Henry Carlson
Encyclopedia
Henry Carlson was a fictional character
in the now-cancelled American
Soap Opera
Love of Life
. He was played by actors Tom Shirley and Jack Stamberger. The role of Henry was the second role played by Tom Shirley, who had played ne'er do-well Senator Ed Deakins, in the show's earlier years.
and with her, had a daughter named Gaye. Gaye was the first wife of Bruce Sterling
. Through Bruce, or thought to be at first, she had two children, Barbara and Alan. Then, Gaye died in a car accident.
Meanwhile, a lawyer friend of Bruce's, Tom Craythorne, had introduced the recent widower to another friend, a woman named Vanessa Dale
, a recent widow herself, from New York City
. The two fell in love and married.
Henry grew to like Vanessa, because she was such a nice woman, as did his grandson, Alan, who needed a mother figure. Vivian however, thought it heartless for Bruce to remarry so soon after Gaye had died. Barbara didn't have any liking for Vanessa either, after she had told Bruce about Barbara's attempting to elope with a doctor she was in love with.
Meanwhile, some terrible secrets had come to light. Gaye, Henry and Vivian's so-called "sainted" daughter, was proven indeed to be anything but. She had had an affair with the headmaster of Winfield Academy, a private school that Bruce taught at. That affair produced Alan. When Van discovered this, she considerately had kept the info secret so people wouldn't get hurt.
However, the headmaster exposed the secret, because he was feuding with Bruce to gain custody of Alan. Henry and Vivian had found out about the sordid secret, and Vivian fell apart over it. Van, whom Vivian hated, stayed by her nemesis, during this horrible time, continually reassuring her. Vivian, amazingly, had found herself grateful to Vanessa for the unconditional support, and then Vivian became Vanessa's friend.
Henry found Bruce a job at the paper company, and the two had to contend with a swindler named Guy Latimer who was trying to steal a patent. They stopped him in due time.
Henry and Vivian remained in Rosehill, but wasn't seen much after 1971.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the now-cancelled American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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,...
Love of Life
Love of Life
Love of Life is an American soap opera which aired on CBS Daytime from September 24, 1951 to February 1, 1980. It was created by Roy Winsor, whose previous creation Search for Tomorrow had premiered three weeks before Love of Life, and who would go on to create The Secret Storm two and a half years...
. He was played by actors Tom Shirley and Jack Stamberger. The role of Henry was the second role played by Tom Shirley, who had played ne'er do-well Senator Ed Deakins, in the show's earlier years.
Friendly father in-law
Henry was the owner of the Carlson Paper Company, a leading industry in the fictional community of Rosehill, New York. He was married to the somewhat snobbish, Vivian CarlsonVivian Carlson
Vivian Carlson was a character in the now-defunct American Soap Opera. Love of Life. She was played from 1959 through 1971 by actress Helene Dumas.-Interfering in-law:Vivian was the former mother in-law of Bruce Sterling...
and with her, had a daughter named Gaye. Gaye was the first wife of Bruce Sterling
Bruce Sterling (Love of Life)
Bruce Sterling was a fictional character in the now-cancelled American Soap Opera, Love of Life. He was played by the late actor Ron Tomme from 1959 all the way to the show's demise in 1980.-Van's soulmate:...
. Through Bruce, or thought to be at first, she had two children, Barbara and Alan. Then, Gaye died in a car accident.
Meanwhile, a lawyer friend of Bruce's, Tom Craythorne, had introduced the recent widower to another friend, a woman named Vanessa Dale
Vanessa Dale
Vanessa "Van" Dale Raven Sterling, was the main character and the lead heroine in the now-defunct American Soap Opera Love of Life. She was originally played by Peggy McCay; then by actress Bonnie Bartlett and Audrey Peters played Vanessa to the show's end.-The Good Sister:Vanessa, or "Van" as she...
, a recent widow herself, from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The two fell in love and married.
Henry grew to like Vanessa, because she was such a nice woman, as did his grandson, Alan, who needed a mother figure. Vivian however, thought it heartless for Bruce to remarry so soon after Gaye had died. Barbara didn't have any liking for Vanessa either, after she had told Bruce about Barbara's attempting to elope with a doctor she was in love with.
Meanwhile, some terrible secrets had come to light. Gaye, Henry and Vivian's so-called "sainted" daughter, was proven indeed to be anything but. She had had an affair with the headmaster of Winfield Academy, a private school that Bruce taught at. That affair produced Alan. When Van discovered this, she considerately had kept the info secret so people wouldn't get hurt.
However, the headmaster exposed the secret, because he was feuding with Bruce to gain custody of Alan. Henry and Vivian had found out about the sordid secret, and Vivian fell apart over it. Van, whom Vivian hated, stayed by her nemesis, during this horrible time, continually reassuring her. Vivian, amazingly, had found herself grateful to Vanessa for the unconditional support, and then Vivian became Vanessa's friend.
Henry found Bruce a job at the paper company, and the two had to contend with a swindler named Guy Latimer who was trying to steal a patent. They stopped him in due time.
Henry and Vivian remained in Rosehill, but wasn't seen much after 1971.