One Life to Live Tribute Thread

[Faulkner]

 

 

[Vee]

Thank you for this.

[robbwolff]

The news about Michael Malone's passing really hit me hard. Frankly, I owe the man so much because his storytelling honestly changed my life. At that time, I was deeply immersed in a religious cult -- a non-denominational church that preached that gay people would burn in the fires of hell. I was at the end of my Bachelor's program and the last class I took was on human sexuality. I remember the professor talking about how homosexuality was biological, which made me grapple with and question the cult's teachings. As I did, I became extremely ill, my mouth covered with over 40 canker sores. I was in constant pain, unable to talk, and out of work for a few weeks. It was during this time that I started watching One Life to Live and became engrossed in Billy's story and how homophobia was affecting the town of Llanview. The story moved me in so many ways and helped me to see how the intolerance in the cult was wrong...how my intolerance of others was wrong. I still remember the scene where a man attacked Reverend Andrew Carpenter, pummeling him while the Bible lay on the grass, its pages turning in the wind. That image, Andrew's impassioned sermon to the congregation about love conquering hate, and the scenes of the AIDS quilt moved my heart and truly changed my life. I made the decision to leave the cult. And three years later, like Billy Douglas, I came to terms with my sexuality and came out. I'm not sure where I would be in life had it not been for my illness and the opportunity to watch this beautiful story unfold. So, thank you, Michael Malone. I will forever be grateful for your vision, your story, your words. 

 

 

[antmunoz]

I love you, Robb.  You inspire me. 

[MissPalmer]

Fortunately, you left the cult and you found your way in life. I am glad OLTL helped you and now you are a strong person! Love!

[Paul Raven]

Thanks for sharing that Robb. Hopefully all that is behind you.

What were the circumstances around Malone leaving OLTL?

What stories were onscreen when he departed?

Did it feel like he was running out of steam? 

Was it a case, like many writers,he came on strong initially but found it hard to write a cohesive continuing story wit a core group of characters?

[Contessa Donatella]

I am moved beyond words by your slice of real life. Thank god ... and goddess and universe and whatever else. I know how living in the closet nearly killed me & how coming out freed me. From your words, I can imagine your journey.

[Vee]

I won't speak for anyone else but I think his first run was largely strong after a few fits and starts in the early months as he and Linda Gottlieb and co. found their feet. 1992 also was an experimental year but it had two rock solid stories, Megan's death and the Billy Douglas saga, which anchored everything, and a lot of popular characters and couples either emerging or already in place (and some stuff that didn't fully work, like the controversial Sarah Gordon recast and centering a murder mystery around her - Grace Phillips was great IMO but didn't get along with the EP who'd hired her, was allegedly not popular with fans, the big story didn't fully click despite being well-written day to day and eventually they shipped Phillips off for months before having her turn up at Thanksgiving to get killed off). 1993 is supposedly the banner year when the entire show began to hum, but there's a lot of fascinating stuff in 1992 and two classic storylines.

Not everything he did, all the gauzy romanticism and flights of fancy, was to everyone's taste. It definitely got a little ropey towards the end in late '95/early '96 too, and there was some more bad ideas on the table that didn't fully reach fruition, but it was not a case where a HW starts out good and then becomes unwatchable. That never happened in Malone I. Even in weaker shape it was still head and shoulders above a lot of soaps at the time and AFAIK he was fired simply because Disney was stepping in on the ABC soaps more and more in this period. Which led quickly to a new headwriting team even Erika Slezak publicly moaned about, something she never did, and then to a series of revolving creative teams and disaster.

Malone's second run in 2003-2004 was a very complex disaster of his own as well, but that is a whole other topic.

Edited August 23, 2022 by Vee

[DRW50]

The last major story he'd written was the Men of 21 stuff, Carlo's return, Bo going undercover as an Irish terrorist and Patrick arriving in Llanview. He'd also brought Drew and Rachel back onto the canvas - I think his ultimate plans may have been for a Drew/Nora relationship but I'm not sure. 

I remember a lot of talk from some about how Luna's death story felt like a retread of Megan's death story, him just redoing his old work (even though he said he cried while writing the scripts). 

[Vee]

His plan was for Drew and Rachel opposed by a racist Becky Lee, which would not have been very good. I believe it was the Labines who were aiming for something with Drew and Nora or her perimenopausal struggles, but don't quote me.

A little of Patrick and Marty went a long way at the time and they had plenty of detractors because he never stopped saying that poem (which he kept doing for two more years once Malone was gone) but they were also wildly popular, something people forget. I adored Patrick and Marty in the beginning.

Edited August 23, 2022 by Vee

[j swift]

I don't recall this criticism, but looking back, I'd have to disagree.

While get the comparison of both women being buried by their loved one in a special place, Megan's death was lengthy, it coincided with an anniversary, so it facilitated older characters sharing clips about their lives, and it was a whole event.  Luna's death was more sudden and traumatic.

On the other hand the Men of 21 stuff was a mess.  Totally difficult to keep track of the characters.  Bo was getting too old for these types of action stories.  And there was very little character motivation that made sense.

That being said, you have to admire the production values of the time, with building multiple new sets, the wardrobe was stunning, and music was excellent.

 

[BetterForgotten]

Apparently, a lot of that was Susan Bedsow Horgan, who was said to have a deep fascination with the Irish mob and Irish lore and wanted to incorporate it into the show at the time. 

I know it's generally said that outside of the DID work, his work with Horgan as EP wasn't as strong as when he found his groove with Gottlieb. He's also credited Josh Griffith for helping him craft story for the soap format, but given Griffith's solo work and the atrocity he dishes out at Y&R, Malone may have been too kind...

Edited August 23, 2022 by BetterForgotten

[Vee]

I think it was a collection of people who worked well together - I think there's little doubt they needed Griffith to help them learn to acclimate to the format and sharpen the writing early on. And some of us have said it before, but I think Horgan rarely gets enough credit for her time as EP. She was assigned to continue the Gottlieb house style and for the most part she did so very well in 1994-95 despite some bum stories or divisive couples (all of which existed in 1991-1994 as well). She was always a strong, stable pair of hands in either of her roles behind the camera at various soaps.

[Vee]

Irish stuff (and Irish political intrigue) was also very hot in the early-mid '90s - Irish culture and folklore, the Irish struggles, U2, Clannad, movies like Patriot Games and Blown Away (with both Tommy Lee Jones and Jeff Bridges sporting terrible accents), etc. Later the unfortunate Riverdance. A fair bit of it is embarrassing to recall now, what with the flutes and such, but it was a big thing in those years in pop culture. And Malone was very Irish himself. Yeah, the Men of 21 with Blond Bo got silly by the end, but the early stuff with Patrick and Carlo's return/Poseidon largely worked for me. I think it was Horgan who relayed the story in Llanview in the Afternoon of how someone at ABC said they'd found Thorsten Kaye while looking for someone for AMC, and told her she had 24 hours to figure out a role for him or he was going to Pine Valley. Horgan and presumably Malone came up with Patrick Thornhart, and by god it worked.

I don't remember massive critiques of Luna's death at the time, I mostly remember people being heartbroken. But I was also pretty young. I even really liked the introduction of Crystal Chappell's Maggie, Andrew's sister/cousin/whatever, for Max, though looking at some of those eps now from before Malone left they really went pretty hard at those two not long after Luna was gone.

Edited August 23, 2022 by Vee

[j swift]

aka Circus Nun