Five Things That Happened On February 3 In Soap History

In 1950, Charita Bauer (pictured with Theo Goetz as Papa Bauer) began her Guiding Light run as Bert Bauer. She assumed the role from Ann Shepard, who was Bert from 1949-50. Bauer would go on to play the role until her death in 1985 at the age of 62 (Bert's demise was subsequently scripted in 1986). A native of Newark, NJ, Bauer began her performing arts career in her youth and made her Broadway debut in 1933, in Thunder on the Left.

In 1987, Wally Kurth began his run as Days of Our Lives's Justin Kiriakis. In 2015, the actor recalled to Soap Opera Digest, "I got the job in January. Over the Christmas holiday, I meditated a lot and I remember thinking, ‘The next auditon I get, I am going to book it. It’s mine.’ So when I then got an audition for a soap opera, I was like, ‘Oh, jeez, I guess I’m gonna be doing a soap opera!’ That’s how cocky I was.” He noted of his audition, "[Producer] Shelley Curtis was really looking out for me. She took me to her barber, she got me to lose a few pounds and she put me in Days of Our Lives wardrobe for the test. Al Rabin, may he rest in peace, told me years later, ‘You know, Wally, the thing I remember most about casting you in this role is that you played the pirate king on Broadway [in The Pirates of Penzance]. That really meant something to me.’ I thought that was interesting because he never told me that before and I always thought that my Broadway credit really would’ve meant nothing out in Hollywood.”

In 2003, One Life to Live's Blair Cramer (Kassie DePaiva) was on the verge of remarrying Todd Manning (Roger Howarth) at the penthouse in a ceremony officiated by Rev. Andrew Carpenter (Wortham Krimmer) when Sam Rappaport burst in with Suzanne, the former nanny to Todd and Blair's young children, Starr and Jack. The significance? Todd had faked Suzanne's death to convince Blair that she was in grave danger from a hit man, which led her to hiding out with Todd. While sharing close quarters, Blair had rediscovered her love for her former husband and accepted his marriage proposal. Suzanne turning up alive revealed to Blair that Todd had been deceiving her in an effort to win her back. She promptly called off the nuptials, moved out and ordered Todd to stay away from her and the kids.

In 2010, the legendary Frances Reid (ex-Alice) passed away. An original cast member of Days of Our Lives, she played Alice from 1965-2007. Reid received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. Praised Deidre Hall (Marlena) to Digest in 2015 of her longtime co-star, “She was an activist, she was a fire starter, she was a rabblerouser with the sweetest smile and the sparkliest, twinkliest eyes. If you wanted something done, you went to Frances."

In 2017, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Franco Baldwin (Roger Howarth) made love for the first time after Liz told Franco that she loved him (also for the first time). In her bedroom, he voiced his concerns about what other people would say if they were to make their relationship official, but she waved away his worry. "This is, um, a mutual thing, right? I love you, and you love me," she said. He responded, "Um, I'm not sure — did I say that?" She teased back, "Oh, you — yes, you did. A while ago, in fact. And just a few minutes ago." The episode ended with a love scene.