All My Children Tribute Thread

[Liberty City]

The whole AMC 2.0 pulled it together in mere weeks to get a show up and running, with scripts and a cast.

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Ginger Smith seemed really passionate about being in the executive producer position, and I think she really did a fantastic job in six weeks.

It was just well done.

[j swift]

What was Ruth Martin's association to the Thornton family?  I only remember the daughter that dated Tad, and she had a buxom mother.  But, did Ruth date David Thorton before Joe?

Edited May 4 by j swift

[robbwolff]

No. Ruth had an extramarital affair with David while married to Joe.

[j swift]

I also wonder if it was considered controversial at the time to show a morally corrupt doctor?  From the P&G book, I recall, up until the early 1970s, prime-time would very rarely tell stories about the negative side of the private lives of doctors, because advertisers tended to shy away from such content.

The Microsoft AI model got confused about the timeline of Ruth's marriages below, but it was useful in filling in the details for me.  Lately, I've been using it to make podcasts for me retelling old soap plots to listen to during lunch.  This is the outline it created, then it edited it into a script, added music and read it like a podcast.

Dr. David Thornton is a fictional character from the ABC daytime soap opera All My Children, portrayed by Paul Gleason from 1976 to 1978.  He was introduced as a respected physician in Pine Valley, presenting himself as a widower to his colleagues at the hospital. This facade, however, concealed a darker truth: his wife, Edna Thornton, was alive, and he was leading a double life. David’s character is defined by manipulation and secrecy, as he maintained a carefully curated public image while engaging in deceitful and criminal behavior in his personal life. His relationships were marked by control and betrayal, particularly in his marriage to Edna and his romantic entanglements with other women. David’s charm and professional status allowed him to navigate Pine Valley’s social circles, but his actions revealed a calculating and ruthless nature.

Career

David was a doctor at Pine Valley Hospital, where he was well-regarded by his peers for his medical expertise. His professional life provided him with a veneer of respectability, which he exploited to mask his personal misdeeds. However, his career was not a central focus of his storyline; instead, it served as a backdrop to his personal schemes. His position at the hospital gave him access to resources, such as the drug digitalis, which he later used in his attempt to murder his wife. David’s professional life unraveled as his criminal actions came to light, tarnishing his reputation in the medical community.

Personal Relationships and Family

David’s family and romantic relationships were fraught with tension and deception, shaping much of his narrative arc:

• Edna Thornton (Wife): David was married to Edna Thornton, with whom he had a daughter, Dottie. To his colleagues, he claimed Edna was deceased, allowing him to pursue other relationships without suspicion. In reality, David was plotting to kill Edna, motivated by his desire to be free of her and possibly to gain financial or personal freedom. He began poisoning her with digitalis, a heart medication, which caused her to experience heart pains. Edna was unaware of David’s true intentions until after his death, when the truth about his poisoning scheme was revealed.
• Dottie Thornton (Daughter): David and Edna’s daughter, Dottie Thornton, was a significant character in All My Children. Portrayed by Dawn Marie Boyle (1977–1980) and later Tasia Valenza (1982–1986), Dottie was raised primarily by Edna. David’s neglectful and manipulative behavior extended to his daughter, as he showed little genuine care for her well-being. Dottie’s life was impacted by her father’s actions, particularly after his death, when Edna became a wealthy widow. Dottie later married Thaddeus “Tad” Martin in 1985, though their marriage ended in divorce in 1986, and she suffered the loss of an unborn child with Tad.
• Ruth Parker (Fiancée, 1976): David was engaged to Ruth Parker in 1976, furthering his pattern of deceit since he was still married to Edna. His engagement to Ruth, who was also involved with Jeff Martin, highlighted David’s willingness to manipulate romantic partners for his own gain. The engagement did not lead to marriage, as David’s true intentions and double life began to surface.
• Christina “Chris” Karras (Lover, 1978): In 1978, David began a romantic relationship with Dr. Christina “Chris” Karras, a fellow physician. This affair added another layer of complexity to his web of lies, as Chris was unaware of his marriage to Edna and his poisoning scheme. After David’s death, Chris was initially accused of his murder due to their relationship and her access to medical resources. However, Jeff Martin’s investigation cleared her name by proving David’s death was caused by his own actions.
• Parents: David’s parents are unnamed in the source material, and both are noted as deceased. No further details are provided about their influence on his life or their role in his backstory.

Death

David Thornton’s death in 1978 was a dramatic and fitting conclusion to his villainous arc, brought about by his own treachery. Intent on killing Edna to escape their marriage, David had been secretly administering digitalis to her, causing her heart issues. In a twist of fate, their daughter, Dottie, innocently switched Edna’s drink with David’s during one of his poisoning attempts. Unaware that the drink was laced with a lethal dose of digitalis, David consumed it and suffered a fatal heart attack. His death was initially investigated as a possible murder, with Chris Karras as the prime suspect due to her relationship with David and her medical knowledge. However, Dr. Jeff Martin conducted a toxicology screen on David’s body, which revealed that the digitalis poisoning was the cause of both Edna’s heart pains and David’s death. This evidence exonerated Chris and exposed David’s plan to kill his wife, cementing his legacy as a tragic and self-destructive figure.

Impact and Legacy

David Thornton’s storyline, though relatively short-lived (1976–1978), was impactful due to its intensity and the ripple effects on other characters. His death left Edna a wealthy widow, altering her and Dottie’s circumstances and setting the stage for further drama, including Edna’s manipulation by conman Ray Gardner. David’s actions also strained relationships among other Pine Valley residents, particularly through his engagement to Ruth Parker and affair with Chris Karras, which intersected with Jeff Martin’s storyline. His character exemplified the classic soap opera archetype of a charming yet duplicitous villain whose downfall is precipitated by his own hubris.

Additional Notes

• Portrayal: Paul Gleason’s performance as David Thornton brought a compelling intensity to the role, making the character memorable despite his brief tenure. Gleason’s ability to portray both charm and menace suited David’s dual nature as a respected doctor and a scheming husband.
• Storyline Context: David’s arc occurred during the early years of All My Children, a period when the show focused on intricate personal dramas and moral dilemmas. His poisoning plot and double life were emblematic of the show’s penchant for high-stakes interpersonal conflict.
• Lack of Additional Family Details: Beyond Edna and Dottie, no other family members (such as siblings or extended relatives) are mentioned in the source material, limiting the scope of his familial connections.

Conclusion

Dr. David Thornton was a multifaceted antagonist in All My Children, whose life was marked by professional success, personal deception, and a fatal miscalculation. As a doctor, he wielded authority and respect, but his secret plan to murder his wife, Edna, revealed a cold and calculating core. His relationships with Edna, Dottie, Ruth Parker, and Chris Karras were defined by manipulation, and his death by accidental self-poisoning was a poetic end to his schemes. David’s legacy in Pine Valley lived on through Edna’s newfound wealth and Dottie’s subsequent storylines, making him a pivotal figure in the show’s early narrative. His story remains a classic example of soap opera drama, blending betrayal, tragedy, and retribution.

Edited May 5 by j swift

[dragonflies]

[j swift]

Sorry, just one more post on the Thorntons.

How did Ruth and Edna feel about each other prior to Tad dating Dotty? -- I could just back to AI, but I thought you all might have more personal insights.

Edited May 4 by j swift

[Franko]

Okay, now it's my turn to ask about the Thorntons, namely Edna. Did she and Opal have any scenes together? I ask because I was familiar with Opal first, so when I found out about Edna, my biased mind saw her as the first try for that type of character.

[j swift]

Well, they were both involved with Ray Gardner.  Then, the actress left in 1980, only to return as a somewhat broader interpretation of the character after Dottie was SORASed.  By that time, Opal had left in 1983.  So, while they serve the same story function,(verbally abusive/neglectful mothers who make you feel sorry for their daughters), one could argue that Edna was the carbon copy.

Edited May 5 by j swift

[Franko]

And if I remember correctly, at one point, they were considering having Linda Thorson play Opal's sister.

[j swift]

Opal having siblings could add to the story. However, it raises questions about Tad's adoption. Why were the Martins allowed to adopt him if Tad had aunts or uncles who could have cared for him?  Logic limited the number of possible Gardner's (and whatever Opal's maiden name was).  Even though Linda Thorson would have been a hysterical choice given her British accent.  Especially because SOD often published questions by readers who wondered why Tad and Jenny didn't speak like their mother.

 

All of which is still not an excuse for Tad's evil doppelgänger Ted. 

Edited May 5 by j swift

[Paul Raven]

AI has it wrong.

David was working as an aide at PV Hospital due to failing to save his brother's life and refusing to continue as a doctor. His true profession was revealed later.

Edna had divorced him while he was in Vietnam and he had no reason to be in contact with her. He had no idea that he had a daughter. 

Ruth was Ruth Martin, she was still married to Joe, not Jeff. He was not deceiving Ruth as he believed that Edna was his ex.

The poisoning story happened late in his run and probably introduced when they knew Gleason was leaving.

AI's interpretation of him as conniving seems to based on that short lived poisoning story and other misinformation.

For most of 76 he was involved in the Ruth/Joe triangle to the point where Ruth was ready to divorce Joe and leave town.

Joe had to have surgery, David operated and Ruth suddenly realized she wanted to stay with Joe despite all the problems they'd been happening.

David then got involved with Christina with Jeff and then Edna as complications.

And he arrived late 75 not 76.

[j swift]

@Paul Raven - thanks for reviewing the content for accuracy. 

You know, the nice thing about AI is that you can teach it things, so I am having it review the classic AMC Tumblr to increase its accuracy.

[DemetriKane]

yep.

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[AMCOLTLLover]

But people were hating so bad on amc and the final year and the ratings sucked. Business wise they made the right call.

Oltl who even gained some ratings back and weren’t they higher as GH at one point is a decision and never understood. 

[Paul Raven]

I appreciate that you are using AI with the knowledge of it's limitations.

Some posters take everything it produces as fact.