December 26, 1984 OLTL Opening Credits

[7Rangersgirl]

I liked the new one so much more. Rest In Peace Llanview! -3

[Sheri451]

I only knew Vicki.

[jiveturkey25]

at 0:25, who was the black lady?

[Carmaker1]

@jiveturkey25 I don't know. Is she though? The early versions make it really hard to tell and even worse, I wasn't born till 6 years(73 months) after this opening debuted and don't even remember episodes prior to 1994-95. I am very thankful to see your comments as I hardly see anyone who looks more like me around here(I'm Igbo-English).

[LancePie]

@Carmaker1 there was a character Sadie Gray. I think that's her on the opening credits, but I don't know why; I dont remember her being involved in any significant storylines at that time

[MikeKrysta1]

@jiveturkey25 Lillian Hayman who played Sadie Gray on One Life To Live for 17 years.

[megamanj2004X]

@jiveturkey25 - I think that was Sadie Gray, the lady who was at the center of attention due to the controversial way then OLtL-EP Paul Rauch (who commissioned this intro) had her fired.

The day of her last taping, she was going to her car and then EP-Paul Rauch had one of his henchmen come up to her and tell her that she just taped her last show w/ OLtL...out of nowhere. To make it more controversial, Ellen Holly also later left the show due to Rauch's mistreatment of her and Sadie Gray.

[ncjuppiter]

@jiveturkey25 Lillian Hayman as Sadie Gray, one of the show's original cast members.

[southfork042002]

HAPPY 43RD BIRTHDAY, ONE LIFE TO LIVE!

[TimsDale4ever]

It's odd to me how these shows openings/closings back when STILL hold up today. What I wouldn't give for ANY show (whether I look at it or not) to even begin to have these types of credits again. For me, even though I didn't watch until 2001-04, this theme (1984-91?) and the one after satin sheets (1995-2004) are OLTL's signature themes/credits. The networks can call me crazy if they want to, but these beautiful openings/closings of the 70's is what drew me to daytime TV drama to being with!!

[CarlD2]

Yes. OLTL had many gorgeous openings. My favorite was the sunrise opening and the birds and all that. It's sad to remember when someone in power used to care about daytime.

[CarlD2]

Sad to see Lillian Hayman in this one :( Some of those shots are not flattering, like poor Erika Slezak, who looks much better in later shots.

[TimsDale4ever]

I thought she looked very old and grandmotherly in this shot -- but she's still beautiful -- at least compared to me! Ha!

[CarlD2]

She's aged very well. I guess a bad photo can be a devil.

[mrmoore1972]

I notice that Michael Zaslow as David Renaldi never appears in any of the openings from his years on..I wonder why.

[nightowlchad]

Erika Slezak looks better today than she did 25 years ago. Lillian Hayman brings me way back as Sadie Gray. I was so sad to hear how the way EP Paul Rauch fired her as she was on her way to the parking garage to be told by an assistant that today is your last day

[CarlD2]

Yes, and he continues to give black characters little story on his soaps even 25 years later. Sad.

[moxiesoda35]

I don't like this one as much as I do the GH and AMC credits from the same period -- the music seems too hokey and the shadowy heads imposed onto the buildings are just weird.

[jmjfanss]

But it's better than the champage garbage.

[moxiesoda35]

True. They seemed to get gradually worse.

[corrupt200]

i like it, reminds me of my childhood days when my mom was hooked on ABC soaps. Also, the theme song is written by the same guy who wrote the "St. Elsewhere" theme (notice the similarity in style?)

[motherlee]

Wow, that took me WAY back!!

[jchsf94109]

Girls, take your cat fight somewhere else, please.

[megamanj2004X]

Some slight differences in the closing credits from 12/84 to 12/91:

1). For the 1st few months, starting from 12/84, the font was in a dark-orange color(?) (need more info. there) and semi-transparent

2). From 1985(?) until mid-to-fall '86, the font was yellow and more transparent, but from Fall 1986-87, the shadow embossment appeared w/ the fonts.

3). From 1988 until either '89 or '90, the shadowing embossment was even bigger w/ the fonts & from 1990 until '91, the embossment was toned down.

[Carmaker1]

Thanks for the info. Would you like to see the December 17 closing?

[megamanj2004X]

Sure thing.

I have an audio copy of the December 1984 (?) closing somewhere. The audio copy I have has a voiceover promoting an ep. from the short-lived 1984-85 sitcom "Call to Glory" and "Dan Marino's 1984 season games."

[VaultMasterDBT]

You mean 'drama Call to Glory'.

[megamanj2004X]

My bad. I just heard of it b/c it starred Craig T. Nelson, before he went on to star on "Coach."

[VaultMasterDBT]

Yes, but Nelson was doing plenty of dramatic work before Coach. Of course one of his best dramatic roles on TV (IMHO) was as Jack Mannion in The District.

[gameshowguy2000]

And of course, Craig T. Nelson was the football coach in the 1983 Tom Cruise flick "All the Right Moves", a great football movie if there ever was one.

[NEXTGENSKYN]

was the character roxy on one life to live in the 80's

[gameshowguy2000]

For some reason I keep thinking that the bridge shots in the opening credits are one and the same and I can't find any differences. Also, which bridge shot is used in the closing credits as well as at the 2nd commercial break (when they show the title card)?

[hopkinsowns]

lmfao keep saying the beat it shit like it means anything its quite amusing.

[gameshowguy2000]

Oh no, NOT YOU AGAIN.

I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE, AFTER I GAVE YOU 3 STRIKES!

WHEN WILL YOU LEARN?!

[gameshowguy2000]

I am not a game show p***y (whatever that word is, I'm not gonna use it), and I'm NOT an idiot.

And I'm not gonna stop GETTING TOUGH with you until YOU'RE off of YouTube.

I've shown 100 (maybe 110%) RESPECT on all the comments I've put up on videos like this. YOU, on the other hand have shown ZERO RESPECT.

Do the words "LEAVE ME ALONE" mean anything to YOU?!

[gameshowguy2000]

What I AM saying to you is NOT B.S. What YOU'RE saying is B.S., and that's no BULL, for that matter.

One more time: YOU are the idiot, YOU are the p***y (once again, I will not say that word), so why don't you do me a favor and the other RESPECTFUL people a favor, and YOU get off YouTube? In fact, the poster of the 2 videos you've been bashing me on has already blocked you, and so have OTHERS.

[hopkinsowns]

you are the biggest idiot on the planet. you dumb ass if he blocked me i couldnt post on his video.

[gameshowguy2000]

You're calling ME the biggest idiot on the planet? I, as well as others who have been victims of your disrespect, consider YOU to be the biggest idiot on the planet as well as on YouTube.

And when it comes to Disrespect (something I really hate), YOU are the MOST DISRESPECTFUL person I have yet to deal with, WhyteHoodNegra is at a close second.

And you're right..since the poster of this video and others on his account blocked you, you couldn't post on ANY of his videos, OR EVEN HIS PAGE.

[dereka79]

Another quick question for the masses, is that possibly one of the Tina's 3rd from the end?? Can't place her either. I think she is right before who I am assuming is Michelle Boudin. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

[DeanLives2]

I thought that was Clover Wilde (as played by Pamela Shoemaker), Jesse's sister, who had a flirtation with Rafe. I didn't think it was any Tina, and the only Tina it could be is Marsha Clarke (because I have no recollection of her or what she looks like). But Clarke played the role so briefly, the I didn't believe she could be on the opening credits.... So... I'm gonna go with it being Clover. AND it being just a lousy photo in general. :-)

[megamanj2004X]

I thought about something else here:

When the "Tour of Llanview" version 1 intro 1st came out, the instrumental theme tune sounded slightly different than the 1985 variation did.

This December 1984 intro theme wasn't as orchestral as the 1985 instrumental variation.

Also, during the 1st few months of the ToL-era #1, the closing credit font colors were dark orange and semi-transparent.

[sherri3573]

since 1968 its been  on tv

[BeckyLaneKent]

wow...how old is oltl?

[dereka79]

One Life is celebrating 40 years July 15th! Yahoo!!

[dereka79]

No, offense but why in the world was Joy O'Neill's picture the largest and centered on the board at the end????

[DeanLives2]

At the time, Kristen Vigard was considered to have some daytime stock - thanks to her Annie background, and for her previous run on Guiding Light. We know it didn't turn out that way so much on OLTL, but she was a very good actress.

[megamanj2007]

This version of the OLtL credits brought out the one change that stayed w/ OLtL for the rest of the series:

- The closing credits would use a card-credit motion as opposed to the scrolling motion, seen prior to late 1984.

- The font would become the same font also used later on in those early-to-mid '90s episdoes of another ABC soap in "All in My Children"

[megamanj2007]

This version of the OLtL theme song reminds me a little bit of the theme song from "St. Elsewhere."

[corrupt200]

It was composed by David Grusin, who also wrote the St. Elsewhere theme.

[megamanj2007]

I knew this theme song reminded me of the St. Elsewhere theme song and sure enough this version of the OLtL theme song screams Dave Grusin!

Awesome!!!

[corrupt200]

In fact I made that same comment in another board, and somebody told me, then I confirmed it on wikipedia.

[DeanLives2]

Right, I think that was me (as Whenenrome) on the other board. Dave Grusin was the composer of this theme.

[JRybka]

What City is this....It looks like Harrisburg PA but could it be someplace else...

[Carmaker1]

You're 100% right. Harrisburg, PA in early December 1984 when this scenery was filmed for the "new" opening.

[corrupt200]

I thought OLTL took place in Llanview

[DeanLives2]

Llanview is fictional. They needed a real city for the photos, so they used Harrisburg.

[fossefan]

It's odd that Dorian isn't last.

[WhenenRome]

It would seem that way, considering how appropriately fit Dorian ultimately became for that spot. But Mary Gordon Murray as Becky Lee Abbot Buchanan was extremely popular at this time - which I'm sure is why she was initially given the ''final billing'' spot (as seen here). Murray's decision to leave the show came soon after this and, of course, led to Robin Strasser's photo (a much nicer pic, actually) being moved to the last position.

[dereka79]

Thanks for clearing up the mystery about the final spot. So, it belonged to Becky Lee at that point. I was wracking my brain as to who that was ...

[MKD825]

Agreed, but even odder, Slezak is never given the first spot in any variation of this opening.  She appears either second, or as in this clip, third (which seems almost criminal). Perhaps Paul Rauch was asserting his authority, living vicariously through Phil Carey.

[fossefan]

I've noticed that too! Rather strange, considering that except for the actress who played Sadie Gray, Slezak's the veteran of the cast (2008, OLTL's 40th, is her 37th).

Congrats, Erika Slezak. And you too, OLTL!

[fossefan]

I forgot about Michael Storm, "Dr. Larry Wolek" - since 1970 (is he still a contract player?).

And, I'm pretty sure the woman who played Sadie Gray is dead.

[dereka79]

I often wondered why Erika was never given the number 1 spot in any of these ... she should have been first and perfect that Robin would be last ... like bookends LOL

[MKD825]

Exactly! And I hate how they stick Rex in between Dorian and Viki in the current opening. At least the "blue" opening put Dorian or Bo first (alternate days), and Viki always last.

[WhenenRome]

I think it was just a reflection of the TV era we were living in... that a male lead was almost always given ''first billing.'' Things have thankfully evolved since then.

[jammasterjayfan]

Restore this in High Defintion please.

[msdecember]

this is awesome! i remember this when i was a child!