August 1966 TV Picture Life

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

Thanks to saynotoursoap.

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

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.

Clarification on who created "Flame in the Wind"

New Daytime Serial Debuts Dec. 28; “Flame in Wind”

The Daily Herald, December 14, 1964

Raphael Hayes, co-author of the Cannes Film Festival winner, “One Potato, Two Potato,” and Joseph Hardy, producer of one of television’s most popular serials, “Love of Life,” will combine their talents, to developand produce a new ABC-TV daytime serial which will debut on the network Monday, Dec. 28.

The new entry in a new ABC daytime schedule, “Flame in the Wind,” will focus on a young widow who lives in a small town with her child and writes a novel in the attempt to achieve some financial security and personal fulfillment.

The beautiful widow writes about the people and places in her town. The novel sells and the repercussions – including a defamation suit – are the basis for the absorbing theme unfolding during the opening weeks of the program.

“Flame in the Wind” is the second new serial introduced this season.

A brief description of the show's original stars.

The Daily Reporter, January 2, 1965

Four talented actresses (left) of wide experience are playing featured roles on ABC-TV’s new daytime serial, “Flame iun the Wind.” Jacqueline Brookes plays Flora Perkins, an envious woman; Maggie Hayes is seen as the unloved and dominated Roxanne Reynolds; Lenka Peterson is the down-to-earth and likeable Martha Skerba, and Kathleen Maguire stars as Kate Austen, a lovely, young widow.

I'm assuming he interviewed Kate about her book?

March 6, 1965

Earl Wilson to Guest on Series

Syndicated columnist Earl Wilson will make a guest appearance on ABV-TV’s daytime serial, “Flame in the Wind,” Friday, March 12.

In a scene of that day’s episode, Wilson, playing himself, will be featured with Kathleen Maguire who stars in the five day-a-week drama as Kate Austen.

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.

Television’s New ‘Flame’

By Don Royal

New York--- Flame in the Wind producer Joseph Hardy- whose creative efforts helped to move “Love of Life” into one of the top-ranking daytime serials- has definite ideas on how to make “Flame” a strong entry in ABC-TV’s lineup of afternoon entertainment.

“With most new serials,” says Hardy, “it takes months to build up audience awareness. The story usually doesn’t begin unfolding until long after each of the characters has been introduced.

“I deliberately shortened this traditional build-up period with new serials by concentrating on themes that move quickly from event to event.

“Also it seems more realistic to me that characters be introduced to the audience in the same way people in life meet one another- slowly… over a long period of time.

“But the success of any serial or any television production, for that matter, rests in the hands of the actors or actresses.

“Here, again, when I began to audition, I knew I wanted one of the strongest casts ever assembled for a daytime show in terms of acting experience… names and-or faces that would be familiar to our television audience.

“And I’ve got ‘em. Maggie Hayes, Lenka Peterson, Kathleen Maguire, Jacqueline Brooks, Roy Poole, Walter Coy, Richard Thomas, Frances Fuller, Morgan Sterne, plus a number of new and refreshing actors ideally suited to their roles- Gordon Gray, Barbara Rodell and Margaret Ladd.”

Flame in the Wind is the story of a young widow, who, returning to her husband’s boyhood home, finds that the town and its inhabitants reflect alarming frailties and distorted values.

Partly in devotion to the ideals of her husband and partly in her attempt at self-fulfillment, she writes a novel exposing the town for what it has become.

Her townsmen, family, and friends, fearing its revelations, bring pressures to play on her in their attempt to prevent publication of the book.

Kathleen Maguire, who plays the novelist, Kate Austen, sees the character as hard-hitting but nonetheless a “conservative gal.”

“When I first began the role,” she says, “I thought viewers might find Kate Austen rather dull. But that notion proved incorrect. Kate gets gossiped about a-plenty. In fact, in the first week of the show, I was accused of being a “scarlet” woman and was kissed by an unhappily married man.”

Kathleen admits she’s curious to learn far in advance of airing what sort of tribulations are in store for her. But the directors and writers treat future storylines like top security information.

“They deliberately keep me in the dark. When I ask questions, they just look at me mysteriously. Apparently they want me to approximate life as it is, appear to be living it in the here-and-now, totally oblivious of what’s coming.

“I like the woman I play. I find Kate to be a woman with a strong character. She is person who has definite opinions and human feelings as opposed to most serial heroines, who are usually resigned to their everlasting miseries.

“That’s where I come in,” interrupts Maggie Hayes, who plays Roxanne Reynolds.

“The story calls for me to play a wife unloved by her husband and dominated by her father.

“My father, by the way, holds the string that moves all of us in the story- he’s the fabulously wealthy owner of a publishing company from which we in the town receive our living

“I truly love my part in the show. For the past few years, I’ve taken time out of my career to raise a family and delighted to return to work in a show like ‘Flame.’

“It’s the first serial I’ve appeared in, and it gives me a chance to put into practice a philosophy I’ve long professes- an actor’s work is acting.”

And work she does. Maggie arrives at the studios by 9 a.m. and rehearses through until air time, 2 p.m. Then after an hour’s break for lunch, she returns to the studio at 3:30 to rehearse the next day’s episode until 6 p.m.

“Then home to make dinner after which I put in two or three hours of homework memorizing the script for morning rehearsal.”

“Even though Maggie and I are quite different with regard to problems we face in the story,” says Lenka Peterson, “our hectic real-life schedules very much the same.

“I play Martha Skerba, a mother with two daughters on the threshold of womanhood.

“One daughter is lovely and is bent upon a theatrical career no matter what the price; the other is a sensitive girl whose plan looks evoke strong feelings of envy for her older sister.

“Maggie and I appear almost daily on the show, but I think I’ve learned from experience how to meet the demands of my career as a mother and star of a serial

“As the saying goes: I’ve been down that road before’- this is my fourth serial.

“Playing the role of Martha is natural for me. I have five youngsters at home, and have experienced in real life many of the problems my serial ‘family’ undergoes.”

Joining Kathleen, Maggie, and Lenka is a cast of performers whose stage, television, and screen credits are equally impressive. For example:

Frances Fuller for the past 11 years president and director of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, plays Alice Perkins. She starred in several Broadway productions.

Handsome Morgan Sterne plays Tony Grey, much in love with Kate. He is well remembered for his brilliant performance in Eugene O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” and other Broadway shows.

Walter Coy is seen as the imperious publisher, Jason Farrell, a man who ruthlessly dominates the lives of the people of the town.

Besides numerous western movies in which he alternated in the “heavy” or the “hero” roles, he has been featured in literally hundreds of primetime television programs.

Jacqueline Brookes might easily be called the serial’s “Shakespeare.” In addition to playing the role of woman spurned in “flame,” she has appeared in nearly every Shakespearian play in festivals here and abroad.

On Broadway, she starred with Michael Redgrave in “Tiger at the Gate,” and Katherine Cornell in “The Dark is Light Enough.”

Roy Poole, cast as Lenka’s husband, Al Skerba, has been featured in several outstanding Broadway productions and the movie-chiller, “Experiment in Terror.”

The youngest member of the cast, 13-year-old Richard Thomas, is seen as Kate Austen’s son. Richard has been in show business since he was 6 and had a principal part in the Broadway success, “Sunrise at Campobello.”

Early indications based on mail stars received seem to bear out that fans are responding enthusiastically to “Flame in the Wind.”

“All of us hope we’ll continue to hear from our viewers,” Hardy states. “It’s the best way for us to learn that we’re giving the kind of entertainment and performance in which our audience can participate.”

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.

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

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.

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.

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).

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, 201411 yr by Paul Raven

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.

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.

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

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.