Morning Star

[Paul Raven]

NBC September 65 - July 66

 

“Morning Star,” NBCTV’s new daytime soap opera, debuting Sept. 13, will feature musical themes by the husband and wife songwriting team, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Composer Mann, whose first TV assignment two years ago was the theme of “The Farmer’s Daughter,” has also created a new theme this season for that program. The couple are currently represented on the best-selling charts with such releases as Gene Pitney’s “Looking Through the Eyes of Love” (Musicor Records), The Animals’ “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” (MGM Records), and two versions of “Home of the Brave” in recordings by Jody Miller (Capitol Records) and Bonnie and the Treasures (Philles Records). Just released on Imperial Records is a new single by Joel Christie that features two Mann/Weil tunes: “See That Girl” and “It’s All Right Now.” In addition to these hits on the singles charts, two new LP’s have been released featuring as title songs current Mann/Weil hits: Musicor’s “Looking Through the Eyes of Love” and MGM’s “We Gotta Get Out of This Place.” Already high on the album charts is an LP by The Righteous Brothers on Philles featuring the Mann/Weil hit, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ ” as its title.

[Paul Raven]

Cast members Elizabeth Perry and Nina Roman with Robert Kennedy, who visited NBC Burbank studios in December 1965

[DRW50]

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[Paul Raven]

Thanks for posting.

 

Is that the first we've seen of Morning Star?

 

Leads me to believe there is other stuff out there.

 

Just 3 actors and one story for the whole episode. I was quite impressed with the sets compared to what we see in other shows of that time.

[DRW50]

 

First I've seen. The uploader says they have 4 more episodes. 

 

Did you notice the DAYS music cue around 17:50?

 

Is it me or does this script feel like an old radio soap?

[dc11786]

I believe WoST ran an episode from the same time period. In circulation, there are five concurrent episodes. This episode and the WoST one, which was different, are from this set. In the other episode, Jan Elliott is talking to her boyfriend about the War and Grace Allison (or whoever the maid character is) has a lengthy monologue about wanting to be Mrs. Stan Manning once his wife is dead.

 

"Morning Star" was a Ted Corday show so sharing cues with "Days" is not surprising. Regarding radio, I just noticed Betty Lou Gerson, a Chicago radio actress, was in the cast.

 

Around this time, the show dumped the original headwriters and installed James Lipton, but NBC axed both this and "Paradise Bay" fairly quickly into the new writers runs. These episodes should be from the final weeks of the original writers. I wonder if Lipton considered this a dry run for "The Best of Everything." With that said, I know Lipton isn't well liked, for various legitimate and status quo reasons, but I'd still be curous to see some of the later run. Or maybe this is Lipton's work.

 

I think, but never have completely confirmed, that the show dumped Elizabeth Perry's Katy Elliott around this time. Keith Andes quit "Paradise Bay" in March, 1966, and last aired in April because of the proposed changes (more 'melodrama' and less 'social relevance.') I've read Nina Roman's character, Liz, took center stage. It'll be curious to see if the poster uploads more "Morning Star" and if there is any additional reference to Katy.

 

[DRW50]

Thanks for the details, as always. I do wish more was out as I wonder if this was typical of the old writers - if so I could see why they would have been replaced, although maybe it is Lipton. I don't know what his style is like. 

[DRW50]

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[Paul Raven]

Some background on Morning Star.

 

It replaced Concentration at 11.00 am. Concentration moved to 10.30, a timeslot it held for the next 8 years.

 

When Morning Star was cancelled it was replaced by Chain Letter which lasted only 3 months.

 

CBS obviously ruled the roost with Andy Griffith reruns, which played at 11.00am from 64-70.

 

Another nail in the coffin may have been Supermarket Sweep on ABC which debuted Dec 65 and lasted till April 67 so most likely outrated Morning Star.

[DRW50]

@dc11786 there seem to be mentions of Katy in this episode, a number of mentions, although we don't see her (I wonder if they had written her out even though they act like she's still on the canvas). Is this the one that was on WOST?

[dc11786]

I think this is the episode.

 

The first one is a bizarre episode. To me, it was similar to the "Never Too Young" one from the same time period where Joy is nearly raped and spends the entire episode playing cards. I imagine this was a big 'reveal' episode in that, before this, the audience wasn't sure what was going on with Dana Manning. The problem is there are still too many questions (mainly who are any of these characters) for a show that featured three characters for an entire half-hour.

 

The Eric / Jan / Stan stuff in the second episode reminds me not only of the PB story with Duke Spaulding and Rosita Martinez, but of the episode of "A Time for Us" where Steve Reynolds seeks his father's advice regarding Jane Driscoll's pregnancy. Eric's cavalier playboy attitude is the complete opposite of sensitive, responsible Steve who just wants to do the right thing even though he doesn't know what that is.

 

I did notice all the Katy references. In the first episode, she and Bill are at the door (unseen). So it sounds like Katy and Bill are still around, still have story, but seem to be working together to solve the Dana Manning mystery rather than dealing with romantic complications of their own. The Jan / Eric stuff plays out until the show's last episode. In the final weeks, Eric leaves for the Army and Jan learns she is pregnant. In the finale, Jan decides she is going to raise the baby.

 

 

[DRW50]

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[DRW50]

Another episode where Katy is mentioned instead of actually being seen.

 

"Magic of soaps" trivia note - Paul Carr, who temps here, previously played Bill Horton on DAYS. His love interest in this is played by Floy Dean, who would go on to play Laura Horton about a month after this episode aired. 

 

Clearly fate could not keep Bill and Laura Horton apart. 

 

The way they introduce the temp recast at 16 minutes - I've never seen a soap do that before. It's really fun. 

Edited April 20, 2017 by DRW50

[DRW50]

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Looks like Katy is on this one, as is Bill Mallory. 

[robbwolff]

 

How cool. I didn't realize that Mann and Weil had composed the theme to Morning Star. Both Mann and Weil, and their romance, are featured in the Broadway musical Beautiful, which tells the story of Carole King's musical journey.