Charles Albertine
Theme Song
Co-Writer
February 24, 1929-May 18, 1986
Charles Albertine began playing piano at age 5 and was earning money
giving lessons on the clarinet by the age of 9. He eventually mastered most of
the major woodwind instruments, and was accepted into Juilliard after high
school. He decided he didn't belong in a formal educational setting, that he
would be "tuned out musically," and opted instead to get a job playing oboe in
the pit band at Radio City Music Hall. He then switched to tenor sax and worked
with a variety of dance bands, including Sammy Kaye's, in the late 1940s. He
then spent a year in the pit band of a Broadway show, Top Banana before
approaching Les Elgart to arrange for Elgart's newly-formed band in 1952.
Although entirely self-taught, Albertine quickly became the lead arranger and a
prime factor in the success of the Elgart sound, which kept one foot in
traditional sweet swing and another in the more minor-keyed jazz of late bebop.
Elgart and his brother and occasional partner, Larry, enthusiastically embraced
Albertine's contributions. Larry recorded an entire album of his original
compositions, Music for a Barefoot Ballerina. Another Albertine original for
Elgart, "Bandstand Boogie" was adopted by Dick Clark as the theme song for his
long-running series, "American Bandstand."
?> Albertine remained a freelancer
throughout his career, and while working with the Elgarts, he began taking jobs
from Al Nevins, guitarist in The Three Suns and by that time, a busy independent
producer. He arranged most of The Three Suns' later albums during the RCA
"Living Stereo" era, including the classic Movin' and Groovin,' Fever and Smoke,
Warm and Tender, and On a Magic Carpet. These albums contain some of the
boldest, most jarring use of stereo separation and contrasting instrumentation
to be heard in supposedly safe, mainstream pop music. Most of these albums also
featured one or two originals penned by Albertine. Through Nevins, who was
developing the Japanese market for RCA, he was commissioned to write an original
wedding dance, which he titled, "The Happy Prince Waltz," for the wedding of
Crown Prince Akihito. Trumpeter and band leader Harry James also hired
Albertine, to write a "Blues Ballet" that James recorded on his album, The
Spectacular Sounds of Harry James. In the early 1960s, Albertine began
a collaboration with Sammy Kaye that lasted through the
mid-1960s.
Albertine moved to Hollywood in 1964, where he worked on a few film scores, including the Viking epic, "The Long Ships," but mostly arranged and conducted incidental music for television series like "Hazel," "Gidget," "Grindl," and "Days of Our Lives." He picked up a steady stream of television commissions, composing for episodes of"The Incredible Hulk," "The Bionic Woman," and "Fantasy Island." His last works were heavily influenced by early new age musicians. The only album released under his name was packaged to look like something from Windham Hills and featured ethereal, meditative pieces performed by Albertine on synthesizer and piano.
Anne Howard Bailey
Head Writer, 1989-1990
July 26,
1924-November 23, 2006
Anne Howard
Bailey, a writer who won Emmy Awards for the opera ``The Trial of Mary Lincoln''
and the soap opera ``Santa Barbara,'' has died. She was 82. Bailey, who lived in
the Hollywood Hills nearly 20 years, died Friday of congestive heart failure at
Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, said her friend, Dr. Aidan O'Brien.
``She had
a great lyric sense and a great sense of drama,'' said Thomas Pasatieri, a
composer who collaborated with Bailey on ``Mary Lincoln,'' which aired on PBS in
1972. ``Anne was a great historian who could make history of any period come
alive.'' The opera earned her an
Emmy for the writing of a comedy, variety or musical program.
With composer Kenton
Coe, Bailey wrote the libretto for ``Rachel,'' based on the love story of Andrew
Jackson and his wife, Rachel, who died weeks before his presidential
inauguration. The Knoxville Opera Company premiered the work in 1989.
That same
year, Bailey won a daytime Emmy as a head writer on the now-defunct NBC soap
``Santa Barbara.''
Bailey's adoptive
parents found their only child as a newborn on their doorstep July 26, 1924, in
Memphis, Tenn. A doctor who placed infants of unwed mothers had alerted the
couple to expect her, Pasatieri said. By 15, Bailey was
performing with a theater group and had developed an appreciation for opera that
became a ``lifelong passion,'' Pasatieri said. After graduating from
Rhodes College in Memphis, Bailey headed to New York and television. In the
1950s, she wrote for several dramatic anthology series, including NBC's
``Armstrong Circle Theatre.''
Her most enduring television success was in the soap opera genre, where she also
served as head writer on "General Hospital'' (ABC) and "Days of Our Lives''
(NBC) in the 1980s. In 1974, Bailey created
a short-lived soap opera for NBC called ``How to Survive a Marriage'' despite
never having tied the knot. She often said the most important requirement to
succeeding as a writer was living alone. (Los Angeles Times, November 30,
2006)
William J. Bell
Head Writer, 1966-1975 & Story Consultant,
1975-1978
March 6, 1927-April 29, 2005
William Joseph Bell, the former head writer
of "Days of Our Lives", passed away from complications of Alzheimer's on April
29, 2005. He was 78. Mr. Bell still holds the record for the
longest-tenure of a head writer at "Days of Our Lives." He held that position
for 8 years, 9 months. Mr. Bell was born on March 6,
1927 in Chicago, Illinois. In college, he started out as a pre-med student at
DePaul University. To earn money, he began writing
scripts for a Chicago radio station. He then worked as an advertising executive
for McCann-Ericson. While working at WBBM, he met his
future wife, Lee Phillip. They wed in 1954, staying in Chicago until moving to
Beverly Hills in 1987.
Tommy Boyce
Theme Song Co-Writer
September 29,
1939-November 23, 1994
Ruth Brooks
Flippen
Head Writer, 1980
September 14, 1921-July 9,
1981
Ruth Brooks was born
September 14, 1921 in Brooklyn, New York. She married actor/comedian Jay C. Flippen. Her writing won her an Emmy for "Oh Baby, Baby, Baby." She wrote scripts for "Bewitched", "My World and Welcome To It", "The Odd Couple" and "Gidget" as well as several "Gidget" movies. Her final stint was at "Days of Our Lives" for a month in 1980. She died in Marina del Rey, California of heart disease on July 9, 1981 at the age of 59.
Elizabeth
Harrower
Head Writer, 1979-1980
May 28, 1918-December 10,
2003
Elizabeth Harrower, veteran actress and soap
opera writer, died Dec. 10 at her home in Valley Village, Calif., of cancer. She
was 85. Born in Alameda, Calif., she was educated in Berkeley and Los Angeles.
She appeared in "Becky Sharp," the first feature-length color film, in 1935.
Later pics included "Plymouth Adventure," "Teacher's Pet," "The Sterile Cuckoo,"
"Cat Ballou," "Towering Inferno" and "True Grit." Harrower
appeared in hundreds of episodes of live and filmed TV dramas, including "The
Twilight Zone," "The Andy Griffith Show," "Gunsmoke" and "The Dick Van Dyke
Show."
A longtime radio actress and member of Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters, she became a soap opera writer in the 1970s, working seven years with Bill Bell's Emmy-nominated team for "The Young and the Restless." In 1979, she was head writer for "Days of Our Lives." Harrower later worked on the soap "Generations." In 2003, while taking chemotherapy, she returned to "The Young and the Restless" as an actress, portraying Charlotte Ramsey.
She is survived by her daughter, soap actress
Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams on "Days of Our Lives"). (Daily
Variety, February 16, 2004)
Jack Herzberg
Producer, 1965-1982
June 15,
1916-April 23, 1992
Jack L. Herzberg, Emmy award winner for
his production of the daytime soap opera "Days of Our Lives," has died. He was
75. Herzberg died
Thursday after heart surgery. Herzberg produced the
popular series from 1965 to 1982 for Corday Productions. He was nominated for
television's Emmy award five times and won for best daytime drama in 1978.
After retiring in
1982, Herzberg spent his time as a story consultant and program adviser, and as
a guest lecturer to drama and communications classes in high schools and
colleges. He also judged beauty contests and chili cook-offs. A graduate of USC's
cinematography program, Herzberg began his career somewhat traditionally in a
studio mail room. During World War II, he directed and produced Army training
films at the Signal Corps Photographic Center in Astoria, N.Y. After a few more
years in television's trenches, Herzberg became a producer and director at
Ziv-United Artists. From 1954 until 1963, he produced and directed more than 100
episodes of such popular series as "Highway Patrol," "Everglades" and "I Led
Three Lives."
He is survived by his
daughter, Margaret Scully, a sister and one grandson. (Los Angeles Times,
April 25, 1992)
Nina Laemmle
Head Writer, 1980
November 20, 1910-August 12,
2008
Gene Palumbo
Head
Writer, 1991-1992
November 10, 1945-October 10,
2000
Gene Palumbo was born on
November 10, 1945. He was the head writer of "Guiding Light" from 1982-1983,
where he won an Emmy for his work. He then co-created the soap "Rituals" in
1984. Palumbo then became the head writer of "General Hospital" from
1989-1991 and "Days of Our Lives" from 1991-1992. In his later years, he went back to his first love of playing piano and
conducting music. Palumbo died in Florida of a head injury caused after he fell
unconscious from a
blood disease on October 10, 2000 at the age of 54.
Peggy Phillips
Head Writer,
1965-1966
June 25, 1916-December 27, 2004
Theatrical
press agent Peggy Phillips died of complications from a stroke Dec. 27 in Dana
Point, Calif. She was 88. Phillips repped works
on Broadway such as "Angel Street," "South Pacific" and "Gentlemen Prefer
Blondes." During her career in showbiz, Phillips worked as an actress,
playwright, press rep, TV writer and memoirist. Phillips also worked a
press representative for the Theater Guild and Group Theater, among other
companies.
Born in New York, she moved to
California in the 1960s where she worked as director of publicity for Los
Angeles Public Library, Center Theater Group at the Los Angeles Music Center's
Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theaters, as well as directory of publicity for
the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera. As a member of the
Dramatists Guild and Writers Guild of America, she wrote one play, and for
television including such series as "Days of Our Lives," "Lassie," "The Donna
Reed Show" and "My Three Sons," and the screenplay for the film "The Crimson
Canary." Her books included "A
Golden Sorrow," "Ascent to Hell," and her most recent book, "My Brother's
Keeper," about life in Gotham from the 1920s to the
1950s.
Ms. Phillips is
survived by son Jon Bucci, daughter-in-law Tara and two grandchildren.
(Daily Variety, January 5, 2005)
Al Rabin, the long-time supervising
executive producer and director of "Days of Our Lives", has passed away. Rabin
died on Tuesday, August 14, 2012. He was 76.
Al Rabin
Co-Executive
Producer/Director, 1975-1992
January 26, 1936-August 14, 2012
Alvin Rabin was born to Solomon and Fannie
Rabin in Waukegan, Illinois on January 26, 1936. He started his career "in
charge" early, as he was the President of his sophomore class at Waukegan High
School.
He began his
daytime career as a production manager at "General Hospital" in 1965, and later
began directing that show. Rabin then joined the "Days" staff as a director in
February 1975. His first chance at producing came when "Days" expanded to an
hour in April 1975. He did double duty as both a producer and director from
1975-1976, then went back to directing full-time. He continued to direct when he
was named supervising executive producer in January 1980. He briefly left his
position as executive producer in 1989, while he continued to be credited as a
creative consultant. He returned in December 1989 and remained as supervising
executive producer until June 17, 1992. Rabin received 9 Daytime Emmy
nominations during his time at "Days."
After leaving "Days", Rabin was executive
producer of the short-lived "Valley of the Dolls" in 1994. He then retired from
show business and enjoyed spending time with his family, doing lots of traveling
and playing golf. He also developed a program at the University of Judaism in
Los Angeles, teaching young students to do video histories of their
grandparents.
In a 1990 interview, Rabin, who was
instrumental in helping create the many supercouples of the 1980s, said that "I
am convinced that Tom Horton loves Alice more than Tom loves himself. I am also
convinced that Alice Horton loves Tom more than Alice loves herself. I think
that's absolutely basic on this particular show, and when we have successful
couples, that element is always true. It was true with Bill and Laura. It was
certainly true with Doug and Julie. That element is absolutely basic to what the
press calls 'the supercouples of Days of Our Lives."
When asked in 1996 about returning to "Days", he said this: "I've been asked
several times to come back. I look fondly with a tremendous amount of pleasure
on the years I was there. For the most part, it was an absolutely wonderful
time. But that was then, and now, there are other things that are just more
rewarding for me, not that soaps weren't for me back then."
In his 1996 interview with Soap Opera
Weekly, he said his philosophy about doing the show was this: "Every day, every
act, every scene, we always asked ourselves: What did we share with the
audience?" In his speech upon receiving a Soap Opera Digest award in 1989, he
gave special thanks to "Jim Young, who taught so many of us professionalism and
dedication; Betty Corday, who taught so many of us loyalty and a sense of
family; to my children, Beth, Jeff and Larry, who taught me about personal joy;
and to my wife, Laura, who taught me openness, honesty and
love."
Rabin is
survived by his wife, Laura; three children, Beth, Jefferey and Lawrence; and
four grandchildren, Rebecca, Anna, Jake and Ella. Services were held on Friday,
August 17, 2012 at 10AM at Mount Sinai Memorial Parks and Mortuaries in Simi
Valley, California.
James E. Reilly
Head Writer,
1992-1998, 2003-2006
July 29, 1948-October 12, 2008
James E. Reilly, the
former head writer of "Days of Our Lives" and creator of "Passions" passed
away suddenly while recovering from cardiac surgery on October
12, 2008. He was 60. Reilly was born on July 29, 1948 in New York. He wrote
for many daytime series, including "Ryan's Hope", "Capitol", "General Hospital",
"The Young and the Restless", "Sunset Beach", and "Guiding Light", which earned
him his first Daytime Emmy in 1993.
In later years,
Mr. Reilly was known for his supernatural storylines, writing the
much-publicized possession of Marlena Evans on "Days of Our Lives" in
1994. Reilly even stepped in front of the cameras and spoofed himself in an
episode of "Friends." He left "Days" in 1998 to concentrate on creating a new
soap, the supernatural "Passions," which enjoyed a nine year run from
1999-2008. From 2003-2006, Reilly was head writer of both "Passions" and
"Days of Our Lives", turning out ten hours of scripts each week, and was
responsible for over 500 hours of scripts each year.
Mr.
Reilly's agent, Jonathan Russo, released this statement: "James Reilly was one
of the most profoundly lovely human beings in our industry. He was a towering
person in our industry who had a tremendous faith in God and Catholicism, as
anyone who watched "Passions" knows. Everyone will miss
him."
Pat Falken Smith, a troubleshooting
writer for daytime television and feature films, died May 19 in Los Angeles. She
was 75. A Minnesota native, Smith studied at the Pasadena Playhouse, where she
had her first play produced during the 1940s. She went to work at Warner Bros.
as a reader and soon became a junior screenwriter, executing rewrites and
dialogue polishing on such films as "Rebel Without a Cause" and
"Giant."
Kenneth Rosen
Head Writer,
1965
January 13, 1929-July 2, 1976
Pat Falken
Smith
Staff Writer, 1966-1975 & Head Writer, 1975-1977,
1981-1982
January 21, 1926-May 19, 2001
Smith then
moved into television, where she worked on "Climax!" and "Playhouse 90," serving
as executive story consultant for such productions as "The Miracle Worker" and
"Requiem for a Heavyweight." She went on to troubleshoot on the launch of NBC's
"Bonanza" and then undertook writing and story editor duties on such shows as
"Father of the Bride," "National Velvet," "Shane," "Rawhide," "Perry Mason" and
"Adventures in Paradise." During the 1960s, she worked for Howard Hughes,
packaging and producing feature film properties for his production
company.
After this, Smith moved into writing
for major shows on daytime television, including "Guiding Light" for CBS,
"General Hospital" for ABC and "Days of Our Lives" for NBC. Smith had a 12-year
run on "Days" before she became head writer on "GH" in 1979, devising the Luke
and Laura story line that pushed the show to No. 1. (Hollywood Reporter,
June 13,
2001)