OLTL Tribute Thread

[SoapDope]

Oh Yes she told some stories about his mistreatment of her. He yelled at her about her hair on her hanging down on her neck and she cut it. Then he screamed at her telling her he hated her voice and to go get voice lessons. 

 

She also mentioned an actor she refereed to as Martin (she changed his name for her book) that played Dr. Scott and she said he had a hatred towards her and she was frightened to work with him on a daily basis. 

[vetsoapfan]

 

Courtney began on November 12, 1975, when Quinlan was in charge. But who knows who made the decision to kick Holly out of her longstanding dressing room in order to give Courtney the space? Was it Quinlan, or the ABC brass? It certainly was a rude, disrespectful, degrading choice. Added to that, Courtney and Reinholt came in making significantly more money than anyone else in the cast, which must have fueled a lot of resentment. (I'm not blaming them for negotiating better salaries, but how insulted the other actors must have felt! If I had been on a show from the beginning, and only had a salary of twenty thousand dollars a year, I'd be livid that a newly-cast duo was coming about with a starting salary of thirty-five!) Still, I place the blame on ABC, who low-balled everyone else.

 

Arthur Burghardt. Gag me. What an awful, icky actor. I could NEVER understand why they had hired him. He just oozed smarminess on screen.

[DRW50]

 

Thanks. This is the one I guess:

 

 

I have never read her book so I had no idea how extensive some of her problems with other producers were as well. The saddest part is the journey from her being passionate about the show to knowing they didn't care and just trying to hang on as long she could. 

 

I wish they'd asked her about being asked back in later years. Or about the rumors about being asked to join Loving. 

 

I wonder how much of Jean Arley's exit was down to celebrating Ellen Holly and Lillian Hayman. I figured she was mostly let go because of ratings issues. 

[Vee]

One person EH is a big fan of: Susan Lucci. "She deserves every penny she was ever paid."

 

I think Jean Arley's exit was more about her being a part of that strange time in the early-mid 80s pre-Rauch where the whole show seemed creatively adrift overall and constantly rotating writers and producers. Stars like Karen, David, Jenny came and went. Carla, etc. were casualties of that and Rauch as the show changed focus - but I have no doubt he gunned for her personally.

 

EH's book is brutal but essential - and fascinating. She basically says she had no desire to come back in 1993 and sit with the other vets who were now millionaires, while she had become a librarian. Very sad.

 

Around 52 mins she talks about being at the March on Washington, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Very sweet at the end where she thanks the interviewer for reading her book.

 

 

Edited September 8, 2018 by Vee

[SoapDope]

She said she wrote that storyline herself and had an actor in mind she wanted whom she had dated in real life to play the part. Joe Stuart insisted on casting Burghardt. She said the moment she tested with him, Burhardt had a intense hate for her because she must have reminded him of someone in his personal life. She said Stuart pretty much blamed her for everything and said Burghardt was flubbing his lines because of her etc...

[DRW50]

That was very moving when she thanked the interviewer at the end after all the decades of people dismissing of ignoring her. 

[Vee]

I guess none of us really know for sure if Agnes planned to add Lillian Hayman to Loving as the future Minnie Madden character or as Sadie from OLTL. The story I remember hearing is that when Rauch canned them Agnes asked both Hayman and Holly to go to Loving as Sadie and Carla and they refused; others have heard different. But I think it would've worked.

Edited September 8, 2018 by Vee

[vetsoapfan]

 

The problem is, AB flubbed his lines and came across on-screen as a slimy pompous ass no matter WHOM he appeared with in scenes. Stuart musdt have had his own personal reasons for dumping the blame on Holly.

 

In his autobiography, writer Harding Lemay blames actress Virginia Dwyer (Mary Matthews) for not memorizing her lines verbatim, which supposedly threw off her on-screen husband Hugh Marlowe (Jim Matthews) and caused him to have trouble getting out his own dialogue. But blaming Dwyer was absurd, because long after she was gone, Marlowe continued to get lost and stumble through parts of his scenes. His difficulties could not be attributed solely to Dwyer, just like AB's lousy performances cannot be laid at EH's feet. Pffft! AB was simply a terrible actor, whom Stuart should not have hired.

[SoapDope]

A lot of EP and HW have screwed over actors over the years. There were some horror stories about John Conboy back in the day. These Archive Of American Television interviews are great. I hope they do one with Melody Thomas Scott at some point. They already did one with Eric Braeden which I skipped through. 

[Khan]

Once upon a time, I might have dismissed EH as being hysterical and misinformed.  But that was before I "got woke."  Now, I see how insidious and pervasive discrimination against women, WOC and POC can be in ALL industries.  Maybe she doesn't have all the facts, but what facts she DOES have don't look too good for the other side.

[Soaplovers]

Didn't she mention that when she returned the 2nd time that the writing wasn't as good as it was before..and even submitted to Jean Arley her idea on how Carla Gray could return?  I didn't quite catch it the writers, or Abc, rejected her idea/script.  She seems fairly fond of Jean Arley...and I was surprised she wasn't as harsh about Agnes Nixon as I feared.  I truly think that once Nixon sold the show to Abc and focused her attention on AMC in the early to mid 70s..that was when the problems for her truly began on the show.  It seems like the first five to six years of her time on the show had her being front burning and active...and nuh the mid 70s became much more background.  Had vicki also become more a background character, than I could chalk it up to veteran characters moving to tentpole/supporting role..but that wasn't the case.

 

I do like she held out for more money before agreeing to return a 2nd time and the lesson is that the actor has to stand up for themselves because no one else will stand up for you.  150k per year in the early 80s is pretty good money and I was happy she didn't settle for less.  And I like that she and Lillian got attention and respect at the 15th anniversary of the show.  

[Khan]

 

I understood the reasons why Agnes Nixon had sold AMC and OLTL to the network, but I wonder where these shows might be now if she hadn't.  

[John]

Courtney arrived in 1975. Quinlan left in 1977

[KMan101]

I've never really heard an interview with her. I could listen to her talk all day. Her voice is fabulous. [!@#$%^&*] Paul Rauch. I know he's passed but [!@#$%^&*] Paul Rauch.

 

It really is very "current" for something that was a clear problem 50 years ago. It's disgusting how women have been told they're crazy, difficult and that gets repeated and people just ... believe it! It's so bizarre the clear sexism (and I'm a man but I'm not a straight man ...). 

 

My heart breaks for Ellen Holly and all she went through at One Life to Live. She really cared, really took pride in that character and being the face. She's absolutely right in so many of the things she said. She likely, and rightfully so, saw herself as the face of OLTL. But the two gorgeous blondes come in and she's shoved out. I understand her resentment completely but I don't know why she's so dismissive of the actresses. She's not mean or anything but it's almost like she places the blame on them (and I don't really think she's meaning to; she has a great head on her shoulders and she "gets it"). I LOL'd everytime she'd throw out "the third Viki"

 

If treated better there's likely no doubt she wanted to be there "for life". As disappointed as I am she turned them down to return in 1993 and likely would anytime asked, I respect her for it and I think she had every right to not want to go back. She probably felt she'd be used and discarded. (Although, social wise, that was a fairly solid period for the ABC soaps; she would have worked well in the more diverse Llanview Gottlieb/Griffith/Malone wanted - and hopefully treated better, but I remember them not having a use for Wanda and discarding her)

 

I wish more notice was taken when people like Ellen Holly, Sarah Brown and Victoria Rowell speak out. But soaps (edit: and especially women of color) are ignored.

Edited September 8, 2018 by KMan101

[Vee]

Marilyn Chris quit, in fairness.