COUPLE: Mark Elliott & Laura DonnellySHOW: LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING
RANK: 50
PLAYED BY:
Mark: Sam Wade, David Birney, Michael Hawkins, Vince Cannon and Tom Fuccello
Laura: Donna Mills, Barbara Stanger and Veleka Gray
YEARS: 1967-1973
STORY:
Mark (most memorably played by Birney) was in a love triangle with free-spirited Iris Donnelly (Leslie Charleson, Bibi Besh) and her fragile younger sister, Laura (originally and best played by Mills), whose hidden love for Mark prevented her from taking her final vows to become a nun.
IMPACT:
The twists and turns of Mark and Laura's relationship helped keep fans tuned in to the CBS soap. It also launched the careers of David Birney and Donna Mills. Once they left the roles (and Leslie Charleson as Iris), Mark and Laura were not quite the same, and neither was the show. Recasting critical characters was one of the issues that prevented LIAMST from staying on the air longer (the show ran from September 18, 1967 to March 23, 1973) despite decent ratings.
CLASSIC CLIPS:
- CBS Daytime Ad 1968
- LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING Episode From 1969
Share your thoughts on Mark and Laura in our Comments section below or on our message board.
RELATED:
- 50 Greatest Soap Opera Actors: The Complete List
- 50 Greatest Soap Opera Actresses: The Complete List
- THE COMPLETE LIST: 25 Biggest Blunders In Daytime Soap Opera History
DAYTIME SOAP OPERAS
