DARK SHADOWS FORUMS
General Discussions => Current Talk Archive => Current Talk '24 I => Current Talk '06 I => Topic started by: Patti Feinberg on March 24, 2006, 08:26:07 PM
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Was actually home by 11am with NO KIDS, finished scrubbing my kitchen floor, enjoying lunch of shrimp fried rice & pizza. I see Ryan's Hope was on SoapNet...so off I clicked..
Now, I don't believe I watched RH past 1977. Funny thing, I immediately knew Seneca & Jillian. This made me think of some of our cousins who were old enough to watch DS first time on air ;)
Here's a question, and I'm not sure if I'll phrase it correctly: Could 'they' (SoapNet?) air say One Life to Live from 1972? How about soaps which aren't on air anymore (besides ABC soaps, I'm not certain, but Secret Storm & Search for Tomorrow come to mind).
I mean I like OLTL, but I believe SoapNet airs it like 3 times per 24 hours (and don't forget the marathons on the weekends).
I would love to see some older soaps, just for pure entertainment. In the case of OLTL, it would be great to 'relive' my childhood.
As long as we're asking....can't they show DS?? :'(
Patti
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I would love them to air All my children from '73, and OLTL from '82-'83, so I could finally get to see some of my beloved Grayson's most elusive performances!
I read somewhere that Humbert A. A. played an interior decorator on Secret Storm or Search for Tomorrow--I'd LOVE to see that! Also, I think Clarice was on Storm.
Marie Wallace had a great role as a classic soap opera bitch on one of those shows; India something-or-other was her name. I"ve heard some fun stories from fans reminiscing.
So yeah, bring on the vintage soaps!
G.
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Guys, please be aware of one horrendous truth: most of the soap episodes from the 60s and 70s are no more. Some shows aired live while others were taped and after a few months the videotape was erased and reused. That's why most of the current ABC soaps (One Life, GH, and All My Kids) have few color tapes existing prior to 1978, when ABC began saving its tapes. "Ryan's Hope", like DS, was independtly produced until the creators sold it to ABC circa 1980, and that's why its pre '78 tapes were saved.
It's even worse regarding the Procter & Gamble soaps (Guiding Light, World Turns, Edge, Search,Another World). GL goes back to the late 70s, ATWT around 1980, and I'm told there are still missing tapes from AW from the 80s- one reason why the SoapNet reruns started with 1988!!
All of Grayson's OLTL stuff is safe, as is Robert Gerringer on Edge, and is I assume Louis Edmonds on AMC (he joined in the cutoff year of 1978!) and Anthony George on OLTL.
There IS some good news: Sony/Columbia TV owns Days, Y&R and Bold & Beautiful. Days' library goes ALL THE WAY BACK TO #1- and it's all in color!! Likewise with the other two. Some of you may know that Don Briscoe was a Days cast member in 1966- and the odds are the color tapes are in the Sony vaults in L.A. Also, Jim Storm was a B&B regular, and Jerry Lacy was on Y&R circa 1980. Now that SoapNet has the rerun rights for both Days and Y&R, perhaps we will be seeing our old friends in their non-DS soap roles again soon!
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Marie Wallace had a great role as a classic soap opera bitch on one of those shows; India something-or-other was her name.
India Delaney was her character's name.
It's even worse regarding the Procter & Gamble soaps (Guiding Light, World Turns, Edge, Search,Another World). GL goes back to the late 70s,
Now it's GL from '73-'76 I'd KILL to see. Too bad they don't still have tapes but who knows, maybe the Museum of TV and Radio Arts does. I particulary would like to see the wedding of the character's Mike and Leslie Bauer and her death scene 3 years later. I remember watching it as a kid and being VERY moved when the doctors came and told him she'd died. Don Stewart (who played Mike) did a great job of playing the grieving husband etc...in that scene. Very sad. That's when I started watching the show really, in June of '76, but didn't watch regularly until high school years later.
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Even if every scene ever shot, on every Soap ever produced still existed somewhere, in some pristine perfect condition, there would still be one insurmountable problem: where could they possibly start or stop? The old war horses of soapdom have simply been on too long to watch again.
For purposes of watching again, having been cut short was actually a blessing in disguise for DS.
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Charles, thanks, I was hoping someone would know more about when/where/if they were available.
OMG...Anthony George...what do I vaguely remember him on? (besides DS)?? Screen grab anyone?
Rainey, I sort of agree about too much, and I personally didn't really care (too much) for All My Children's last years retrospect.
Patti
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Even if every scene ever shot, on every Soap ever produced still existed somewhere, in some pristine perfect condition, there would still be one insurmountable problem: where could they possibly start or stop
They've been airing AW on Soapnet and there's a fairly loyal crowd on places like TWoP. And same with RH. I think you'd be surprised at how many people would tune into see old episodes of AMC or GL or whatever. Heck, I don't care if they're in B&W. I'd watch.
I'm loving AW. Bad hair, bad clothes, even some bad acting, but some great soap. It's my DS in the sense that I watched it "live" back in the day and now I'm watching it again for the first time in 20-odd years. Very surreal. I think begin to fathom what you hardcore original fans must have felt on seeing DS again.
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For purposes of watching again, having been cut short was actually a blessing in disguise for DS.
That's a good point...and no matter how long it went on, it would've inevitably been cut short...soaps just aren't in the business of tying things up nicely and neatly, are they?
But I'm no expert on the subject...has there ever been a soap that wrapped up all the loose ends before cancellation?
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They've been airing AW on Soapnet and there's a fairly loyal crowd on places like TWoP. And same with RH. I think you'd be surprised at how many people would tune into see old episodes of AMC or GL or whatever. Heck, I don't care if they're in B&W. I'd watch.
For a while, I guess about a year and a half ago, SoapNet was airing RH during a time when I was home between classes either stuffing my face or putting in some time on the stepper. I'd never seen the show before, but I thought Delia was a riot, and I confess that I did try to arrange things so I could be doing something that allowed me to watch it when it was on. ::)
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:D
It's quite amazing that anything originally shot on videotape--including DS--survives for us today. Some recent DVD releases from old shows like THE BELL TELEPHONE HOUR and THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW include segments that were taped in B&W way back in the early 60s, and even some taped in color as early as 1961. Of course, those were shows that might have historic significance, so it's great that they were saved. No one ever thought the soaps would see light of day again, so it's no wonder the networks recorded over the tapes--tape must have been very expensive back then. As for shows I'd like to see, how about THE EDGE OF NIGHT, in the early 70s, when there were haunted mansions and ghosts stories, probably thanks to DS!
Brian
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There are a bunch of EDGE tapes from the early 70s floating about, but P&G has the show archived from February 1978 to the finale in December 1984, making a grand total of 1,798 episodes available for syndication. I got that from an EDGE fan site.
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I purchased a few rare soaps on VHS tapes back in the 90's from a place called "Moviecraft Home Video" out of Illinois. A fun mixed bag of stuff:
SEARCH FOR TOMORROW from 1953 with Don Knotts, from 1960 with Larry Hagman, and from 1952 with the guy who played the principal on "Welcome Back Kotter" in the 70's! Anthony George, btw, was on "Search" in the early 70's as Dr. Tony Vincente.
THE SECRET STORM from 1966, with Peter White (who most people remember as Linc Tyler on 'All My Children').
THE EDGE OF NIGHT from 1964, with Teri Keane as Martha, broadway actress Penny Fuller as Geri, and James Mitchell (Palmer Courtlandt on 'All My Children') as a crooked cop.
THE GUIDING LIGHT from 1952 with Charita Bauer (Bert) and James Lipton (from "Inside The Actors Studio") as a young doctor.
LOVE OF LIFE from 1952 with spunky Peggy McCay (who still plays Caroline Brady on "Days Of Our Lives").
..And the original commercials (like Mike Wallace from 60 Minutes hawking "Fluffo" shortening). Definitely a blast from the past.
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I'd never seen the show before, but I thought Delia was a riot
My brother (the one who used to think the werewolf was gonna get him as he ran home from his friend's house after watching DS) and I used to watch Ryan's Hope back in the day and we too LOVED Delia! She was a hoot and we'd roar w/laughter over her. ;)
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SEARCH FOR TOMORROW from 1953 with Don Knotts
WHAT!!
Who knew!!?? That's funny.
Thanks
Patti
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I wouldn't mind seeing Santa Barbara again. I used to watch that back in the mid '80s.
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I wouldn't mind seeing Santa Barbara again. I used to watch that back in the mid '80s.
I loved Santa Barbara. And interestingly many in the soap press used to liken the show to DS - though not because it was supernatural in nature (though they did throw in one or two supernatural twists from time to time), but because it had such a faithful cult following and because its storylines often broke from the soap norm. I would love to see SB back on somewhere.
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Don Knotts played wheelchair bound Wilbur Peabody, whicgh was his only dramatic role I think. His sister Rose Peabody took care of him as was played by three actresses in a relatively short time.
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i started watching soaps at age eight(my parents should have known right then and there i was part of the lavender set). ::)
my first love was "all my children".i'm remembering a willowy and fragile nina cortland,a young and spunky brooke english,a spoiled and snotty erica kane and of course pine valley's grand dame pheobe wallingford who was married to a character played by our own louis edmonds(langly i believe).
i can still hear the theme to "edge of night".it wasn't overtly supernatural but there was something dark about the show.i wish i got 'soap net' but i don't.
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I loved Santa Barbara. And interestingly many in the soap press used to liken the show to DS - though not because it was supernatural in nature (though they did throw in one or two supernatural twists from time to time), but because it had such a faithful cult following and because its storylines often broke from the soap norm. I would love to see SB back on somewhere.
Yeah, I wish I could remember some of the plot lines better. I'll never forget when Cruz proposed to Eden by putting the engagement ring in the bottom of her champagne glass - that was so perfect. And that wife of Mr. Capwell (Gina?) who was always causing mischief, that was great entertainment. Mason was really memorable as well.
Who knows, maybe someday we'll see it on DVD, or else Soapnet will run it. That would be fantastic.
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Don Knotts played wheelchair bound Wilbur Peabody, whicgh was his only dramatic role I think. His sister Rose Peabody took care of him as was played by three actresses in a relatively short time.
Good memory, Joey-
Those actresses who played Rose were Oscar winner Lee Grant, character actress Nita Talbot (she was the Russian spy on "Hogan's Heroes") and Constance Ford (Ada on "Another World" and countless other TV shows & films). On my tape, Don Knotts (Wilbur) is slowly coming out of a coma. It's very "Dark Shadows-Dream Curse" like, as he's being beckoned to open a strange door in his dream.
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Ooh, Constance Ford! I always regretted that she did not appear on Dark Shadows.
She's so deliciously baroque in the 1950s potboiler, The Summer Place--sort of a Donna Reed gone over to the Dark Side type of character. Brilliant work. I always wondered whether she knew Clarice, Grayson, Louis et al socially.
G.
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Ooh, Constance Ford! I always regretted that she did not appear on Dark Shadows.
She's so deliciously baroque in the 1950s potboiler, The Summer Place--sort of a Donna Reed gone over to the Dark Side type of character. Brilliant work. I always wondered whether she knew Clarice, Grayson, Louis et al socially.
She's very twisted in The Summer Place which is one whacked movie when you deconstruct it. I knew her first from Another World. She was on that for years.
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It's a very honest movie for its time. I saw it for the first time long after it was originally released and was astonished at the realistic treatment of the subject matter. And yes, Constance Ford's performance was downright pathological.
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Regarding Lee Grant on "Search" the reason why she was replaced was as sinister as can be- she was blacklisted for denouncing McCarthy and his allies and couldn't work on TV or films (in L.A, anyway) for roughly a decade. The first big role she got on TV in the 60s was playing the sultry Stella Chernak on Peyton Place- and she won the Emmy for it! And yes, I must add my voice to those who just love Connie Ford as the bitchy Helen Jorgenson in A Suimmer Place- she should've gotten an Oscar nomination for it!!
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Ooh, Constance Ford! I always regretted that she did not appear on Dark Shadows.
Constance Ford would have made a great addition to DS. In 1965, she played demented heiress Eve Morris on "The Edge of Night" - and promptly stabbed her married lover with a pair of scissors, framing his young wife for the deed. She also played a frazzled woman with a split personality on an old Perry Mason episode, shamelessly ran off with her daughter's suitor in "Claudelle Inglish," gleefully watched her cruel uncle die before her eyes in "The Twilight Zone," helped Joan Crawford teach judo in "The Caretakers," and strip-searched pubescent Sandra Dee in "A Summer Place."
Here's an actress that deserved a plum role on "Dark Shadows" - perhaps as a nosey and menacing friend or relative of Julia Hoffman's....
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Constance Ford's performance in The Summer Place holds up a mirror to America's neurotic demonization of sex.
It is a movie and a performance that still has relevance, if you read the headlines particularly on what some religious groups advocate in our schools, I am sorry to say.
And Sandor, the thought of Grayson and Constance Ford playing scenes together (especially if their characters were at odds) has me in a SWOON!
cheers, G.
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When in New York City or Los Angeles, visit the Museum of Broadcasting, AKA Museum of TV & Radio.
While color tapes for old soaps are long gone, the Museum has thousands of kinescopes available for viewing at any time.
David
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I wouldn't mind seeing Santa Barbara again. I used to watch that back in the mid '80s.
Actually Willie, IIRC, Santa Barbara has been on...?Soapnet?
I know I've seen commercials somewhere/time....
Patti
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And don't forget that Karlen was on two soaps, no less, back in the day. According to imdb he was on Another World in 1964 and Love is a Many Splendored Thing in 1967.
Maine Girl
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joel crothers also was on S.B. and if i remember correctly, JOHN SEDWICK directed many if not all the episodes.
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At the MTR in NYC or the Paley Center as they call it now, you can see Anthony George on Search for Tomorrow in a couple of scenes circa 1975.