Jacqueline Courtney
Encyclopedia
Jacqueline Courtney was an American
actress best known for her work on daytime soap opera
s.
After short stints on The Edge of Night
and Our Five Daughters
, Courtney became famous for her role as Alice Matthews Frame
on Another World
; she played the role from the show's debut in May 1964 until July 1975.
In 1975, Courtney and the actor playing her love interest, George Reinholt
, were fired, allegedly for "storyline purposes". Head writer Harding Lemay reported in his memoir, Eight Years in Another World, that Courtney was fired because she was a bad actress, although she did have huge popularity with the soap audience. In reality, conflict brewed backstage because many longtime actors, including Courtney, were trying to protect their characters' integrity in the face of Lemay's changing scripts. After being dismissed by producer Paul Rauch, Courtney went on to play Pat Kendall on ABC's One Life to Live
until 1983, when the network fired her just before bringing Paul Rauch in as producer.
Courtney reconciled her differences with Another World and started back on the show as Alice on the 20th anniversary show in May 1984. She played the role until the next year when she was fired due to lack of story for the character. In 1989 she returned for the show's 25th anniversary and for Mackenzie Cory's funeral.
After a small role as madame Diane Winston on Loving in 1987, Courtney retired from acting, though she appeared, alongside Reinholt, on the TV special 50 Years of Soaps: An All-Star Celebration in 1994.
Courtney died on December 20, 2010, after a bout with metastatic melanoma. She was survived by a daughter, Jennifer, from her marriage to Carl Desiderio from 1970 to 1978.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress best known for her work on daytime soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s.
After short stints on The Edge of Night
The Edge of Night
The Edge of Night is an American television mystery series/soap opera produced by Procter & Gamble. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network until November 28, 1975; the series then moved to ABC, where it aired from December 1, 1975, until December 28, 1984...
and Our Five Daughters
Our Five Daughters
Our Five Daughters is a daytime soap opera which ran on NBC from January 2, 1962–September 28, 1962. The show was written by Leonard Stadd and directed by Paul Lammers, and aired for a half hour, five days a week, at 3:30 PM EST, right after Young Doctor Malone.The show starred former silent film...
, Courtney became famous for her role as Alice Matthews Frame
Alice Matthews Frame
Alice Matthews Frame was a fictional character on the daytime soap opera Another World.-Actor history:*Jacqueline Courtney...
on Another World
Another World (TV series)
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
; she played the role from the show's debut in May 1964 until July 1975.
In 1975, Courtney and the actor playing her love interest, George Reinholt
George Reinholt
George Kilpatrick Reinholt is an American actor.Reinholt is best known for his soap roles: Steve Frame on Another World from 1968 to 1975, and Tony Harris Lord on One Life to Live from 1975 to 1977.He was fired from Another World in 1975 when head writer Harding Lemay wrote him out of the program...
, were fired, allegedly for "storyline purposes". Head writer Harding Lemay reported in his memoir, Eight Years in Another World, that Courtney was fired because she was a bad actress, although she did have huge popularity with the soap audience. In reality, conflict brewed backstage because many longtime actors, including Courtney, were trying to protect their characters' integrity in the face of Lemay's changing scripts. After being dismissed by producer Paul Rauch, Courtney went on to play Pat Kendall on ABC's One Life to Live
One Life to Live
One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
until 1983, when the network fired her just before bringing Paul Rauch in as producer.
Courtney reconciled her differences with Another World and started back on the show as Alice on the 20th anniversary show in May 1984. She played the role until the next year when she was fired due to lack of story for the character. In 1989 she returned for the show's 25th anniversary and for Mackenzie Cory's funeral.
After a small role as madame Diane Winston on Loving in 1987, Courtney retired from acting, though she appeared, alongside Reinholt, on the TV special 50 Years of Soaps: An All-Star Celebration in 1994.
Courtney died on December 20, 2010, after a bout with metastatic melanoma. She was survived by a daughter, Jennifer, from her marriage to Carl Desiderio from 1970 to 1978.