GH: Classic Thread

[depboy]

Thanks for posting!

[j swift]

Question:  I was recently reviewing Monica's history.  I started watching during her affair with Rick while she was married to Alan.

 

I was reminded that Alan and Monica met and married on the show.  However, I wondered how long was their courtship? Were the rest of the Q's on canvas for their wedding?  How long was she single between marriages?

 

It seems like the pre-Monty history gets summarized quickly in the anniversary books but Monica has driven story for a long time.

[amybrickwallace]

I don't know. Was Alan and Monica's wedding even shown on-screen? 

 

As far as I know, Alan was the first Q to be introduced. Stuart Damon joined GH in 1977. Anna Lee, David Lewis and Jane Elliot all came on the next year.

[j swift]

Isn't it weird that there are no pictures or stories about their wedding?  We know Alan gave Monica the deed to the mansion at the wedding but there seem to be very few other facts available.

[vetsoapfan]

 

Come to think of it, I don't recall seeing the original wedding ceremony between them either, although I was a regular viewer back then.

[titan1978]

I was hoping you would comment and have details!  I don’t know anything about their relationship before they were married.  It seems like it was a short courtship.  But he liked her enough to give her the house!  Or was that to spite Edward?  I’m now so curious about Alan and Monica’s early days.

 

Before Alan (and really Lesley Charleson), Monica was pretty much between Rick and Jeff, correct?

[vetsoapfan]

 

I remember the story from back then but I cannot for the life of me remember seeing Alan and Monica's first wedding. Maybe it was off-screen. Somebody correct me if I am mistaken, but I think Jill and Frank's wedding on RH occurred off-screen as well. I just remember Frank carrying her across the threshold and announcing they had been married.

 

Yes, at the beginning of her story, Monica was in love/lust for Rick Webber, although she married Jeff. Even Jeff's attempted suicide over the situation could not make Monica keep her mitts off Rick. Even Monica's marriage to Alan did not stop her from panting after Rick. No wonder Alan tried to kill them twice, LOL.

[j swift]

I re-watched from Heather's LSD trip to Alan stalking Rick/Monica on YT last nite and I have some thoughts: (no wedding discussed or shown during those episodes).

 

1.The Heather before Robin Mattson was a totally different person.  A terrible portrayal with All-About-Eve acting; she speaks to Dianna in a high register and then turns around and hisses in low register to her co-conspirator Larry Joe.

 

2. The story is like an afterschool special on LSD.  Heather's trip involves laughing and seeing hallucinations of colors outside the window.  The LSD is in a vile, as I recall it was usually on blotter paper, and Heather knows that it will take 20 minutes for it to take effect.

 

3.  Monica is groped all over the place.  Rick and Jeff grab her by the arm when they want to talk to her or kiss her.  People seem to be dragging Monica all over the hospital.  Alan comes to town to help build/staff the Q Cardiac Unit but no mention of a family, or that he grew up in town, upon first arrival.

 

4.  Jeff is a complicated guy.  I get that he is under a great deal of stress finding out that PJ is his son, right after finding out that Steve was his dad, but he is very uncool.  He yells at Annie, Heather and Diana.  He has a rigid adherence to wearing turtleneck sweaters and apparently had never seen anyone on an acid trip in college.  I get why all the gals went for Rick over Jeff, Rick was cool and mellow while Jeff was so high strung.  Jeff was 10x's more handsome than Peter Taylor or the rest of the guys at the time but his brain injury made him into a bummer dude.

 

5.  The Q nursery-from-hell has got a lot to do with who Jason and AJ became as men.  Who would put a baby in a nursery with a huge skylight? let alone one that could fall down at anytime? didn't Monica want the nursery to be near her bedroom, not in the attic.  Younger viewers should remember that Rick/Monica and Alan's attempts to kill them were the "B" story during the Ice Princess summer and a strong part of the ratings increase.  Looking back a year earlier and it is clear that the chaf has been separated from the wheat.

[victorlord75]

I recall that the critics were not particularly kind to Mary O'Brien, Heather#2, at the time.  She was regarded as a weak actress, though I enjoyed her portrayal.  I think what happened was, by the time Robin Mattson arrived to play Heather, the really good head writers like Marland and Falken-Smith were either gone or on their way out.  Gloria Monty, it appears, was a big fan of some films of the 40s and 50s and injected some story line into the show from some of the movies she enjoyed  So, Heather got  turned into a film noir-like femme fatale for awhile, and viewers ate it up.  In fact, I remember the writers putting words in Heather's mouth in her interactions with Scotty that originated with the great Tallulah Bankhead (I think, though I may be wrong).  Scotty would tell Heather he'd be waiting in bed for her, and Heather would wryly reply, "If I'm not there, start without me!"

[Soaplovers]

I heard that Heather #2 was given the chance to reprise the role, but that she turned the offer down so Robin Mattson was hired instead.  It does sound like Heather was made less crazy in the early 80s and even left town semi sane.   What was Heather #1 like?  I know that she was Cher's half-sister, but there aren't a lot of scenes available of her playing the role. and she was the one that got the ball rolling with her instant crush on Jeff, plotting to break him and Monica up, etc.

[vetsoapfan]

 

 

Mary O'Brien was a dreadful, dreadful actress, and the less-than-subtle direction during her mad scenes did her no favors.

 

I loved Jeff Webber and would have married him, LOL, so even at his snarkiest, I understand that betrayal and pain led to his surly behavior, so I forgave him. I never thought he was a bummer dude, I thought he was a hunk and a half! And I preferred the sexy first Rick much better than Chris Robinson's version.

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When Douglas Marland wanted to bring add Tracy to the cast, TPTB told him that such as character needed family to justify her, so the entire Q clan was born.

 

I can't talk about that STOOPID Ice Princess story without getting pissed off. It destroyed the show.

[j swift]

She also was a crappy nanny for Peter and Diana.  She only comes during the day, Diana always makes lunch for her and they are constantly leaving PJ in the "other room."

 

Also when Heather's LSD trip begins, Jeff takes Heather to GH (where Peter and Diana are meeting) and nobody mentions where they left the baby! 

[vetsoapfan]

 

After losing two previous children to death already, you'd think Diana would be a little more careful about keeping track of her latest kid, LOL.

Edited June 14, 2018 by vetsoapfan

[Paul Raven]

Alan and Monica were wed in June 78. Tracy, Lila and Edward arrived for the ceremony.

 

Alan had an old fiancee Grace Dobson hanging around during this time.

Edited June 14, 2018 by Paul Raven

[victorlord75]

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There is a scene with Heather#1 at around 10:05 in the clip above.

 

 

Edited June 14, 2018 by victorlord75
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