Saturday, September 24, 2016

'Love of Life' Premiered 65 Years Ago Today - A Look Back


If you read our Today in Soap Opera History column today you know that daytime soap Love of Life debuted 65 years ago today (September 24, 1951). Below are three classic articles about the show that fans of classic soap operas are sure to love.

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.

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. Days of our Lives star Peggy McCay (Caroline Brady) was the original Van, and is still going strong 65 years later.

Some of the biggest stars that came from the show include Warren Beatty, Peter Falk, Jessica Walter, Marsha Mason, Bert Convy and Richard Coogan.









3 comments:

  1. Here's an elusive "Whatever Happened to.." for Daytime? Richard K. Weber aka Rick Ely?

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  2. Liederkrantz Hall, Studios 53 to 56 was located at 111 East 58th Street not at Studio 54.

    ReplyDelete