If the producers of ”General Hospital” wanted to re-invent the magic of a 1930s romantic comedy, they couldn`t have done much better than casting Emma Samms (Holly) and Tony Geary (Bill) opposite one another.
The actress is plucky, independent, with a proper British upbringing; the actor is dashing, cynical, American eccentric.
But Holly and Bill`s early courtship was mired instead in an unusually insane storyline involving contra rebels, a twin sister, a jaguar-shaped pin and a botched revolution in the caves of San Sebastian. Bill could only coo escape plans. Instead of a teddy, Holly was wearing camouflage.
Samms, who played Holly Sutton Scorpio on ”GH” from 1982-85 then returned to the show last spring, admits failure graciously.
”I didn`t know what they would come up with for Holly when I returned,” she said. ”But we all know the San Sebastian storyline, well . . . could have been better. It was too political and Tony and I tried to insert some humor whenever we could.
”It was a little camp by the end. They really had to get us out of that before we could fall in love.”
With a `90s spin, including a trip to the doctor for an AIDS test, the couple will finally consummate their relationship.
”We liked this turn of events,” Samms said. ”It`s not a plot-driven storyline. The discussion of AIDS is just part of the courtship. We didn`t want this highly romanticized soap-opera relationship you most often see:
fairy tales.
”Why not use the medium as a declaration that we are caring enough to do the right thing and that we`re two grownups? We`re responsible. That`s the kind of person you want to be with. It was quite romantic.”
Samms was born in London and studied to be a ballerina until a hip injury forced her to change dreams midstream. She began modeling, then acting.
The actress, a porcelain beauty, has been compared to Elizabeth Taylor, though her early film roles were less stellar. She played a princess opposite Mickey Rooney in ”Arabian Adventure” and co-starred with Mark Harmon in
”Goliath Awaits.”
When Samms joined the cast of ”General Hospital” in 1983 as Holly, her love interest was Geary (who was playing another guy in those days). No longer a damsel-in-distress, Samms took on Holly, a grifter from a long line of con artists, with great elan and was an instant hit with viewers.
”Tony and I loved working together right off the bat. The truth is, I`ve remembered things throughout my career that he taught me,” says the actress who left ”GH” to play Fallon on ”Dynasty” and ”The Colbys” for four years. (Geary also left the soap for several years.)
”I still quote back to Tony things I learned from him when I first came to the show,” she said. ”You would think it was automatic, for example, for an actor to listen, but some actors just wait for a line to be over and then say their next line.
”Tony would change it just a little and my next line wouldn`t make sense. It helped my performance. There`s so much more spontaneity.”
With so little time and so many storylines, Samms is fatalistic about viewers cooling to Holly and Bill, a common daytime phenomenon once couples make love.
”Oh, no, no,” she said. ”I don`t mind about that. If it doesn`t continue to work, they will can it. Soap operas have a wonderful flexibility that way. As long as we`re entertaining the viewers, that`s all that matters.”
Besides, adds the founder of Starlight Foundation, an organization granting wishes to children with terminal illnesses, ”My contract`s up in January and I`ve had lots of interesting offers.”
– Three soaps and 15 stars feud publicly when teams from ”The Bold and the Beautiful,” ”General Hospital” and ”Santa Barbara” compete on ”The New Family Feud” (Nov. 9-13) for their favorite charities. Look for Schae Harrison, John McCook, Brent Jasmer, Kimberlin Brown and Bobbie Eakes from
”B&B;” Cheryl Richardson, Stuart Damon, Crystal Carson, John T. York and Brad Maule from ”GH”; and Robin Mattson, Kim Zimmer, Paula Irvine, Nicolas Coster and Charles Grant from ”SB.”
A total of $27,000 was raised for charities ranging from The Marine Mammal Center to Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
– Cryin`-what else can he do when Suede loses Luna to her true love Max on ”One Life to Live”? Virgin Records is putting together a film montage of this tearful ”OLTL” triangle with Roy Orbison`s classic lament ”Cryin`.”
The video will be shown this month on the soap and then make its debut on VH-1 in December during the cable station`s Roy Orbison Month.
– Over the Danube in beautiful Budapest, Erica and Dimitri will speak of more than waltzing on ”All My Children,” and Peabo ”King of Love Songs” Bryson will introduce a theme ”I Found Love” for the two travelers, who reunite in Hungary.
