♥ Never Ending Story 1996 ♥ Note on soap magazine publication dates and content of articles/interviews regarding multiple soap stars: Many of the monthly or every other month (and sometimes quarterly) magazines back in the 1980's would be on the newsstands a long time before the date on the actual magazine. We've noticed, for instance, that DAYTIME TV magazine did an interview with Drake in late 1986 about his upcoming wedding, which was scheduled for December 1986, yet the interview didn't appear until the July 1987 issue several months later. Therefore, it might be a bit confusing to read about his "upcoming" wedding in an interview dated July 1987 when you happen to know he was married in December 1986. We've tried to date the articles to match the date on the magazine, regardless of when the events talked about took place. Hopefully it will make sense as you go along! We've also edited some of the articles/interviews to just include John's storyline, since this is a Drake/John website. We've left out comments and sections about other actors or storylines unless they're involved with John's storyline. This too should be very apparent and clear when we've done that so it makes sense and you don't have to skim through a long article to find the "John parts." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Exclusive Preview Makeups And Breakups All Over The Soaps: Will DAYS' Kristen Leave John? With The New Year, Come New Complications...Will These Hot Couples Makeup Or Breakup In 1996? The past year has seen some of daytime's most popular couples - even those that were just starting out - in the midst of some serious trials and tribulations. ALL MY CHILDREN'S Erica and Dimitri broke up, AS THE WORLD TURNS'S Lily and Damian came this close to calling it quits, and DAYS OF OUR LIVES' Carrie and Austin kept changing their minds to the point of frustration. Here then are the borderline couples who may or may not make it in 1996... Guilty Of Love - DAYS' John And Kristen: Just when the long-separated John and Kristen found their way back to each other. Kristen's bitter (not to mention maniacal) ex-husband Tony decided to get the ultimate revenge on John for stealing the woman that he loved: He planned his own suicide to look like he'd been murdered by John! With even Kristen forced to question John's innocence, it looked like it might be curtains for this once-inseparable pair. These days, the waters are muddied even more when Kristen sees John and Marlena hugging. The widow believes that there is, once again, something going on between them. But fans should fear not: You can expect that special John/Kristen sizzle to return once again when Stefano urges Kristen to follow her heart and go to John, even if she does doubt his innocence about shooting Tony. Kristen then goes to John to inject some primal passion back into their relationship. SOAP OPERA UPDATE, 1/9/96 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Ten Years Of Torment Since the day he first checked into Salem, John Black's life has been anything but ordinary. 1986: Calling himself Pawn, the groggy newcomer hit town, underwent plastic surgery, took the name John Black, and then realized he was Roman Brady. (OOPS! This is wrong. In 1985 a man was being closely guarded by a mercenary named Petrov, who was working for Stefano. Petrov's prisoner was secretly given reconstructive surgery in Miami and wrapped in gauze bandages. Petrov handed over his prisoner to Victor and the prisoner was taken by van to Salem. During the transportation, the van overturned and the man was the only one unharmed. The man escaped from the van and started to aimlessly wander the streets of Salem. He was found by Steve, who referred to him as "The Pawn" - not "Pawn" - and who turned out to be John. John didn't give himself the name of "The Pawn" because at the time he had no recollection of his identity.) 1987: As Roman, John mourned Marlena's "death" after Orpheus hot-wired her plane. 1988: John/Roman helped new love Diana Colville search for a stolen computer disc and her missing fortune. 1989: Roman and Diana nearly tied the knot, but her cuckoo ex, Cal Winters, interrupted the "I do's." Later, Cal shot John, who wound up in a coma temporarily; a guilt-ridden Diana left town permanently. (OOPS! This is wrong. Cal didn't shoot Roman. Diana saw the men fighting, so she went for a gun that Roman kept in a drawer in his living room. Roman only used this gun for protection when he was at home. Diana shot Roman in his neck and he lapsed into a coma after undergoing surgery to have the bullet removed from his neck. Diana blocked it out, but once the truth came out, she left town because she couldn't deal with the fact that she nearly killed the man that she loves.) 1990: Roman's new love, Isabella, helped him solve the mystery of the Toscano treasure. 1991: Surprise! First Marlena - then the real Roman - turned up alive. They'd been held captive by Stefano on the Tiburon Islands. 1992: John and Isabella wed (after he was briefly sidetracked by a beautiful jewel thief, Danielle Stevens). Too bad IzzyB died of cancer, leaving John and their infant son, Brady, bereft. 1993: John and Marlena made love on the night of her wedding anniversary. When their daughter, Belle, was born prematurely, Marlena's marriage to Roman hit the skids. 1994: John missed the masquerade ball at Maison Blanche because Stefano was holding him hostage in the dungeon. Later, John had a revelation about his past: He was really Father John Black. Meantime, his latest amour, Kristen, married evil Tony. 1995: John was released from his priestly vows. Kristen ditched her marriage. But a vengeful Tony engineered his own death, and made John take the rap. Will John be convicted of murder? Find out on February 9. Roberta Caploe, SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 2/13/96 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Undying Love: DAYS' Kristen And Marlena Offer Body And Soul In Last-Second Bid To Save John's Life... DAYS' Drake Hogestyn Prepares For His Television Execution: "Heroes Always Come Close To Dying" The Sentence Is Death But DAYS' John Black Is A Fighter To The End: "I, Justice Andrew Walker, find you, John Black, guilty of murder in the first degree." "It is the sentence of this court, which will be the maximum the law provides, that you will be taken from here to your cell and remain there for forty-eight hours, after which time you will be taken to the gas chamber where sentence will be carried out. That sentence is death." As John Black awaits his death trip to the gas chamber on DAYS OF OUR LIVES, the two women who love him go all out to save his life. Kristen frantically tries to rouse Father Francis from his coma, but she's unable to get the answer she seeks. And Marlena continues to play her seductive role with Stefano DiMera, battling in vain to get her hands on Tony's diary. A call from the governor with a stay of execution offers hope - until Stefano works his evil wiles. Judge Walker overrules the stay, giving in to pressure from a vengeful Stefano. Finally time runs out, John Black must surely die as deadly fumes begin to rise in the gas chamber. How did actor Drake Hogestyn (John) prepare for this grim moment? "Heroes always come close to dying," Drake laughs. One example: Remember that at Maison Blanche, Stefano held John in the dungeon, where he was starved, taunted and drugged. "But he never let Stefano defeat him," Drake says. "Mentally, John never gave up." When Marlena was possessed by Satan, John triumphed over another potent adversary. And when the Houdini watertank trick went awry, John refused to give up, struggling to free himself while others came to his rescue. Now he faces the gas chamber. "It feels like a conspiracy," Drake sighs. "It's as if every stone unturned has my name on it. All I can do is insist on my innocence." "John is frustrated by his lack of control," Drake adds. "He's without his resources. He knows he's innocent - but it's impossible to prove." For most of the trial, and even after he was sentenced to death, John "maintained hope that something would change, that justice would prevail," Drake contends. "He had strong faith truth would surface." The actor points out that "every time you drive to work, you never think you might have a fatal accident. When it happens, you deal with it only in that instant, in that moment." Although John holds on - even when deadly gas pellets drop - because "false hope is better than no hope," he begins to accept the reality of his fate during a visit from his children, Belle and Brady, says Drake. He has to prepare them for what's likely to happen. "He uses that meeting for closure with them," the actor explains. "John realizes that things aren't likely to change in two hours. He starts to prepare himself for what seems inevitable." "He makes peace with himself, admitting that there are injustices in this world," Drake adds. "He's a fighter - but also a realist." Not until the pellets actually fall does the shock set in. "Death is coming," Drake exclaims. "What a travesty! How could this happen? Everything he's believed in has failed him." Is it true that Drake declined to see the film DEAD MAN WALKING because he didn't want to be influenced by Sean Penn's execution scene? "Sort of, but it was different in the movie," Drake says. "It was lethal injection there. Also, the guy was guilty." And in the film, the condemned man had a compassionate nun (Susan Sarandon) visiting him, while John's female guest, his passionate lover Kristen, sometimes wore flimsy lingerie. Drake says he enjoys bringing a visceral sense and great visuals to his roles. While chained in the Maison Blanche dungeon, for example, he lost a lot of weight and let his hair and beard grow. For his execution, he reveals, he wanted John's head shaved - but producers nixed the idea. "It would have been a great dramatic moment," Drake laments, although he admits to a split second of insecurity. "I had the fleeting thought: 'What if they really do kill John?! Maybe that's why they don't want to shave my head! They don't want to make me go to job auditions bald!'" "I'm very fortunate to be here," he's quick to add. "Very lucky - and I truly enjoy what I'm doing." Drake says some of his paranoia might have come from a story castmate John Aniston (Victor) told him. John said that on a soap he'd been on, three characters were lost in the woods. One actress asked the writer how the scenario would end. Pressed for a reply, the writer finally hedged: "Three people go in. Two come out." That was how she learned she'd be off the show. Drake is hoping there are enough John Black story threads still hanging that the writers will provide a miracle rescue. Besides, he'll take a cue from his character. John Black always comes close to death and never gives up hope. Julia Roberts Got Lucky In Same Gas Chamber: John Black sits in the gas chamber, waiting for the pellets to be dropped. They will release their lethal fumes and bring death within minutes. As his life passes before his eyes, could he be picturing who's been in this same spot before him? Remember Julia Roberts awaiting execution in THE PLAYER - and Bruce Willis running into the gas chamber to rescue her at the last possible second? According to Tom Early, DAYS' assistant art director, John's gas chamber was rented from Universal's scenic dock - and it's the exact same one used in Julia's movie. Tom says he also checked photos of San Quentin's gas chamber, among others, to add to the set's authenticity. "The gas chamber was fun," he says. "I mean, the research! It's rather ghoulish, but you learn a lot." One thing Tom did change was the witnesses' observation area. In reality, the prisoner's entranceway is separated from the witnesses. But John is led past people and has contact with them. One other irony: The chandelier used in the Cayman Island bank scenes appeared in the 1958 Susan Hayward movie, I WANT TO LIVE, which was also a gas chamber film. Lorraine Zenka, SOAP OPERA MAGAZINE, 2/27/96 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Salem Sweethearts Marlena And John's Tragic Love Affair Marlena met John Black when he was going by the name of Roman Brady. (OOPS! This is wrong. Marlena met John Black when he had no idea what his name was and he had no recollection of his past. He wandered into a soup kitchen and met a man named Brother Francis and asked him about a job. Brother Francis asked him what his name was but John couldn't remember. Lucky for him, Brother Francis was called away and John took this opportunity to find a Vietnam War memorial plaque on the wall and decided that he'd claim the first name on the plaque as his own - this name was John Black. So when John first met Marlena, he introduced himself as John Black, not Roman Brady like this article states.) She believed him to be her 'dead' husband and the father of her children, Samantha and Eric. After Roman's death, Marlena struggled through her grief, and depended on her Salem friends. But, there was someone who didn't want her to get over her pain, and that someone was Victor Kiriakis. He had recently arrived in town and was accompanied by a mysterious bandaged man called The Pawn. When The Pawn escaped from Victor's grasp, he was taken to the hospital where Marlena's voice miraculously calmed him. (OOPS! This is wrong. The Pawn wasn't taken to the hospital; he admitted himself to the hospital. When Patch told him that he was going to send him back to Victor's custody, the Pawn waited until Patch went out for some hamburgers, stripped off his bandages and ran away from Patch's apartment. After wandering the streets of Salem and not knowing why he experienced flashbacks when he went into the Brady Fish Market and saw Caroline, he decided it would be best if he checked himself into the hospital. Marlena was assigned to his case and her voice did calm him, but when he started experiencing more flashbacks when he saw Marlena, he got really scared and left the hospital.) As he regained his strength, this brainwashed, unknown man was released from the hospital and chose to call himself John Black. (OOPS! This is wrong. He wasn't released from the hospital, he left the hospital when the flashbacks he had when Marlena came near him started freaking him out.) But, Marlena was strangely drawn to him and was shocked to learn that John was really her beloved deceased husband. He regained his memory and he and Marlena rekindled their love affair. Soon, another villain appeared in their lives, Orpheus. It looked like Marlena had been killed when a bomb exploded in the couple's home, but Orpheus had actually kidnapped her. She was being held captive on his private island. After some detective work, Roman learned that Marlena hadn't been killed and that he might be able to rescue her. Orpheus knew what Roman was going to do, and made sure he wouldn't succeed. Just as Roman landed on the island, Marlena was put on a plane and her beloved stood horrified as the plane exploded. But what he didn't know was that Marlena had survived and was in a coma. She escaped her captor at the time, Stefano, and came back to town, just in time to see her beloved Roman propose to Isabella! After revealing herself to Roman, the two searched for the person who held her captive. While there, they found the real Roman, who had also been held captive, on the small island in the Caribbean where Marlena had recovered. Upon returning home, the three-some tried to figure out how each other fit into their romantic triangle. Roman reverted back to his original identity of John Black and the real Roman and Marlena reunited. But, passion was never too far from John and Marlena's grip - and the look in their eyes when they were near each other was clearly evident to those close to them, particularly Roman, who denied their attraction to one another. John married Isabella, but she later died of pancreatic cancer and in a video she recorded shortly before her death, asked Marlena to watch out for him. Marlena took that vow to heart and when she wasn't with John physically, he was never far from her thoughts. Their feelings for each other hit a crescendo during a party, when they snuck off to a deserted room and acted on their passionate feelings. Unbeknownst to them, Marlena's daughter Sami was witnessing the torrid scene. Marlena soon found she was pregnant and kept the news a secret. It was revealed when she was taken to the hospital one evening after a car accident. (OOPS! This is wrong. Marlena was taken to the hospital but she wasn't in a car accident. Marlena met Roman for dinner at the Penthouse Grill, he could tell that she was very upset, and she told him it is regarding a patient of hers. She wants to go out and get some air and clear her head and ends up at a women's clinic. Marlena meets with a counselor at the women's clinic and makes the painful choice to have an abortion on Saturday morning. After talking to Lexie, Marlena uses a pay phone to call her house and leave a message on the answering machine saying that she is still trying to help out her patient and will be home later. When Marlena hangs up the phone she is mugged, which is why she was taken to the hospital.) She later told Roman, but covered up the possibility that the child could belong to John. The jig was up when Stefano had Peter steal Sami's diary, where she chronicled the event and used the information to ruin baby Belle's christening. Roman left Marlena and town, and later, the two divorced. He just couldn't forgive her indiscretions. John and Marlena continued to be close, even when he found he was falling in love with Kristen Blake, Stefano's adopted daughter! He later found he was a priest and was the man who successfully exorcised Marlena when she was possessed by the devil. Their bond will forever be through their child, Belle, but their friendship will transcend through the rest of their Salem lives. INSIDE DAYS OF OUR LIVES, July 1996 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ In Salem: Love Is A Battlefield! Some People Will Do Anything For The Object Of Their Affection! Die By Thine Own Hands: When Tony DiMera learned his beloved wife, Kristen, was really in love with John Black, he was not a happy man. When Kristen actually left him for John, Tony completely lost his mind. He plotted to kill John, but soon came up with a better idea. After learning he was dying of an inoperable brain tumor, Tony decided that if he couldn't have Kristen, then nobody could. (OOPS! This is wrong. Tony was dying from a terminal blood disorder, not an inoperable brain tumor.) He shot himself before his natural time was up and carefully made it look like John was the culprit. While on his deathbed, Tony fingered John - doing this all in the name of love before he passed on. INSIDE DAYS OF OUR LIVES, July 1996 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Dance With The Devil There's danger in every waltz at DAYS' grand masked ball. Stefano brings Marlena - and John finds her. Or does he? Six Marlenas and six Stefanos, each in six lookalike masks, bedeviled John at the grand ball in Paris - 666 is the devil's number, after all. Masked and dazzling in golden gowns, Marlena and her five lookalikes, each with a Stefano on her arm, twisted and twirled the night away - and waltzed off with all hope that John's plans to free his beloved "Doc" would succeed. The storyline created some interesting challenges for the costume department, says Richard Bloore, DAYS' costume designer. The wardrobe costs totaled over sixty-five-thousand - more than many wedding outfits, Richard points out. The Marlena gowns alone required one-hundred-twenty yards of fabric. "A lot of period clothes require a lot of fabric plus building a support structure underneath," Richard explains. "The dress basically sits over a complicated form, and that gets costly." Each of the masks worn by the principal players cost approximately three hundred - and there were about three dozen of them. Clothing Ivan (Ivan G'Vera) and Vivian (Louise Sorel), who arrived as Josephine and Napoleon - respectively - created its own problems. "I rented a Napoleon costume for Louise," Richard says, "but I couldn't find a Josephine outfit in Ivan's size, so that had to be made." But it could have been worse, Richard admits. "Period costuming is actually easier than contemporary since there's a lot less feedback from the actors and directors," he reveals. Ladies Of The Evening Color was a prime consideration in designing gowns for Eileen Davidson (Kristen), Deidre Hall (Marlena) and Renée Jones (Lexie) says DAYS costume designer Richard Bloore. "While I was shopping, I came across some beautiful lavender fabric and thought immediately of Eileen," he recalls. "Likewise, the aqua was very much Renée, so I built around the color. And Marlena was in gold, because that was specified in the script." Richard also followed his stars' style preferences. "Eileen and Deidre prefer off-the-shoulder fashions," he points out, "while Renée is very flexible and likes lots of things." Lorraine Zenka, SOAP OPERA MAGAZINE, 8/13/96 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ DAYS Shocker: John Goes To Guillotine... Hot Plots Extra - Late-Breaking Storyline News...Off With His Head: DAYS John Goes To The Guillotine. Can Marlena Save Him? John's frustration builds when he can't find the real Marlena at the masked ball. Then when the crown is stolen, a distinctive clue is left behind. John launches a search of the château, leaving Kristen behind to watch for any sign of Marlena on his special monitor. But will Kristen tell him what she sees? Meanwhile, Stefano's plans are thwarted when he discovers that Marlena has escaped. She desperately searches for someone she can trust enough to give her heartfelt letter to Belle, and just as she loses hope, she runs into someone very special - someone who just might be able to help her. Later, a determined Marlena tries to find out what's happened to John. All Stefano will reveal, however, is that the man she loves will be judged by Paris' bizarre "People of the Night." After a macabre trial, Stefano's kangaroo court condemns John to death - and despite Marlena's desperate pleas for mercy, he's dragged away to the guillotine to be beheaded. The brawny, black-hooded executioner shoves John's neck down onto the chopping block, and the remorseless, razor-sharp blade of Madame Guillotine is poised to come hissing down. Is it all over for Marlena's beloved? Lorraine Zenka, SOAP OPERA MAGAZINE, 8/13/96 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Daytime Jailbirds Soap Criminals Spend Virtually No Time Behind Bars. Why? Here, We Diagram Their Sentences (Please Note: We always make a conscious effort to arrange all of the articles on BASEBALL MEMORIES AND MALIBU DREAMS according to the issue date on the magazine, but because the soap opera magazines like SOAP OPERA DIGEST (and others) often had a "Pull-Out" section outlining past storylines, we're going to list these articles by storyline instead of by publication date. Even though these articles might seem like they're not organized right because of the date "appearing" to be out of order, they ARE in order but according to storyline.) Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time. Smart advice. Even if the wise words came from the semi-cheesy theme song to the television cop show BARETTA. That said, soap characters seemingly don't have to worry about the consequences of illicit behavior, whether it's murder, babynapping, rape - you get the picture. That's because typically, when daytimers are punished and sent to the big house, their sentences end up being, well, mighty little. In the interest of justice, SOAP OPERA DIGEST tracks eleven soap jailbirds and gets to the bottom of why they flew the coop in short order. Plus: daytime baddies who need to pay for their evil deeds. The Jailbird: John Black Do The Crime: Unbeknownst to everyone, Tony DiMera was slowly dying of an illness. That said, DiMera's hatred for John for stealing Kristen away from him was very much alive. That's why he decided to commit suicide and make it look like John had murdered him. Tony stole John's gun and planted it in the DiMera house at Aremid. At Peter and Jennifer's wedding reception, Tony provoked a fight with John. After John left, a gun went off; Tony was found with a bullet in his chest. Before he died, he fingered John as the shooter to a shocked Kristen. Further evidence of John's "guilt" included John's skin under Tony's nails and John's fingerprints on the gun. Do The Time: John spent two months in the slammer, while Peter Blake, Tony's "brother," prosecuted the case. Stefano called in a favor with the judge and instructed him to find John guilty. John was sentenced to die in the gas chamber. Unlike most Death Row prisoners, John found himself in the chair the next day. Fly Away Home: Right before the gas pellets were dropped, the governor reviewed the case and gave John a reprieve - the execution was postponed. Too bad Stefano ordered the judge to ignore the governor's wishes, so John was returned to the chair. As the gas seeped into the room and John braced for his impending death, Jack and Jennifer saved the day with Tony's diary, which detailed his evil plot. Jack broke down the door and rescued an unconscious John, who was then set free. (OOPS! This is wrong. Peter read Tony's diary and saw that Tony had ruthlessly framed John for his suicide, so he rushed into the gas chamber and saw that Jack was struggling to free John from the chair of death, so Peter took over and worked feverishly to try to undo the restraints around John's hands, chest and feet that held him into the chair. After he got John out of the restraints, he flung John's lifeless body over his shoulder and ran with John out of the chamber where Laura was waiting to administer CPR on John, which is what brought Salem's most courageous hero back to us.) Scot-Free Scoundrel: Kristen Blake (Eileen Davidson) was arrested for imprisoning Marlena in a secret room behind the wine cellar in the DiMera mansion. While out on bail, Kristen seemingly drowned in the pool at the Blake House. The case was dropped, but it wasn't Kristen in the pool - it was Susan's long-lost sister, Penelope. Kristen waltzed around Salem disguised as Susan plotting to kidnap Susan's son, Elvis. Kristen wound up locked in a Caribbean fortress, and to this day, no one in Salem (besides Daddy Stefano) knows she's alive. SOAP OPERA DIGEST, 11/10/98 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Paris DAYS Kristen Gives John Crucial Clue To Marlena's Whereabouts... Hot Plots: DAYS - Tapestry Of Terror: John and Abe feel they're catching up with Stefano, but he escapes, just as he planned. John realizes his nemesis knew he was there - and fears that he might move the captive Marlena again. As John becomes increasingly desperate to find his "Doc," Kristen finds herself caught between helping him and keeping him away from Marlena. When John finds a clue in a tapestry, a clue that suggests a subterranean maze, Kristen opts for the former: She admits she remembers childhood stories told by Stefano about how the queen would hide underground in times of crisis. Later in the week, there's a masked ball - and it becomes the battleground between good and evil. John is sure Stefano will be there, so he finalizes his plan to save Marlena. At first, Marlena refuses Stefano's invitation to the ball, not realizing she's jeopardizing her best chance for escape. When her captor puts pressure on her to attend, however, she realizes it's an opportunity to smuggle out a letter to Belle. But neither John nor Marlena realizes they're playing right into Stefano's hands. He has a cunning surprise waiting, one that makes mincemeat of any rescue plan…and may endanger Marlena - and John - even more. Lorraine Zenka, SOAP OPERA MAGAZINE, 8/6/96 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Close Encounters Of The DAYS Kind John Closes In On Marlena... John Sets A Trap For Stefano: Using a lavish masquerade ball as bait, John comes up with an elaborate plan to lure Stefano and his prisoner, Marlena, out of hiding this week on DAYS. John hopes the party will give him a chance to rescue Marlena from Stefano and finally be reunited with her. The week begins when John and Abe nearly catch up with Stefano in an alley; Kristen shows up and Stefano manages to escape. John can't understand why Kristen is in Paris until she shows him the letter she received, which she thought was from John. John immediately realizes Stefano sent it. "John is fearful at this point," says DAYS Headwriter James E. Reilly. "He was hoping that everything would go his way, of course, and he would be able to have the element of surprise with Stefano. Now that Stefano knows John is on his tail, Stefano has to get Marlena out of there and to another hiding place. The other thing is Stefano doesn't want Marlena to know that John is alive." John searches for clues to Marlena's whereabouts. He discovers a tapestry whose pattern includes the symbols of Stefano's game and a map of old Paris. The map resembles the game board that John originally found in Stefano's warehouse in Salem "and pinpoints locations where Marlena might be," says Reilly, referring to the game about "rescuing the beautiful damsel in distress - the Queen of the Night, the title Stefano has given Marlena." From these clues John deduces that Stefano must be keeping Marlena underground. Kristen fears that John is on the right track. She remembers Stefano telling her stories as a child about the queen who would go underground whenever there was a crisis. She realizes she has to do something to stop John from finding Marlena. "Kristen's insecure," explains Reilly. "Her motivation is to keep John. If the price of it is sacrificing Marlena, so be it. She tries to do what she can to put John off the track. But John, of course, is driven." John returns to the alley where he last saw Stefano. He's hoping Stefano left behind a clue. As it turns out, John discovers some papers - designs for a magnificent crown that resembles a piece of the game. Realizing Stefano is working to recreate this beautiful spectacle, John comes up with an idea: He'll track down the original crown. "John realizes he can use the crown as a lure to get Stefano to come out of hiding," explains Reilly. "John knows Stefano is a student of history - that he would take a chance coming out to get this most prized possession, which he could then give to Marlena." Through his connections, John gets the French government to take Marie Antoinette's crown out of the vault where it's being kept. He comes up with the idea of having a masked ball and putting the crown on display. "John advertises the fact the crown is going to be there, hoping Stefano will take the bait," asserts Reilly. Stefano does. "We see him looking at the announcement for the ball and saying to Marlena, 'We're going to go to a party,'" Reilly continues. The night of the masked ball arrives, and John is ready to put his plan to save Marlena into action. There's only one glitch: Marlena refuses Stefano's invitation. "Marlena's not in the mood for partying. She's mourning for John. She's not here to give Stefano what he wants," says Reilly. "Then, she comes up with an idea to use the party to get help or send a message to her family." John is filled with hope that he will find her in the crowd. "He gets a lead on the costumes Stefano and Marlena will be wearing at the ball," notes Reilly. "But Stefano throws a curve that stuns John and makes his search for Marlena more difficult." Reilly promises that the ball will be filled with twists and surprises. "In Marlena trying to make her escape and John trying to find her, there are going to be incredible dangers for both of them. Stefano has his people searching for them." he teases, adding that Marlena is going to come "face-to-face with the most unlikely person" while attempting her getaway. And don't forget Kristen. She's going to be at the ball too, "hoping John won't find Marlena," maintains Reilly. "So when the opportunity crosses her path to cause confusion, she will." SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 8/6/96 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ Exclusive Preview: Wedding Trouble When Saying "I Do" Turns Into "Oh, No!" DAYS' Kristen May Lose The Baby...And John... Wedding Trouble And Marital Mayhem! As one couple heads for a tropical honeymoon, a slew of others race for divorce. This summer on soaps, making it down the aisle is no guarantee that a couple will survive to their first anniversary. Points out Arden Dana-Pryor, director of clinical services at the Family Service Association of San Antonio, Texas, "Most couples aren't really ready to get married when they do." And most couples don't have a vengeful Mari Jo to contend with, as do THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS' Paul and Christine. Even "old married couples" don't have it easy. "Like soaps, we see people all the time who love each other madly, but can't resolve their day-to-day issues," sighs Dana-Pryor. Although there are problems, couples can survive - now who will? DAYS' Kristen And John - From A Death Sentence To A Marriage License? If Kristen DiMera ever wants to get her man to the altar - and does she ever - she must first get his head off the chopping block. As John, the father of her unborn child, stands trial before her adoptive dad Stefano's People of The Night, Kristen works furiously not only to save him, but also to keep him from finding out the truth about her. "At this point," says Eileen Davidson of her character Kristen, "she is in so deep, and she's just going to keep getting in deeper." When Kristen remembers a secret passageway that Stefano once showed her in Paris, it appears that she and Rachel may get to John and Marlena before the verdict comes in. Unfortunately, John is sentenced to a quick death, and Rachel and Kristen get trapped in the tunnel after a cave-in. On Monday, August 12, with the final moments of John's life ticking away, Marlena expresses her undying love for him - but will she tell him the truth about Kristen? After Abe and Lexie manage to rescue Kristen and Rachel from the tunnel, Rachel and Stefano have a confrontation there. Meanwhile, Kristen pockets Marlena's diary. On Thursday, August 15, when an explosion rocks the DiMera tunnel system, Rachel and Stefano disappear, and Marlena is injured and has to be taken to the hospital. There, Kristen ditches Marlena's diary in the trash and confronts her rival about keeping her mouth shut. It isn't just hormones talking, admits Davidson. "Everything she's done has been born out of desperation…of wanting to get pregnant and being so in love with John. Kristen feels that she did everything the right way but came up a big loser." On Monday, August 19, she may end up being a loser again: A distraught Kristen convinces Marlena to keep mum, but then doubles over in pain. If she loses the baby - and her one hold on John - she may never be Mrs. Black. And then what will she be capable of?... SOAP OPERA UPDATE, 8/20/96 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ In The Name Of Love The Biggest Sacrifices Ever Made On Daytime What they did for love...It's what makes the soap world go 'round. It's not only joy, but loss, that keeps us tuning in day after day - because after all, a happy ending would mean the end of the story. Whether it's giving up a once-in-a-lifetime match out of obligation (ONE LIFE TO LIVE'S Maggie gave up Max for God) or the gift of life itself (from B.J.'s death came the promise of life for cousin Maxie on GENERAL HOSPITAL), daytime has gone to the ends of the earth in the name of romance... Doing The Right Thing - DAYS OF OUR LIVES' John And Marlena: John and Marlena have been to Hell and back, literally - and just when it seemed like the worst was behind them, an ecstatic Kristen found out that she was pregnant with John's child. This, of course, changed everything as far as Marlena was concerned. "Marlena knows what it's like to be a single parent, and she wouldn't wish that on anyone," says Deidre Hall (Marlena). "She really thought John had strong feelings for Kristen, so when she became pregnant, it seemed a given that John and Kristen should be together...Marlena wasn't going to be the one to stand in the way." But despite Marlena's martyrdom, though, her romance with John is not likely to be over... SOAP OPERA UPDATE, 8/20/96 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♥ News Flash Marlena And John Kiss On DAYS... The News - DAYS' John And Marlena Make Out Under The Mistletoe: John and Marlena lock lips this week on DAYS OF OUR LIVES, and Marlena comes dangerously close to opening her mouth and telling John everything that she knows about Kristen. The week begins with John and Marlena searching for Laura at the Blake house, a replica of the Blake house in Aremid, which Peter was having built for Jennifer. They're unsuccessful and leave the house, unaware that Laura is being held captive only several feet away. Later, Kristen pays a secret visit to Stefano. John expects her to come home at any minute, and plans to surprise her with mistletoe. He turns off the lights, lies in wait and kisses her when she opens the door. However, when the lights go back on, John sees that it's Marlena, not Kristen, under the mistletoe. The kiss means more to Marlena than it does to John, but John still experiences a twinge of regret. He loves Marlena, but he is committed to Kristen - a fact that Marlena knows all too well. When Kristen doesn't show up, John and Marlena take the kids to see Santa Claus. The couple is put in an uncomfortable position when Santa assumes they are married and takes a family picture. (OOPS! This is wrong. John and Marlena did take Brady and Belle to Santa Claus' Village at Salem Place to see the plump, jolly old soul, but it was one of his elf's who wanted John and Marlena to get into the "family picture" with Brady, Belle and Santa Claus in an effort to have the whole family pictured together. It wasn't Santa Claus who suggested this or took the picture.) Later in the week, John and Marlena return to the Blake house, this time searching for Kristen. As they walk the halls, they are reminded of all they went through in Aremid - Marlena's kidnapping, John's trial, imprisonment and near-death experience. The trip down Memory Lane is too much for Marlena, who has made so many sacrifices this year, and she wonders whether to finally tell John everything Kristen has done to keep them apart. SOAP OPERA WEEKLY, 12/24/96