Monday, September 7, 2015

FLASHBACK: 'Another World' The Story of Steven, Rachel & Alice (Part 16)

Beverlee McKinsey debuted on Another World as Iris
Carrington on December 22, 1972.  Seven months earlier,
she appeared on the soap as Emma Frame Ordway,
Steven Frame's sister.
ANOTHER WORLD: The Story of Steven, Rachel & Alice

The Soap Box
Vol. IV No. 7 July 1979
by Bryna Laub

(continued from Part 15)

Meanwhile, in New York, Iris Carrington, on one of her periodic visits to her son, was upset to find a beautiful and refined young woman in residence at Eliot's home. Iris was legally separated from Eliot at his request but she still hoped somehow to force a reconciliation. On her side was the fact that her doting father, industrialist Mackenzie Cory, held a contract binding Eliot's services to him for several more years and, on Iris' request, he refused to release Eliot. Implied was the threat that, should Eliot try to make the separation a divorce, his career would be finished.

Iris had for years been paying Mrs. Goddard to keep tabs on Eliot so Iris would know if he was interested in another woman and arrive in time to head off the competition. Learning Miss Talbot's references were from Bay City, Iris sent her there to learn who and what Alice really was. Calling herself Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Goddard quickly managed to learn the new nurse was Alice Frame, wife of millionaire Steven Frame, and she had disappeared suddenly without explanation several months ago.

Alice had found a good friend in Eliot and by now had confided much of her past to him. It was to help her resolve her feelings that Eliot suggested she accompany him and Dennis on a vacation trip to St. Croix. After much soul searching and with serious misgivings, Alice finally agreed.

Robert Emhardt debuted as the first Mackenzie Cory on
May 1, 1973.  He played the role for just over a year.
Iris, learning of this, hurried to Bay City where she found Alice's husband was interested in another woman and not eager to listen to her tales of Alice having an affair with Eliot. But Iris found a willing ear in Rachel who saw in this proposed trip an opportunity to bring the situation to a head.

Rachel convinced Steven they should take Jamie on a vacation to his house on St. Croix and they ultimately ran into Eliot and Alice at a local nightclub. Both Alice and Steven were shaken at the sight of each other but Alice, seeing Rachel, stiffened and refused to speak to Steven. And Steven, bittered by this further rebuff, told Rachel this was the final straw, he wanted nothing further to do with Alice. Rachel commiserated with him, making sure to mention that Alice was undoubtedly the mistress of the handsome man accompanying her.

Victoria Wydham starred as Rachel Clark.
The following day Rachel forced herself into the house Eliot was renting, and told Alice that Steven wanted a divorce so he could marry her and make a home for the three of them. Alice icily replied she knew Steven was having an affair with Rachel before she left Bay City so, as far as she was concerned, they could go on the way they were. She didn't want him back but she had no intention of ever freeing him to marry Rachel.

But the seed was sown. Rachel now began to pressure Steven to start divorce proceedings, pointing out that her own divorce had gone through and they should be married for Jamie's sake. When Steven hesitated, Rachel made it an ultimatum--Steven was eager for Jamie to know he was his real father and Rachel made that conditional upon a divorce. She would not allow Jamie to know the truth as long as his father was married to another woman. So Steven sent John Randolph to New York to ask Alice's consent for a divorce.

Alice adamantly refused to even consider it, echoing the sentiments she had expressed to Rachel in St. Croix. But Eliot, when she told him about her decision, gently drew a parallel between his situation and Steven's. Recognizing that she was cruelly tying Steven to her as Iris had bound Eliot, Alice contacted John and agreed to the divorce on the stipulation that she receive nothing from Steven, particularly his name and "her" house.

Eliot applauded her decision and now told Alice he loved her and would divorce Iris in a minute if Dennis' heart condition wasn't a factor.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Stay tuned for Part 17 of Another World - The Story of Steven, Rachel & Alice.

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1 comment:

  1. I think the last sentence was supposed to read "....and divorce IRIS in a minute if Dennis' heart condition wasn't a factor."

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