GH: Classic Thread

[OldGHFan]

Yea, I've never seen the first one. Nice find!

[SeanM]

After

Edited September 26, 2014 by SeanM

[amybrickwallace]

Thanks!!

[Paul Raven]

Variety reported in Dec 26th 1968 that Rahel Ames was returning as Audrey in a recurring capacity and that she had departed in March.

[amybrickwallace]

Didn't she have a baby IRL around that time?

[DRW50]

September 19, 1998 Soap Opera Magazine

[Paul Raven]

AS GLORIA MONTY'S WORLD TURNS By GEORGIA DULLEA, Special to the New York Times Published: July 11, 1986

• 
  

HOLLYWOOD— Join us now for another episode of ''General Hospital.'' You'll recall that this was one sickly soap opera eight years ago when a new executive producer, Gloria Monty, appeared to perform theatrical triage - splashy sets, younger faces, sexier scenes, lots of technological flash and dash. A year later G.H., as they call it in the industry, was the country's top-rated daytime soap and ABC-TV's biggest moneymaker.

As our story opens, Miss Monty, who was the model for the motherly producer in the film ''Tootsie,'' has been called in to help cure ABC's ailing prime-time ratings. In an age when networks rarely make long-term commitments, Gloria Monty Productions has a commitment from ABC for 10 hours of prime-time ''on-air'' programming -meaning that whatever she makes must be aired - plus a deal with 20th Century-Fox Television to develop and co-produce the programs.

''Because I've been so successful in serials, they feel that I can be very successful in series,'' says Miss Monty, a tiny, soft-spoken women in her early 60's. ''It's a move I've been trying to make for the last four years, and each time they said give us one more year at 'General Hospital.' '' A Working Lunch for 30

It is 4:30 P.M., below ground in the old Columbia studios off Sunset Boulevard. Miss Monty has spent the morning in meetings, dashing through a maze of corridors, past wardrobe, makeup and dressing rooms, trailed by figures with clipboards. After a working lunch with 30 key staff members, she paused to consider a new set design, rejected it, then called out, ''I'm going upstairs, kids!''

Up in the control room, she watched a dress rehearsal, dictating actors' notes (''Make sure she's spritzed'') and occasionally stopping the action to walk onto the set. ''That wall bothers me,'' she said at one point. The wall was repainted.

The show is being taped now. On the floor below, the face of Jacklyn Zeman, who plays the nurse Bobbie Spencer, who is trying to live down her past as a prostitute, appears on scores of television monitors. Her face is ''spritzed'' to suggest perspiration, as she says: ''I suppose you've heard by now I goofed, or came close to it, in O.R. I lost count of the sponges.'' The episode will be aired next Thursday. Sometime later this year, Tristan Rogers, who has been away from his role as Robert Scorpio for some time, will return briefly to Port Charles, the hometown of ''General Hospital.''

Miss Monty is on her office telephone saying, ''Oh, brother! Oh, brother!''

An actress in a minor part has walked out on her contract. Miss Monty tells her secretary to have the character excised from the next week's scripts (''Flag it, sweetheart''). She tells a publicity agent how to slant the press release (''Otherwise it's going to be twisted''). She sighs and says she will not miss the daily intrigue of the soaps.

''They steal our story ideas,'' she says of her competitors. ''I've been told that when I accept an outline, it's in one of the other offices that evening. I've given up trying to secure the story line, although I will spread a false rumor.''

She complains of the routine of doing five one-hour shows a week, 52 weeks a year. As a consultant on G.H. next year, she will be spared this. ''No one wants to to work this hard,'' she says. ''The vessel gets empty after a while. Part of it was we made history by making the show No. 1, and then we kept it up there for all those years and that was tough.''

In the process Gloria Monty has become one of the most highly respected, highly paid and, some say, highly feared figures in daytime television. Hers is one of the most carefully constructed public personas in the industry - ''Santa Claus in skirts,'' said one industry observer, adding that she is not always so open and giving.

Miss Monty's policy is ''never to disclose salary,'' although she is said to make upward of $2 million a year on the soap opera alone. Her innovations - the use of quick cuts, many scenes, fast plot twists and antiheroes such as Luke Spencer, played by Anthony Geary - are widely credited with changing the face of daytime soaps while paving the way for such nighttime shows as ''Dynasty.'' Some add, however, that the credit should be shared with Jacqueline Smith, who was vice president of daytime programming at ABC in 1979 when Miss Monty checked into G.H.

Her entrance into the world of television was in the early 1950's, after five years of directing summer stock on Long Island at a theater and workshop owned by her husband, Robert O'Byrne. ''We did about 50 plays and attracted the New York critics, but our money ran out,'' she recalled.

The technology baffled her at first: ''All those cameras and cables, so different from the theater. It was six months before it suddenly occurred to me that the camera was the audience. Once I realized that I could find my way dramatically.''

Finding her way as a woman in an industry dominated by men was harder. While working for CBS, where she directed a pilot of ''Secret Storm,'' Miss Monty hired a woman as assistant director. This would never do, she was told. With two female voices on the earphones, how could anyone tell them apart?

Miss Monty remembers pondering this question for a minute until the answer dawned: ''Nobody has any trouble telling the difference between two male voices.''

Not that feminists have always been pleased with G.H.'s treatment of women. When Luke raped Laura and then married her in 1981, landing the show on the cover of Newsweek magazine, Miss Monty was accused of glorifying violence against women. She replied that the rape was really ''choreographed seduction.''

Back on the set, no complaints are voiced about Miss Monty. Her young actors call her ''Mother.'' The stagehands have made her an honorary member of their union. ''Gloria's a taskmaster,'' Jerry Balme, a coordinating producer, says fondly. ''She demands excellence, but she rewards it.'' And James E. Reilly, one of the writers, adds: ''Gloria gets the best out of the best. You don't mind working hard because, one, she charms you and, two, you see the results on the screen.''

Even the competition praises Gloria Monty. Joe Willmore, a coordinating producer at G.H. until May, when he became executive producer of ''The Guiding Light,'' a CBS soap in the same time slot, says, ''She's a rare person who has both the energy and the ability to focus with great intensity on whatever she's doing.''

She does not tolerate disloyalty, however, particularly from once-obscure actors she has made into box-office attractions. ''I remember one actor who wanted to leave the show for bigger things,'' Mr. Willmore said. ''Gloria felt the show had a strong investment in him. She was so angered she picked up a pencil, snapped it and said, 'I made them and I can break them.' ''

Edited October 21, 2014 by Paul Raven

[titan1978]

Great read! Thanks!

I find her fascinating. She was innovative, no doubt about it.

[slick jones]

From the Boca Raton News- Friday June2,1978:

"Ambitious Chris Robinson is Gloria's ace, recruited to play Rick Webber, a key part. Other newcomers include H.M. Wynant,young Jeanne Anne Francis, and Leslie Charleson's [Dr. Monica Webber]sister in the role of Gloria Roberts."

I know Wynant later portrayed Orby Jansen [father of Gwen, Woody, and Oliver]in the 80s on DOOL, does anyone know what character he played?

Jeanne is obviously Genie, but who was Gloria Roberts? Anyone know? Thanks!

[Paul Raven]

1970 cast list from Daytime TV Yearbook

Julie Adams as Denise Wilton
Rachel Ames as Audry Hardy
John Beradino as Dr. Steve Hardy
Sharon DeBord as Sharon Pinkham
Peter Hansen as Lee Baldwin
Shelby Hiatt as Jane Dawson
Ray Girardin as Howie Dawson
Phyllis Hill as Mrs. Dawson
Craig Heubing as Peter Taylor
Peter Kilman as Dr. Henry Pinkham
Elizabeth MacRae as Nurse Meg Baldwin
Emily McLaughlin as Nurse Jessie Brewer
Paul Savior as Tom Baldwin
Lucille Wall as Lucille March
Nancy Fisher as Carol
Martin West as Phil Brewer

[depboy]

I don't know who H.m. Wynant played, but here is a picture of Kate and Leslie Charleson I found on Ebay. I am assuming Kate's role as Nurse Gloria Roberts was brief and day player-ish.

Edited October 28, 2014 by depboy

[slick jones]

Wow! thanks for posting that. I can't help but think Wynant may have been the father of Mary Ellen Dante, who was around at the time. Just a guess, mind you, but you never know what info may turn up. I wonder who Carol was in 1970.

[depboy]

You're welcome, slick jones!

As for H.M. Wynant, I will just add his name to the list of over 5,000 names that I have compiled of actors that have appeared on the show since 1963. It's been a real labor of love, let me tell you. Matching actors with characters and the years they appeared on the show has become somewhat of an obsession of mine over the last couple of years.

As for Nancy Fisher as Carol, I have no idea. Here is my best guess (from a Wikipedia entry, no less) I've put the part about Carol in bold:

Howie Dawson is a fictional character from the ABC Daytime soap opera, General Hospital. Ray Girardin originated the role in 1968 and played the character until 1974.

Howie is driving when he gets into a car accident with his pregnant girlfriend Jane Harland, who miscarries. They marry but face problems due to his mother. Howie becomes involved with Jane's cousin Carol during a difficult time in their marriage, but reconciles with Jane after their child is born. When Jane wants another child, Howie feels pressured and starts seeing Augusta McLeod. He goes back to Jane when he needs to improve his image to get an important position at General Hospital. They eventually separate and Howie leaves for New York City.

If anyone who posts here wants to help me with my "Master List" and match characters with actors, I'll post some of the more mysterious ones.

[slick jones]

List some names and I'll see if I can help. I'm going to be re vamping my GH list in the next couple of months. I last organized it in 2000, so I know it will take me some time to add the 14 years of characters to what I already have. If you want, you can post them here or PM me and we can share with other readers after we compare notes.

Here are a few names I have no characters to match to: These are characters:

Anthony Addabbo Nurse Margaret Clifford[76] lied to Lesley about Laura

Teal Ames Joey Galvin [76] patient Rick and Monica

Grant Cramer[83] Vincent Larick[83] held Bobbi and Monica hostage in cafeteria

Michael Fox[saul, B&B] Dr. Rex Pearson [76] intern with Jeff and Monica

Patch MacKenzie Lt. Todd [69-71] investigated John Prentice murder

Michael O'Leary Leah Abrahms[3-18-03] Benny's wife at funeral

Scott Palmer Judge David Walters[13-14] before the one dating Monica

They are all actors w/other daytime roles. Just a sampling of characters I have without actors.

Good luck and keep in touch! Thanks for the Carol info. I've read the wiki on Howie, and I totally forgot that.

Edited October 29, 2014 by slick jones

[Paul Raven]

By June 78, Mary Ellen Dante was long gone. By this time,Mark Dante was involved with Katie Corbin (Maggie Sullivan)