"The Secret Storm" Soap—Opening And Closing (DIGITAL COLOR RECREATION)

This is a FULL-COLOR, DIGITALLY-RECREATED opening and closing for CBS' "The Secret Storm" soap opera—Circa Winter 1973-'74. With the appropriate network/station bumper graphics—also recreated where necessary)

Enjoy!

Special thanks to YouTube's amazing Soapluvva for his beautiful replaying of Eddie Layton's original "Secret Storm" theme used here.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Soap Opera
• The Secret Storm
• Daytime Television
• Color
• Classic TV
• Recreation
• Boomer
• Tiffany Network
• Seventies
• Homage

[RabbitEarsRedux]

soap1919jt: They kind of mixed 'em around a bit—product shots and “supers”, sometimes BOTH in the opening and closing within one show. It evidently depended on what the production staff had on hand and I'm guessing who the main sponsor was and the effort said sponsor wanted expended in showing their products in the best light.

[RabbitEarsRedux]

MSTS1: The player on of the Lowrey Prestige organ on this piece is none other than “Soapluvva”, who has some brilliant work here on YouTube. He's a bit of an historian on these old Soap organ tracks and is an expert player and collector of these themes. I couldn't have done it without his work. Am finishing up my “Love Of Life” open and close.

[RabbitEarsRedux]

Geosheo1: I don't know...I searched through a lot of “Waves on rocks” videos and just found what matched up and edited it accordingly (with some speed alterations and zooms). This spot is called Cape Disappointment in the Pacific Northwest.

KCOliver: There is no font. :( I rebuilt it digitally from a screen grab of a full screen blowup of the crispest “Secret Storm” open I could find. I now have perfect, beautiful digital logos for “Storm”, “Edge Of Night” and “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing”.

[orbit14915]

thanks; I didn't think that I was imagining it! I became friendly with Bernard Barrow as an employee of the LIRR. he would be travelling once a week to visit his children in Great Neck. He was hoping that they would syndicate the show but I think the whiz kids at CBS,after acquiring the show from Roy Winsor productions,had wreaked way too much damage. the continuity was non-existent then they moved on to work their wonders with The Edge of Night and Love of Life. the junk that is now daytime TV

[soap1919jt]

@gymnastix I remember "Dark Shadows" very will. The title sequences and visuals did spook me, but not as much as "The Secret Storm," for some reason.

Now the DS logo (and I happen to be looking at it right now), has no real similarity to the SS logo. The DS logo is in a gothic font, whereas the SS logo is an artist's rendering, and has been described as an upswept, brush stroke script. They do share similar backdrops, though. I have seen the original SS. It is a bit eerie, too. Luv it!

[soap1919jt]

@gymnastix: I'm with you on that EAS. There's always that thought in the back of my mind: "What if it were the real thing? I get even more spooked by it now sometimes, because they run the tests more at random. You could be right in the middle of watching a TV program and hear that sound -- with no announcement!

I sometimes find the EAS very comparable to 'The Secret Storm,' in terms of scare factor! :-)

[soap1919jt]

@orbit14915: I remember those sequences! This sequence featured the same colored, Secret Storm logo. But instead of the logo zooming outward, as it does here, there were several SS logos floating across the sky, with one of the logos eventually stopping in the middle of the screen.

This sequence was used in the late 1960s, from about 1967 to 1968, shortly after The Secret Storm went to color.

[gymnastix]

@soap1919jt Of course, nowadays, that is as much due to the sheer volume of the audio, as well its increased length, as the context of the message itself.

The EAS tests of today are also, seemingly, much more random than the more predictable ones of the past, which usually occured at the same times on the same days each week.

[gymnastix]

@soap1919jt And the Goth-horror soap "Dark Shadows" obviously borrowed its opening sequence from "The Secret Storm," too.

Now that's one soap that should have really "scared the hell out of'" you, as that was its intent.

Try looking at one of the original "Secret Storm" opening sequences, with the still of the wind-swept tree. I'd be curious to know if that one scares you too.

I was (and still am) scared by those Emerency Alert System (formerly Emergency Broadcasting System) tests.

[orbit14915]

does anyone remember when the opening,mid break and closing involved a shot of utility poles in what appeared to be farmland or some sort of field with a  post and split rail type of fence and, of course,a dark foreboding sky? it was used for only a brief time. also, wasn't the ebb tide theme used as an intro when one of the main couples would be featured in the scene? it was played by organ/can't remember who Belle & Paul or Belle & Dan?

[soap1919jt]

(cont.) This more contemporary theme came along when shows such as 'One Life to Live,' 'All My Children' and 'Days of Our Lives' featured modern themes. To my knowlege, these shows never had organ themes.

[soap1919jt]

From about 1973 to series end in 1974, the organ version of this theme was replaced with a more contemporary one. This occured right as the Young & the Restless aired, featuring it's very modern theme. This new version was likely played using an electric piano and harpsichord. It was quite pretty, just as the older Brahms theme is.

Now the original theme is an eerie piece in C minor, and by the early 60s, was played over the ocean waves and the equally eerie logo.