1976

Anne decided she couldn’t allow Nick to sacrifice his life for a baby that wasn’t his. She looked so lost when she graciously declined his offer of marriage that Nick went to Paul and broke his vow of silence. He reminded Paul of their fight for Anne over the years and conceded defeat, urging Paul to go to her.

View Complete Summary for "All My Children" 1976

Paul wanted nothing more than to run to Anne, but he couldn’t leave Margo. When he discovered her scheme to adopt a baby and pass it off as theirs he was outraged. Without hesitation, he walked out on her, demanding a divorce. Margo agreed to the split but made herself believe Paul would forgive and forget her little deception if his reason for a divorce no longer existed. Pretending to be Anne’s friend, Margo offered to help her take inventory one evening at The Boutique. As soon as they began working, Margo made an excuse to leave Anne alone. Before she left, Margo turned the up thermostat, knowing the furnace in the basement was leaking carbon monoxide. Overcome be the fumes, Anne collapsed, but Paul arrived just in time and whisked her to the hospital. They both sighed with relief when they learned the poisonous gas hadn’t harmed the baby she was carrying.

Her close call made Anne even more protective of her pregnancy and more dependent on her sister-in-law Kitty Shea Tyler to run The Boutique. Kitty was overcome with guilt over her betrayal of both Anne and Linc. Linc still believed he was legally Kitty’s husband, and Anne had no idea Hal Short was blackmailing Kitty into using the store as a front for his drug operation. Ultimately, Kitty couldn’t live with herself and threw away a batch of cocaine-laced soap. She hoped to make Hal understand. But she never got the chance.

Claudette Montgomery, the troubled daughter of the troublesome Margo, was trying to keep an eye on Kitty, as Hal had instructed her to. But her eyes strayed to the cocaine. She burrowed into the “soap” Kitty had trashed and treated herself to an enormous high. It was a massive overdose, and Claudette was rushed to the hospital while the police rushed to The Boutique and arrested Kitty on drug charges. Claudette, who somehow survived, was arrested along with Hal Short, who was revealed to be Al Shea, Kitty’s first and only legal husband. A scandalized Phoebe took action. Hoping no one would see her entering that sqaulid place, she paid a visit to the jail to see the woman who had bedeviled her son. Phoebe felt vindicated in her judgment of Kitty. She reminded Kitty of the shame she brought on Linc. Phoebe implored Kitty, for Linc’s sake, to remove herself from his life. Phoebe had caught Kitty at her most vulnerable. It was easy to convince her she was no good for Lincoln Tyler.

Erica still refused to set Phil Brent free, long after Tara had gotten a quick Caribbean divorce from Phoebe’s grandson, Chuck. But holding on to Phil just to spite Tara grew tiresome, even for Erica. Besides, Phil Brent had nothing and was going nowhere. Erica began thinkin she deserved a higher caliber of man. Linc Tyler, one of the richest, most respected men in Pine Valley, had suddenly become available. Erica offered comfort to Linc after his separation from Kitty and became his most loyal friend.

Kitty was released from jail when Hal Short unexpectedly did the decent thing by clearing her of the drug charges and giving her a belated divorce. As he and Claudette Montgomery went to jail, Kitty realized she couldn’t go back to the home she shared with Linc even though he wanted her back. Instead. she moved in with Erica and Mona.

While Erica was convincing Linc she was trying to persuade Kitty to reconcile with him, Erica told Kitty it was best for Linc if Kitty stayed away. And Erica kept Phoebe fully informed. For the first time in her life, Phoebe Tyler wasn’t looking down her nose at Erica Kane. As Phoebe saw it, Erica was not only keeping Kitty away from Lincoln, she was keeping Tara and Phil apart, too. Every night, Phoebe prayed that Tara and her grandson Chuck would come to their senses and get back together. But Chuck’s life no longer revolved around Tara. He had graduated from an accelerated program at medical school and was starting work at Pine Valley Hospital.

At the hospital, Chuck met David Thornton, a physician’s assistant. It was obvious to Chuck that David was a talented and skilled worker, and Chuck wondered why he had never become a doctor. David confided in his favorite nurse, Ruth Martin, that he did have a medical degree, but his experiences in Vietnam had so affected him that he’d stopped practicing. Ruth kept David’s secret, flattered that such an attractive younger man had trusted her. She and her husband Joe had grown apart since his daughter Tara had chosen her son Phil over Chuck.

At the hospital, Chuck was able to work closely with his grandfather, Charles. He couldn’t help noticing his grandfather had fallen in love with his secretary, Mona Kane. It was finally clear why Charles had moved out of the Tyler mansion and into his club. Knowing Phoebe wasn’t easy to live with, Chuck gave his blessing to the relationship. Charles finally convinced Mona to see him socially.

Chuck’s best friend was Dr. Frank Grant, who was experiencing upheaval in his own marriage. When Frank’s wife Nancy accepted a job as a social worker in Chicago, Frank stayed behind. From his start as a poor black kid from the inner city, Frank was proud of the life he’d made for himself in Pine Valley. But with his wife living out of state, Frank was lonely, so he had plenty of time to spend with Chuck Tyler, showing him the ropes at Pine Valley Hospital.

Chuck’s first patient was a young teenage girl, and he dedicated his time to helping her. She wouldn’t talk about herself, but he learned she was Donna Beck, a high school dropout-turned-hooker. Before her pimp Tyrone tossed her out of his car, shattering her leg, she’d worked notorious Locust Street in nearby Center City. Chuck wondered how the life of someone so young could have gotten so tragically off track. He was determined to help Donna make a better life, so he encouraged her to get a high school equivalency diploma. To ensure her success, Chuck bought her books and hired a tutor. A skeptical Donna agreed to try.

Donna’s tutor, Dan Kennicott, had come to Pine Valley University because his late sister Mary had told him how much she loved the town. When Dan looked up Mary’s in-laws, Ruth, Joe and Kate Martin, they welcomed the friendly, good-looking, innocent young man into their home. Kate hoped Dan’s presence would distract Joe and Ruth from their endless bickering about Phil and Tara.

Dan felt comfortable with the Martins and with Pine Valley, but he especially liked being around Phoebe Tyler’s niece, Brooke English. In her efforts to bring Chuck and Tara together, keep Linc and Kitty apart and mend her own damaged marriage, Phoebe really had no time for an extended visit from her brother Edward’s daughter. But because Brooke was such a polite and well-behaved girl, Phoebe agreed to let her stay.

Brooke laughed when she told Benny Sago her aunt thought she was an angel. They both knew better. Benny had followed Brooke to Pine Valley. He was a ruffian with dirt under his fingernails, and Phoebe had instantly turned up her nose at him. She encouraged Brooke to date the clean-cut Dan Kennicott, and Brooke didn’t mind. Dan was a pushover, and she could lead him around by the nose and use him to make Benny jealous.

Now that Brooke was matched up with Dan, Phoebe could concentrate on her own children. The happiness of Anne’s remarriage to Paul was followed too quickly by tragedy. Everyone was shocked and frightened to learn that the mysterious flu Anne had contracted on their St. Croix honeymoon was toxoplasmosis, which could cause retardation or deformity in her unborn baby. When Anne rejected any thought of a therapeutic abortion, Phoebe felt helpless. All she could do for Anne was pray. But there was plenty she could do for Linc, and she directed her energies in his direction.

Despite the best efforts of Phoebe and Erica, Linc and Kitty had become closer than ever. Still refusing to divorce Phil, Erica realized there were other Tylers in Pine Valley besides Linc. She decided to remind Chuck of their long ago attraction. Meanwhile, Phoebe hatched a bizarre scheme to keep Linc from remarrying Kitty. Discovering that Kitty had never known her long-lost mother, Lucy Carpenter, Phoebe approached a destitute woman, improbably named Myrtle Lum, with a proposition that lifted the alcoholic haze from Myrtle’s eyes. Myrtle had no use for a snob like Phoebe Tyler, but she had plenty of use for Phoebe’s money. She listened as Phoebe told her of her son’s involvement with a most unsuitable young woman and Phoebe’s plan for an elaborate and phony reunion. Kitty’s mother had left Pine Valley years ago. Phoebe thought it would work out nicely if Lucy Carpenter, who lived far from Pine Valley, contacted Kitty and convinced her to come and live with her. Myrtle realized Phoebe’s plan was to break up Linc and Kitty and called her on it.

It was mutual dislike from the start, but Myrtle needed money and agreed to Phoebe’s scheme. Setting her up as “Mrs. Lucy Carpenter” in Minneapolis, Phoebe warned Myrtle to stay away from Pine Valley or risk being exposed as a fraud. When Kitty heard from “her mother,” she and Linc immediately went to Minneapolis, where Linc watched Kitty and “Mrs. Carpenter” develop a warm relationship. In time, Myrtle actually came to care for Kitty like a daughter.

Hating the deception, Myrtle phoned Phoebe to call off the ruse. That was the last thing Phoebe needed. Charles was flaunting that Mona Kane woman in her face and had just demanded a divorce. Phoebe assured him he would never have one. Adding to her misery was Phoebe’s untamed niece. Brooke had proven to be so wild that Phoebe wanted to ship her home. When Myrtle Lum called to back out of their scheme, Phoebe held her to the agreement. Unfortunately, Benny Sago overheard the phone call. He used the information to blackmail Phoebe into letting Brooke stay on in Pine Valley.

When Kitty begged her “mother” to come to Pine Valley, Myrtle feigned a heart condition and had a friend of hers, Nigel Fargate, pose as a doctor and forbid any travel. Kitty decided to stay in Minneapolis permanently, prompting her friend Mona Kane to pay her a visit. When Myrtle opened the door to Mona and introduced herself as Lucy Carpenter, the deception was revealed. Mona had known the real Lucy arpenter years ago, so Myrtle was caught. So was Phoebe when Myrtle related the entire scam to a furious Mona. Promising to let Kitty down easy, Myrtle begged Mona not to tell her the truth. Mona agreed and left confront Phoebe.

Phoebe begged Mona not to tell anyone, that she would do anything to secure Mona’s silence. Mona agreed to keep quiet on one condition: Phoebe must grant Charles a divorce. Mona shocked even herself when she resorted to blackmail, but she loved Charles and longed for him to be free of Phoebe. Phoebe agreed to the terms but was secretly determined that their fight over Charles was far from over.

On top of everything else, Phoebe had a new concern. Chuck was spending too much time with that teenage tramp, Donna Beck, and not enough with his son. Tara was also concerned. Little Phillip had developed an asthmatic condition the doctors believed was a psychological reaction to her divorce from Chuck and her plans to marry “Uncle” Phil. Feeling guilty, Tara took little Phillip to a clinic in Arizona for treatment. Phil was frustrated by all the obstacles he and Tara faced. He quit his job at his father’s restaurant and joined the Pine Valley police force.

With his son out of town, Chuck devoted even more time to Donna. When her former pimp, Tyrone, found her, she was studying. He threw her books out the window, and Chuck threw him out of the hospital, thereby making a dangerous enemy. Tyrone’s hired goons beat Chuck up. Even then, Chuck wouldn’t turn his back on Donna. In another violent encounter in the hospital parking lot, Tyrone himself lunged at Chuck with a knife. But karate black-belt Frank Grant saved his friend, and Tyrone was hauled off to jail. Chuck became Donna’s legal guardian, and they grew even closer.

As soon as Tara heard about Chuck’s run-in with Tyrone, she rushed back from Arizona with her son and suggested that she and Chuck should get back together. Chuck gently told her no, encouraging her to marry her one true love, Phil Brent. Phil, meanwhile, was still stuck in his loveless marriage to Erica.

Nick Davis came up with an idea that would get Erica out of the picture. He offered “The Little Princess,” as he liked to call her, a job as a stess at The Chateau. Erica was thrilled at the prospect, until Nick made it clear that getting the job hinged on one stipulation: She had to grant Phil a divorce.

Erica didn’t like the terms of this arrangement, but her need to be in the spotlight won. She took Nick up on his offer, finally freeing Phil to mary Tara. Ruth was thrilled for her son, but supporting Phil had damaged her own marriage, and Ruth had left Joe. When David Thornton told Ruth he loved her and could only become a doctor again with her at his side, Ruth decided she would seek a divorce. But the night Joe’s appendix burst brought her back to earth, to the realization that she loved Joe more than she ever would anyone else. Joe almost died. David was the only staffer on duty capable of performing an emergency appendectomy, so he saved Joe’s life. Ruth realized what she had almost thrown away and quickly reconciled with Joe.

Together they watched their children, Phil and Tara, say their vows and at long last become man and wife. Little Phillip resented “Uncle” Phil and stayed away from their wedding. As much as Phil wanted to announce that he was the boy’s real father, he agreed with Tara not to tell him. Neither wanted to risk any more of little Phillip’s asthma attacks.

With Phil out of her life, Erica began working for Nick at The Chateau. Their life-long feud continued. Whenever he called her on her selfishness, she pouted. Even so, she felt Nick was looking out for her, and that felt almost like having a father. But Nick wasn’t Erica’s father, and she wasn’t his daughter. They were a man and a woman, a circumstance they couldn’t ignore for long.

The first time they kissed surprised them both. But Erica liked it, creating more opportunities to seduce Nick. Eventually, she lured him into her bed, and they began an affair they kept a closely guarded secret. After all, he was not only old enough to be her father, he was her mother Mona’s best friend.

Mona had her own secret. She couldn’t stand herself after blackmailing Phoebe into granting Charles a divorce, so she confessed the entire episode to Charles and waited for him to scold her. He couldn’t believe her capable of such a thing. Mona cringed before his rage until he declared an even greater admiration for her. He only wished he could have been there to see Phoebe’s face when Mona told her.

Charles, like Mona, chose not to tell his son Linc or Kitty of Phoebe’s plan to break them apart. Her scheme had ended when Myrtle asked her friend “Doctor” Nigel to announce “Lucy’s” death from a heart attack. Myrtle and Nigel left for Hollywood while Kitty returned to Pine Valley with Linc.

As much as he wanted to be free from Phoebe, Charles couldn’t press the issue. He had to help her and their daughter Anne adjust to the terrible reality that Anne and Paul’s newborn daughter, Elizabeth, was severely retarded. When they were advised to institutionalize their little Beth, Paul felt it was for the best. Anne adamantly opposed the idea. She insisted Beth needed a mother’s love, something a cold institution couldn’t provide. Paul reluctantly agreed to keep Beth at home.

Source: All My Children: The Complete Family Scrapbook


1976 Episodes / Clips: