32 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

Russell departed March 1980 and Peggy O'Shea took his place. So Russell/Hall had a long tenure. Despite that, they never seem to be recognized as a top writing team.

I remember Ellen Holly, etc. singing Russell's praises. I always thought he was quite venerated from OLTL actors and viewers of the period (whereas as a Dark Shadows viewer I found his work there very workmanlike a lot of the time). I think it was just too early in the game for him to be fully recognized, ultimately. And there were bigger names floating around - Lemay, Agnes, Bell, etc. But per OLTL I was under the impression he was one of the greats. It's just that very little of his work has survived.

Edited Sunday at 05:36 AM3 days by Vee

BUFFALO COURIER-EXPRESS, Saturday, August 19, 1979

Sammy Davis Wild About ‘Opera’ Role by Jon Michael Reed

NEW YORK - "He’s the greatest thing since Ovaltine,” said “One Life to Live” stage manager Ray Hoesten about Sammy Davis Jr.’s apearances on the ABC soap opera. Davis popped up on the serial last week as Chip Warren, an ex-convict working undercover with police captain Ed hall to unravel a crime. Sammy’s been such an avid follower of the program that when he’s touring in Europe he has videotapes of the program mailed to him. While in New York a few months ago, he met with Al Freeman Jr. (who plays Ed on the senes), who in turn introduced him to the show’s bead writer. Sammy admitted he’d love to do a limited number of guest appearances on the show, but only if be could play a character and not apear as himself.

“THREE YEARS AGO I did a one-shot on ‘Love of Life’ which involved me coming into the show as myself and singing a couple of musical numbers,” explained Davis. “But I have such respect for the work done on soaps and ‘One Life,’ in particular, that I wanted a shot at doing a character role. I realized that I was taking a chance on laying my career on the line by doing this. There’s a lot of snobbery in Hollywood about the quality of soaps. “But I tell you, there’s nothing being done on nighttime television or films that approcaches the kind of exploration about human problems and relations that go on in soaps.” “Take the Ed-Carla-Jack triangle on ‘One Life.’ An audience can really get involved with their emotions because they are fully explored and defined. They’re black folk who aren’t stereotyped or exploited. I wanted to get rid of some of that snobbery by making the statement that if I can do this work, then why can’t others.

“I’VE BEEN WORKING my buns off. But it’s been a treat to work with Al Freeman again. We were both in ‘Golden Boy’ a couple (or so) of years ago. And to be able to work with the ‘One Life’ cast has been a ‘fan’ dream come true.” Davis admits that on his first day on the set, he ran around like a kid in a candy store while meeting all of his “idols.” He even went up to Robin Strasser, who plays villainess Dorian Lord, and said, “I promised a lot ot my friends that I’d do this if I ever met you," and preceded to pinch her arm mockingly. Although Davis’s appearances are being stretched over a three-week period, his scenes were all shot in four days, which entailed 48 hours on the set for an on-air count of 14 acts, 28 scenes and 272 pages of dialogue. Off screen, a production assistant added that Davis has consumed 13 cases of cola and 22 cartons of cigarettes but he was always the professional and invariably was the first actor on the set at 7 in the morning, then working till 10 or 11 in the evening. “I think I'm a better actor for having had this experience, Davis concluded.

And a few years later wasn't he also Bryan's father or uncle on GH?

Bryan's father, Eddie Phillips.

1 hour ago, Vee said:

And a few years later wasn't he also Bryan's father or uncle on GH?

I wish I could see these scenes, I am loving all of these old articles!

@soapfave06 thanks for the feedback. Glad you are enjoying these blasts from the past. More to come.

I can't remember if this clip is up in fuller form (or if the episode is already around). This would have to be from at or before April 1979.

Young Andrea Evans Delivers One of Tina Lord's Most Emotional Scenes Ever | OLTL

Edited 16 hours ago16 hr by DRW50

4 hours ago, DRW50 said:

I can't remember if this clip is up in fuller form (or if the episode is already around). This would have to be from at or before April 1979.

I don't recognize the guy with Tina. What character is he? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVlyDTZpH_Q

Edited 11 hours ago11 hr by janea4old

15 minutes ago, janea4old said:

I don't recognize the guy with Tina. What character is he? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVlyDTZpH_Q

I believe hat is Greg, Talbot’s son. Talbot had just been arrested for killing the son of Pat with Karen in the car.

10 minutes ago, soapfave06 said:

I believe hat is Greg, Talbot’s son. Talbot had just been arrested for killing the son of Pat with Karen in the car.

Yes. He is only on through April 1979 if Wiki is accurate. I wonder if they ever considered keeping him on or wanted more for Tina (it's still a year or so until she gets involved with the country singer, isn't it).

1 hour ago, DRW50 said:

Yes. He is only on through April 1979 if Wiki is accurate. I wonder if they ever considered keeping him on or wanted more for Tina (it's still a year or so until she gets involved with the country singer, isn't it).

It’s very interesting how under utilized she is in the original run, and a great example of mining the past when they brought her back. I do wish they had done more with her though.

2 minutes ago, soapfave06 said:

It’s very interesting how under utilized she is in the original run, and a great example of mining the past when they brought her back. I do wish they had done more with her though.

The article @Paul Raven posted about how they got rid of her in the original run because they didn't think she was strong enough (paraphrasing) helped explain the poor use. I am glad she was able to prove herself with her return.

On 6/13/2026 at 10:33 PM, Vee said:

I remember Ellen Holly, etc. singing Russell's praises. I always thought he was quite venerated from OLTL actors and viewers of the period (whereas as a Dark Shadows viewer I found his work there very workmanlike a lot of the time). I think it was just too early in the game for him to be fully recognized, ultimately. And there were bigger names floating around - Lemay, Agnes, Bell, etc. But per OLTL I was under the impression he was one of the greats. It's just that very little of his work has survived.

This has always been my impression too. Certainly, a number of soap opera books single out the Karen Wolek 1979 stuff as very much peak soap opera (although they don't always mention the author--and indeed as I mentioned in my thread about the new book Love in the Afternoon and Evening, they give the impression that this was an Agnes Nixon story, something supported by a recent Erika Slezak interview they quote--I always think Slezak gives the impression that Nixon was more directly involved with the writing of OLTL longer than she was.

As mentioned though, we do know from the 1976 OLTL dissertation that Russell and Hall did consult with Nixon--at least at that point. And it's interesting that even by 1976 it does seem like Russell and Hall worked very much as a team even if Russell was official HW.