Today in Soap Opera History (September 24)

On this date in...

1918: Audra Lindley, who played Liz Matthews on ANOTHER WORLD, and later starred as Mrs. Roper on THREE'S COMPANY, was born. She also had roles on FROM THE ROOTS, THE EDGE OF NIGHT and SEARCH FOR TOMORROW.

1923: Former ALL MY CHILDREN and DARK SHADOWS actor Louis Edmonds was born. He died on March 3, 2001 at age 77.

1946: Soap superstar Jacqueline Courtney (ex-Alice, ANOTHER WORLD; ex-Pat, ONE LIFE TO LIVE; ex-Diane, LOVING; ex-Kitty, THE EDGE OF NIGHT; THE DOCTORS; ex-Ann, OUR FIVE DAUGHTERS) was born. She died on December 10, 2010 at age 64. Read our exclusive reactions from her former ANOTHER WORLD co-stars George Reinholt and Robin Strasser.

1951: LOVE OF LIFE debuted on CBS three weeks after SEARCH FOR TOMORROW. Both were 15 minutes (LOL would expand to 30 minutes in 1958). The show aired its final episode on February 1, 1980. None of the original actors stayed from beginning to end but director Larry Auerbach did. He went on to direct several other New York soaps before retiring the late 1990s. He was among those interviewed by Dustin Hoffman for the soap opera comedy, Tootsie. He's still alive today at age 88.

The first episode, with approximately six members in the cast, was produced live at Liederkranz Hall in New York City (it later became Studio 54). The show told the story of two sisters, Vanessa Dale Sterline and Meg Dale Hart, their family and friends in Rosehill. Sammy Davis Jr. was a vocal LOVE OF LIFE fan. Some of the biggest stars that game from the show include Warren Beatty, Peter Falk, Jessica Walter, Marsha Mason, Bert Convy and Richard Coogan.

2008: Irene Dailey, who played Liz Matthews on ANOTHER WORLD, died at age 88. She also starred on THE EDGE OF NIGHT. At 8, Dailey was dancing in vaudeville, and at 18 she was working in summer stock. With consistent bad luck, she kept winning parts in what she once said were 13 of Broadway’s worst shows. “Miss Lonelyhearts,” for example, had a nine-day run.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Paul Michael Valley (ex-Ryan, ANOTHER WORLD; ex-Cal, GUIDING LIGHT; ex-Josef, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) - 45
Megan Ward (ex-Kate, GENERAL HOSPITAL) - 42
Michelle Ray Smith (ex-Ava, GUIDING LIGHT) - 37
Justin Bruening (Jamie, ALL MY CHILDREN) - 32
Nicholas Galbraith (ex-Zac, AS THE WORLD TURNS)
Spencer Treat Clark (ex-Steven, ANOTHER WORLD) - 24
Grey Damon (ex-Brian, THE NINE LIVES OF CHLOE KING; ex-Hastings, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS) - 24

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a piece of soap opera history for this daily column, please email it to [email protected].