Remembering Woodbridge: A History of the Late, Great 'Secret Storm' (Part 9)

Dennis Cooney as Kevin Kincaid, Lynne Adams as Amy Ames Kincaid,
and Bernard Barrow as Dan Kincaid.

Remembering Woodbridge: A History of the Late, Great 'Secret Storm'

The Soap Box
Vol. IV No. 1 January 1979
by John Genovese

(continued from Part 8)

Doug Winthrop proved a disappointment to his mother, falling hopelessly in love with a former drug addict, Joanna Morrison, who came from a sad background. Her mother, May, had married a slob named Ed Rutledge who was known to beat Joanna while on frequent benders. Refusing to return to this less-than-idyllic existence, Joanna was taken under the wings of rivals Amy and Belle. While Amy gave Joanna the compassionate "tea and sympathy" approach, Belle took a hard line and made Joanna shape up and make something of herself. Ursula vehemently disapproved of Doug's relationship with Joanna and its effects on him. He was subconsciously shedding his "square" ways to fit in with Joanna's friends, Polly and Alden, a pair of "flower people" who always acted as if they walked seven feet off the ground. Belle and Joanna moved into a modern penthouse apartment and campaigned vigorously for Dan, who moved in with Belle and helped provide Joanna with the so-called secure family environment she had always lacked. Doug grew disgusted with Joanna's new life as a singer and left Woodbridge, and Joanna gave up singing to work in the hospital cafeteria.

Belle pretended to play hard-to-get when she kept stalling Dan's marriage proposals. Her secret dream was to marry in a lavish ceremony in the governor's mansion once Dan won the election. Alas, Belle's delusions of grandeur were thwarted: Dan surprised her with a secret wedding in their penthouse! Belle and Dan told no one about their marriage, mainly because of Kevin's distrust and disapproval of Belle, but the truth came out one night when Dan confessed his drug connections to Belle and had an automobile accident. Belle shocked Amy and Kevin by revealing she was Dan's next of kin in order to give him the hospital permission to operate. Dan recovered, turned state's evidence and went to prison for several months. Belle took a job with the Clarion, now published by a black woman named Ann Share.

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.