OLTL Tribute Thread

[Vee]

 

That's what they'd become. It was the natural evolution of the prideful, self-righteous assholes (with no regard for others, like Joey) which JFP had made them into together. Malone's second stint was a colossal mess but he did right by Kevin and Kelly by bringing them back as what they'd become instead of pretending it hadn't happened, then deconstructed both characters. It was the only way to make them viable again, and it made Dan Gauthier's Kevin a fan favorite.

 

Kevin and Kelly knew their relationship was built on a foundation of sand based on the previous awful JFP-era storyline, but they lived in denial - a marriage, a governorship, a baby would make it all alright. When it came crashing down they were able to forge a better and more honest relationship, despite it being tortured and often vicious. They became OLTL's answer to Alan and Monica Quartermaine in the early '80s.

Edited May 14, 2018 by Vee

[Soaplovers]

Catherine Hickland not being valued as an actor?  Man, JFP loves to rewrite history doesn't she.  Considering that CH played a dual role successfully on Capital in the 80s (an ingenue and a emotionally unbalanced woman.. that weren't long lost twins).. and played Tess Wilder to perfection... I think Lindsay was a step down for her...imho.

 

OLTL was a more gritty show so I understood why JFP turned the show darker... but even in the gritty era of the 70s on OLTL.. there was light to balance out the dark.  I liked Dorian/Mel getting married at the Banner, a community of reporters at the Banner...and Lindsay wasn't one note back then.  I think once Pam Long quit as head-writer.. whatever balance there was went out the window..imho.

[redontop4]

 

To be fair, JFP did not say this. The article's author, Michael Logan, did.

[victoria foxton]

 

[danfling]

In that first scene with Hunter and Andi, the old Ryan's Bar set (or, rather, part of it) is very easy to spot.

Also, that court baliff looks very familiar.   I cannot place him, however.  Who is he?

[DRW50]

I love the Viki and Gabrielle scene in that one - Viki just grinding her down to nothing. It was also nice to see the show still remembered the Jon and Dorian relationship by this point. I wasn't sure if they did. 

 

 

 

 

 

[vetsoapfan]

Thanks, Carl. I always love reliving the golden era of soaps. This 1969 OLTL ep is a treasure.

[DRW50]

 

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Eric in Montreal, who uploaded it, used to be a regular poster here - always very intelligent and insightful. I think it may have been on Soapnet before but I hadn't seen it in ages. I really do feel so impressed with Agnes Nixon as a writer when I watch this material - it all feels natural, even with potentially absurd elements. And I just love Lillian Hayman and Doris Belack together. You can believe they are longtime friends. 

[vetsoapfan]

 

What I loved about OLTL back then, under writers like Nixon and Don Wallace, was that the dialogue was NATURAL. Characters talked like people talk in real life. Relationships were credible.  Friendships were believable. When Sadie and Anna sat down over coffee and discussed their families' problems,  I felt like I was watching real, life-long friends. It made the show personal and intimate, and I deeply cared for these people.  Even when situations were improbable, good writing, good dialogue and character motivation saved the day. Today we have so many unlikable, one-dimensional, and/or cartoonish characters on the soaps. Why and how should we even care about them and their outlandish problems? I was deeply affected by Carla's rejection of her black mother, and longed for them to mend their relationship. But vile entities like Sonny and Carly on GH? Badly-written characters AND ridiculous situations become an alienating turn off.

[amybrickwallace]

@vetsoapfan, you said it all. 👏👏👏👏👏

[j swift]

Men on soaps are dopes.

 

I was just reading the history of Pat Ashley.  She comes to town with a nine-year-old son and tells everyone that her presumed dead husband is the father.  Tony Lord had an affair with Pat ten years ago and grows close to Pat's son by playing chess.  Cathy Craig, who was never particularly bright or insightful, was dating Tony and instantly guesses that he is the father of Pat's son.

 

Now, are to believe that Tony Lord didn't know math or basic facts about conception?  Was Tony too busy playing chess to ask the boy's age?   The only explanation is that Tony was a dope.

 

By the way, don't think I didn't notice that Pat had a sister that was never mentioned when we met Pat's mother.  Maggie the sister was clearly created later, maybe even by another writer, because it seems odd that Pat's mother lived in a small apartment in New York while funding Maggie's life in London?  I love an evil twin but that one appeared out of thin air. 

 

It was as if OLTL was testing the waters with an outrageous story of twins (like Samantha & Marlena from Days) before they went really gothic with the Ralstons and Bo's long lost Mother.

Edited May 31, 2018 by j swift

[vetsoapfan]

 

Well remember, Pat had concocted a lie about Brian's age to throw Tony off the track. So for him, it was initially not hard to accept that Brian was Paul Kendall's son, considering the false information Pat had given him. He trusted Pat, had no reason to doubt her word,  and later said it would not have occurred to him that she would lie about something SO IMPORTANT.

 

So I would say that if anything, Tony was too trusting; he believed that the woman he had loved would not deceive him in such a cruel way. 

 

I'd say that Cathy Craig came across as perceptive and intelligent when Dorrie Kavanaugh played the role, but when Jennifer Harmon took over, the character was unbalanced and paranoid, fearful that she would lose Tony to Pat, whom Cathy sensed he still loved. It was Cathy's paranoia as much as anything that made her jump to conclusions about Brian's parentage even though Pat tried to throw her off.

 

The Maggie Ashley story was ill-conceived from the get-go. The same writers were around from the pre-Maggie days, but they simply retconned Pat's life and invented a twin. The idea was to get Jacquie Courtney an Emmy nomination but this was NOT the way to go. Maggie had a fabulously fake wig, absurdly thick glasses that kept sliding down her nose, and an English accent that poor Courtney could not pull off. Maggie was a caricature, not a viable character. The story itself was implausible and stupid. I sighed with relief when this awful plot ended.

[j swift]

It is amusing that Tony's trust of women resulted in him being surprised about the existence of both his son and his father.  Dorian and Pat were savvy gals but it seems rather easy to pull one over on poor Tony.

 

It is also amusing that the character of Paul Kendall lasted longer in Landview than either Pat or Tony.  The third wheel in a soap triangle rarely outlasts the original pairing.

 

Did Jenny and Brad move into Pat's house when she left? 

[vetsoapfan]

 

Men can be easily manipulated by women. Surely this is not news to you, LOL. In real life and in reel life, women have pulled men's strings forever!

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I will say that Reinholt's Tony did not come across as dumb on-screen, but Phillip McHale's version always struck me as a bit dim.

 

Pat hung around Llanview from 1975 to 1983 (until ABC decided to drop her contract under suspicious circumstances).

 

The character of Tony Lord appeared from 1975 to 1979, and then again from 1981 to 1983. I think the multiple, poor recasts did him him. One of them was tepid, another only lasted a few weeks (and under a face-full of bandages, no less), and the final Tony was DREADFULLY miscast; far too laconic and disinterested to spark any chemistry with the other actors.

 

Paul Fuccello was WONDERFUL as Paul Kendall from 1977 to 1979. He was attractive, charming, personable, and sexy as hell, and had strong chemistry with everyone. The show briefly flirted with pairing Pat romantically with millionaire Adam Brewster, but the actor playing Adam, John Mansfield, was just...icky. He was not attractive at all, and came across as skeezy on-screen. The story itself was pushing Adam and Pat together but I knew it would never last, no with Paul around. Adam Brewster came and went quite quickly and was never mentioned again. No big loss.

 

Paul Kendall was just a babe, I wanted Pat to forget all about both Phillip McHale's bland Tony and John Mansfield creepy Adam, and make a bee-line for him. If not, I would have been happy to take him!

 

Tom Fuccello as Paul: yes, please!

 

 

John Mansfield as Adam: no, thanks.

 

 

As for Brad and Jenny, I don't remember if either of them took over Pat's house in 1983. I know they had been living in the former office was that attached to Anna and Jim Craig's place.

 

 

Edited May 31, 2018 by vetsoapfan

[Soaplovers]

I heard a rumor that the Dorian/David/Jenny triangle wasn't the plan originally .. that Pat was supposed to be the third person in the triangle, but that Jacqueline Courtney's contract was terminated, etc... and that Jenny filled that slot.   I'm not sure if that is true or not.