Picture it, Hollywood, late 1940s. Lana Turner is the box office draw, she's known as a real up and coming star in the same mould as Joan Crawford and MGM has manufactured this blonde beauty for global success. Known as "The Sweater Girl" Lana was supposedly discovered by an exec at Schwabs drugstore (bollocks) and offered a deal thanks to her natural good looks and perky bosom. She stars in various flicks but hits paydirt with "The Postman Always Rings Twice" a real steamy sizzler with John Garfield. Originally written by James Cain who provided Barbara Stanwyck with Double Indemnity and Joan Crawford as Mildred Pierce for which Joan won the Oscar. Lana becomes ahuge success as anticipated and becomes one of MGM's new crop of moovee staahs (say that like Bette Davis!)
On the other side of town at Warners, there is a new star in the making. Bette Davis was leaving, Joan Crawford was grooming herself as Queen of the lot. However, as a parting gift to arch nemesis Joan Crawford, Bette insisted that her dressing room, the No.1 Star dressing room go to - Miss Jane Wyman. Lana Turner may have been box office moovee stah material but Janey had the critical acclaim and not long after getting her dressing room, she nabbed the Oscar as a mute in the sensational "Johnny Belinda" She was the toast of Hollywood.
After several years of flops from both actresses, they found themselves back in popularity in the late 50s thanks to the wildly technicolor Douglas Sirk movies. I defy anyone to watch these melodramas without sunglasses, the color is so bright. Lana had been through the mill and came up with the fabulous "Imitation of Life" and "Madame X" and "Portrait in Black" All hugely successful and very melodramatic to say the least. Jane had her problems too. For a start she had married Ronald Reagan, then divorced him. She found herself opposite another Queen of Hollywood - Rock Hudson! She played a society widow in "All That Heaven Allows" who falls in love with her beefcake gardener (Hudson) and also in "Magnificent Obsession"
Fast forward nearly 30 years. Both actresses have been semi retired for a while. Jane gets a call and signs on for a new super soap in the same vein as "Dynasty" and "Dallas". She's the matriarch of a wealthy vineyard and Tuscany Valley who causes havoc for everyone as evil Angela Channing in "Falcon Crest". Armed with dimples and a poodle perm, Angela and Jane sparked the screen to show that even pensioners could double deal and backstab as well as JR and Alexis. Ratings were alright but nothing to shout about so producers lured her old rival from the Golden Age of Hollywood to the show to guest star, none other than Miss Lana Turner!
Lana joined as Jacqueline Perrault, the old rival (surprise surprise) to Angela who proved to be a thorn in Miss Channing's side. Lana and Jane didn't get on at all. Jane didn't like the feeling of being backstabbed, Lana wasn't the star of the show and wasn't happy. Being Jane's ship she was friendlier with the crew and couldn't abide Lana's lateness and forgetting lines. Lana refused to deal with Jane and Jane refused to deal with Lana off set at all such was the rivalry. Reportedly tension was so bad that producers scheduled their scenes on separate days and if they were in a scene together it would have to be spliced together after shooting because after the initial few episodes they didn't work together!
At the end of Season 2, Jane cracked the whip and gave an ultimatum - either Lana Turner goes or I go - You can't have both! Producers heeded her threat and at the beginning of Season 2, Lana's character, Jacqueline, was killed off leaving Jane - like her alter ego Angela Channing - to rule the roost at Falcon Crest for nearly a decade!
Now that's just fabulous!
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