The Guiding Light 1974 Open and Closing theme

[ncjuppiter]

this theme song is depressing :( thumbs down.

[sebastainknight]

still cant believe its gone i recall has a kid iam 39 duirng summer months and break we all be outisde playing softball, riding bike but when it was time for GL and ATWT everybody went home to see it even has kids cause our parents and grandparents watched it..... i grew up looking at GL just never thought it be cancelled i figured god spare i'd be 60 and GL would still be on LOL... just sAD look like after 1999 the stroylines just went downhill and never got back to what it used to be

[soap1919jt]

There were two sequences to this same opening. In the first one, the GL logo appears as a tiny white dot in the sky, and gets bigger, as it slowly zooms down, placing itself just to the left of the lighthouse, as you see it here in this visual.

[soap1919jt]

This was back in the days when EVERYTHING was better, including the products that sponsored the soaps. Back then, for example, you didn't even need the pots & pans cycle to clean pots with Cascade!

[sail027li]

Fire Island Lighthouse!

[NBK1122]

Never, ever shower with Lava!

[soap1919jt]

@NBK1122 No indeed! Lava has always been strictly a hand soap!

[14DaveHunter]

Theme sounds like a church song. When it started, it was based on religious themes.

[dtw1958]

What is Millette Alexander up to these days, anyone know? They had a big article on her in daytime TV back in the 70s showing her great house in Conn or upstate NY

[robinnnnnnnnnnnn]

@dtw1958 She is (lr was) a classical pianist before she did soaps. Greg Beecroft ((who played Tony years ago) told me a few months back that she walked into the new producer Gale Kobe's office in 1983 and never stepped on set again. Apparently, she was fired.

[dtw1958]

@robinnnnnnnnnnnn Thanks Robin, Greg's family used to own Beecroft Chevrolet in RI where my folks used to buy their Chevys . I think Greg used to date Kim Morgan Greene back then too. I heard he was a cool guy.

[robinnnnnnnnnnnn]

@dtw1958 Yes, Greg dated KMG and I was married to a Kim Morgan--two different Kims, we discovered when we hung out on 4th of July. He lives in Dallas, or he did last I heard from him in August. I assume his grandfather and father sold the company a few years ago.

[dtw1958]

@robinnnnnnnnnnnn Thanks for the post. Yes his family sold it years ago. I met his brother David a few times when I was in casting for WB, nice guy, who at the time was repped by Paradigm Talent agency. Surprised Greg didnt continue on in acting, I can see him on those gritty investigative shows on the air now. Wonder what he;s doing in Dallas.

[mthivier]

@robinnnnnnnnnnnn that makes sense, since 1983 was around the time it began transitioning from a wonderful ensemble piece, full of great acting and nuanced storytelling, to "The All-Reva Show". Between 1981 and 1984, the show dumped so many great characters/actors: Mike Bauer, Ben and Eve McFerren, Rita Bauer (though Lenore Kasdorf did leave of her choice), Elizabeth Spaulding, Adam Thorpe, Barbara Norris, Jackie Marler, Justin Marler, Katie Parker, Hilary Bauer...the list goes on..

[rennyminou]

A real soap - brought to you by Cascade, Zest, Ivory, and Lava - LOL!

[pabc]

Those were the grand days of soaps!

[sexymama1966]

i would like to see the lighthouse of the 1960s opening and or closing..either one will satisfy me:)

[swaqlafemme]

wow , it's funny that's why it's called SOAP operas because of the sponsors . that Cwazy .

[jiveturkey25]

Wasn't there another opening that was blue? Can you post that one also?

[softwater88]

This is my earliest memory of Guiding Light I was about 6 or 7 years old. Sitting, probably on a winter or Easter vacation from school, with my mother. Too bad GL had a fast turnover of characters. Like in the early 80's when the Lewis', the Reardon's, Quinton McCord, the Chamberlains, the Wexlers, etc. came on board. The writers should've just expanded the roles of the existing characters then, not adding the whole world the the series all of a sudden.

[laminage]

When I hear this theme music and ending Titles, it reminds me of Peyton Place for some reason.

[soap1919jt]

This theme does put me in mind of the Peyton Place theme. I'm right with you on this.

[laminage]

Hey did you know that when Peyton Place became a Prime Time Soap Opera in the 1960's, Irna Phillips who created GL, was a consultant on the show.

[Tre404]

SOFTWATER88: They did the same thing on "The Young and the Restless" in 1980-82 as well!

[satiny1984]

guiding light was cancelled because the writers didn't keep with the original writing, the writing went way out in left field. if you missed a couple of days of watching it took that many to catch up on who's who. i watched it all through high school. even after i got married i would get everything i had to do out of the way so i could watch my soaps. if the writers had kept it in the direction it was going, it would still b on the air. i know change has to come but not that much.

[PJL2004]

you are exactly right. the writers really dropped the ball. getting rid of beloved characters and getting rid of the anchor family, the bauers, was the beginning of the end. on atwt the hughes family although admittedlly not on as much as in the past are still on the show. one does not get rid of the roots of a show and expect it to continue to grow.

[Jude1968]

Thank you!! I have been searching for this open for ages! This is the one I have the first real memory of watching.....and yes, this one was NOT shown on the logo montage (nor the one before it) on today's last show.

[redneckpride4ever]

Man, my wife taped GL's last show today and we watched it when I got outta work- I am some sad right now. I was about 9 or 10 when I started watching this with my Mom every day after school. I'm sorry I stopped watching after High School- I missed a lot. :(

[LlanFair22]

this one wasnt show in the last episode grrrrrrrrr

[ClassicLoverA]

Did you notice that too?

[tinamirabile]

OMG!! I remember that!! I was two Y/O!!!! WOW

[moxiesoda35]

This is great...including the ads for soaps, too perfect! The Guiding Light was a radio show, nearly 75 years old, a national institution. How can they get rid of it at this point?

[Chicago10281]

It was 72 years old! Soon to be cancelled in September 2009(because of low ratings)

[Chicago10281]

How do you like the lighthouse? This song that you heard is "La Lumiere" by Mi-Voix!

[BauerBro]

I always liked this lighthouse. It looks a lot like the lighthouse on Fire Island, NY (off the coast of Long Island). Does anyone know for sure if it is? (Check out the Fire Island lighthouse vids here on YT and compare.)

[saynotoursoap]

Yes, it is indeed the Fire Island Lighthouse, New York's tallest lighthouse. The views from the top are quite lovely. Go there if you get the chance and hum La Lumiere; it's the only tune that goes with this structure.

[Soapluvva]

I think you'll like the audio recordings that I just posted on my channel of Charlie Paul playing the piano-organ version of "La Lumière ."

[soap1919jt]

I agree!

[Wellveryinteresting]

Yes, I'm fairly certain this opening with the cut off/cut short scene with Joe and Sara is probably from February or March 1974. I just listened, again, to much of the audio only of TGL from April 24 - 26, 1974 (the episodes where Kit ends up dead, after trying to poison Sara & Joe has a gunshot wound curtesy of Kit & nick aeorta that Ed & Dr. Steve Jackson are working on -- curtesy of WoST). This scene is probably where Kit was intercepting the letters & phone calls between Joe & Sara.

[Soapluvva]

I'm the one who donated copies of my four audio tapes of those TGL episodes to WoSTBrian! Charlie Paul was still playing organ background music for those episodes, even though the theme had gone instrumental. Charlie and his wife, Dina, were the owners of Mi-Voix Music, Inc., the company that provided instrumental music to several soaps including TGL and ATWT.

[TheWhatsinaname]

@Soapluvva Do you have any other audio tapes from January 1974 to August 1975 of "The Guiding Light" I'm in the market for even audio tapes of the show from that time? I'd prefer the video if I could, but actually don't have anything anymore to play video on, plus most video from that time period would be useless with most VCR's that still exist (formatting differences). Of course, soapluvva if you have video from that time ...

[Tommy6583]

At around this time GL had villains such as Kit Vestid, Roger Thorpe and Ken Norris at the same time. With these villiains some of the Springfield citizens were constantly on their toes due to their unpredictable nature.

[Chicago10281]

Man, this show was the greatest! Best there ever was in a looooong time! So long, Guiding Light and thanks for the memories! All 72 of them!

[OceanKingNY]

This must be from around the time that Sara & Joe adopted TJ (Tim), who would grow up to be Kevin Bacon around 1980.

Thanks for posting. Haven't heard that theme song in years!

[Soapking1965]

The actor who played Tim at the time, in the mid-1970s, was named TJ Hargrove. Sadly, he was one of the people who perished in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

[gymnastix]

Wow! I remember that kid too, as i was still watching "The Guiding Light" in that era.

So sad to read this news--and another reason I (and other, civilized Americans) shall have to despise those Middle Eastern barbarians and their demagogic leader Bin Laden.

[Wellveryinteresting]

I'm not so sure this closing was from the time that Sara & Joe adopted T.J. I think that event didn't take place until sometime around 1975 - 76 and was being played out around the time that Ann Jeffers was trying to find her son, Jimmy (that Spence Jeffers had sorta of kidnapped). I think the scene here must have been when Joe was trying to reconcile with Sara after that nutty Kit Vestid (but before Kit tried to kill Sara) had taken off with the ill Joe.

[PJL2004]

I think this is from the time that Kit caused so much trouble for Sara and Joe. He was really tortured and beating himself up for what he did. I hope more Joe and Sara video will be forthcoming. A lot of people would love to see more. Appreciate whatever you can do and thanks for what is out here now.

[Wellveryinteresting]

I'd love to see some more Sara & Joe video, as well. There must be some out there, since we are having a little of it, here. Don't know how much might be out there, but there must be some (unfortunately it won't come from me -- honestly I don't have any vids that far back in time -- was only 11 years old at time & wasn't yet into soaps). I'd hope also that perhaps some Kit Vestid vids would show up, as well. I've heard audio of the late great Nancy Addison Altman as Kit, but yet no vid.

[EONSFTFAN]

THANK YOU for posting this. I never thought I'd see the opening in this clip again. What memories.

[NelsonAspen]

Makes you wish you could turn back the clock and stop anything that happened after 2000!

[gymnastix]

2000--you're being generous! I'd stop anything after 1980, and that, I always thought, was over-generous.

The world, on so many levels, stopped being a civil and fun place from the late 1960s onward, though at least still had its moments. Now, the problem is, there aren't even those moments.

I know--let's either shut up or just kill ourselves.

No, not my style--have invested too many years to not see the whole, miserable thing through to a more natural end.

[soap1919jt]

@gymnastix Well, I tell ya, my friend, if I could stay stuck in a timeframe, I would choose around the time of this particular GL opening/closing, to about 1980, the year I graduated high school. Notwithstanding the problems we had even then, those were more fun and simple times.

[mthivier]

Seeing Sara McEntire and Joe Werner at the beginning (even if it was just for a nanosecond) brings back such fond memories.

[ACcountryFan]

i look forward to seeing the series of historical scenes. I wish the show would release DVD specials should the show end in September and not be picked up anywhere...this sort of run in broadcasting should be commemorated...57 years on TV, 72 years in broadcasting when you factor in the radio version...it would be a travesty if CBS or someone didn't honor the series' historical run.

if you can find or track down the scenes with the Eli Sims character from 1983 I'd love to see them again.

[gymnastix]

I agree.

And there are just certain programs, no matter their creative and/or ratings decline, that have aired so long, garnered so much lifelong loyalty and become part of the culture they should be spared the indignity of a Euthanasia by Nielsen.

[ACcountryFan]

i think that programs that have stood the test of time should be exempt from cancellation, regardless of ratings...and a 72 year old program such as GL should be treated with that same kind of loyalty. networks adopt the "what have you done for me right now?" mentality instead of having a better philosophy.

[gymnastix]

Shows such as Meet The Press, The Ed Sullivan Show, the original Whats My Line?, Today, The Tonight Show (even if to be hosted by that dweeb Conehead OBrother—what a comedown from Steve Allen, Jack Paar & Carson), The Red Skelton Show, The Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet, Gunsmoke, Lassie and now The Simpson's come to mind.

[gymnastix]

I don't know what happened to the quotes i placed around program titles in this posting? The quotes do appear in my continuation of the posting beneath--so what gives?

[gymnastix]

And now As The World Turns, "General Hospital," "Days Of Our Lives," "All My Children," "One Life To Live" and "The Young & The Restless." should join "Guiding Light" in the Ideal World's "Soap Opera Protection Program."

But no, CBS will just cancel this legend of broadcasting (no matter it still has millions of viewers), giving the time back to the affiliate stations so they may air more judge shows and Jerry Springer clones. Yeah, that would really be an improvement.

[gymnastix]

Or maybe, like NBC with Today, CBS will just air an all-morning, morning show (cant even call those programs 'news shows anymore), canceling The Price Is Right while theyre at it.

I realize the folks that run TV networks have their heads up their asses. The problem now is--their heads have been up there so long they actually believe the crap up their own poop shoots tastes good.

[atwtgl]

Thank You.