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How Soap Characters Got Their Names


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I didn't see this topic as a thread, but if there is one out there already the mods can merge it. It turned out that an art director on The Doctors named Elmon Webb married a woman named Virginia Dancy. One of the show's core families was named Dancy. The matriarch, played by Elizabeth Lawrence, was named Virginia.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/1969/08/16/archives/virginia-dancy-teacher-wed-to-elmon-webb-set-designer.html?fbclid=IwAR19mZysJMAjWfITM5yNqEuk2pmW9rcUk_qrtCWMRpybIfY-k-5-A7xgqrY

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The weird/interesting thing is that wedding occurred in 1969 and Virginia arrived in the mid 70's.

Was it Doug Marland who brought her on?

Would he have known the maiden name of the wife of a crew member?

 

Speaking of Marland and names, he always included the name Beatrice on the shows he wrote as it was his mother's name.

AW Beatrice Gordon

GH Beatrice Hewitt

GL Bea Reardon

ATWT Beatrice McKechnie

 

I'm trying to recall a Beatrice on Loving?

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IIRC, Agnes Nixon named Dixie's biological father Seabone (Hunkle) after seeing it on the back of a box of biscuit mix or something.  Of course, years later, they referred to him as "Paul Henry," with the implication that we were supposed to forget about his earlier name.

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Bill Bell used his first name and names of his family members for Y&R/B&B characters: ie. William (Bill) Foster, Phillip Chancellor II, Brad Elliott, Lauralee Brooks, Brad Carlton, William (Bill) Spencer, William (Billy) Abbott. I once read Bill Bell took the name Ridge from a college classmate of Bradley Bell.

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“Sam Ratcliffe” was twice a character named for Samuel Ratcliffe, Emmy-winning writer for SANTA BARBARA and Emmy-nominated for other shows. He died in 1995 

 

“Sam Ratcliffe” was Liza’s date to Hogan and Patti’s wedding on the last episode of SEARCH FOR TOMORROW, and also the zookeeper who corralled Carolyn the Gorilla on the last episode of ANOTHER WORLD. 

 

Lujack’s father, “Locke Walls,” on GUIDING LIGHT, was named for longtime stage manager Locke Wallace. 

 


 

 

 

 

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On OLTL, the character of Clint Buchanan was originally called Chris Logan. Clint Ritchie came to the audition dressed like a cowboy, the casting director liked him and got his okay if they could change the name Chris to Clint. Shortly thereafter, Logan was changed to Buchanan. 

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