All My Children Tribute Thread

[All My Shadows]

This is great, I don't think I've ever seen a LITA ad that features so many characters. Early tarty Brooke is always fun to see, especially when paired up with early Mark. Good times, good times.

[DRW50]

I wish more of that Brooke was available. I can see why the show wanted to mature her as they had plenty of other bad girls, but it's always unfortunate to remember how many times we got this through "redeemed by rape" stories.

[DRW50]

Ruth Warrick interview starting at about 40 minutes. I love how the first half is her talking about Citizen Kane and the second half is her blasting George Bush, basically saying he needs to GTFO, and then "joking" that if she gets run over on the way home people will know why.

Please register in order to view this content

 

Edited June 24, 2024 by DRW50

[Franko]

Until today, I'd never seen the clip of Jason confessing to accidentally killing Laurel when he was aiming for Michael. His last line, "You made me do it. All of you. I was just the one who picked up the gun and shot the wrong one," is blood-curdling.

The clip comes from a Marcy Walker fan, so the weight is on Liza and Tad dealing with their culpability as members of the media. That's still relevant, too. At the same time, I wonder if any viewers felt like AMC was protesting too hard in an effort to differentiate itself from '90s trash TV, specifically Jenny Jones.

Please register in order to view this content

 

[TheyStartedOnSoaps]

All My Children Emergency Recast In Middle Of Scene! (1997) | Roscoe Born To David Forsyth 

Please register in order to view this content

 

Edited July 2, 2024 by TheyStartedOnSoaps

[Khan]

I still don't blame Roscoe Born for bailing like he did.  His storyline with Julia Barr and Lauren E. Roman went off the rails in almost record time.

[DRW50]

The material became very disgusting, almost shockingly so, after a promising start. I assume that was the story plan all along, but it was just so hard to watch, especially Laura's torment. 

[Khan]

I can't remember: did we learn that Jim Thomason was a kiddie pornographer and THEN we learned he was also responsible for the plane crash?  Or was it the other way around?

[DRW50]

We learned the former first, then the latter. I think the latter may have been a McTavish addition.

[Khan]

I think so, too.  At least, it SOUNDS like something Megan McTavish would've added.  (God bless that woman, but she never knew when to quit!)

[DRW50]

Definitely. She probably figured the story was already so far out, why not go further. I don't think it was a terrible decision, as it also meant taking away the ghoulish writing choice to have Adam own a cheap flight that caused Liza to lose their baby, but I could see why people were annoyed.

(that was pretty much the only good writing choice she made with Adam in that stint)

[Janet Marlowe]

I do remember Brooke being a bully when she first entered the Pine Valley scene. She was an entitled, privileged rich girl, who had gotten kicked out of a New England boarding school; her father, Edward, sent her to his sister ('Aunt Phoebe').

I recall her riding into town on the back of a motor cycle (?). 

Julia Barr wasn't the first actress to portray Brooke; the original actress didn't last long (she was pretty but not as good an actress as JB).

Phoebe was faking paralysis; Brooke discovered it was a ruse and blackmailed her aunt into letting her stay living in the pool house (where she liked to bring guys for sex).

Brooke's first adversary was Devon, not Erica... but this was a completely uneven match - Devon (who was often confused and had identity issues) was no match for the witty, sarcastic Brooke.

Even the indomitable Erica Kane couldn't match Brroke's intelligence and wit (even after Brooke became  "redeemed" and a pillar of the community after the Eddie Dorrance rape/abortion).. but at least it was an even match (unlike with Devon "Lesbian-For-A-Month" Shepherd).

Edited July 6, 2024 by Janet Marlowe

[DRW50]

I think that was Elissa Leeds, who had also been on GL and AW as Hope Bauer (I wonder if she ever tried to go back there) and How to Survive a Marriage.

I wonder if Brooke and Erica interacted much before Brooke's redemption.

[Janet Marlowe]

They did, actually.

I could be wrong, but, as I remember it, it started with Mark Dalton, not over Tom.

Mark was Erica's half-brother... but neither of them knew this information at first... and they came very close to having sex (!!!) before Mona revealed the truth.

Eric Kane (a film director in Hollywood and Erica's father)) had a relationship with his secretary (Mark's mother).

Brooke was very attracted to Mark - and a lot of that was because she knew it angered Erica.

I started watching in 1974 because of a character named Margo Flax; she had a facelift and was a bit nutty... and I remember her being roommates with Erica.

If you can't tell by my name, I enjoy nutty characters.

 

Edited July 6, 2024 by Janet Marlowe

[DRW50]

Thanks. I appreciate your memories. I'm glad you got to see all this while it was airing. I hope some turns up eventually. I'd love to see more of pre-saintly Brooke and more of early Mark too. He had such charisma.

Edited July 6, 2024 by DRW50