Dallas Actors Morgan Fairchild vs Lorimar

[Presea]

I saw Morgan on a TV talk show, I think TONIGHT with either Carson or Rivers, in 1984 after Presley had started playing Jenna. Morgan said they'd asked her to come back, and that her mother almost had a heart attack when she heard about the salary offer that Fairchild had turned down. But Morgan said she "intuitively" knew that returning to DALLAS was the wrong thing to do.

The next year, of course, she went to FALCON CREST for drab, cluttered Season 5.

I don't know. Presley seemed okay in her first year, but her performance went down hill after that...

I do know that the earlier Fairchild version of the character -- scheming and moneyhungry -- wouldn't have worked with the later, smugger Bobby; he wouldn't have accepted anybody less docile than Priscilla by that point.

I actually liked Priscilla Presley's Jenna in her first season, and found myself genuinely interested in her story with Bobby. But once season 8 (dvd) hit, she just became an insufferable, whiny wuss. Even worse, it seemed like it was always "Save Jenna Time", and I hated how almost all of the other characters put her up on a freakin' pedestal all of the time. Especially JR and his creepy little obsession with her. It was as if they believed that the world itself would end if Jenna was not happy. Quite a difference from how they talked about Jenna #1 at the dinner table back in season 2 (dvd). "The way she bounces from man to man." Funny how they all forgot about that. But personally, I would have liked it better if Bobby had been with Morgan Fairchild's version of Jenna. But like you pretty much said, Bobby was too high and mighty for her. Dallas writers had a really sexist view about women. In their minds, if a female character was too "bad", they simply didn't deserve a Ewing man, or maybe any other man, either. Funny how that rule didn't apply to the men, though.

 

[tommie]

i liked Morgan Fairchild as a one off Jenna, but i think if she had been back for longer she would have been a hateful vindictive kath Wentworth type of Jenna

Oh, I don't *think* they would've had to write Jenna that way - she was Bobby's first love after all and there was a reason he fell in love with her.

However, Dallas writers had issues with nuances so it would've probably either been Evil Nasty Jenna or Sugar Jenna. No in between (which is the more interesting option...)

 

[Presea]

Somehow I just can't imagine Morgan's "Jenna" as Bobby's first love. Priscilla, yes, and she had that Southfork quality that the others hadn't (imho).
But maybe she wasn't experienced enough for the really dramatic scenes?

And what, pray tell, is this "Southfork quality" that you speak of? In Jenna #3's case, I'm going to assume that you are referring to incessant whining and wimpiness.

 

[Seaviewer]

i always thought that not in a million years would a young Bobby Ewing go out with a bland Francine Tacker Jenna, so insipid, lank hair with split ends! and not too pretty
I always remember a friend saying jamie was too ugly to be a Ewing lol I felt the same re Francine, a plain Jane
if it was post Pam yes as he went out with just about anyone who had a pulse

I agree that Tacker was the least memorable Jenna but she was excellent in the Paper Chase TV series. A matter of matching the right actor to the right role.

 

[Luke_Krebbs_Ewing]

Morgan was the best Jenna I wish she had played her during Priscilla's stint.

Especially as Presley can't act for toffee.

She's too wooden & that plastic expression on her face never did the character any favours.

 

[Rove]

I actually liked Priscilla Presley's Jenna in her first season, and found myself genuinely interested in her story with Bobby. But once season 8 (dvd) hit, she just became an insufferable, whiny wuss.

I to liked Priscilla's introduction. There was a softness to her which I believed suited the role of Bobby's first love. I may be one of the few but I detected real chemistry between Priscilla and Patrick which surprised me because I thought he only had that with Victoria. The problem began when the writers put Priscilla's acting under the microscope and her shortcomings were on full display. Pity really because the only threat to Pam was Jenna.

 

[Barbara Fan]

I agree @Rove
I think pat d and PP had great chemistry and worked well together especially in her first 2 years on the show during S6/7
I was lucky to meet her on the Dallas set and they were filming s6, ep 10
A scene at the oil barons club where Bobby invites her to the OBB
I was struck by her beauty, she was stunning, exquisite skin, stunning eyes and could see why elvis fell for her
By the end tho, they changed her character, paired her with Ray which was wrong, and a lack of depth in her acting was apparent
I still enjoyed her on Dallas tho

 

[TJames03]

Even at her prime I don't see how Fairchild got work. Tacker was NOT Jenna, though. PBP was......mediocre in the beginning and spiraled down extremely fast and I don't see how she managed to remain on the show for so long.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I actually liked Priscilla Presley's Jenna in her first season, and found myself genuinely interested in her story with Bobby.

Agreed.

Even at her prime I don't see how Fairchild got work. Tacker was NOT Jenna, though. PBP was......mediocre in the beginning and spiraled down extremely fast and I don't see how she managed to remain on the show for so long.

Fairchild was a little stiff in her youth, but was always a better comic actress than a dramatic one.