DAYS: From the Archives: Bill Bell discusses plans for 1970

[JAS0N47]

Here's a treat for all the "Days" history fans: A letter from Bill Bell to Betty Corday detailing plans for the show in 1970. In the letter, Bill asks Betty if he can perhaps write a "mixed marriage/love affair" storyline. Although wanting to write the story in 1970, that would not happen on the show until Valerie Grant arrived in Salem in the fall of 1975. Also, there is the first-ever mention of Bill Horton's as-yet-unnamed cellmate (who would eventually become the long-running character of Doug Williams). Those are just a few of the tidbits in the 4-page letter. Enjoy!!

http://www.jason47.com/days/billbellletter.html

[DRW50]

This is fascinating. Thanks so much.

Did Sandy return at this time? What about Craig Meritt? Did the story with Tommy and Sandy's teacher happen?

[Bright Eyes]

Heather North played Sandy Horton from 67-72. However, her time on the show is barely referenced in synopses, so I have no clue if those stories occurred or not, unfortunately.

As for Craig, he never did return. And as we know, Marie was never paired with "Bill's cellmate."

[DRW50]

Oh that's who she played? All I know of her is all the wedding photos when she married the producer.

[YRBB]

This is an absolutely amazing treat. Thank you so much!

There are no words to describe how much I want to watch Bell's era on DAYS. He was such a great writer.

[JAS0N47]

Craig never returned after leaving the show in February 1967.

Sandy's chemistry teacher, Ruth Parker (played by Maura McGiveney), appeared for just a few episodes, so her romance with Tommy never happened.

Sandy never had too much to do, she wasn't a contract character, and based on her monthly episode appearances, she was never featured much more than once a week. They featured Sandy heavily from November 1969 to January 1970, but she pretty much disappeared after that. Here's Sandy's monthly totals:

Heather North (Sandy Horton)

12/67: 5

1/68: 1

4/68: 1

5/68: 4

6/68: 4

7/68: 9

8/68: 4

9/68: 2

10/68: 5

11/68: 8

12/68: 5

1/69: 11

2/69: 3

3/69: 5

4/69: 2

5/69: 5

6/69: 5

7/69: 6

8/69: 3

9/69: 5

10/69: 4

11/69: 9

12/69: 9

1/70: 10

2/70: 5

3/70: 2

5/70: 1

6/70: 3

8/70: 3

9/70: 3

10/70: 2

11/70: 2

12/70: 1

1/71: 1

4/71: 1

5/71: 1

12/71: 1

1/72: 1

5/72: 2

6/72: 2

[DRW50]

Thanks. Well at least Heather got a husband out of it.

I have never understood why the show had such a hard time using Tommy or Sandy.

Even now they could use them.

[jam6242]

I always liked Heather North, I thought she was very cute and a pretty good actress for her age. A coworker who was watching then has said the same thing. I've seen her in some old tv episodes from the same time period, and she was in a Disney movie with Kurt Russell around that time too. But Jason's right, Sandy never really had a story while she played the role. I think she was mainly getting acquainted with the Hortons since she had been raised away from them (since Tommy had been presumed dead through most of her childhood).

Oh, and Heather got a baby out of it too! I have an old magazine that has a story and photos about the christening of the son she & Wes Kenney had. Bill & Susan Hayes were the godparents, and Suzanne Rogers attended too.

[aMLCproduction]

Thank you so much A very nice treat

[Chris B]

I wish they'd reair DAYS from the beginning, online at least. It looks like such an interesting, modern soap in the 60s and 70s. I have no interest after that though lol.

[KMan101]

It is interesting in comparing DAYS of the 60s/70s to the 80s/90s. Very different, yet they each had their very popular periods. It's too bad there wasn't more of an effort to include aspects from the 70s, apart from random returns. Mickey and Alice are gone. Marie is a non-entity (such a waste) and Bill has been a non-entity since 1994/1995, apart from a LOT of references. They could even resurrect Tommy, but I feel that time long passed. It's really a shame the Hortons aren't used as the anchors.

[JackPeyton]

id love to see days in the 60's, 70's and very early 80's. once the brady clan take over im good though.

[Paul Raven]

Fascinating insight.

i wonder how much control Bell had and how much Corday and NBC could influence story? eg the 'mixed marriage' story he proposed never came to pass.Was this Bell's decision or was pressure brought to bear?

Regards Marie,did Bell know for sure that Maree Cheatham was willing to return or was he prepared to recast? As it turned out Marie was used very little until dropped in 73.

Sandy was a wasted character (along with Steve).With a little tweaking,Sandy could have been the Marlena character which would have kept the Hortons front and center for many years.

Interesting that Bell commented on wanting to see character onscreen before creating story,which shows he was quite flexible about plot lines at some level.

Hopefully Jason has more treasures like this to share.

[Paul Raven]

Jason has now added Betty Corday's response to Bill's letter!

http://www.jason47.com/days/billbellletter.html

[teplin]

Bill Bell's letter and now Betty Corday's response ... fascinating. (Thanks, Jason!) Two things I find particularly interesting about Corday's letter: She says that Julie "knows" she is more physically attractive than Susan. Do you think that's an indication of Julie's self-centeredness, or is it a reflection of Corday's (and presumably, the viewing public's) opinion that Susan Seaforth was more beautiful than Denise Alexander? (Personally, I think both women were -- and are -- gorgeous.) Also, Corday's contention that viewers won't be interested in the Marie-as-nun story due in part to a diminishment of public interest in defecting nuns is somewhat ironic, since the Sister Marie-Alex-Neil story was played to great effect almost 15 years later, when public interest would have been even lower.