Grayson Hall--One Life to Live--Sept. 3, 1982

[Gothick]

Fans,

I am excited to report that I just learned that an episode of One Life to Live
we haven't seen before from Grayson's Euphemia Ralston storyline has been posted
to Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZuvKfiie0M

I have been able to watch part 1 (there seem to be 3 parts in all) and although
the visual quality is not too good, the sound is OK.  I played through parts 2 and 3 and Grayson reappears for a short scene in part 3.  No Nancy Barrett or Tony George in this one, so far as I can tell.

For those who don't know, Grayson's personal backstory for Euphemia was that as
a young woman, she had either been raised in the North or been educated there
and so would not have a typical Southern accent. However, one of the directors
on the show disagreed and made Grayson play the role with a "corn-pone"
deep-fried accent. The episode currently available is an example of Grayson
having to work with this Director. Eventually (thankfully) Grayson got her wish
and Euphemia lost the Southern accent.

I'm not up on the history of OLTL but I believe that Euphemia's estranged
daughter Delilah became a regular character on the show. Euphemia's final
episode was taped in around April 1983 I believe.

It has been a longtime dream of mine some day to be able to view ALL of
Grayson's work as Euphemia.

Best,

Steve

[Uncle Roger]

Delilah was already an established character when Grayson came on the show. Shelly Burch--who looked absolutely nothing like Grayson--played the character off and on for years.

Bob Woods told me he enjoyed working with Grayson very much.

[Gothick]

I just love the exquisite drama of the moment when Lincoln mentions Miss Delilah and Euphemia freezes, her voices lowers to a perilously frigid bass pitch, and she rasps, "I told you nevah... NEVAH ... to mention that name!"

Nobody else does it like the Divine One...

G.

[Uncle Roger]

Just finished watching the clip and boy did that bring back memories! The video quality is, shall we say, somewhat less than pristine. And it was an added bonus to see Steve Fletcher, who would later play Deputy Harker on the 1991 show.

And, eventually, Euphemia makes her way to Llanview to meet up with Will Vernon and Debra Van Druden. That's Anthony George and Nancy Barrett, for those who never saw the clip that used to be a Festival mainstay.

Just wonder where in Maine that guy's folks were headed.

[Gothick]

Uncle Roger, oh how I wish the clip of Grayson with Anthony George and Nancy Barrett could be included as an extra on one of the MPI discs!  I wasn't going to the Festivals back when they ran it.

At least this episode has appeared and perhaps we'll see more.  I have noticed over the past couple of years that more and more episodes of OLTL from this period are coming out of the mothballs.  Most of them are much better quality than this one.

G.

[Uncle Roger]

They may have some more stuff at the Museum of Broadcasting. I've never been there myself but they are supposed to have all sorts of stuff, both common and obscure, that you can view.

FYI: Grayson and Robin Strasser were among the many performers who belonged to SOAP, which was Soap Opera Actors for Peace. They were an anti-Vietnam War group who held candlelit vigils in Central Park. Other members included the late Jacqueline Courtney and, I think, Nancy Barrett.

[Gothick]

Thanks for the suggestion.  I visited the Museum of Broadcasting in NYC a couple of times about 12 years ago.  The last I heard, they were trying to get permission to release one of the OLTL episodes with Grayson in the part of the archive that is available for public viewing.  Only a small part of it is accessible when you are there.  When I went, I was very surprised at the things people were choosing to watch.  It costs a not insubstantial fee to go in there but I saw people tuned to episodes of Seinfeld and the Honeymooners. 

I viewed a tape that was made for the Museum by Lela Swift being interviewed about her career as a director, including the Playhouse 90 (or was it Studio One?) years.  That was quite interesting.  She did discuss DS, of course.

I've seen a couple of photographs of Grayson attending a SOAP vigil that was held in November of 1969.  I had the impression that the group didn't last very long, but perhaps it did.

G.

[Uncle Roger]

I'll try to ask Robin Strasser about SOAP the next time I run into her.