CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: Kim and Nick

Following Dan's death, Kim was wooed by and eventually married hot headed Nick Andropolous, who opened at a Greek restaurant in Oakdale called "The Plaka." Nick was played by Michael Forest, who worked opposite Kathryn Hays. After two years, Nick died of a heart attack.

Nick's brother Steve followed him to town, and some AS THE WORLD TURNS magic ensued when Steve was paired with Betsy, Kim's stepdaughter. When Lindsay Frost replaced Meg Ryan as Betsy, the magic seemed to fizzle and both Steve and Betsy were gone before the end of the 1980s, never to return as ongoing characters.

Given her strong links to Kim, Craig and Emily, it seemed to me that the character of Betsy easily could have been brought back into the story at anytime, and I could never understand why we never saw her again. Ditto for the long absent Frannie Hughes and Andy Dixon. What other important characters could, and should, have been brought back into the story at some point?

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: Barbara Ryan

In 1978, Barbara Ryan -- now played by Colleen Zenk -- returned to Oakdale after an absence of several years. She rekindled her youthful romance with Tom Hughes, and was poised to marry him, when James Stenbeck re-entered her life, and she regained custody of Paul, the child she'd had by James and given up for adoption. After discovering what kind of man James truly was, Barbara devoted herself to protecting Paul from James, but one could easily argue that her efforts were for naught, considering how Paul turned out.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Barbara was one of the young heroines of ATWT, but after the death of second husband Gunnar, she underwent a drastic personality change, and pulled out all the stops to steal Tom away from Margo, whom Barbara never much cared for after she had an affair with James while he was still married to Barbara.

One of my earliest vivid storyline memories is Barbara leaving Tom at the altar. What's yours?

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: Tom/Carol/Jay/Natalie

In addition to the popular Kim/Dan/Susan/John quadrangle in the mid 1970s on AS THE WORLD TURNS, we had the younger quadrangle of Tom (C. David Colson), Carol (Rita Walter), Jay (Dennis Cooney) and Natalie (Judith Chapman).

Tom and Carol's marriage hit the skids when Tom commenced an affair with client Natalie and then married her. Natalie cheated on Tom with Jay, and Natalie and Tom divorced, while Jay later had a few rocky but happy married years to Carol before being killed in an accident at Brad Hollister's mine.

David Colson became a writer after his ATWT stint, while Rita Walter gave up acting and became an optometrist. Dennis Cooney, who'd been on several soaps prior to ATWT, including SECRET STORM and LOVE OF LIFE, didn't act much after ATWT and died a few years ago. Judith Chapman started her daytime career on ATWT and has since appeared on several shows, including RYAN'S HOPE, GENERAL HOSPITAL, DAYS OF OUR LIVES and currently on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS.

CLASSIC ATWT Photo fo the Day: Kim, Dan & Susan

After giving birth to Emily and divorcing Dan to marry Bruce Baxter, Susan found herself unhappy in the marriage and divorced Bruce. Thereafter, Susan spent the rest of the 1970s on AS THE WORLD TURNS trying to win Dan back. But Dan had turned his attentions to Kim, who was trying to escape her loveless marriage to John after giving birth to Andy.

John and Susan, however, stopped at nothing to keep Dan and Kim apart. Kim had left John but lost her memory as a result of an injury incurred in a windstorm, and John convinced her that she should return to him. Kim ultimately regained her memory, and left an answering machine message for Dan telling him that she remembered that she loved him. However, Susan stole the tape and Dan didn't get the message. True love won out, and Dan and Kim ultimately married, but their happiness was short-lived as Dan died of a brain tumor in 1979.

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: Lisa and Grant

After the surviving the Michael Shea fiasco and several other lovers in the early 1970s, Lisa found love again on AS THE WORLD TURNS with attorney Grant Colman (James Douglas).

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: The Sullivan Sisters

Widow Jennifer Ryan arrived in Oakdale in 1971 (as played by Geraldine Court originally, and subsequently by Gillian Spencer) with children Barbara and Rick in tow. She ultimately married Bob Hughes, who was a friend of her late husband.

Her sister Kim (forever and always the magnificent Kathryn Hays) followed her to town in 1972 and also fell in love with and had a fling with Bob while he was married to Jen.

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: Afternoon TV Covers

Today we look at a tale of two Afternoon TV covers. The saga of Liz, Paul, Dan and Susan dominated the AS THE WORLD TURNS storyline in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Susan was initially married to Dan, but Dan loved the beautiful english Liz. Dan's brother Paul also loved Liz and married her when she became pregnant by Dan. Susan also became pregnant by Dan. Liz had her baby (named Betsy), and while Susan lost this baby, she later had another child by Dan (Emmy, later known as Emily). In the midst of all of this, Irna Phillips returned to ATWT and apparently despised this somewhat incestuous story. She had Paul die of a brain tumor, and then Liz died by falling "up" the stairs. Dan, Susan and the girls were written out of the story for awhile, only to return when Irma left the show. Susan would continue to fight to regain Dan's love all throughout the 1970s even when it became clear that Kim was the only woman for him. Betsy did not learn that Dan was her father, and not Paul, until shortly before Dan's death.

On these covers are Jane House and Marco St. John as Liz and Paul, and Marie Masters and John Colenback as Dan and Susan.

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: Tom and Carol

On July 26, 1973, Tom (now played by Peter Galman) married Carol (Rita McLaughlin Walter) in a lavish ceremony shot on-location.

Tom's marriage to Carol prompted the infamous "granny clause" in Eileen Fulton's contract as she did not want to see Lisa turned into an old lady before her time.

Sadly, Tom and Carol's marriage did not stand the test of time, but their interactions with Jay and Natalie during the mid-1970s made for interesting story.

Galman was one of the 13 actors who have played the role of Tom Hughes.

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: 1970 Cast Shot

Here is a 1970 AS THE WORLD TURNS cast shot featuring the Hughes and Stewart families:

William Johnston (Judge Lowell), Patricia Bruder (Ellen), Henderson Forsythe (David), Jane House (Liz), Dean Santoro (Paul), Helen Wagner (Nancy), Ethel Remey (Alma), Don MacLaughlin (Chris), Santos Ortega (Grandpa), Don Hastings (Bob), Eileen Fulton (Lisa) and Peter Galman (Tom). Not sure who the child actors are, but I am guessing that the girls would have been playing Annie, Dee and/or Betsy Stewart, and the little boy would be Chuckie Shea.

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: Sandy McGuire

While in prison for killing Franny Brennan, Ellen met and befriended Sandy McGuire. Upon her release, Sandy relocated in Oakdale where she eventually married Bob Hughes. Sandy had a son named Jimmy, and she and her ex-husband Roy waged a custody battle over him.

Penny had grown close to the boy and married Roy solely because she wanted to be a mother to Jimmy. When the marriage did not work out, Penny left Oakdale for good (as Rosemary Prinz had decided to leave the series).

Sandy was portrayed by the beautiful Dagne Crane from 1966 to 1971, and later by Barbara Rucker from 1975 to 1979. Anna Minot and Martin Rudy played her parents Martha and Carl Wilson.

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: Don, Amanda & Neil

Peter Brandon was Don Hughes on AS THE WORLD TURNS from 1966 to 1972; Deborah Steinberg Soloman was Amanda Holmes from 1966 to 1970; and Michael Lipton was Neil Wade from 1962 to 1967.

Amanda was the "young heroine" of ATWT in the late 1960s. Believed to be the natural child of Ann and Bill Holmes (Augusta Dabney and William Prince), it turned out she was the illegitimate daughter of Bill and artist Sara Fuller (Gloria DeHaven). Sara and Amanda both were love with Donald Hughes, and Sara accidentally fell down a flight of stairs to her death while fighting with Amanda over Donald. Neil Wade was Penny's second husband (and a good friend to Amanda), but he too passed away, leaving Penny a widow for a second time.

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: Christmas 1965

The entire cast of AS THE WORLD TURNS posed around the Christmas tree for Christmas 1965. Don't we all just miss the wonderful Christmases the show used to have at the Hughes, Stewarts and Snyders over the years?

From left to right, seated, first row: Franny Brennan (Toni Darnay), Dan Stewart (Jeff Rowland), Susan Burke (Connie Scott), Paul Stewart (Edmund Gaynes). Standing, second row: Ellen Cole (Patricia Bruder). Seated: Alma Miller (Ethel ...Remey), Chris Hughes (Don MacLaughlin), Grandpa (Santos Ortega), Nancy (Helen Wagner). third Row: David Stewart (Henderson Forsythe), Lisa (Eileen Fulton), Penny (Rosemary Prinz), Judy English (Sibyl Collier), Amanda Holmes (Deborah Steinberg). Top row: Donald (Peter Brandon), Doug Cassen (Nat Polen), Judge Lowell (William Johnstone), Claire (Barbara Berjer), Neil Wade (Michael Lipton), Fred Collins (George Sampson), Bob (Don Hastings), Ann Holmes (Augusta Dabney), Bill Holmes (William Prince). Top: Tom Hughes (Frankie Michaels)

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: OUR PRIVATE WORLD

Hoping to capture some of the magic that was ABC's PEYTON PLACE, CBS aired a primetime spin-off of AS THE WORLD TURNS in the summer of 1965 entitled OUR PRIVATE WORLD starring Eileen Fulton. In the story, Lisa has left Bob and Oakdale for a more glamorous life in Chicago and became involved with the socially prominent Eldridge family. Although the show was not a success, lasting only from May to September 1965. ATWT's head writer later drew on the show's storyline and invented a new child for Lisa, Scott Eldridge, from her short-lived married to John Eldridge (played by Nicolas Coster, who later played Eduardo Grimaldi on ATWT).

Geraldine Fitzgerald and Eileen Fulton are in the foreground of the photo. Also shown are Robert Drivas, Julienne Marie, Nicolas Coster, David O'Brien and Sam Groom.

I have seen only one episode of the series (which, ironically, does not feature Eileen Fulton), and part of the problem is that it looked too much like a daytime serial with daytime production values, as opposed to the expensive filmed look of Peyton Place and its glamorous Hollywood actors. Does anyone have any memories of watching OUR PRIVATE WORLD?

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: 9th Anniversary

In a photo dated 4/6/65, the cast of AS THE WORLD TURNS celebrates the start of the show's tenth continuous year on TV. Pictured are Grandpa (Santos Ortega), Tom (Frankie Michaels), Doug (Nat Polen), Lisa (Eileen Fulton), Nancy (Helen Wagner), Bob (Don Hastings), Sylvia Hill (Millette Alexander), Neil Wade (Michael Lipton) and David Stewart (Henderson Forsythe).

Millette Alexander later had memorable roles on THE EDGE OF NIGHT and GUIDING LIGHT and is now a concert pianist and piano teacher in Westport, CT.

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: 1000th Episode

In early 1960, the king and queen of AS THE WORLD TURNS, Don MacLaughlin and Helen Wagner cut a "1000th episode" anniversary cake with John Larkin and Teal Ames, who played Mike and Sara Karr, the leading characters on THE EDGE OF NIGHT, which premiered on the same day as ATWT on April 2, 1956.

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: Mark Rydell

Jeff Baker and Penny Hughes (played by Mark Rydell and Rosemary Prinz) were perhaps daytime telivision's first young "super couple." Their turbulent romance kept soap viewers enthralled and helped to propel AS THE WORLD TURNS to the top of the ratings in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Penny and Jeff's first marriage was annulled, but they were married again after facing such problems as Jeff's trial for murder, Penny's miscarriage, Jeff's alcoholism and his desertion of his family.

In 1962, Rydell left the series and it was decided that the character should be killed off, leaving Penny a grieving young widow.

Following his stint on ATWT, Rydell acted in feature films and become a well known director. As a director, Rydell's credits include The Reivers (1969), The Cowboys (1972), Cinderella Liberty (1973), The Rose (1979), On Golden Pond (1981, for which he received an Oscar nomination as Best Director), The River (1984), For the Boys (1991) and Intersection (1994).

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: Nat Polen

Nat Polen played kindly Dr. Doug Cassen on AS THE WORLD TURNS from 1956 to 1967. Doug was a source of comfort to Claire Lowell during her marital difficulties with husband Jim, and ultimately married her following Jim's untimely death.

Although he loved his step-daughter Ellen, he was not afraid to take David and Betty Stewart's side against her when Ellen attempted to regain custody from them of the child she'd had out of wedlock by Dr. Tim Cole and given up for adoption (Jimmy aka Dan Stewart). Sadly for Claire, Doug died after suffering complications from injuries incurred in a fight with the disgruntled husband of a patient who had died.

In addition to his ATWT role, Polen had parts on such series as CAPTAIN VIDEO (starring alongside Don Hastings), THE EDGE OF NIGHT, THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS, HIDDEN FACES, THE NURSES and as kindly Dr. Jim Craig on ONE LIFE TO LIVE from 1969 until his death in 1981.

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: Frankie Michaels

Frankie Michaels played young Tom Hughes on AS THE WORLD TURNS from 1964 to 1966. Fortunately for us, there exist several episodes of his wonderful performances as this troubled young man coping with a life of divorced parents, something of a rarity in the 1960s.

Concurrently with his soap role, Frankie originated the role of "Young Patrick" in the Broadway musical "Mame," capturing a Tony Award for his performance. To date, he remains the youngest performer ever (age 10) to win a Tony Award.

Although he largely dropped out of show business as he entered his teens, Frankie performed at a tribute to Angela Lansbury in early 2010 alongside one of his "Mame" co-stars (and former soap actor) Jerry Lanning. Check out a photo here.

Who has been your favorite Tom Hughes?

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: Claire Lowell

Claire Lowell Cassen, portrayed longest by Barbara Berjer (right), was the mother of Ellen. After the death of Jim Lowell, she married Dr. Doug Cassen, and after his death, she married the scheming Dr. Michael Shea and was embroiled in a fantastic love triangle with Lisa.

Claire turned to drink when Michael's attentions turned to Lisa, and Ellen long blamed Lisa for causing her mother such extreme heartbreak which, Ellen believed, contributed to her mother's death.

After being killed off of AS THE WORLD TURNS as Claire, Barbara Berjer had long running roles on both GUIDING LIGHT (as Holly's mother Barbara Norris) and ANOTHER WORLD (as Bridget Connell).

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: Henderson Forsythe

Dr. David Stewart arrived in Oakdale in 1960 with his first wife Betty and their sons Dan and Paul. It turned out that Dan was actually Ellen's biological son that she had given up for adoption.

Ellen sued for custody and lost, but after Betty died, Ellen eventually married David after she was released from prison for killing housekeeper Franny Brennan (who had threatened to reveal Ellen's secret). David and Ellen had two daughters of their own, Carol Anne (Annie) and Dawn (Dee).

Although Ellen and David were mainly supporting characters throughout the 1970s, they took center stage once again in the early 1980s when David lost his memory (enter Linda Dano) and the pair divorced and eventually remarried.

Actor Henderson Forsythe had an active theatre career outside of AS THE WORLD TURNS, appearing in the original broadway production of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" opposite Eileen Fulton in the 1960s and winning a Tony Award for "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas."