All My Children Tribute Thread

[danfling]

Tom and Erica owned the building.   Tom's buisness was the Goal Post.   Erica, against Tom's objections, opened Erica's Disco in the rear of the building.

I think that Nick still owned the Chateau, but Ellen remained as manager and Donna became the singer there.

Nick remained (offscreen) the owner until Adam Chandler purchased it.

Initially, Ross came to Pine Valley to supervise the change in ownership and to prepare the mansion for the remainder of the family.

 

Edited December 16, 2022 by danfling

[j swift]

I love that detail - thanks @danfling, I appreciate your expert memory.  I recall Ross arriving before Adam, and Adam was a bit of a mystery.

It's funny in retrospect that this huge multi-national company would send one of its top executives to oversee the acquisition of a bistro, but everyone needed a reason to come to Pine Valley.

Do you have anything to add on the Gil vs Josh as the drunk driver that killed Laura?

[danfling]

Thank you, and I cannot remember much about Josh and his later becoming a priest.   

[Kane]

Chip Albers (Josh) has some of the story on his youtube channel. The scene featuring the accident:

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[j swift]

@KaneThat makes sense. I hadn't considered how old Laura was when she died, as evidenced by the fact that Tom was already involved with Barbara; and Laura was either old enough to walk around the neighborhood by herself at night, or Barbara had supremely poor judgement.

But, TIL, Gil was Tom's old friend who encouraged his drinking back when Laura was conceived and Josh was the guy who actually hit her.

 

Edited December 16, 2022 by j swift

[SFK]

1990 Christmas episode with special appearance by Llanview's Dorian Lord:

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I've had this magazine clipping since the '90s, and I'm just now realizing that this is most likely a posed publicity photo and not a screenshot. Dorian doesn't actually visit Adam's house in the above episode. I don't know, maybe she popped up an episode or so later? (Same costumes.)

 

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[SFK]

Found this postcard while going through my file of soap memorabilia:

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[danfling]

Actress Teri Keane has passed away.   On All My Children, she played Rose Cudahy, the mother of Tom and Sean.   Rose was also the mother-in-law (at various times) of Erica, Brooke, Barbara, Skye, and Olivia.

 

 

 

 

 

[DRW50]

RIP Robert Gentry.

Ross Chandler was, along with Ed Bauer, probably his defining role in daytime, and certainly a very rich part. I can see why AMC tried to keep him around after the rape story, much as that was a mistake. It's a strong story that has held up well but I wonder if they ever had any regrets. Was Ross ever mentioned after he left? 

[Jonathan]

I think Ross was mentioned here and there in passing. I wish they had brought Ross back to the canvas. He had ties to several families. I thought it would have been interesting, and maybe controversial, to pair him with Erica.

[j swift]

I'm trying to recall if Ross was mentioned around the time of Palmer's funeral or if he was named in the will, because when Palmer was with Cynthia, he specifically added Ross as an heir.

I vaguely recall SOD questioning if Ross would be freed from jail by the time that Palmer died (although I also don't remember if Ross's exit was to go to jail or if he just left town after Natalie's rape, as stated in the SoapCentral profile).

Edited December 22, 2022 by j swift

[DemetriKane]

Yes, Ross moved to San Francisco for a job, and to escape from what he did to Natalie.  He stayed around a little longer after the rape. He had a supporting role in the Brooke/Adam/Dixie triangle before he left town. A interesting role I may add, since he considered each character family. 

 

Interesting.  I could see that working.  

Edited December 23, 2022 by DemetriKane

[Jonathan]

Happy Birthday to Garden City's very own Susan Lucci!

[Paul Raven]

The Miami News Miami, Florida 14 Jul 1975, 

Poor, sweet Mary's dead and no one knows reason why ' By SHERRY WOODS . Miami News Radio-TV Writer " .

"Mary's dead." I blinked at the whispered news, tried to look appropriately dismayed and wondered who the devil Mary was. Apparently I looked more blank than dismayed. "You know ", Mary. She's dead." I still didn't know, but I was certainly sorry to hear it, I muttered, and thought of beating a hasty retreat. "On TV." Another clue. Mary? On TV? Ah ha. ''MARY. On All My Children. She's dead? She was in intensive care last time I watched the show." "See. You know. I knew you'd know."

The man who'd launched this conversation was probably one of millions around the country, who'd been informed of the soap opera tragedy by their frantic or grief-stricken wives. Some of the wives were calling clear to ABC in New York to protest the sudden, senseless killing of a favorite character on the popular daytime drama. At network headquarters last week, the calls had neared 100 within a couple of days of Mary Kennicott Martin's death and the mailroom was gearing up for an onslaught of viewer protests and sympathy cards. The callers were all women, and like the women in a supermarket here who passed the word up and down the aisles, they were upset. Some of them called from as far away as Toronto and Missouri to register their dismay.Here at WPLG-TV, more than 40 calls were registered initially in the promotion, programming and news departments, and the reaction there and everywhere was typical of what happens anytime a daytime drama star dies unexpectedly.

Viewers and residents of All My Children's Pine Valley, U.S.A., may have been harder hit by Mary's death at the hands of burglars than they would have been by other killings, because she was never a plot line villain. As played by Susan Blanchard, Mary was an all suffering soul who didn't have a mean bone in her body. She was even able to forgive her husband's ex-wife who'd given her a rotten time. The two actually became friends and becoming friends with Erica Kane Brent requires a level of goodness and tolerance that qualifies one for sainthood.

And so, by the time Mary even reached the intensive care unit following surgery enough, tears had been shed to end a midsummer drought in the desert. Soap opera deaths come about for any number of reasons. The tragedy may simply further the plot. The character may deserve to die. The star may want out, or the actor himself may be unruly enough that the producers, want him out, as happened recently with George Reinholt on Another World. Reinholt, who played Steven Frame in the NBC daytime drama, protested frequently and publicly about his role in the show, according to reports. He was given, a death scene in lieu of a pink slip. He also landed another role immediately in a competing ABC show, One Life to Live.

As for Susan Blanchard, however, I'm still trying to find someone who knows exactly why she was written out of All My Children. It could have something to do with her personal life. She is married in real life to her on-screen co-star Charles Frank (Jeff Martin). As of last check, her husband was contemplating suicide in the soap opera and may be on his way out as well, so the two of them may be heading for bigger and better things. If so, we'll all have to dry our tears and try to muddle through without them

[All My Shadows]

I wish I could see even just a few seconds of Jeff and Mary. By all accounts, they were a very popular couple and helped take AMC to the top among ABC soaps in 1974-1975. Mary was a sympathetic and relatable female character while Charles Frank's Jeff was a quintessential soap heartthrob. I don't think I'd ever known that Mary and Erica had become friendly. Thankfully we at least have audio of the episode surrounding her death, but it's truly frustrating that we have literally nothing from their main heyday.