Sometimes, I forget how much I loved writing about AMC. I wish my job gave me time to continue working on the History Project.

Here is a blog entry I wrote about my general disdain for recast of Ruth Martin. I loved Mary so much, seeing Lee was always a hard pill for me to swallow: http://amchistory.blogspot.com/search?q=mary+fickett

When I watched the December 1988 episode, which took place soon after Laura's death, I was reminded of Mimi Torchin saying she was much more affected by Laura's death than by BJ's on General Hospital, because she'd seen Laura grow up. The grief of everyone involved in that episode was so hard to take - I think the part which got me most was Barbara packing up Laura's video game system Even though AMC stopped mentioning Babrara's role in Laura's death, viewers never forgot - I remember someone writing in to SPW blasting Barbara as a hypocrite for saying Erica had kept a baby from its mother.

I also like that we just heard of a sick child, offcamera, who needed a transplant, instead of what we get now, which is OMG let's find some kid on the canvas to give cancer for about a week!

Julia Barr was incredible in the scene where she went back home, numb, only allowing herself to break down when she found a toy of Laura's. Both she and Dick Shoberg played the numbness so believably, it was just painful. And David Canary, always playing a strong yet supporting role in these scenes.

I had never seen the first Marisa - not sure of her name. I had seen the divine Nancy Addison, who just looked a little twitchy and struggled with a dud role. The first Marisa seemed fine to me, perhaps not overly charismatic, but OK. I wonder why they felt the need to recast her when they later did not recast slightly dull actresses like the woman who played Corvina.

I don't understand why AMC broke up Natalie and Jeremy. I thought they had plenty of chemistry in this episode, and even just seeing them once, I hated knowing they were going to be split soon. Natalie still looked glam here, and wasn't being called DOLLDOLLDOLLDOLL every few minutes.

Here's NAA as Marisa.

Edited January 10, 201213 yr by CarlD2

I still hate that they killed off Laura, and I hated both versions of the adopted Laura Brooke took in during the 1990s/early 2000s.

I think Laura's death provided some interesting drama but I often wonder if the long term fallout is worth it. I think the whole process of making Brooke so needy did horrific damage to her character and it seemed to happen piece by piece (although the worst probably came from the marriage with Tad).

I loved how they played up Barbara's guilt when she was pregnant with Molly. She was afraid of being a bad mother because of what happened to Laura under her watch. She still carried so much guilt over the incident. I mean talk about penance and redemption, soaps, especially AMC in recent years, just do not write this way anymore. It was so clear there was a longer term plan when Laura Cudahy met her untimely demise.

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Richard Shoberg remembered the Laura storyline fondly in my interview with him: http://pinevalleybul...iewShoberg.html

One of Shoberg's most memorable scenes opposite Barr was when Tom had to tell Brooke that a drunk driver had killed their daughter, Laura. "I believe in committing myself as much as I can and when it is over, it is over. You go home," Shoberg said. "When Brooke and Tom had the scenes relating to the death of their child, that was difficult to work on. I may have backed off a little that day, more than I should have." The episode won Barr her first Emmy Award as Supporting Actress.

Edited January 11, 201213 yr by AMCHistory

Nicole Orth-Pallavicini aka the last Melinda Cramer was the original Marissa Rampal.

I didn't even recognize her. She was so underwritten on OLTL.

I would have loved seeing Nancy as Melinda.

I really like Kathleen Noone as Ellen. Why did she leave the show? Was she fired or just didn't renew her contract?

For some reason I thought she and Mark LaMura were fired, but I'm not sure.

Kathleen decided to leave on her own volition. The show was at an inflecting point, where they fell into a bit of a slump with a lot of veterans floating around doing nothing (e.g., Vasili Bogazianos, Candice Earley, Robert Gentry). It was the Behr revolution that saw most of those actors part ways with the company.

Noone's departure I remember was a biog deal as she was a fan favourite. I do think Mark LaMura was forced out as a result of Ellen's departure (giving the long-standing couples decade long romance the proper send-off).

Noone would of course reprise her role only once, for the 25th Anniversary show... a very welcome cameo.

Looking back you wonder whether they found any new characters to fill the void of the old favorites - the only ones who seemed to stick were Dixie, and then, a few years later, Hayley.

Kathleen decided to leave on her own volition. The show was at an inflecting point, where they fell into a bit of a slump with a lot of veterans floating around doing nothing (e.g., Vasili Bogazianos, Candice Earley, Robert Gentry). It was the Behr revolution that saw most of those actors part ways with the company.

Noone's departure I remember was a biog deal as she was a fan favourite. I do think Mark LaMura was forced out as a result of Ellen's departure (giving the long-standing couples decade long romance the proper send-off).

Noone would of course reprise her role only once, for the 25th Anniversary show... a very welcome cameo.

Thanks for the response.

I like Ellen because she seems like a strong woman, but she's not over-the-top. It's like you could know someone like her in real life... sort of like Brooke. I love my Erica, of course, but she's so larger than life that it sometimes would get grating.

Edited January 11, 201213 yr by Pine Charles

One of the old Digests from back in the late 80's blasted Ellen as being stupid, a victim, etc. Yet Noone's intelligence as an actress played all that off.

I think Kathleen was so captivating in the role of Ellen. Though a major supporting player in the mid-80's story-wise, she was definitely a scene stealer. I loved that she went toe-to-toe with Erica, but was never a rival. She was precursor the "Erica/Opal" relationship under the Larson recast. I also think that she shared so much chemistry with James Mitchell... a Palmer/Ellen relationship would be so interesting not only because of her marriage to Ross, but her closeness with Adam. I could see Adam and Palmer and rivals for Ellen's affection.

I love what Bill Mooney (ex-Paul Martin) told me about Kathleen:

Kathleen Noone...whose eyes were so large I always kidded her that she must have had silicone injections in them.

I think the undoing of the Paul/Ellen relationship is what sidelined the Paul Martin character. I would loved to have seen him as more of a rival to Mark. This was especially unfortunate because the Anne Tyler recast, Gwynn Gillis, was such a failure. Mooney would even admit that Judith Barcroft was a hard act to follow.

I have always tried to fall in love with my leading ladies. And It's nice when they can return the favor. That doesn't mean that you are off doing hanky-panky someplace, just that there is a mutual feeling of admiration and respect. I was very lucky to have worked with Judith Barcroft. She's an extremely skilled and inventive actor, and a gloriously beautiful woman. I think we have a very special chemistry together.

One of the old Digests from back in the late 80's blasted Ellen as being stupid, a victim, etc. Yet Noone's intelligence as an actress played all that off.

What was her story at the time? Was it regarding the rape of Natalie by Ross? How was she stupid?