Flame in the Wind/A Time For Us

[DRW50]

August 1966 TV Picture Life

[danfling]

I believe that the creator of this show was Don Ettinger, who was a former writer of The Secret Storm.

[DRW50]

Thanks to saynotoursoap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZwT9Ws6a9I

[saynotoursoap]

Somehow, I missed this thread. Many thanks to CarlD for the terrific articles. I wish I had more episodes of A Time For Us. I enjoy the one I have and am curious about the serial. Tom Fielding, now a director, was certainly a handsome guy.

[dc11786]

Clarification on who created "Flame in the Wind"

A brief description of the show's original stars.

I'm assuming he interviewed Kate about her book?

This is a fairly detailed article about the premier. I wonder how this would have done on a network like CBS. Kate Austen seems like she would fit in with Vanessa Sterling, Jo Tate, and Valerie Ames.

[DRW50]

Wow. That is a lot of detail.

I didn't know Margaret Ladd was on this show.

I'm not sure if a super-fast early storyline for a soap is ever a good idea. I guess that was typical of this era, as AW did the same, only to quickly crash.

[slick jones]

Margaret Ladd played Jane Reynolds. Barbara Rodell played Linda Driscoll, the character also played by GHs Jane Elliott

[dc11786]

To be nitpicky, Margaret Ladd played Jane Skerba, who later went by the name Jane Driscoll. It is well known that the show had issues with casting the show's young leads. It should be noted Beverly Hayes left the show shortly before it went off the air. I don't know if she took the character of Jane with her or if there was a third actress in the role. Also, Tom Holland claimed in a 1969 article that he left "A Time For Us" during contract negotiations. Since he joined the show around the change from "Flame in the Wind" to "A Time for Us," he most likely departed in the summer of 1966. So its possible there may be a Steve Reynolds #3 we don't know about.

In a March 1965 article with Gordon Gray, Gray mentions his family bought a home many years ago from Irna Phillips, who was a consultant on the show. It would seem Phillips was working on the show nearly from the beginning.

Jill O'Hara has been listed as playing Sue Michaels in the books, but papers from the time say it was her sister Jenny O'Hara who appeared on the show beginning August 18, 1965 in a running role.

Nancy Franklin appeared on "Flame in the Wind" as Liz Grey, "an institutionalized psychotic" according to Ms. Franklin. I think it would be safe to assume Liz was the wife of Tony Grey, the paramour of Kate Austen.

During the transition, one paper describes the show dumping Kate Austen and focusing on her nieces. It turns out Martha Skerba/Driscoll was the daughter of Louise Austen and Kate's sister-in-law. This little piece of information goes unmentioned.

Rita Lloyd's Leslie Farrell was written out in May 1965 when Lloyd went to South African with her husband, a diplomat. Lloyd returned to the show in August 1965 after the name change and barely recognized anyone.

[danfling]

I think that it is interesting that Mr. Hardy mentioned Barbara Rodell and Gordon Gray. Barbara Rodell replaced the first actress (Audrey Johnston?) in the role of Jill Stevens on The Secret Storm. Gordon Gray created the role of Ken Stevens (and was later replaced by Joel Crothers in the role). Therefore, Ms. Rodell and Mr. Gray played a married couple later on The Secret Storm.

[danfling]

Terrence (Terry) Logan and Jane Elliott, who were both on this show, had appeared together on Broadway in The Impossible Years. Also in the show was Scott Glenn (who was on The Edge of Night).

[Paul Raven]

Movie buffs will recognise Ann Revere who always popped up as the stoic mother in 40's movies.Often she wasn't much older than the actresses playing her daughters.

From saynotoursoap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I05L7e5zENA

Edited November 3, 2014 by Paul Raven

[danfling]

For many years, I had thought that this show was created by Don Ettinger. Today, I have read that Raphael Hayes and Joseph Hardy were the show's creators.

[dc11786]

Don Ettlinger was the show's first (only?) head writer.

What seems to be overlooked is this show seems to be a test run for the ultimately much more successful "Love is a Many Splendored Thing." After Irna Phillips departed "Love Is...," Joe Hardy and Don Etllinger take over in the spring/early summer 1968. Phillips, Ettlinger, and Hardy were all involved with "Flame in the Wind." Also, both series featured two sisters in love with the same man. The Farrell/Reynolds clan seems to be a precursor to the Garrison clan of "Love Is..." with an older man (Jason/Chandler) married to a much younger woman (Leslie/Jean) and a troubled marriage a generation lower (Spence/Nancy and Craig/Roxanne). I do wonder if it was Irna Phillips who suggested the Skerbas become the Driscolls when she turned around and made the Donnelly clan Irish Catholic.

[Paul Raven]

Variety reported that Don Ettlinger came on board in January 65.

[danfling]

Two other connections between A Flame in the Wind/A Time for Us and Love Is a Many Splendored Thing:

Leslie Charleson and Terry Logan were both featured in the cast.