Sarah Dale
Encyclopedia
Sarah Dale Caldwell McCauley was a fictional character
in the now-defunct American
Soap Opera
, Love of Life
. She was originally played by actress Jane Rose, and then from 1968 to 1977 by actress Joanna Roos
, who was most identified in the role; and then until the show's end in 1980 by actress Valerie Cossart.
and her sister, Meg
. She was the epitome of the good mother. While her husband, Will Dale, was stern and strict, she was compassionate and loving. After Will died and her daughters moved away to New York City
, she was lonely, but Van would often come back to the community of Barrowsville, where the Dale family had always lived, to keep her mother updated on what troubles Meg had gotten herself into.
Several years later after Meg had moved to other parts, taking Sarah's grandson, Ben "Beanie" Harper, with her; Vanessa moved to Rosehill, New York, where she had married a man named Bruce Sterling
. Some time later, Sarah moved to Rosehill herself, to be closer to Vanessa.
She had also found new love years after the death of Will. She had met and married the Rosehill town pharmacist, Alex Caldwell, until his untimely death. Later on, she had been stricken with a brain abscess, and was almost near death herself. She wanted to see Meg one last time, since she had been gone for seventeen years. Van and her husband did some investigating and discovered that Van's sister had last been married to a man named Edouard Aleata
. The couple sent a letter to Meg, but was intercepted by her daughter, Caroline Aleata
.
Like her half-brother, Ben, she too had been ignored by Meg and needed love desperately. Van took compassion on Cal and welcomed her into the family with open arms, as did the loving Sarah.
When Meg appeared, Sarah recovered. Although she was pleased to see Meg, her happiness was tempered by the fact that Meg hadn't changed one bit. She was still amoral and devious, and was still attracted to wealthy and evil men.
Sarah ran a gardening shop called "The Potting Shed" in Rosehill, and some years after her second husband's death, she met a professor at Rosehill University named Timothy McCauley. Sarah had met him when Vanessa and Bruce moved into a house that he owned. They were enchanted by one another and they married and spent their twilight years together.
In a bit of irony, actress Audrey Peters, who played the third, and final, Vanessa Dale
, joined the cast of Guiding Light
, in the 1990s, playing the mother of Reva Shayne
, who was aptly named, Sarah Shayne.
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-defunct 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...
. She was originally played by actress Jane Rose, and then from 1968 to 1977 by actress Joanna Roos
Joanna Roos
Joanna Roos was a twentieth-century American Broadway, radio, and television actress and a playwright. She was born in Brooklyn in 1901 and attended Syracuse University as well as Yvette Guilbert's School in New York and Paris....
, who was most identified in the role; and then until the show's end in 1980 by actress Valerie Cossart.
Vanessa and Meg's saintly mother
Sarah is the mother of Vanessa DaleVanessa 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...
and her sister, Meg
Meg Dale
Meg Dale Harper Andrews Aleata Hart was the second major female character and the main villain in the now-defunct American soap opera Love of Life...
. She was the epitome of the good mother. While her husband, Will Dale, was stern and strict, she was compassionate and loving. After Will died and her daughters moved away to 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...
, she was lonely, but Van would often come back to the community of Barrowsville, where the Dale family had always lived, to keep her mother updated on what troubles Meg had gotten herself into.
Several years later after Meg had moved to other parts, taking Sarah's grandson, Ben "Beanie" Harper, with her; Vanessa moved to Rosehill, New York, where she had married a man named 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:...
. Some time later, Sarah moved to Rosehill herself, to be closer to Vanessa.
She had also found new love years after the death of Will. She had met and married the Rosehill town pharmacist, Alex Caldwell, until his untimely death. Later on, she had been stricken with a brain abscess, and was almost near death herself. She wanted to see Meg one last time, since she had been gone for seventeen years. Van and her husband did some investigating and discovered that Van's sister had last been married to a man named Edouard Aleata
Edouard Aleata
Edouard Aleata, commonly called Eddie, was a fictional character on the now-cancelled American soap opera Love of Life. He was played by actor John Aniston....
. The couple sent a letter to Meg, but was intercepted by her daughter, Caroline Aleata
Caroline Aleata
Caroline Aleata, better known by her nickname, Cal, was a fictional character in the now-cancelled American Soap Opera, Love of Life. Actress Deborah Courtney created the role and Roxanne Gregory succeeded her.-Meg's unknown daughter:...
.
Like her half-brother, Ben, she too had been ignored by Meg and needed love desperately. Van took compassion on Cal and welcomed her into the family with open arms, as did the loving Sarah.
When Meg appeared, Sarah recovered. Although she was pleased to see Meg, her happiness was tempered by the fact that Meg hadn't changed one bit. She was still amoral and devious, and was still attracted to wealthy and evil men.
Sarah ran a gardening shop called "The Potting Shed" in Rosehill, and some years after her second husband's death, she met a professor at Rosehill University named Timothy McCauley. Sarah had met him when Vanessa and Bruce moved into a house that he owned. They were enchanted by one another and they married and spent their twilight years together.
Trivia
Joanna Roos (the second Sarah) had previously played another mother on Love of Life. She played Althea Raven, the mother of Vanessa's first husband, Paul Raven. She took care of Paul's daughter, Carol, after the murder of her insane former daughter in-law. Fourteen years after she first appeared as Althea, Joanna Roos returned to Love of Life and became Sarah Dale, the mother of Vanessa.In a bit of irony, actress Audrey Peters, who played the third, and final, 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...
, joined the cast of Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
, in the 1990s, playing the mother of Reva Shayne
Reva Shayne
Reva Shayne O'Neill is a fictional character on the long-running CBS daytime soap opera Guiding Light played by emmy-award winner Kim Zimmer from November 28, 1983 to July 1990...
, who was aptly named, Sarah Shayne.