LYNDA HIRSCH ON SOAPS -- GOSSIP by Lynda Hirsch on Creators.com

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LYNDA HIRSCH ON SOAPS -- GOSSIP

It is an all too familiar theme for this column of late — mourning the loss of a great soap opera star. Recently, it was "All My Children's" James Mitchell (Palmer). This week, perhaps one of the greatest has died. On Wednesday, Feb. 3, Frances Reid, who played "Days of Lives'" Alice Horton, died at 95.

Reid was an amazing woman. Over the years, I talked to her many times. It was obvious that "I may play Alice on television, but I am not Alice in real life." Indeed, she was not — though Alice was content tending to her always-troubled brood, Reid did not wear an apron off the set.

At 80 years old, she traveled to India and rode an elephant. Talking after that trip, she spoke about the adventure and, "Oh, yes," she revealed, "I had a little stroke." That did not stop her from traveling or playing Alice. "I have told them at the show if I ever hold up taping, then it is time for Alice to leave." When she did slow down a bit, her character was so important to the show she was brought to the studio for special occasions and given lines because it was Alice's wisdom that held the Horton family together. "I love the young actors. I always listen to them, but I let them know my advice is never going to be good as Alice's — after all, dozens of very smart people give Alice her voice," Reid explained.

She did give her long-time "Days" co-star Macdonald Carey (Tom Horton) advice.

"My dear husband, Herbert, was an alcoholic.

A lovely man, but one with a drinking problem. Mac also was an alcoholic. I told him, 'I was not going to have a husband at home who drank and then come to the set to a husband that drank.'"

He took her advice and, with the help of AAA, his family and writing, he overcame his drinking problem. The late actor once told me, "My two wives helped me stop drinking." Reid loved knowing that. It really was a tribute to her.

Since her death, so many who worked with her have celebrated her life. The most touching came from her boss of over 20 years, Ken Corday.

In a statement, he said: "This is a very sad day, indeed; not only for me personally, but for the Days of our Lives family and the entire Hollywood community. From day one until she taped her last scene, Frances epitomized the past, present and future of the show. Frances was truly one of a kind. Her class cannot be matched and her shoes cannot be filled ... we will miss her all the rest of our days." Indeed.

To find out more about Lynda Hirsch and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.