AN EXCLUSIVE AND UNUSUAL INTERVIEW WITH FRANK SALISBURY (SB WRITER FROM 1984 TO 1990) - PART ONE

Frank Salisbury is a two-time Emmy winning TV writer, playwright and novelist . He wrote for a number of daytime shows such as Somerset (Another World' spin-off), The Edge of the Night, Search for tomorrow, General Hospital, Guiding Light, Capitol, As the world turns, Santa Barbara and Days of our lives. He also wrote briefly for the nightime show Dynasty. He was nominated several times for the Emmy Awards, winning twice: in 1982 with Guiding Light and in 1991 with Santa Barbara. And now the first part of the interview that Mister Salisbury has granted exclusively to "Santa Barbara Blog".

D. Marland

During this interview we will examine the daytime soap operas and especially "Santa Barbara". Your  soaps came to Italy in 80’s. Capitol, Loving, Santa Barbara, B & B and Guiding Light were the most successful. In Italy the other soaps have been resounding failures and they aired briefly. Capitol, Loving and SB aired until their last episode. B&B and GL still airing here. How can you explain these differences between our raitings and yours?

I wrote for three of Italy's most loved soaps:  Guiding Light, Capitol, and Santa Barbara.  In fact, I had just left Capitol when Bridget Dobson called and asked me to meet with her and Jerry about writing for Santa Barbara. I really can't explain the dynamics of soaps, why some fail and others prosper.  Loving, I confess, is completely unknown to me.  I think it was an Agnes Nixon show, which was later written by Douglas Marland,  but I can't be sure.  I know that Guiding Light and SB were particularly popular in Paris and I caught some episodes of SB when I was there in '86 or '87. 

You were part of SB from the very beginning: who hired you?

As i said I had an "audition" with the Dobsons, who then gave me the bible to take home and read, under penalty of death if any of it were leaked, and I went straight home and read it and a week or two later I began writing scripts.  I had worked for the Dobsons earlier at the end of their tenure on Guiding Light, so there was some prior experience.  They had asked me to join them on As the World Turns, but Doug Marland had come aboard to write Guiding Light and I elected to remain with him. I had written General Hospital when it was a half-hour, and a 45-minute show and then as an hour under Pat Falken Smith, who took over from Doug, and I continued writing for General Hospital when Guiding Light asked me to join.  I did, but it was with the understanding that I would write it without credit. That was well and good until they won an Emmy and I didn't,  being sub-rosa, as it were. Just parenthetically, this was the second Emmy I had lost out on.  Originally, The Edge of Night had been nominated  and won an Emmy for Henry Slesar, but in those days (1974 or 5) they didn't give out Emmys to subordinate writers, so I had to bask in his glory. I didn't get my own until the 1981/82 season, by which time I had left General Hospital and taken on my own identity to write Guiding Light. And then my second Emmy came 10 years later when I won for Santa Barbara. And that's enough about my Emmys.

The first big plot of SB was Channing jr ’s murder. The intrigue lasted nine months before coming to the shocking truth. Before to go to the next question, watch this sort video, please

The Dobsons decided from the beginning that the murderess would be Sophia, or the story might change during construction?

The Dobsons knew exactly where the story was headed.  At that time, they had Chuck Pratt as co-head writer and he may have tweaked various angles of the master plan, but it was essentially the Dobsons who knew where it would end up.

In the beginning  there were four families protagonists: the rich Capwells, the eccentric Lockridges, the poor Perkins, and the Mexican Andrades. A wonderful and representative microcosm. After two years, the Perkins were gone, the Andrades and Lockridges were decimated. Why? Do You think it was a right choice?

Families change and alter according to the dictates of plot and popularity and sometimes availability of actors to portray them.   Let's face it, the Perkins family weren't exactly the stuff of either high drama or comedy.  In fact, all I can remember of them is the funny little square jaw of -- what was her name, the young Perkins girl? -- her jaw…

…I think she was Amy Perkins…or Ronn Moss wearing a wig…

…Right! That isn't much of a memory to carry away from a family that comprised three people, two of whom started off as bedrock.

You worked on SB from 1984 to 1991 as a scriptwriter (you were off the show for a brief  period, during John Conboy tenure in 1990). In my opinion, you along with the Dobsons, Patrick Mulcahey, Lynda Myles and Courtney Simon were the soul of SB. Really. You have seen five Executive Producers (the Dobsons, Jeffrey Hayden, Mary Ellis-Bunim, Jill Farren Phelps and John Conboy) coming and then leaving SB, four Head Writers (The Dobsons, Charles Pratt jr, Anne Howard Bailey, Sheri Anderson) coming and then leaving. Which of them gave you the most freedom to create, and who did not?

J. Conboy

I did, indeed. Work on SB from 1984 to 1991.  As script writer and, for a brief experimental period lasting about twelve weeks, also a breakdown writer. I discovered that scripts were a more fulfilling path and opted out of the breakdown phase.  I seem to remember that John Conboy came on as Producer during the Anne Howard Bailey regime, that he had me to lunch one day, which I thought had gone rather well. But, after that, things grew noticeably chillier and, about two or three weeks later, I was fired.  His reason was that I knew how to write the Lockridges but no one else. I mentioned it to the Dobsons, who were as offended by it as I was and interceded in my behalf to get me a stay of execution.  They were off the show at the time but they still carried a lot of weight.  You can imagine how that went down with Conboy, but I was only off the show about four days and then got reinstated, so I was satisfied. You obviously have a wealth of information at your fingertips.  I'd forgotten some of the facts you presented.  Jeffrey Hayden, Mary Ellis Bunim .... both such dim memories now. 

A.H. Bailey

Anne Howard (or Howard Anne as I used to refer to her) was probably the most casual of the writers.  She used to have a rigid Friday afternoon schedule, which involved leaving at two-thirty sharp.  I remember (and this was told to me, so it may not be reliable) the producer stopped her on her way out one Friday and apologized for it,  but said the breakdowns would have to be revised because the star in question was going to be unavailable for the period covered.  And Howard Anne said "No problem" and went back to her secretary with the breakdowns, put them on her desk, and said "Fix these.  So-and-so won't be in that week."  And sailed out to wherever she was going. If you know breakdowns, you know what an effortless job that wasn’t.

Sheri Anderson

Sheri Anderson I’d had a previous relationship with on General Hospital, and we got along well, though my impression is that she wasn’t there for long.  I guess, by and large, I’d have to say there wasn't a lot that was imposed on me.  We went through a period when we had a man editing us...charming guy, but had no idea of what he was doing...and I remember one script of mine in particular when he'd blue-penciled about half of my best lines, and I had to go to Jerry Dobson about it and act petulant.  But that was the only thing.  Or else it's misted over by time and congeniality. (Not mine, obviously.)

You worked closely with the Dobsons. Can you tell us how the relations between them and the network were? Was there a lot of tension? Did these tensions have an effect on your work? If so, how?

Actually, the affaire Dobson came as a surprise.  I was removed from the actual fray and only told about it afterwards.  I had to go to Century City to be deposed and I sat in a room with Bridget and the opposing lawyers while I was questioned.  I said quite simply that Santa Barbara was an idea of the Dobsons and I thought they should be left alone to execute it.  Not very brave, but Bridget called me at home later on and raved about my bravado and my loyalty. From then on it was business as usual, except that Chuck Pratt and Howard Ann wrote the show.

I liked the Dobsons especially because they were not afraid to take risks. But I do not know them.  Can you give us a professional and a human portrait of the Dobsons? Do you have any anecdotes?

The Dobsons are a curious mix of neurosis and affability.  There's a dark strain running through them.  Especially Bridget.  Her friendship and her enmity come from places I know nothing about.  I know I was lauded and praised by her at parties at her house, at luncheons, and at Christmas affairs. And then suddenly she decided that I couldn't write Mason properly and let me go.  She told me on the phone and I argued with her about it, but she was intractable.  Considering that Mason was practically my invention I was baffled by it, to say the least.  God...that was so many years ago. They moved to Atlanta and built a studio there I think, and sent out notices of relocation.  Silly me, I got one and, thinking it was an olive branch, replied that I was glad we were friends again, and how nice to let bygones be bygones, only to discover that I was on some long-out-of-date mailing list.  Anyway, they’re still in Atlanta, as far as I know.

To be continued…

Pic #9 is taken from Capridge.com