Cracked

It's a really interesting phenomenon that has occurred a few times since I started this project where I'll get a hold of a set of clips and just not get around to watching (or posting) them for months, meaning that I have clips on disc or on my computer of things that I still haven't seen since they aired or, in other cases, at all ever. In many of these instances, I'll look over one day and just be floored that I haven't gotten around to seeing them and sharing them with you. Such was the case with this set of clips from the early part of the Brent Lawrence saga from May of 1995. I watched these today only because I wanted to honor a request and put up a clip set of medium length before I start in on a very long sequence from 1989 later in the week. I was floored by how good these episodes were and the wonderful work by Sonia Satra as Lucy, Rick Hearst as Alan-Michael, and especially Frank Beatty as Brent.

Longtime viewers will remember that this was the storyline that contributed heavily to the real life mental breakdown of Beatty in 1996 after his character assumed the female alter ego of Marian Crane. Beatty would eventually be replaced in the role for a few months while he recuperated, returning only briefly at the very end to finish the story out.
This clip set is long before that point though, falling just after Brent's rape of Lucy. It's a very nice look at the power of Beatty's work and the nice, genuinely romantic beginnings of Lucy and Alan-Michael's relationship. It also features quite a few creepy and really terrifying moments with Brent and Lucy that explain why the show wanted to extend this storyline (and Beatty's stay) as long as possible.

clip 1 * clip 4 * clip 7
clip 2 * clip 5 * clip 8
clip 3 * clip 6 * clip 9

As Long As Always Is

There are two different ways in which to enjoy these clips. The first and best way is to actively take pleasure in what you are seeing before you, regardless of its age or context. That's how I enjoy 95% of the clips I've been putting up. Then there is another, smaller percentage of clips that don't really hit me in any of my "special soapy places." These I try to appreciate purely from a historical perspective, sort of as "museum pieces."

As Long As Always Is is one such museum piece. Taken from October of 1987, it's a short sequence with Johnny Bauer and Roxie Shayne as Roxie struggles to get Johnny to let her help him deal with his cancer battle (not the best move, apparently, since it was Johnny's battle with cancer that eventually pushed Roxie toward a complete mental breakdown and institutionalization).
If there are fans of this couple reading this, I would like to know more about what made them special for you because I had a very hard time connecting with either one of them on any sort of emotional or personal level. James Goodwin's portayal of Johnny was a particular sticking point for me.

As Long As Always Is

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For my next trick, I'm unveiling another new rotating feature in addition to my actor spotlights (see the Woman of Mystery post if you don't know what that is.) I'm starting a Then and Now feature which will showcase a character or set of characters at two different points in GL history. (The "Now" part might not necessarily be the present, but simply a significant amount of time away from the "Then".)

Today's subjects are Harley, Alan-Michael, and Dinah. Hungry Eyes finds these three in high school in 1988 with their friend Cameron Stewart (played by a pre-90210 Ian Ziering). Dinah is a sweetheart and Harley is... well, not a sweetheart. Paige Turco was Dinah at this time and Alan-Michael is played by Carl Ty Evans. SEARCH FOR TOMORROW fans will recognize Joe Lambie as Cameron's father, George. Lambie played the first Lloyd on SFT, before the late Robert Reed took over the role (Yes, Robert Reed from THE BRADY BUNCH).

Hungry Eyes

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bonus, previously posted A-M/Dinah/Cameron clip from the same year.

Our "Now" is Coffee Talk and the year is 2005, when A-M returns to Springfield after a long absence to find Harley as the CEO of his family's multi-national company (if you don't know how this happened, don't ask!) and Dinah as a very changed woman working for Harley and on the brink of a new relationship. This clip also has some very nice moments featuring Mallet and a subtlely hysterical exchange when A-M congratulates Blake on her recently published novel (which humiliated Harley and Mallet).

Coffee Talk

big GLMP news!

I've set up a message board for us historical clip lovers to discuss the videos, general GL history, and the show of today. If this is something that interests you and you're not into fanbase wars, then come on over to the board!

http://z8.invisionfree.com/GL_Memory_Project/index.php

Velvet Divorce

A few words about the "mvid."

For the uninitiated, "mvid" (pronounced "em-vid") is a new fangled computer term for a fan-created music video usually based on a television show. In the soap world, mvids more often than not are created to celebrate and promote a romantic couple or mock a hated character. I've enjoyed some of the mvids I've seen, but more often felt that an opportunity was being missed with this technology, especially based on some of the better ones that I've come across.

As a music lover, I was definitely very interested in the idea of combining great music with images from the show I love in a way that enhanced both and also communicating something about the way I view the show. I've made three of them so far and my newest, Velvet Divorce, is the one I'm most pleased with. It deals with the Mel/Rick/Beth/Alan quadrangle, which is (in my opinion) the very best thing going on the show currently.

I'm still new at this and trying to get a handle on the technology, so I'd love any feedback that anyone cares to offer.

Velvet Divorce

These are the other two that I've made. My first was a Beth mvid set to Caroline Lavelle's "Firefly Night." The second was a retrospective look at the first eight months of 2006 .

I really do think that the mvid form has something to offer to a broader selection of fans than they've generally been aimed at and, with the 70th anniversary coming up, I say the more celebration of GL, the better.

Coming Soon: a regular set of clips from 1988 and 1989 that take a look at the relationship of Harley and Alan-Michael.

also, watch this space for the imminent announcement of the GUIDING LIGHT Memory Project message board!

Woman of Mystery

What brought me to GUIDING LIGHT for the first time? GL had been a fixture in my house since I can remember, but young boys like to rebel, so of course I watched different soaps! I began watching soaps in late 1982 or early '83 when I would go down the street to Bethy McQueen's (no, I did not make that name up!) house to watch THE EDGE OF NIGHT. By the end of 1983, I had also picked up GENERAL HOSPITAL, followed in 1984 by SEARCH FOR TOMORROW, and then ONE LIFE TO LIVE the following year (Dr. Ivan Kipling was terrorizing OLTL when I started watching). EON and SFT were both off the air by the time I picked up SANTA BARBARA in the late 80's. I remember teasing my little sister about the show she watched and its ridiculous characters (which I had never actually seen). "Are Rick and Roxie back together?", I would ask in a mocking tone before settling in to watch my "real soaps." The 90's arrived and I picked up LOVING and ALL MY CHILDREN right before SANTA BARBARA was canceled. In case you can't tell, I've loved soaps for almost my entire life.

"Where does GL come in?", you may be asking yourselves right now. The year is 1993 and the news had just broken that Marcy Walker (ex-Eden, SB) and Marj Dusay (ex-Pamela, SB) were joining GL. I had loved both women on SANTA BARBARA and had been very curious about GL which, at that time, was getting a lot of very good press for it's realistic stories and great cast. So off to Springfield I went and there I've been ever since right up to today when GL is the only soap I watch regularly.

Walker's character, Tangie Hill, never really caught on and was gone within a few years. I'll be presenting some Tangie to you in a future post. Today is all about Marj Dusay's Alexandra Spaulding. There's something about the way that Dusay delivers a line or sweeps across a room that is somehow genuine and surreal at the same time. I've loved Dusay since the 80's when she played Blair's mother Monica Warner on THE FACTS OF LIFE and even back then, she had an uncanny ability to imbue her larger-than-life character with disarming humanity and vulnerability.

Much is made of the fact that Dusay isn't Beverlee McKinsey who originated the role of Alexandra and played the character for eight years. McKinsey is a force to be reckoned with, to be sure, and a really fine actor. I've got plenty of McKinsey up in the archives (with more to come), but I have a special attachment to Dusay because she brought me to GUIDING LIGHT. She's my Alexandra.

Today, I've got several looks at Alexandra. The first is from January of 1997 and it's her reaction to Roger and Amanda's announcement of their engagement.
Best Wishes
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Flash ahead to February, 2003 and Dusay has returned to the show after the Joan Collins fiasco. This a fantastic clip of her going toe to toe with Crystal Chappel's Olivia. Also featured in this clip is Sendhil Ramamurthy as Alexandra's assistant, Lloyd. Ramamurthy has recently gotten quite a bit of exposure as Mohinder on the NBC hit, HEROES.
Woman of Mystery


2004 gave us the revelation that Alexandra was responsible (at least in part) for running drugs into Springfield. Obviously, I'm not a fan of this particular turn of the story, but I'm a huge fan of what Dusay did with it. Fall From Grace shows that Dusay is capable of making Alexandra human and sympathetic even when the show itself isn't interested in that goal. This sequence also contains a lot of really wonderful Alexandra/Buzz scenes.
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clip 2 * clip 6
clip 3 * clip 7
clip 4 * clip 8 * Harley and Gus' non-wedding should be viewed between clips 6 and 7 and I have that posted here


I wanted to also include a clip that I put up awhile ago that stands out as one of the best moments of 2006. It's from February of this year and it's Alexandra and Olivia on their way to Alan's funeral (He was believed dead at the time.)
What Remains Behind


I've chosen Dusay as the subject of my first spotlight here at GLMP because I have tremendous respect for what she does and because she (along with Marcy Walker) brought me to GUIDING LIGHT. Dusay is a magnificent actor with a range as wide as the Grand Canyon, capable of side-splitting comedy and deeply moving drama. And more than that, she's my Alexandra.

Welcome to the Family

Many GL fans cringe at the very mention of the name "Santos." The reason for that is that the Santos story gobbled up a whole lot of airtime for a period of many years at the same time that the San Cristobel saga was doing the same thing and (viewers feel) pushing GL further and further away from it's "raison d'etre." For my part, I just don't tend to enjoy mob stories on soaps (or anywhere else for that matter). I finally gave up GENERAL HOSPITAL earlier this year for that very reason after 23 years. What I think people tend to forget is that the beginnings of the Michelle/Danny love story were actually pretty compelling viewing, brought to life by a quartet of passionate, charismatic performances. Joie Lenz (now known as Bethany Joy Galeotti of ONE TREE HILL fame) is perhaps the best known outside the soap world. Her time on GL as Michelle Bauer was a starting point for a long and consistent television career and devoted following of fans. Paul Anthony Stewart (ex-Danny) would remain on GL for seven years, becoming one of the most popular leading men in the history of the show. Saundra Santiago (ex-Carmen) escaped much of the Santos curse, earning many fans even among mob-hating viewers (myself included). Ironically, her character, in hindsight, was the one least suited to the show. Santiago's (and Carmen's) popularity is a testament to the power of her committed, bravura performances.
And then there is the (as far as I'm concerned) shining light of this story: Tammy Blanchard as conflicted "bad girl" Drew Jacobs. Blanchard's heartfelt, spirited work as Drew made the character into a three-dimensional human being, eliciting sympathy, laughter, frustration, and a host of other emotions from the viewer, often in the space of a single scene.

Bearing all that in mind, Welcome to the Family is not just a long series of Michelle and Danny cooing at each other or dodging bullets... or cooing at each other while dodging bullets. It's an unflinching look at the (not always nice) beginnings of their relationship in 1999 and the people in Michelle's life as they reacted to her new circumstance. Look for a heavy focus on Michelle and Drew's changing friendship (and Drew's growth as a person), as well as some good scenes with Michael O'Leary as Rick and the incomparable Mary Stuart as Meta. (One thing you will come to realize as you "get to know me" is that I will seize any and every opportunity to showcase Mary Stuart.)
And so... Welcome to the Family.

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clip 2 * clip 8 ** clip 14
clip 3 * clip 9 ** clip 15
clip 4 * clip 10 * clip 16
clip 5 * clip 11
clip 6 * clip 12

Tangled Web

Today finds us in 1982, sorting through the convoluted connections between Springfield's young residents. Bauer godson Kelly Nelson is newly married to Morgan (played by Jennifer Cook), who is coveted by bad boy Josh Lewis. Hillary Bauer is trying to extricate herself from a relationship with clingy Derek Colby so that she can pursue a new romance with virile Tony Reardon, the object of tempestuous Vanessa Chamberlain's obsession. Nola Reardon wants to overcome her past with Kelly so she can begin a new life with Quint (referred to as "Mr. McCord" by everyone in town, including Nola! LOL!), who believes that the child Nola shares with Floyd Parker is actually Kelly's. Floyd just wants to be a part of his daughter's life and is blissfully unaware that his girlfriend Lesley Anne is being blackmailed by (wait for it)... Josh Lewis! Yes, it's a Tangled Web.
This tortured and fun sequence also features a musical appearance by pop singer Bertie Higgins, funky disco fashions, and a bartender who appears to have wandered onto GL from the set of a Village People music video. RYAN'S HOPE fans may recognize Rose Alaio (ex-Rose, RH) as Helena in this sequence.
Also, look for an intriguing subplot involving Maureen Reardon happening upon remnants of boyfriend Ed Bauer's past. To that end, I will be including in this post a link to a clip that i posted months ago which furthers this particular Ed/Alan/Maureen storyline along, as well as another link to another previously posted clip that gives more of Josh's blackmailing of Lesley Anne.

Enjoy Tangled Web.

clip 1 * clip 7 ** clip 13 * bonus Ed/Alan/Maureen clip
clip 2 * clip 8 ** clip 14 * bonus Kelly/Hillary/Josh/Lesley Anne clip
clip 3 * clip 9 ** clip 15
clip 4 * clip 10 * clip 16
clip 5 * clip 11 * clip 17
clip 6 * clip 12


**Thanks for the requests! I will honor them as I'm able and I've started a new "Request Archive" on my computer so that I can easily refer to them all in one place when considering new series. lady_t, I do have some Sonni/Will/Josh/Reva stuff which I will put up within a few weeks. The only Alan-Michael/Eleni material I have is with Blake, not Frank. That will go up fairly soon and I will look for Frank clips. They may not be included in the Alan-Michael/Eleni/Blake/Holly series, but rather in a future set.
Thornbirds-- I don't currently have either of your requests, but they are archived and I will be on the lookout for them!**

Outstanding Citizen

Hello!
As you may have noticed, if you've gone through the lists, I give each series of GUIDING LIGHT clips a name. For example, the 1997 set with Phillip and Beth realizing they can't be together is called Severance and the 1980 set with Kelly resisting his feelings for Morgan is called Summer School.
This weekend, I put up a six-part sequence from April of 1993 entitled Outstanding Citizen. The primary characters in this set are Roger Thorpe, H.B. Lewis, and Gilly Grant. I'm a big fan of Amelia Marshall as Gilly and Outstanding Citizen is a nice look at what made her so special in the role. The main event is a banquet honoring H.B. as Springfield's "Outstanding Citizen of the Year" and Roger's coercion of Gilly into sabotaging H.B.'s big night.
Another notable feature of this sequence is Leonard Stabb (ex-Hunter, OLTL) as Hart Jessup, Roger's son. Stabb played the role only very briefly before being injured in a hanggliding accident from which (I believe) he has yet to recover.
This is also early going with Justin Deas on the show as Buzz. Also featured are Harley, Mallet (as played by Mark Derwin), Bridget, Billy, Hamp, and many more. Vincent Irizarry fans should also be aware that there's plenty of Nick in Outstanding Citizen.

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Finally, if anyone reading this is having any trouble finding a particular character, actor, couple, or storyline of interest, don't hesitate to ask me for help in finding what you're looking for. I know that there is a lot to look through in the lists (especially since I'm nearing the 400 mark in the number of clips I've posted).
Periodically, I will also be dipping back into what I've already posted to let you know about a particular event or performance that I feel is a "must have."

Welcome to the GUIDING LIGHT Memory Project

Hello, GL fans!

As some of you may know, in April of this year (2006), I started an archive project, collecting as much footage from the going-on-70 year history of GUIDING LIGHT as possible. GL is the longest running continuing story in the history of entertainment, having begun on the radio on January 25, 1937. I'm proud and pleased to be able to present to my fellow GL fans a rich archive of material through which viewers can experience again many of the best moments from the long history of the show.

I have two large compilations of GL clips up at YouTube. The total between the two lists is well over 300 clips and both lists are being constantly updated and added to. The clips range from 1953 to 2006 and are a celebration of the many wonderful moments provided to us by this amazing show. the lists are located here:
classicGL

ivnkplng

The clips in the "classicGL" list come courtesy of raven1970a. The "ivnkplng" clips are from all other sources. None of these clips were personally created by me, with the exceptions of the "mvids" (GL music videos).

I'll be using this blog to let you know what's already there and also what is coming. Feel free to discuss anything with me here or let me know what you'd like to see. I'll post again soon