News

Ed Ames, whose long career included hit recordings, TV stardom and Broadway roles, died May 21 in Los Angeles at 95. No cause was given.

Ames began his career in the 1950s as part of the singing Ames Brothers quartet, joining with his brothers Vic, Joe and Gene. The group had a hit with “Rag Mop” in 1950, and totaled 49 chart hits before ending their association in 1963. The group also had a syndicated TV program, The Ames Brothers Show.

Ames also branched off into a solo career, hitting the charts with “My Cup Runneth Over,” “Who Will Answer?” and “Try to Remember.”

Ames switched gears and did stage tours in the off-Broadway shows The Crucible and The Fantasticks, and then scored a starring role on Broadway in Carnival! He later starred with Kirk Douglas, Gene Wilder, and William Daniels in the Broadway production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Ed Ames and Darby Hinton in ‘Daniel Boone,...

1980: Edge of Night's Draper was sentenced.

1981: Gh's Sarah raised Jeff's suspicions.

1986: Y&R's John confronted Jack.

1995: AMC's Will shocked a Pine Valley courtroom."Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results."

― Machiavelli

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1941: Radio soap opera We Are Always Young premiered on the Mutual Network. The show told the story of a serious composer who worked...

Release Date: Oct. 25, 2011

Price: DVD $24.97

Studio: Shout! Factory

Jillian Kesner makes it hurt in Firecracker.

The Lethal Ladies Collection honors the strongest and sexiest celluloid heroines who kicked ass in the 1970s. If you saw any of these movies back then, it was probably in a drive-in or at a broken down theater on the outskirts of town…

The DVD set is a triple feature of action-crime-thriller grindhouse film favorites from Shout! Factory’s “Roger Corman Cult Classics” imprint.

The titles included in the set, all three R-rated and offering sizable portions of violence and nudity, are:

Firecracker (1981): The story of female karate champion Susanne Carter (Jillian Kesner), who’s in the Phillipines searching for her missing sister. She stumbles on a drug cartel and a tournament of no-holds-barred fights to the death . Directed by genre specialist Cirio H. Santiago (She Devils in Chains), the film co-stars Vic Diaz...

When hearing the name "Jon Lindstrom," most soap fans immediately think of his critically acclaimed role as Craig Montgomery on As The World Turns, rational and tortured Kevin Collins on General Hospital and Port Charles, or even scary sociopath Mark McCormick on Santa Barbara. What most soap fans don't know is that this Emmy-nominated actor has been rocking out on his drums since age seven, and was an integral part of the Billboard chart-topping band The High Lonesome in the '80s and '90s. In this new interview, Lindstrom will trace the origins of his musical passion, as well as recollect some of his most memorable moments on his numerous shows.

We Love Soaps TV: Jon, it is so wonderful to speak with you. One of the things that has been hard about covering soaps the last few years has been seeing so many people on and off screen...