Thanksgiving Two Truths & a Lie: Some Soap Secrets Spilled
A Literal Literary Loser Loosens Lips
What would a soap opera Thanksgiving be without its secrets? Heck, what would a wholesome, all-American Thanksgiving be without its secrets?
To celebrate the holiday, I’ve got a Thanksgiving riddle for you! Are you up to the challenge?
In my upcoming May 2025 book, Go On Pretending, history mingles with fiction (hence, the name of the press publishing it). My heroine, Rose Janowtiz, works for the grand dame of soaps, Irna Phillips (learn more about her, here), just as one of Irna’s classic soaps, The Guiding Light, moves from radio to television. I describe that transition below. But, as with all historical fiction, some of it is true, some of it is… less true (lie is such a harsh word). Can you suss out which is which? Hit me with your best guesses in the comments! (And you’ll see why I chose this excerpt for Thanksgiving — happy holidays to all who celebrate!)
June 30, 1952 was the day The Guiding Light premiered on television. It was also the day that Find Your Light, starring Jonas Cain, debuted in the time slot immediately following its ongoing radio version. In the minutes it took Procter & Gamble to advise that “best costs less than all the rest” when it comes to Ivory soap, the nefarious Edmund Bard magically relocated from Selby Flats, CA, setting of The Guiding Light, to New York City, where he could continue wreaking havoc, this time on a much greater (female) population.
It had been Rose’s idea to set the show in New York, as opposed to the fictional small towns that Irna preferred. She’d suggested they could mention real locations like restaurants and stores in order to add a sense of authenticity – and generate publicity. She’d also pointed out that, in a cosmopolitan metropolis like NYC, Edmund’s provincial villany wouldn’t seem nearly as awful. They didn’t want to build a show around a thoroughly bad guy. Edmund needed redeemable qualities, and what better place than the Big Apple for him – and their listeners – to encounter more malevolent threats?
Irna let Rose have her way. She turned absolute control of the new show over to Rose. Except Irna still reviewed Rose’s long story proposals, read all of Rose’s scripts, listened to every episode – and gave copious notes on each. It was the most power she’d ever ceded to anyone. Lucy Rittenberg, one of Guiding Light’s television producers, couldn’t believe it. She said, “Irna’s always telling me: I’m very fond of you, Lucy, but I can’t work with women. And here she is handing over the keys to the castle to you, Rose!”
Irna wasn’t handing over the keys to the castle. She was allowing Rose to house-sit. Because Irna’s hands were currently too full with the television broadcast. Not a week went by that Rose didn’t hear about some mishap during the live broadcast, whether it was needing to make actors in their twenties look like they were in their thirties by adding white tufts to their foreheads which they dubbed “little gray wings” – and were constantly loosening when they ran their fingers dramatically through their hair, or the Thanksgiving episode when, not only did the prop man forget to put a turkey in the oven, leaving actress Charita Bauer to peek inside, slam it shut and chirp, “I think it needs a few more minutes!” but an actor’s head kept getting in the way whenever the camera would track around the festive meal. With each circuit, elderly Theo Goetz was forced to duck under the table. Irna wasn’t giving Rose power. Irna was giving Rose an opportunity to play scapegoat if anything went wrong with Find Your Light while Irna was focused on the more important parent show.
Not that Rose would ever say so in public. In public, Rose played the good soldier, taking blame and punishment both deserved and not – the buck did stop with her, just like it did with President Truman – smiling, insisting everything was going perfectly, she was fine, thank you, why do you ask?
Most people believed her.
Jonas did not.