, so I am pretty sure that the show toyed with the idea of a child whose parents were Claudette and Phil.

Rather than that, they decided to make Claudette the killer of Eddie. I understand that Susan Platt-Winston only had about a 48-hour notice that she was being written off the show. She had a death scene in which she confessed to the killing. Her acting in this scene was horrible, and I think that it was intentional because she was angry about being written off.

Kitty had initially come to Pine Valley looking for her mother. She even asked Kate Martin if she had any knowledge about her birth, but Kate knew little. Kitty died, and Kelly never found out anything about their mother.

[All My Shadows]

Thank you very much for all of that, danfling. I must admit I was only summarizing the vague memories I have of reading SOC's yearly recaps about ten years ago (those recaps seem to be missing from the site now). Margo remains the AMC character I most want to see stuff of.

[Pine Charles]

Margo and Claudette sound like such tawdry sluts. Damn.

Eddie Dorrance also raped Brooke; she got pregnant and aborted. That's rarely (if ever?) been mentioned in subsequent years.

Edited September 18, 2012 by Pine Charles

[AMCHistory]

It was probably AMC's first "redemption by rape" story.

Here is another photos of Claudette as played by Susan Plantt-Wilson:

[Pine Charles]

What year was iBrooke's abortion? About 1980, right?

I remember reading about it in the AMC Trivia Book; I was very surprised, as I never remember hearing anyone mention it (unless I missed it).

[AMCHistory]

Some more of my favourite photos, that I rarely share at full resolution:

Skye Chandler (Robin Christopher) is all her 90's glory:

A photo of Ellen (Kathleen Noone) in the old Tucker home (next to the Martin home, which would switch hands many times eventually becoming the Dillon residence):

Our beloved late Natalie (Kate Collins) showing off her assets in what has to be the sexiest otufit in heaven:

A rare photo of short-term JR (Jonathan Bennett, a lot of lost potential here) and Adam (David Canary):

I remember her talking about it again around the time she was pregnant with Jamie, and her subsequent pregnancy with Tad while they were married. It was part of her decision making in not having another abortion. Of course, she had to end her second pregnancy with Tad because it was ectopic and could have killed her.

[AMCHistory]

I have it as 1979.

[Pine Charles]

Thanks.

I thought it was either late '70s or early '80s.

I wish that story was on YouTube.

[AMCHistory]

Someday right... AMC needs to be streamed officially by ABC. I would buy a subscription.

[danfling]

Brooke was raped by Eddie Dorrance. She went on a date with him, but he raped her afterward. I believe that is when she had the abortion. Eddie died in 1978, and this was at Christmastime. So, it must have been 1977.

So, three of the major female characters of All My Children were rape victims: Brooke, Erica, and Ruth.

Above, I may have been a year too early. Eddie may have died in 1979.

[AMCHistory]

My records have Warren Burton in the role of Eddie until 1979. This only makes sense since Warren Burton and Francesca James would both win Supporting Acting awards at the 1980 7th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards for their work in 1979.

Yes, Rape is/was such an overplayed plot point. The rape of Ruth Martin was savage, she was in a parking lot.

[All My Shadows]

The Martins vs. Ray storyline is one I've always wanted to see. I've never seen any clips of Matthew Anton as Tad, but that must have been a lot of heavy stuff for a child actor to play.

[saynotoursoap]

AMC history is correct. Eddie was murdered in October 1979. Claudette was killed the following March. Susan Plantt Winston did not know her character was to be the killer until she accidentally overhead technicians discussing how to stage Claudette's death.

Ruth's rape was savage, but it was used to make an important observation: rape does not happen just to attractive young women. Ruth was middle aged and very conservative in her dress. Virtually all of the rapes previously presented in daytime were assaults against women who were more openly sexual and considered desirable to men. Ruth showed that any woman could be a victim of violent assault, and it was one of Nxon's "issue" stories rather than a mere plot contrivance such as the one in which she had Mike rape Julie on Guiding Light.

[Cheap21]

I loved them! I only wish AMC had given them a story