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''The Secret Storm'' is an American television
soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
that aired on
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
from February 1, 1954, to February 8, 1974. It was created by
Roy Winsor Roy William Winsor (April 13, 1912 – May 31, 1987) was an American soap opera writer, creator, producer and mystery novelist. He created three of the longest running soap operas in US television history. Biography Winsor was born in Chicago, I ...
, who also created the long-running soap operas ''
Search for Tomorrow ''Search for Tomorrow'' is an American television soap opera. It began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951, and concluded on NBC, 35 years later, on December 26, 1986. Set in the fictional town of Henderson in an unspecified state, the show f ...
'' and ''
Love of Life ''Love of Life'' is an American soap opera televised on CBS from September 24, 1951, to February 1, 1980. It was created by Roy Winsor, whose previous creation '' Search for Tomorrow'' premiered three weeks before ''Love of Life''; he created ...
''. Gloria Monty, of ''
General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...
'' fame, was a longtime director of the series. Like most CBS soap operas of the time, such as ''
Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. ''Guiding Light'' aired on CBS for 57 years between June 30, 1952, and September 18, 2009, overlapping a 19-year broadcast on radio ...
'' and ''
As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other so ...
'', ''The Secret Storm'' was broadcast live, and later taped, in New York at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street. At some point in the 1970s up until cancellation, it was taped at CBS Studio 54 at 221 West 26th Street in the Chelsea section of
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
.


Plot

The story follows the Ames family, a prominent clan in the fictional
Northeastern United States The Northeastern United States (also referred to as the Northeast, the East Coast, or the American Northeast) is List of regions of the United States, census regions United States Census Bureau. Located on the East Coast of the United States, ...
town of Woodbridge (eventually identified as being located in New York). The Ames family initially consisted of
Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...
, his wife
Ellen Ellen is a female given name, a diminutive of Elizabeth (given name), Elizabeth, Eleanor, Elena, and Helen (given name), Helen. Ellen was the 609th most popular name in the U.S. and the 17th in Sweden in 2004. People named Ellen include: * Elle ...
, and their three children:
Susan Susan is a feminine given name, the usual English version of Susanna or Susannah. All are versions of the Hebrew name Shoshana, which is derived from the Hebrew ''shoshan'', meaning ''lotus flower'' in Egyptian, original derivation, and severa ...
, Jerry, and Amy. However, Ellen was killed in the first episode and subsequent stories focused on Peter raising his three children. Lending a hand, however dubiously, was Peter's sister-in-law, as well as his former fiancée
Pauline Rysdale ''The Secret Storm'' is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from February 1, 1954, to February 8, 1974. It was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas ''Search for Tomorrow'' and ''Love of Life''. Gl ...
(
Haila Stoddard Haila Stoddard (November 14, 1913 – February 21, 2011) was an American actress, producer, writer and director.Weber, Bruce (February 25, 2011)Haila Stoddard, Actress and Producer, Dies at 97.''New York Times''; accessed April 20, 2014. During ...
). Despite Susan's and Pauline's efforts to derail any new romances in Peter's life, he eventually remarried twice. His first remarriage was to Myra Lake (June Graham), one of Amy's teachers, but that ended in divorce. His second and more successful remarriage was to divorcee Valerie Hill (Lori March), to whom he was married until his death. Later, the villainous
Belle Clemens ''The Secret Storm'' is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from February 1, 1954, to February 8, 1974. It was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas ''Search for Tomorrow'' and ''Love of Life''. Gl ...
(
Marla Adams Marla Vene Adams (August 28, 1938 – April 25, 2024) was an American actress. She was best known for playing the roles of Belle Clemens on the CBS soap opera ''The Secret Storm'' (1968 to 1974) and Dina Abbott Mergeron on the CBS soap opera '' ...
) was the main source of trouble for Woodbridge, taking over from Aunt Pauline, the show's original villain. When Belle's daughter Robin drowned in an accident, Belle blamed Amy for the death.


Development

Amy was allowed to age in real time rather than suddenly aging as many younger soap characters did.
Jada Rowland Jada Rowland (born February 23, 1943) is an American actress. Early life A native of Staten Island, Rowland was born into a family of actors and artists. Rowland is the sister of actor Jeffrey Rowland and actress Gigi Anderson. Her brother pla ...
played the character with a few breaks for the duration of the program. Other actresses in the role included
Beverly Lunsford Beverly Lunsford (January 5, 1945 – May 22, 2019) was an American actress best known for playing Shirley Fletcher on the television sitcom ''Leave It to Beaver.'' Early life Lunsford was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Career Lunsford's earl ...
, June Carter and
Lynne Adams Lynne Adams (born ) is an American actress and writer. Early years Adams is the daughter of Rosalind (née Gould), an actress, and Robert K. Adams, a producer, actor (noted for his appearances on '' The Goldbergs'' and '' Your Family and Mine' ...
. Actress/writer
Stephanie Braxton Stephanie Braxton (born December 11, 1944, in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American television writer, playwright and actress. Acting credits *'' Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' (Blind student) *''The Secret Storm'' (Laurie Hollister Stevens ...
and actor Dan Hamilton met while performing on the show, and later married.
Lori March Lori March (March 6, 1923 – March 19, 2013) was an American television actress. She was best known for her roles on daytime soap operas. Her obituary on the Television Academy's web site noted that she "was dubbed 'First Lady of Daytime Tele ...
, who played Valerie Hill Ames for many years, later played the wife of her real-life husband
Alexander Scourby Alexander Scourby (; November 13, 1913 – February 22, 1985) was an American film actor, film, television actor, television, and voice actor and narrator known for his deep and resonant voice and Northeastern elite accent, Mid-Atlantic acce ...
. Actress
Diana Muldaur Diana Muldaur (born August 19, 1938) is an American film and television actress. Muldaur's television roles include Rosalind Shays on ''L.A. Law'' and Dr. Katherine Pulaski in the second season of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. She app ...
also married co-star James Vickery. Some performers who appeared on ''The Secret Storm'' and later achieved greater fame include
Warren Berlinger Warren Berlinger (August 31, 1937 – December 2, 2020) was an American character actor, with Broadway runs, movie and television credits, and much work in commercials. Early life Warren Berlinger was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, ...
,
James Broderick James Joseph Broderick III (March 7, 1927November 1, 1982) was an American actor. He is known for his role as Doug Lawrence in the television series ''Family'', which ran from 1976 to 1980, and he played a pivotal role in the 1975 film ''Dog Day ...
,
John Colicos John Colicos (December 10, 1928 – March 6, 2000) was a Canadian actor. He performed on stage and on television in the United States and Canada. Early life Colicos was born in Toronto, Ontario, to a Greek father and a Canadian mother. Career ...
,
Christina Crawford Christina Crawford (born June 11, 1939) is an American former author and actress, best known for her 1978 memoir and exposé, '' Mommie Dearest'', which described the alleged abuse she was subjected to by her adoptive mother, film star Joan C ...
,
Jennifer Darling Jennifer Darling (born Joan Darling; June 19, 1946, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American voice, film and television actress. Her best-known role on screen was as Peggy Callahan in ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' and its spin-off ''The Bion ...
,
Cliff DeYoung Clifford Tobin DeYoung (born February 12, 1945)According to the State of California. ''California Birth Index, 1905-1995''. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At Ancestry.com is an Ame ...
, Joan Hotchkis,
Barnard Hughes Bernard “Barnard” Aloysius Kiernan Hughes (July 16, 1915 – July 11, 2006) was an American TV, theater, and film actor. Hughes became famous for a variety of roles: his most notable came after middle age, and he was often cast as a dith ...
, Don Galloway,
Audrey Landers Audrey Landers (born July 18, 1956) is an American actress and singer, best known for her role as Afton Cooper on the television series ''Dallas (TV series), Dallas'' and her role as Val Clarke in the film version of ''A Chorus Line (film), A Ch ...
,
Ken Kercheval Kenneth Marine Kercheval (July 15, 1935 – April 21, 2019) was an American actor, best known for his role as Cliff Barnes on the television series ''Dallas'' and its 2012 revival. Early life Kercheval was born on July 15, 1935, in Wolcottvill ...
, Ed Kemmer,
Terry Kiser Terry Kiser (born August 1, 1939) is an American actor. While he has more than 140 acting credits to his name, with a career spanning more than 50 years, he is best known for portraying the deceased title character Bernie Lomax in the comedy '' ...
,
Diane Ladd Diane Ladd (born Rose Diane Ladner; November 29, 1935) is an American actress. She has appeared in over 200 films and television shows. She received three Academy Award nominations for her roles in '' Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'' (1974), '' ...
,
Laurence Luckinbill Laurence George Luckinbill (born November 21, 1934) is an American actor, playwright and director. He has worked in film, television and theatre, doing triple duty in the theatre by writing, directing and starring in stage productions. He is know ...
, Biff McGuire, Kim Milford,
Donna Mills Donna Mills (born Donna Jean Miller; December 11, 1940) is an American actress. She began her television career in 1966 with a recurring role on ''The Secret Storm'', and in the same year appeared on Broadway in Woody Allen's comedy '' Don't ...
,
Robert Morse Robert Alan Morse (May 18, 1931 – April 20, 2022) was an American actor. Known for his gap-toothed boyishness, he started his career as a star on Broadway acting in musicals and plays before expanding into film and television. He earned numero ...
, George Reinholt,
Jane Rose Jane Phin Rose"City-Born Actress Dies"
''Spokane Chronicle''. June 30, ...
,
Gary Sandy Gary Lee Sandy (born December 25, 1945) is an American actor. He is best known for playing program director Andy Travis on the television sitcom ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' (1978–1982). Early life and education Sandy was born in Dayton, Ohio, the ...
,
Roy Scheider Roy Richard Scheider (; November 10, 1932 – February 10, 2008) was an American actor and amateur boxer who achieved fame with his leading and supporting roles in celebrated films from the 1970s through to the mid-1980s. He was nominated for t ...
, Robin Strasser,
Frank Sutton Frank Spencer Sutton (October 23, 1923 – June 28, 1974) was an American actor best remembered for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Vince Carter on the CBS television series '' Gomer Pyle – USMC''. Early life Born in Clarksville, Tenness ...
and Edward Winter. Other well-known performers who appeared on the show include
Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, 190? was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway theatre, Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion-picture cont ...
(substituting for her daughter),
Troy Donahue Troy Donahue (born Merle Johnson Jr., January 27, 1936 – September 2, 2001) was an American film and television actor, best known for his role as Johnny Hunter in the film '' A Summer Place''. He was a popular sex symbol in the 1950s and ...
,
Marjorie Gateson Marjorie Augusta Gateson (January 17, 1891 – April 17, 1977) was an American stage and film actress. Biography Gateson was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Augusta and Daniel Gateson. Her maternal grandfather and brother were clergymen; Some s ...
, Margaret Hamilton, Jeffrey Lynn, Alexander Scourby, Madeleine Sherwood and
Frances Sternhagen Frances Hussey Sternhagen (January 13, 1930 – November 27, 2023) was an American actress. She was known as a character actress who appeared on- and off-Broadway, in movies, and on television for over six decades.Joy, Car"Frances Sternhagen i ...
. Actress Bethel Leslie was at one time co-head writer. Other noted head writers include Jane and Ira Avery, and its final head writer Gabrielle Upton.


Joan Crawford

In 1968, Oscar-winning actress
Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, 190? was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway theatre, Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion-picture cont ...
, at the time over 60 years old, filled in for her ailing daughter, Christina, who portrayed Joan Borman Kane, a character aged just 24. The episodes were broadcast on October 25, 28, 29 and 30. Although no full shows with Crawford are known to exist, clips have appeared on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
. The 1981 film ''
Mommie Dearest ''Mommie Dearest'' is a memoir and exposé written by Christina Crawford, the adopted daughter of Academy Award winning actress Joan Crawford. Officially released by William Morrow and Company on November 10, 1978 (though thousands of copies ha ...
'' portrayed Crawford's appearance without specifying the name of the series.


Broadcast history

CBS first placed ''The Secret Storm'' at 4:15 pm (3:15 Central) as a 15-minute program, sandwiched between ''
The Brighter Day ''The Brighter Day'' is an American daytime soap opera which aired on CBS from January 4, 1954, to September 28, 1962. Originally created for NBC Radio by Irna Phillips in 1948, the radio and television versions ran simultaneously from 1954&ndas ...
'' and ''On Your Account'' (later ''
The Edge of Night ''The Edge of Night'' is an American mystery crime drama soap opera, created by Irving Vendig and produced by Procter & Gamble Productions. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network for most of its ...
''). Beginning in 1957, it competed against
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
's ''
American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'' (AB) is an American Music television, music performance and dance television series that aired in various iterations from 1952 to 1989. It was hosted by Dick Clark who also served as the program's Television producer, pr ...
'', then a weekday show (the latter show was reduced to Saturdays-only in 1963). On June 18, 1962, CBS extended ''The Secret Storm'' to 30 minutes, and ''The Brighter Day'' was moved to an early-morning time slot. ''The Secret Storm'' took over the 4:00 pm time slot, where it ran for six years and mainly competed against
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
's ''
Match Game ''Match Game'' is an American television panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity paneli ...
''. However, in 1966, the Gothic soap opera ''
Dark Shadows ''Dark Shadows'' is an American Gothic fiction, Gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulatio ...
'' premiered on ABC, and that (later the '' Dating Game'') prompted CBS to move ''The Secret Storm'' back an hour to 3:00 pm Eastern (2:00 Central) on September 9, 1968, facing NBC's fast-rising '' Another World'' & ABC's ''
General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...
''. ''The Secret Storm'' moved from black and white to color broadcasts on September 11, 1967. After four years of mediocre ratings, CBS changed the show's timeslot to 3:30 Eastern on September 11, 1972, as part of a major overhaul of its daytime line-up. ''The Secret Storm'' followed '' Love is a Many Splendored Thing''; That show was cancelled in 1973. CBS eventually returned ''The Secret Storm'' to its previous 4:00 pm time on March 26, 1973. However, its audience share, and ratings failed to keep it afloat in an increasingly cost-competitive network daytime scene. Finally, as a result of pre-emptions mounting from key affiliates such as
KPIX KPIX-TV (channel 5), branded on-air as CBS Bay Area, is a television station licensed to San Francisco, California, United States, serving as the CBS network outlet for the San Francisco Bay Area. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS ...
in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, and an
economic recession An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...
causing a decline in ad revenues, CBS decided to cancel the serial in 1974 and replace it with a less-expensive
game show A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a game show host, host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating a ...
, ''
Tattletales ''Tattletales'' is an American game show produced by Mark Goodson, Goodson-Bill Todman, Todman Productions in association with Fremantle (company), Fremantle. The program had two runs on the CBS daytime schedule between February 1974 and June ...
''. This had also been the reason for the cancellations of '' Where the Heart Is'' and ''Love Is a Many Splendored Thing'' the previous year. In all the turmoil of its later years, the main reason for the show's demise may have been CBS's choice to buy the show from the original sponsor/packager,
American Home Products Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc. was a pharmaceutical company until it was purchased by Pfizer in 2009. The company was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1860 as John Wyeth and Brother. Its headquarters moved to Collegeville, Pennsylvania, ...
, in 1969. After CBS purchased the show, it suffered from numerous head writer and producer changes. AHP's primary task after reacquiring the rights to the show in 1974, the year CBS cancelled the show, was to continue the series by syndicating it elsewhere. However, NBC executive Lin Bolen rejected the show in favor of her own project, '' How to Survive a Marriage'' (which ran for one year and three months on that network), and ABC chose to use its daytime budget to buy out
Agnes Nixon Agnes Nixon ( Eckhardt; December 10, 1922 – September 28, 2016) was an American television writer and producer, and the creator of the ABC soap operas ''One Life to Live'', ''All My Children'', as well as '' Loving'' and its spin-off '' The ...
's soaps. Thus, American Home Products decided not to continue the show even in syndication, due to the lack of clearances among affiliates in the largest markets to justify continued production. The 5,195th and final episode was shown one week after the show's 20th anniversary.


Title sequences

The series had two distinctive opening visuals. The first was an illustration of a tree with windblown branches, used from the first episode until around 1960. The second was a live-action film clip of an ocean surf at high tide, crashing against the rocks. For a brief period in 1967, ''The Secret Storm'', in its first color days, featured shots of a town meant to represent the community Woodbridge. The opening was similar to that of the primetime drama '' Peyton Place''. For the last few years of the show, the theme song was the theme from the second movement of the '' Double Concerto'' by
Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period (music), Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, oft ...
. The in-house organist was Charles Paul, later replaced (as Paul was at ''Love of Life'') by Eddie Layton. Carey Gold provided a more contemporary sound with synthesizer and piano during the show's later years. Paul returned as ''Love of Life's'' final musical director.


Characters


Amy Ames

Amy Kincaid (''née'' Ames, previously Rysdale and Britton) was the main heroine on ''The Secret Storm'' and was mostly played by
Jada Rowland Jada Rowland (born February 23, 1943) is an American actress. Early life A native of Staten Island, Rowland was born into a family of actors and artists. Rowland is the sister of actor Jeffrey Rowland and actress Gigi Anderson. Her brother pla ...
, who grew up in the role, a rarity for any soap opera character. During a break,
Beverly Lunsford Beverly Lunsford (January 5, 1945 – May 22, 2019) was an American actress best known for playing Shirley Fletcher on the television sitcom ''Leave It to Beaver.'' Early life Lunsford was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Career Lunsford's earl ...
replaced Rowland in the part. Amy was the youngest child of Peter and Ellen Ames of the fictional community of Woodbridge, New York. On the first episode, her mother was injured in an automobile accident and died. This sent her father and her older brother and sister, Jerry Ames and Susan Ames Dunbar into grief. The oldest daughter, Susan, became the mother figure, and tended to be very bossy; Jerry went after the driver who caused his mother's death and tried to kill him, but was sent to reform school for this. Amy became worried and everyone was working overtime to make sure her needs were met, because of her young age. During her father's short-lived marriage to Myra Lake (who was one of her teachers), she considered her a mother figure. Her first marriage was to Kip Rysdale, the son of Arthur Rysdale who had married her aunt
Pauline Rysdale ''The Secret Storm'' is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from February 1, 1954, to February 8, 1974. It was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas ''Search for Tomorrow'' and ''Love of Life''. Gl ...
. Kip had been with a girl named Nina DeFrancisco, the daughter of his Spanish instructor. When she died, the road opened for them to marry. Then she discovered that she was pregnant by her college professor, Paul Britton. She divorced Kip and married Paul, and from this union, they had a daughter, Lisa. Kip eventually went out with a nasty woman named Janet Hill ( Bibi Besch), who had become Amy's stepsister, due to her mother, Valerie marrying Peter, Amy's father. In a classic episode from the mid-sixties, Amy and Janet squared off over Kip. Meanwhile, Amy had been on a boat with Belle Clemmens' illegitimate daughter, Robin, when there was an accident. Robin drowned, and Belle, totally furious, intended to make Amy's life miserable, which she did with great glee. Belle stole Paul Britton from Amy, which sent her into a nervous breakdown. She had been helped by a Dr. Ian Northcote, who had married her stepmother, Valerie Hill Ames. She met a man named Kevin Kincaid, and later on, married him. Conniving Belle had married his father, Dan, after using Paul and throwing him away. Amy and Kevin divorced, and she was artificially inseminated by a Dr. Brian Neeves. A nurse named Martha Ann Ashley (Audre Johnson), who was a cohort of Belle's told her what was going on, and Belle used this as a blackmailing tactic against Amy to keep her lover stocked in racing cars. However, this backfired in Belle's face when her lover, Robert, began to see her former ward, Joanna Morrison. Amy gave birth to Danielle (her child that was artificially inseminated) and found out that Kevin had returned to Woodbridge. He had wanted to divorce Amy in London, (he had been shot and left paralyzed from the waist down) but he was in the middle of the living room in Valerie's house. He attempted to walk to Amy, but missed the mark by a few inches, he fell to the floor. Amy fell to the floor as well, joined by her daughters Lisa and Danielle. Valerie came into the room and saw the love that her stepdaughter had for her husband, and they never parted again.


Ellen Ames

Ellen Ames (''née'' Tyrell) was played by Ellen Cobb-Hill. Ellen, the youngest daughter of Judge J.T. Tyrell and Grace Tyrell, was also the younger sister of
Pauline Rysdale ''The Secret Storm'' is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from February 1, 1954, to February 8, 1974. It was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas ''Search for Tomorrow'' and ''Love of Life''. Gl ...
, and was married to her sister's ex-fiancé, Peter Ames. Peter and Ellen eloped, to the shock of Pauline, who had always loved him. From this union came three children: Susan Ames Dunbar, the oldest, Jerry Ames, the sole son, and Amy Ames, the youngest. In the first episode of series Ellen was involved in a car accident and was taken to Woodbridge Hospital in Woodbridge, New York. She died of her injuries, and the family spiraled out of control. Jerry was furious and was intent exacting revenge on the drunk driver who took his mother's life. He beat him violently and Jerry wound up in reform school. Susan took over as the mother figure of the family, and became quite bossy.


Peter Ames

Peter Ames was the lead male character. Although played by other actors, Peter Hobbs was the actor most identified in the role. Peter was the father of three children who had suddenly lost his wife, Ellen, in a car crash. She died of her injuries at Woodbridge (New York) Hospital. He tried his hardest to be both mother and father to his three children. His oldest, Susan Ames Dunbar, became the mother figure, and also became somewhat bossy; his son, Jerry was so angry with the driver who took his mother's life that he nearly killed him, and landed in reform school. Amy, the youngest, was worried, and was the focus, as everyone tried to make sure she was all right. He had always been loved by Pauline Rysdale, his former sister-in-law, whom he had been engaged to before eventually eloping with Ellen. Pauline and Susan worked overtime to deflect the attention of any women who were interested in Peter. He did remarry a woman named Myra Lake (June Graham), who was one of Amy's teachers, but the marriage dissolved because the two families didn't like each other, although Amy considered her a mother figure. His third and most successful marriage was with widow Valerie Hill Ames. They were happy for quite a number of years until he succumbed to a heart attack while he was on a business trip.


Valerie Hill Ames

Valerie Northcote was played from 1961 until the show's end in 1974, by the actress
Lori March Lori March (March 6, 1923 – March 19, 2013) was an American television actress. She was best known for her roles on daytime soap operas. Her obituary on the Television Academy's web site noted that she "was dubbed 'First Lady of Daytime Tele ...
. Valerie was the divorced woman who became the third wife of widower Peter Ames. Although her daughter, Janet Hill Porter ( Bibi Besch) disapproved of her mother remarrying, she eventually was forced to accept him. However, Janet still caused a lot of problems for the family. Valerie married Peter and for several years, was the shelter for the Ames family. She and Peter were happy for several years until a heart attack while on a business trip, killed Peter. Valerie grieved for a respectful amount of time, until she met a psychiatrist who was treating her stepdaughter, Amy Ames. His name was Dr. Ian Northcote (who was first played by Gordon Rigsby, and then by Lori March's real-life husband,
Alexander Scourby Alexander Scourby (; November 13, 1913 – February 22, 1985) was an American film actor, film, television actor, television, and voice actor and narrator known for his deep and resonant voice and Northeastern elite accent, Mid-Atlantic acce ...
). Despite her remarriage, she stayed in the Ames family's lives, notably Amy, who looked to Valerie as a mother figure, up until the show's end.


Belle Clemens

Belle Clemens was played from 1968 to 1974 by the actress
Marla Adams Marla Vene Adams (August 28, 1938 – April 25, 2024) was an American actress. She was best known for playing the roles of Belle Clemens on the CBS soap opera ''The Secret Storm'' (1968 to 1974) and Dina Abbott Mergeron on the CBS soap opera '' ...
. Belle and her daughter were first befriended by the Ames family. Belle was estranged from her father, newspaper editor Charlie Clemons, and her sister. Beautiful but vindictive Belle had lost her illegitimate daughter Robin, in a boating accident and blamed Amy, her former friend, for it. She simply enjoyed making life miserable for Amy, and proved to be good at it. She stole Amy's second husband, Paul Britton, driving Amy into a nervous breakdown. The character of Dr. Ian Northcote and his family were introduced when Amy had her mental problems. Belle's life was later complicated when a former flame R. B. Keefer (played by
Troy Donahue Troy Donahue (born Merle Johnson Jr., January 27, 1936 – September 2, 2001) was an American film and television actor, best known for his role as Johnny Hunter in the film '' A Summer Place''. He was a popular sex symbol in the 1950s and ...
) came to Woodbridge and was later murdered, a crime for which Belle Britton would be arrested, tried, and later cleared. After using Paul and then throwing him away, she married a man named Dan Kincaid (played by Bernard Barrow) who she thought would become the state's next governor, but he lost. In a forced kinship, Amy married Dan's son, Kevin, making them in-laws, but they still hated each other, and would do so until the end of the show. Belle, while married to Dan, was having an affair with his illegitimate son Robert Landers (Dan Hamiliton), a racecar driver. When Amy was artificially inseminated by Dr. Brian Neeves, Belle found out about it from a nurse named Martha Ann Ashley (Audre Johnson), who was one of her cohorts. He used this information to extract blackmail money from Amy to keep her new lover full of racing cars. At the show's end, she left her husband, Dan, and, keeping true to her selfish nature, and having made Amy's life completely miserable, went on to a glamorous singing career. Belle's full name was Belle Clemens Britton Kincaid.


Susan Ames Dunbar

Susan was the eldest daughter of Peter Ames and his wife, Ellen. After her mother's death in a car accident, she became the new mother figure in the family. She was usually responsible for the well being of her younger siblings, Jerry Ames, and her youngest sister, Amy. She also resented any plans of her father to remarry, a situation shared by her maternal aunt, Pauline Rysdale. Despite all her plans, though, he did eventually remarry, first to Myra Lake, whom she outright despised, and then to Valerie, whom she somewhat got along with. At some times, Susan had a lot of anger and animosity towards her father and his constant belief of principles, especially during his marriage to Myra. She had a tendency to back people of very little or no principle and their causes, such as businessman Frank Bennett, whom her husband had worked for, but resigned from his job, due to his unethical means (he had been involved in a school land swindle that Peter was trying to stop) as well as backing her Aunt Pauline's divorce and backing an embezzler named Bryan Fuller, who was also enamored of Aunt Pauline. She was married to a man named Alan Dunbar, ( James Vickery) a former golf pro. Alan Dunbar was first involved with Lucy Stokes, (Joyce Barker). Alan was involved in a drug ring, but slowly broke away from that life, and married Susan. She also had his son named Peter, named after her father, Peter. Susan and Alan were happy, despite some storms, especially dealing with his fellow newspaper reporter Ann Wicker, who was seducing Alan. He almost succumbed to temptation, but still remained a good husband, until he was presumed dead in Vietnam. Thinking that he was dead, Susan married a man named Frank Carver. Alan, now played by Liam Sullivan, turned up alive, and his war experiences made him psychotic. He also re-established his Mafia connections by joining a drug ring headed by Dan Kincaid. Alan was later murdered and Susan was prosecuted for his murder by District Attorney Ursula Winthrop (Jacqueline Brookes), who bore a grudge against the Ames family. Susan Ames Dunbar Carver was played by several different actresses. Jean Mowry originated the role in 1954 and departed in 1956, going on to play Pat Cunningham on ''
As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other so ...
'' from 1957-1959 until retiring from acting to marry. Rachel Taylor then took on the role until 1957. The actress Tori Darnay temporarily played Susan. Norma Moore stepped into the role from 1957, then was replaced by Mary Foskett in 1958 who successfully carried on Susan's role until 1964 when Frances Helm took on the role for a few months before she was replaced in 1965 by
Judy Lewis Judy Lewis (born Judith Young; November 6, 1935 – November 25, 2011) was an American actress, writer, producer, and therapist. She was the secret biological daughter of actors Loretta Young and Clark Gable. Early life Lewis was born on No ...
. Lewis left the show and Diana Van der Vlis temporarily replaced her. Van der Vlis was replaced by
Mary McGregor Mary MacGregor (born May 6, 1948) is an American singer. She is best known for singing the 1976 song "Torn Between Two Lovers (song), Torn Between Two Lovers", which topped the Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' charts for two weeks. Career ...
who was in turn replaced by Lewis when she returned to the show in 1969 and played the role until January 1972.


Pauline Rysdale

Pauline Rysdale, (''née'' Tyrell, previously Harris) known more familiarly as "Aunt Pauline", was played by the actress
Haila Stoddard Haila Stoddard (November 14, 1913 – February 21, 2011) was an American actress, producer, writer and director.Weber, Bruce (February 25, 2011)Haila Stoddard, Actress and Producer, Dies at 97.''New York Times''; accessed April 20, 2014. During ...
. Pauline was the daughter of Judge J.T. and Grace Tyrell, who owned Tyrell's Department Store. The Tyrell family was one of the oldest and richest families in town. She and Peter Ames were engaged to be married, but was shocked to discover that he eloped with her younger sister, Ellen Ames. One day later, Ellen was in a car accident and was killed. She helped her grieving brother in-law, and his three children, but she had some ulterior motives. She was still in love with Peter and was angling to still marry him. After several affairs, Pauline eventually married a man named Arthur Rysdale. She was interested in nearly destroying any relationship that Peter would have. He was intent on marrying Jane Edwards, the recently hired housekeeper, but Pauline found Jane's presumably dead husband, Bruce, and the two reconciled. With her own marriage to Arthur Rysdale, she was not always causing any more trouble. Arthur's son, Kip, eventually married, then divorced Pauline's niece, Amy Ames. During the battle with Jane, Pauline had help from her oldest niece, Susan Ames Dunbar. She was as against her father remarrying as Aunt Pauline was. However, by the 1970s, Aunt Pauline had mellowed a great deal and was not as malevolent as in the 1950s. She had been relegated to the background, but it was presumed that she was still living in Woodbridge.


Partial cast


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Secret Storm, The 1954 American television series debuts 1974 American television series endings 1950s American drama television series 1960s American drama television series 1970s American drama television series American television soap operas CBS soap operas American English-language television shows Television series created by Roy Winsor Television shows set in New York (state)