1940 finds "Days of Our Lives" creator Ted Corday not yet in
show business, and not yet married to Elizabeth Shay. He was living in a
New York City hotel and working as a jewelry designer!
Meanwhile, his future wife, Elizabeth Shay (aka Betty
Corday) was living with her parents on Park Avenue in New York City. She was
already in show business, as a stage director for a theater.
"Days" star Frances Reid (Alice Horton), and
her yet-to-be husband, Philip Bourneuf, were already working as actors in the
theater in 1940! They were living together (with 5 other
actors) on Waverly Place in New York City and would get married a few
months later, in June 1940. One of the actors who Frances lived with that
year was Horton Foote, who would later write the Oscar-winning
screenplay for the movie version of "To Kill a Mockingbird" in
1962!
Jed Allan (Don Craig), then going
by his real name, Jed Brown (Allan is his middle name), is listed here with his
parents and sister in New York City. His father was a musician.
Frank Parker, who played Grandpa Shawn
Brady from 1983-2008, is just 9 months old and living with his parents in Upper
Darby, Pennsylvania.
Patricia Barry (then White), who played
Hope's mom, Addie Horton Williams from 1971-1974, was still in high school in
1940. She's listed with her family in Davenport, Iowa. Her dad was a
surgeon.
More known for his current job as Edward Quartermaine
on "General Hospital", John Ingle spent a few years playing Mickey Horton on
"Days." In 1940, he was living with his parents in Poteau City,
Oklahoma.
Wayne Heffley, who played Vern Scofield (he eventually
married Jack's mom, Jo), was just 12 years old and living with his family in
California.
1970's "Days" star Mark Tapscott, who played Bob
Anderson, is listed as a 15-year-old inmate in 1940. But no worries...that's
what they called people who were living away from home at a private
school!
Regina Gleason, who played Tommy
Horton's estranged wife, Kitty Horton, from 1967-1969 appears with her family,
living in San Diego. Although early "Days" articles list her as being born
in San Diego, the census shows that she was actually born in Oregon, and raised
in San Diego.
Stanley Brock (born Stanley Eis) played
Howie Hoffstedder on "Days" (he stood in for Hope at her wedding to Larry
Welch). He and his family were living in New York City, with his dad working as
a grocer.
Robert Alda
(born Alfonso D'Abruzzo), living with wife Josephine, was listed as a Burlesque
actor in 1940. They were living at the Biltmore Hotel in Cincinnati, Ohio at the
time. Alda played Stuart Whyland, the villain on "Days" who was replaced by
Stefano DiMera in 1982. Alda's son, Antony, would later play Johnny Corelli
in the 1990s. Alda's other son is "M*A*S*H" star Alan
Alda.
Ralph
Waite, well-known for his role as Pa Walton on "The Waltons", had a stay in
Salem as Father Matt. He was living with his family in White Plains, New
York.
James Luisi played the
dastardly Duke Johnson, father of Steve & Adrienne, in the
1980's. He lived in New York City with his
family.
Here's former
head writer Elizabeth Harrower (and mom of Susan Seaforth Hayes) living in
Oakland, California and working as a theater actress.
Fred Rapport is
not a well-known name to "Days" fans, but he could quite possibly be the only
person born in the 1800's to appear on the show! Rapport, who was born in the
1890's, played several minor roles, including a juror, on "Days" in the
1960's. He was already living in Los Angeles and working as a movie extra in
1940.
Jay Robinson
played Monty Dolan (father of April, Emilio and Julio Ramirez). He lived with
his mother and grandmother in Miami Beach, Florida in
1940.
Shirley Jones, who briefly
played Colleen Brady, is best known for her work on "The Partridge
Family." Jones was living with her parents in Smithton,
Pennsylvania.
Head writer Nina
Laemmle (then Nina Dainty) is best known for writing out many long-time
characters in early 1980. She's living with her sister in Los Angeles and
already working as a writer. Later in the year, she would marry Ernest
Laemmle.
Wesley Addy
(then using his real first name, Robert) was already working as an actor in the
theater. He was living at the Alexander Hamilton Hotel in San Francisco,
California. He played Dr. Eric Cooper on "Days" from 1966-1967 and would
later go on to greater fame with his roles on "Ryan's Hope" and
"Loving."
Jeanne Bates, who played Greg Peters' mom Anne in the
1970's, was living with her grandmother while she went to college in San
Mateo, California. She was also working as a voice actress on the
radio.
Robert Knapp,
who appeared on the first week of "Days" in November 1965 as Julie's
father, Ben Olson, was living with his family in Monrovia,
California.
Be sure to check back again as more of the "Days"
gang is added later this year!