Wednesday September 21: Best "AMC" characters

By Sylvia Gurinsky

This week's "All My Children" tribute continues with a salute to the show's best characters:

5. Kate, Joe and Ruth Martin: The bedrock of any good soap opera is a stable central family, and on "All My Children," it's been the Martins. Family matriarch Kate Martin was the center of that bedrock until actress Kay Campbell died (and the character did also) in 1985. Joe and Ruth Martin picked up that foundation - particularly Joe, who has been portrayed by Ray MacDonnell since the beginning. Mary Fickett, who died recently, played Ruth until 1996. Lee Meriweather ("Barnaby Jones") has played the role since.


4. Adam Chandler: The mogul came to Pine Valley trying to settle scores with Palmer Courtland, and wound up picking almost as many wives as Erica Kane did husbands - including Erica, of course! (Also Brooke, Dixie, Gloria, Liza and so on.....)

Here is probably the funniest Adam-Erica scene ever:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqzhRFJxSbY&feature=related


David Canary, who plays Adam, gets bonus points - and plenty of Emmys - for also playing Adam's brother, Stuart.


3. Palmer Courtland: Phoebe Tyler's next-door neighbor would develop just as strong a reputation as Phoebe for scheming and manipulating the lives of family members - and for his constant battle with Adam Chandler. But Palmer (played skillfully by one-time dancer James Mitchell) had a soft spot for wives Daisy and Opal, daughter Nina, niece Dixie and for friend Erica Kane; Palmer was one of the few men Erica was never romantically involved with, and she considered him a father figure.

The head of Courtland Electronics would lose his shirt a couple of times - and on one of those times, chickened out:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo1JHBIQ8bs


2. Phoebe English Tyler Wallingford: Pine Valley's first, and best, meddling busybody, played skillfully by Ruth Warrick. No one was immune from her interference:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MczgY6teH5c&feature=related

But, like Palmer, she mellowed - sort of - with age, time and a happy second marriage to Langley Wallingford.


1. Erica Kane: Who else?

When you've played the character that Susan Lucci has played for 41 years, you'd better make an impression. Has she ever.

She's had countless marriages and affairs, been a model, actress and mogul and had tempestuous relationships with mother, daughters and said husbands and lovers. She's survived addiction, killers and Adam Chandler.

Some have called Erica Kane the greatest character in the history of soap operas. That's high praise, but arguably earned - because Lucci and "AMC's" writers found multi-dimensions in the character.

And Erica's just fun to watch. Ask this bear:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h17XM_KoXcM

Tomorrow: Greatest "AMC" couples!