Karen Lynn Gorney

Before SNF she was a HUGE soap star - the original "Tara" on ALL MY CHILDREN. Susan Lucci was just a bratty teenager, but KLG as Tara with "Phil" were the soap's first supercouple when the show went on the air in 1970. Eventually Lucci's teenage Erica broke them up, and when KLG left the soap to make SNF, Lucci began her ascension to her place as Queen of Pine Valley and Daytime. Her father, Jay Gorney, was a composer in the 1930s who wrote the music for "Brother Can You Spare A Dime?"

One of my best friends named her daughter Tara after Tara Martin. Sadly, the real Tara died recently.

Wait... I thought I was the "real" Tara?

She couldn't really dance either.

I also thought KLG was the original Tara. She wasn't?

Karen Lyn Gorney WAS the "real" Tara. When she left AMC, she was replaced by a Stephanie somebody, who was very tall and full-bodied in comparison to KLG. It was always disconcerting to see her standing next to "Phil". I don't think Stephanie lasted very long, I remember someone else replaced her fairly soon after.%0D %0D

Nancy Frangione also played Tara.

"Though nothing can bring back the hour Of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower; We will grieve not, rather find Strength in what remains behind; In the primal sympathy Which having been must ever be..."

--Are we married now?

Thanks, R7, that's the actress I was trying to think of.

Tara Martin was played by:

Karen Lynn Gorney -- 1970-1974, 1976-1977 and 1996

Stephanie Braxton -- 1974-1976

Nancy Frangione -- 1977-1979

Mary Lynn Blanks -- 1979-1980

Blanks went on to play Dr. Annie Stewart on ATWT, best remembered for giving birth to quadruplets.

Frangione went on to great success as villainess Cecil de Poulignac on AW. And also married her co-star Chris Rich.

Braxton went on to play Winter Austin on Edge of Night, then moved behind the scenes to became a script writer for various soaps over the years.

And Gorney? IMDB says she didn't work again after Saturday Night Fever until 1991 when she had in a crowd scene in the Michael J. Fox vehicle, The Hard Way. That movie was directed by John Badman, who also directed Saturday Night Fever.

I remember her well as Tara. And no she wasn't the best dancer, but she was great in that SNF role as Stephanie - really good chemistry with Travolta.

Remember, "SNF" was a surprise hit. It was a low-budget movie starring a sitcom actor and a soap actress, centered around the disco "fad", and nobody expected much. %0D %0D As luck would have it the soundtrack was one of the biggest hits of the decade, the story perfectly hit the zeitgeist, and the sitcom actor gave a terrific performance. Gorney was the only element of the film that lived up to the original low expecations.%0D %0D And PS: Her bad performance does work in a certian way. It's not that Tony is in love with that her, it's more that he represents his aspirations. And the fact that she's so pretentious and unlikable shows just how shallow Tony's dreams really are, and that while his desire to "get out" is sympathetic, he doesn't really have any idea what a geuinely good life would be like.

The scene which always makes me laugh in SNF is when Tony steps inside the room as Stephanie is "practicing" at the barre. You can tell that Karen has no idea what to do, but for some reason, "Tony" is amazed and spellbound by her technique.

Seriously, did she sleep with the director to get that part, because she was AWFUL.

"And the fact that she's so pretentious and unlikable shows just how shallow Tony's dreams really are."%0D %0D Agreed. But in her moments of vulnerability (interacting with "Jay" in his apartment, confessing to Tony that she looked to Jay for help when she didn't know how to handle her job, and at the end when she offers friendship to Tony) I think she redeems her character. %0D %0D

I thought the character of Stephanie in SNF was awful; a stuck up, pretentious, snotty bitch. But then ALL the characters were unlikeable and stupid, including Tony Manero. He wanted to do more with his life than work at a paint store, but he was still a jerk and still dumb as a rock. The only one even remotely sympathetic was Annette. And even though she was plump, she had a much prettier face than Stephanie. And those horrible New York accents in this movie! Just listening to them talk was grating. During the movie Stephanie tells Tony he has "duh-loo-shuns uf gran-jure." And SHE'S supposed to be the sophisticated, educated one!%0D %0D As for Karen Lynn Gorney...well, she had no film career because she really didn't have much in the way of looks or talent, although she did have a successful run on a soap. Plus, I heard she had a very bad drug problem. I remember her being on the Dinah Shore talk show and it was obvious that she was stoned.

I have done two off-Broadway plays with Karen Lynn Gorney. First, her father wrote "How much is that Doggie in the Window." So, she is pretty much set of life. Second, she is pretty much nuts. Not evil, mean, or even difficult, but just nuts.

Olivier was greatly impressed with her performance in SNF.

Of course you will want to spend many happy hours perusing....

Stephanie was supposed to be around the same age as Tony, yet Gorney looked at least a decade older than Travolta.

[quote] First, her father wrote "How much is that Doggie in the Window." %0D %0D NO, as cited above, her father wrote "Brother Can You Spare a Dime?"%0D %0D "How Much is That Doggie in the Window?" was written by Bob Merrill, who also wrote (among many other things), the lyrics to "People" and the other songs from FUNNY GIRL, and "Honeycomb".

I always crack up when I see Angie getting gangbanged in the car. So who played the curly headed Philip Brent? He was fucking hot.

[quote]I always crack up when I see Angie getting gangbanged in the car.

Yes, that's a laugh riot.

She's good in the role. And to the idiot who's criticizing the NY accents...words fail me. A classic film, dynamite atmosphere, characters, humor, pathos, songs. How can you not love it?

Am I losing my memory ? I don't remember Nancy F. ever playing Tara.

At the time, KLG was indeed sleeping with director John Badham. Ironically, Travolta wanted Jessica Lange, who was trying to shake off her terrible performance in "King Kong".

"Travolta wanted Jessica Lange"%0D %0D "Battlefield Earth" is the kind of thing that happens when Travolta gets his way.

Lange couldn't bring the NY tough girl like Gorney did. And she wouldn't be as sympathetic as Gorney, because she's too pretty. I think Karen Lynn nailed it. "I was just dancin' with the guy!" or "He helps me, man, he helps me! If it wasn't for him I'd be walkin' around goin' 'I don't know, I don't know!'."

"Am I losing my memory ? I don't remember Nancy F. ever playing Tara"%0D %0D She did. It's documented. She is actually pretty good generally. Really liked Stephanie Braxton as Tara -- by that time Nick Benedict was Philip and she did not tower over beefy Benedict.

Thanks

"If it wasn't for him I'd be walkin' around goin' 'I don't know, I don't know!'."%0D %0D One of my favorite lines. And she delivers it perfectly - in fact, she handled the whole scene well. It's one of the few times we see the real Stephanie and recognize her vulnerability.

Yes, she's very good and believable. "Joe Namath asked me what it was like to be 19 years old and I said I didn't know because I'm only 18!"

"Who would I have to marry?"%0D %0D "Me."%0D %0D "Then I'd definitely get the abortion!"%0D %0D

Mmmmmmmmmm. Nicholas Benedict.

I was so fascinated by him, so turned on by him. And this was long before I had any inkling what that meant.

What about me?????

[quote]I was so fascinated by him, so turned on by him. And this was long before I had any inkling what that meant.

Oh yeah. I was in about 5th grade. Grandma was our daycare. We got lunch when her story was on. I couldn't take my eye off of him and wasn't quite sure why. Yet. I'm glad someone found a picture but that one doesn't do him justice.

I saw a documentary on the making of SNF and as far as I know, it was Travolta's second movie, but he was making a lot of demands of the director and saying there were certain things he wouldn't do. I thought these folks started acting like that AFTER they had a proven hit movie, he was a diva before he blew up in SNF.

"And to the idiot who's criticizing the NY accents...words fail me. A classic film, dynamite atmosphere, characters, humor, pathos, songs. How can you not love it?"%0D %0D Oh shut the fuck up. It's one of the most overrated films of all time. All the characters were unlikeable, a bunch of unattractive dullards, retards, cunts, losers. And yes, all of them had atrocious New York accents that made listening to them akin to torture.

Uhm, r37? The movie takes place in a BLUE COLLAR NEIGHBORHOOD IN NEW YORK CITY! For the sake of authentic storytelling, just what kind of "accent" do you think they should have? Now, think before you type.

Karen Lynn Gorney? What about me....!!???

I recall an episode of "Fernwood Tonight", where host Barth Gimbel asks KLG all the same questions about what the heck she's been doing since SNF. It was hilarious.

She lives in my neighborhood, the Riverdale section of the Bronx. I used to see her at the supermarket up until about five years ago. She did not age well and dressed like a little old lady, in house dresses, white cocks to her ankles, and old lady shoes.

r33, it's so funny you mention that, because you weren't the only one. My mom watched AMC religiously in the 1970s and I'd occasionally watch with her. When I was 9 or 10, I remember getting all tingly when Benedict appeared on screen, but obviously didn't know why. I just remember thinking how handsome and masculine he was and how much I wanted to touch his gorgeous chest hair.

She looked like Tony's mother in the movie.

r41, That would be quite the outfit!

EVERYbody uses EVERYbody!

[Ironically, Travolta wanted Jessica Lange, who was trying to shake off her terrible performance in "King Kong".]%0D %0D How is that ironic, do ya think?%0D

[quote]white cocks to her ankles,

WOW! Does she have low-hanging balls too?

I remember an article (I think in Time Out NY about 10 years ago) - she went to visit Spectrum (the now closed gay bar in Bay Ridge that had the famous dance floor). Spectrum was not in good shape - and she was kind of bitchy about it (although Spectrum was a strange place). The actual dance floor was pretty tiny.

Even before SNF Gorney screwed up her career in Hollywood. She was one of Dinah Shore's 'chosen' rising stars and she was so coked up before taping she was dropped before broadcast. Dinah put out the word in Hollywood that this person is not reliable or hirable. So that pretty much ended KLG in Hollywood. She returned briefly to AMC after Braxton and had an affair with Nick Benedict that broke up her marriage. She was only back for about a year and there were problems with her again (I imagine substance abuse).%0D %0D Ah, but she was very sweet with Richard Hatch as Phil when the show started. Her character of Tara was based on the characters of Missy Palmer(Carol Roux from Another World) and Victoria Winters (Alexandra Moltke from Dark Shadows). Moltke was offered the part but she didn't want to play a 17 year old in 1970(she was 25, so was Gorney). Roux was already on Somerset and she just didn't connect with that show and left after a few months. %0D %0D Gorney has been the 'go to' Tara when AMC does bring the character back. I think they should again - they need more Martins. Bring Charlie Frank back as well. Too much Erica is not a good thing.%0D %0D Just my honest opinion.

They brought Nancy Frangione back, and not Gorney, for Kate Martin's funeral in 1985. I started watching in 77 or thereabouts, so Frangione and, later, Mary Lynn Blanks are the only Taras I remember from that era. When they did bring Gorney back in 1996, she looked ancient. They probably had to make her look older in order to justify her being the mother of Charlie Brent, who was being played by 45-year-old Chris Lawford at the time!

The last time I saw Gorney on AMC was in the 90's. She reminded me of Ruth Gordon.

"The movie takes place in a BLUE COLLAR NEIGHBORHOOD IN NEW YORK CITY! For the sake of authentic storytelling, just what kind of "accent" do you think they should have?"%0D %0D I'm not saying they should have had Southern drawls or New England cadences. I'm just saying that their voices were awful to listen to and they were. Who the hell wants to listen to a bunch of loud, uneducated morons with thick New York accents?%0D

R52 --Me. I would. There are plenty of interesting stories that don't happen in upper crust neighborhoods. I can't imagine how dull it would be if every film were a Merchant Ivory style production.

Does she really live in the bronx.. O my. i know a guy that knows her. crazy as a bed bug

Just ignore the idiot complaining about NY accents, he just doesn't get the film at all. I love Karen, she appears in the extras on the Fever dvd and looks pretty good. "He helps me, man, he HELPS ME!"

Jessica Lange would have been better than that girl/woman. She was ugly, could not dance, was fat and had 0 chemistry with La Travolta !

R49, that's not exactly right. I saw the show in question and it was after SNL. I don't remember the others, but she was on the show with Didi Conn. Conn had just done "Grease" and KLG tried to engage her in a conversation about Travolta. I remember Dinah asking her about what she liked to do in her spare time and she said she liked getting massaged.

The one completely true fact is that she was totally blasted on the set and nothing could have been more injurious to her career than for the episode to air.

I have her CD!

R51 is right. She spoke like she'd had a stroke and looked much older than her years. I couldn't believe it was the same woman from SNF.

When she came back to AMC for those handful of appearances in 1996, she seemed to be on drugs. Her delivery was slow -- she waited about two beats before responding to anything that was said to her.

KLG's entire appearance was painful to watch.

Of course, slow delivery was not unusual for AMC. Fra Heflin, who played Erica's mother Mona Kar, always took a beat to respond.

Gorney and Richard Hatch years later on an anniversary show for AMC. Is Hatch gay? And how gay is Michael E Knight?

Oops - sorry - here's the link:

It's true about Mona Kane always waiting an extra beat or two to start talking. I always assumed she got caught up swallowing her own spit from nervousness.

r63 = Ruth Warrick.

"Just ignore the idiot complaining about NY accents, he just doesn't get the film at all."%0D %0D I get it, you nitwit. I just don't LIKE it. The characters, all of them, were insufferable clods (I especially hated the snotty Stephanie) and I didn't give a shit about them or their miserable, meaningless lives. The only one that I found sympathetic was Annette. And while I didn't like the movie, I thought Donna Pescow's performance was outstanding, the best one in the flim. She deserved to win an Oscar for it. %0D %0D Some trivia. "Saturday Night Fever" was based on an article written by the British writer Nik Cohn. It appeared in New York Magazine and was entitled "Tribal Rights of the New Saturday Night." It was supposed to be fact, but Cohn later admitted that it was a hoax, a total fiction. Seems that Cohn couldn't make heads or tails out of the disco scene he was supposed to write about, so he made up a story and characters that came from his knowledge of "Mods", a British youth group that was preoccupied with looking good and wearing the best clothes and doing the latest dances. Nothing good ever comes from lies, and "Saturday Night Fever" is proof of that.

I eat old people's excrement!

R65--"Lying, the telling of beautiful untrue things, is the proper aim of Art." %C3%A2%C2%80%C2%94 Oscar Wilde

Poor retard at R66; "I eat old people's excrement." That is so LAME. But what do you expect from a pathetic loser who worships a silly movie? I almost pity the poor dumbass.

This is one of two "iconic" American films I have never seen, nor ever really want to. This and "Rocky."

Am I really missing anything?

[r65] I agree =Donna Pescow's performance was outstanding, the best one in the flim. She deserved to win an Oscar for it=%0D %0D If SNF is trying to make a statement, it's about working class youth and its aspirations. The disco "scene" depicted existed to a certain extent in that era. The story could just as well been told from the bandstand era viewpoint and maybe even better.%0D %0D Tony's family much too shrill and much too religious. Doesn't ring true -- more surreal than real.%0D %0D That being said--back to the original topic--JT is as gay as an antique doorknob and guess what? nobody cares. %0D

The anti-SNF comments are coming from people outside NYC who never saw that scene and are totally baseless. And Donna Pescow is not the best performance in the film, she overracts, particularly in the reaction shots during the bridge scene, she POPS her eyes and it's hysterical. John, Karen, Judith Bovasso (his mom) are the best performances. And for someone who hates the film, you sure know a lot about it, douchebag at 65. BTW, it's well known by anyone who reads that this film was based on the NY Magazine article. Asshole!

So in other words R71, the movie only works if you're an Italian-American who lived in Brooklyn during the 70s and was part of the disco scene. Rather a limited appeal, don't you think?%0D

This is Gene Siskel's fave movie and he bought John's iconic white suit.

Me too, R72. I find it helps if I insert a phrase like "in my opinion" at the beginning of each sentence when reading rants where the writer has been too lazy &/or discourteous &/or judgmental to do so. Those people are still assholes, but at least I feel less angry about their outbursts when I do a little editing for them.

Except in this case, my opinion is fact. The movie enjoyed critical raves and is in fact accurate in the NY accents and culture. It's assholes who criticize the film for these reasons. And not every character is unlikable in the film. Tony is not unlikable, he's trying to better himself and escape his roots by moving to Manhattan.

"And for someone who hates the film, you sure know a lot about it, douchebag at 65. BTW, it's well known by anyone who reads that this film was based on the NY Magazine article. Asshole."%0D %0D Oh drop dead, you dumb cunt. You remind me of the fans of the "Twilight" movies; obsessed and idiotic. %0D %0D Of course I know about it; the damn thing has been so heavily publicized who wouldn't know about it? It's one of those movies you don't even actually have to see to know everyting about it. "The Exorcist" was the same way. %0D %0D Well, I saw it and I didn't like it. And if you have a problem with that, go find a good psychiatrist to help you deal with it. %0D %0D Your opinion is "fact?!" Like hell it is! You're just a delusional fangurl with a fixation on a decades old movie. Why don't you go to a website where other dweebs like you congregate and write fan fiction about being Tony's buddy or girlfriend? You'd fit right in there.

You sound like you're in need of therapy, I'm not obsessed with the film, I just like it and believe that it's good reputation is well deserved. You're the one who's obsessed with it, you keep posting on here, just move on.

When she was young, KLG's eyes reminded me of a young Judy Garland. Something about the mouth too. Maybe it was just in certain scenes cause she didn't really look like her.

"Olivier was greatly impressed with her performance in SNF. by: true" Right...that was Clyde Olivier.

I used to live in Riverdale, in the Bronx, and I saw her there in the supermarket. This is going back about 7-8 years ago. She looked a bit cray-cray, with an outfit that included an acid-washed denin skirt down to her knees, and black heels with white athletic socks.

"John, Karen, Judith Bovasso (his mom) are the best performances."

Karen Lynn Gorney's performance sucked. Travolta was good at playing at dumb cluck (no big acting stretch). Judith Bovasso was no nothing special.

You're just a smitten SNF fangurl. So silly.

She was in a Law & Order episode in which she played a crazy lady in a scene with antiscorbutic and Munch. They all looked like they were having a good time.

Donna Pescow was outstanding also.

Jessica Lange couldn't have done it. She wasn't much of an actress then.

Donna Pescow likes the lez-lez, right?

A member of famed Irish Rep. Company, Karen Lynn has garnered raves in New York as "Mrs. Dandy McCabe" in The Field; as "Sister" in Late Night Catechism; and as "Miss Ophelia St. Clare" in Uncle Tom's Cabin at the Mint Theatre.

In SNF she was fat, homely, dumb, with bad teeth, and wore that gawd awful white leotard.

That's why she was casted - she was a perfect fit.

I was too young to have seen her in her original AMC stint--other than clips. When she came back for a few episodes in the 90s, it was jarring. She looked so frumpy and old, and then you had her contemporary, La Lucci, running around in strapless minidresses.

Fran Drescher would have been more believable as the lead in SNF. She was gorgeous and charismatic and the right age.

Agree with R87, the lovely & talented "Fran" for the win!

I only saw her the few episodes where she returned in the 90's. She was hardly used, basically had a few scenes with her daughter Kelsey. Chris Lawford was playing her SORASED son at the time. He looked about age 40 and she easily looked like she could be his Mother.

I think it had been too long since she had played the part, because she just seemed to be going through the motions and it seemed more like stilted stunt casting rather than someone reclaiming a part she originated.

KLG worked in Saturday Night Fever because she was playing a slob who was trying to claw herself out of Brooklyn without any natural advantages. Her character is meant to be dull, homely, and charmless - she's the bottom of the rung and she'll never make it. Tony, on the other hand, is handsome, charismatic, and graceful. I always leave the film thinking Manero had a chance to break big in Manhattan while KLG was doomed to failure (through no fault of trying - cruel destiny).

To me, Nancy Frangione WAS Tara. I'm too young to remember KLG's original stint, but it was odd to watch her when she returned in the '90s. They probably had to make her look older because they had 40-something Chris Lawford (and he looked every day of it) playing her 20-something son.

[quote]Judith Bovasso was no nothing special.

But I was!

[quote]That's why she was casted

Oh, dear.

In 1960 Julie Bovasso quit a soap opera role in the most unique way. They were live back then, and after an disagreement over a line reading she walked out and never returned. Minutes before they were suppose to go on the air!

Female AD was pressed into service and did Bovasso role, script in hand.

Needless to say this didn't hurt Julie career at all.

I saw KLG several times in off-off-Broadway productions. She REALLY did not age well, and was a terrible actress.

When she returned for those few episodes in the 90s, she couldn't keep up with the other actors. She always paused a couple of beats before responding, like she was desperately trying to remember her lines.

I do remember her from her second run in the 70s, and she didn't do that pausing a beat before saying her line thing then.

She was a decent actress in the 70s. Not great. But not awful either. She came across very naturally as a average looking, small town girl struggling with love. She was exactly the right actress for the show when it debuted in 1970.

OF course, if the show was being cast now, a super model would be cast in the part.

"Julie Bovasso, you dumb fuck."

I was merely quoting the fangurl, hon. Lord knows I sure as hell didn't remember her name; Judith Bovasso, Julie Bovasso...who gives a fuck? Oh I guess it's important to you, though. Are you her fangurl? Wow, that's pitiful.

All My Children in its first two years was such a gorgeous soap. Richard Hatch was to die for. He and KLG DID have great chemistry. She was 25 playing 17, though. The years will catch up to you.

And to me, Nancy Fragionne was CECILE on Another World. What a great ride she was on that show, her comedic timing was great. And I was someone who loved the original Cecile, Susan Keith who started out all sweetness and light.

KLG looked like Ruth Gordon with braids on AMC in the 90s, older looking than Ray McDonnel (?) who played her father.

And yes, to me Nancy Frangione will always be Cecile.

Is she still dancing though?

Annette O'Toole, who started as a dancer, reveals that she was in line to play the love interest (32:00).

^^ That was a really interesting interview. Thanks!