GH: Classic Thread

[vetsoapfan]

This photograph of Emily McLaughlin, from the ninth anniversary of GH,  has been uploaded on Facebook and posters are debating who the man with EM is.

Most people keep insisting that it's Jeffrey Hunter. Apparently, the hairline gives it away.

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Forget the fact that the gentleman looks nothing like Hunter whatsoever, but JH died three years before the photo was even taken. 

The next most popular assertion is that it's (get this) Charleton Heston. 

Lord, give me strength.

 

Edited May 30, 2024 by vetsoapfan

[Contessa Donatella]

A Bing Image search yields about 40 different men & one of them is Heston. Hmm. 

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&insightstoken=bcid_spG9mBRjFxYHbA*ccid_kb2YFGMX&form=CHROMI&iss=SBIUPLOADGET&selectedindex=0&id=-1662981160&ccid=kb2YFGMX&exph=407&expw=600&vt=2&sim=1

[depboy]

That’s James Young, the producer/director of GH from 1963-73.

[Khan]

Are we sure that's not the Gorton's fisherman?  I'm joking.

[depboy]

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Before he got fancy with facial hairs.

[vetsoapfan]

THANK YOU!

That's what I said, but folks kept insisting that it's Jeffrey Hunter or Charlton Heston.

Other choices included Peter Hansen, Kenny Rogers or Colonel Sanders, ROTFLMAO!

The internet is an endless source of amusement!

[janea4old]

I didn't want to defile the Johnny Wactor threads by posting this there.  
This isn't "classic" GH but it's typical of this actress.
From May 29, 2024

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behind the spoiler tag so as not to distract from the actual topic of classsic GH

Edited May 31, 2024 by janea4old

[titan1978]

Jeffrey Hunter was an incredibly attractive man more in line with a matinee idol. Do these people have eyes?

[Paul Raven]

With that in mind...

San Bernardino Sun, 29 December 1974

" Even in the best plotted television murder mystery, everyone from the producer to the wardrobe lady always knows "who done it," although the audience is often kept in the dark. In a unique twist, the writers and producer of ABC's daytime drama General Hospital, have plotted a murder mystery that will not only keep the audience in the dark as to who the culprit is, but the entire General Hospital cast as well.

On the show airing Friday (3PM), Dr. Phil Brewer (Martin West) will be found slain in his hospital office. The perpetrator of the crime will remain a mystery to the audience and the cast and the crew of the General Hospital family for many months to come.

Dr. Phil Brewer, evil gadfly and everybody s worst friend was due to vanish from the show dying under mysterious circumstances. But when producer James Young realized he had not just one hot suspect, but five believable, possible murderers, he conceived an original plan to titillate the cast as well as the audience.

He decided to have each of the five suspects act the the murder before the cameras, lock up the tapes, and by means of skillful false clues, innuendos, arrests and suspicions directed at all five by script writers Jerome and Bridget Dobson and  leave each of the cast members in suspense as to whether he or she had indeed "done, the foul deed."

What producer Young and the Dobsons have done is create a series of plays with in a play five murders, convincingly taped, but with only one to be eventually shown on the air. The normally friendly, clublike intimacy of the General Hospital cast, some of whom are veterans of twelve years on the air, may well be disturbed by tiffs, accusations, whispers and general suspicions during the next few months.

Only producer James Young and ' writers Jerome and Bridget Dobson will have access to the clues and know the true identity of the murderer. Only they will know whether it was hot-tempered Dr. Taylor (Craig Huebing), frivolous Augusta McLeod (Judith McConnell), quiet Jessie Brewer (Emily McLaughlin), happily married Diana Taylor (Valerie Starrett), or alcoholic Dr. Hobart (James Sikking), who snuffed out Dr. Phil's life.

[victorlord75]

I don't think Martin West got the credit he deserved for his portrayal of Phil.  While he had big shoes to fill compared to Phil's original portrayer, by the time Martin West took over the role, the character of Phil had such a big cart full of misdeeds that it is possible that some fans were getting tired of Jessie forgiving Phil and taking him back again and again and again.  Martin West's Phil definitely a "love to hate" character.  Also, another love to hate character was Augusta McLeod.  I am surprised that later writers never brought Augusta and her baby back.  There was still a lot of story left to tell there.

Edited June 2, 2024 by victorlord75
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[titan1978]

It’s such an interesting story and almost a line in the sand for the show. This is the last time Jessie Brewer was central to a story, not to mention the death of Phil.

It proves to be popular, and gives the show a ratings spike. Within less than two years of the start, the longtime GH producer and writers are gone. Bridget had been there writing from nearly the beginning, and her parents show was never the same.

Tom Donovan arrives, modernizes the stage/equipment, has a measure of success at first, but ends up tanking too. Monty arrives with the legend of 13 weeks to save the show. That is a lot in 4 years!

[Contessa Donatella]

Or the alternate versions: 

1. Gloria has till the end of the year.

2. Gloria was told to go get things ready to shut it down & she disobeyed orders & saved it instead. 

But #2 is really daft because supporting evidence is that ABC Prez asked Agnes who would be good to write new stories for young kids while still writing for the adult couples. Her reply, Douglas Marland. That question would not have been asked if they had decided already. 

But, a longer time frame could certainly have been the case. 13 weeks fits because it's one cycle. But, 13 weeks is also an incredibly short period of time. 

[titan1978]

The only thing that makes me believe it was that dire is that she was allowed a lot of freedom, including throwing out completed shows and reshooting them.

My feeling about it has always been close to what I read from her once- ABC wanted the show to either improve greatly, or at least enough to go out with respect.

I think the legendary 13 weeks was how long she had to move the show into being better, not a firm cancellation date. If it wasn’t getting better by 13 weeks they would have announced a cancellation at a later date, not immediately. They had already hired Marland. Pairing him with Monty was giving the show a chance. They both moved quickly to center focus around characters they could use to bring in viewers- Lesley, Laura, Scotty, and the newly arrived Alan and Bobbie.

It also gave the network 13 weeks to start looking for a replacement, for an eventual launch down the road when the actual end date was near. In 1978 they were not going to turn that time over to affiliates.

Edited June 6, 2024 by titan1978

[Contessa Donatella]

That very fact, that she immediately threw out a week of shows, is as we know, staggering! That is the first sign of how important & yes how dire the situation was. I've looked at this whole thing about 6 different ways of examining all that we know & I agree with just about every word you've said. It's very true that more time was needed before she could really get things in shape but that one cycle was enough to show potential & with that potential, the promise of better things to come. And, Marland & Monty fulfilled that promise. 

I am a student of the shows that were saved. AW & DAYS were typical because they were in danger so early on. GH is different because it had been on the air for 15 years when its threat came. I revere the show savers. 

I remember Mary Stuart talking about the 13 week cycle. BITD they literally weren't sure they'd have jobs at every single 13 week calendar date. 

[victorlord75]

During Tom Donovan's reign as producer and the Pollocks as head writers, my mother completely lost interest in the show and never returned as a regular viewer.  I am actually kind of amused when so many viewers that frequently post on the boards here refer to the Webbers as "legacy characters", because the Webbers got off to a very rocky start when the Pollocks wrote them in.  It was no wonder the ratings were dive bombing when so many episodes (it seemed) were eaten up by Terri Webber's singing at her club.  My mother missed (the recently and abruptly written out) Jane, Howie, Henry, Sharon, Lee, Caroline, and especially Lucille!  "I don't know these people," my mother groaned as she watched Terri belting out another tune with brothers Jeff and Rick nearby, and finally, she just gave up on the show for good.