A spring '81 chat with Jane.

[Jock Og]

The chat starts with the attempted assassination on her ex husband Ronald Reagan and then Maureen is mentioned. The Vintage Years, The Blue Veil and All That Heaven Allows are discussed.

Angela and Chase (portrayed by Clu Gulager) are in the winery. They are discussing the future; (a scene from 'The Vintage Years', 1981):

Angela: "Even I can't keep going on forever. Someone has to take over in time."

Chase: "What about Lance? I thought you had chosen Lance."

Angela: "That's my mistake!" She then speaks to one of the winery workers: "I want those Cabernet barrels topped today!"

Angela: "Chase I want your son. I want him consumed with this land and everything it produces. Now I'm beholden to no one in this world but I would be in your debt if you could grant me this favour."

Chase: "Sorry Angie but no ........ "

Will Chase live to regret this?

 

[Julia's Gun]

This is quite a find. It's so rare that Jane would speak publicly about Reagan, but I suppose she was compelled to do so here after that assassination attempt.

Incidentally, I watched The Vintage Years pilot online just last night by coincidence - it was retooled a lot before it became episode 1: 'In His Father's House' - poor Emma isn't even seen in the pilot, she just screams from the attic! There were quite a few changes made from Earl Hamner's early script.

 

[Chloe-Fusco]

This is quite a find. It's so rare that Jane would speak publicly about Reagan, but I suppose she was compelled to do so here after that assassination attempt.

Incidentally, I watched The Vintage Years pilot online just last night by coincidence - it was retooled a lot before it became episode 1: 'In His Father's House' - poor Emma isn't even seen in the pilot, she just screams from the attic! There were quite a few changes made from Earl Hamner's early script.

The Vintage Years episode was actually similar in parts to episode 4, of the series proper.

 

[Arlene Halloran]

I got a surprise when I saw Angie on a horse in the pilot. Not something that ever happened in FC.

 

[Caryscott]

I got a surprise when I saw Angie on a horse in the pilot. Not something that ever happened in FC.

I have never seen Jane Wyman’s westerns, I wonder if she rode in either of them? Reagan’s Yearling Row ranch is post their divorce so I doubt she rode with him but maybe. Her early penchant for make-up and costume jewelry didn’t seem to stick. Could just be studio publicity but there are lots of references to her playing tennis and golf as well as pics of her by or in the water. She doesn’t really project an outdoorsy image but she lived in Newport Beach and Pebble Beach for significant periods from the late fifties until the late seventies. While neither is exactly rural she clearly liked to be outdoors adjacent.

 

[Caryscott]

The chat starts with the attempted assassination on her ex husband Ronald Reagan and then Maureen is mentioned. The Vintage Years, The Blue Veil and All That Heaven Allows are discussed.

Angela and Chase (portrayed by Clu Gulager) are in the winery. They are discussing the future; (a scene from 'The Vintage Years', 1981):

Angela: "Even I can't keep going on forever. Someone has to take over in time."

Chase: "What about Lance? I thought you had chosen Lance."

Angela: "That's my mistake!" She then speaks to one of the winery workers: "I want those Cabernet barrels topped today!"

Angela: "Chase I want your son. I want him consumed with this land and everything it produces. Now I'm beholden to no one in this world but I would be in your debt if you could grant me this favour."

Chase: "Sorry Angie but no ........ "

Will Chase live to regret this?

When you consider that her mainstay quote about it being bad taste to discuss ex’s comes from an interview where she openly discusses him I don’t think this is all that surprising. I take her at her word about it being bad taste and both she and Reagan were always dancing around the Nancy landmine and not wanting to set that off. Her brittleness really seems to be about the 1982 McCall’s piece where she was referred to as the first Mrs. Ronald Reagan not Reagan himself. When she says in the 89 Vanity Fair profile she doesn’t have to be referred to as that, I think that is what she is referring to. She has a point, she had a distinguished career and wealth that she achieved completely independent of him. Their divorce was more than 30+ years ago by 1981 and she hadn’t been anyone’s wife in 15+ years. She seems pretty affable in most of her tv interviews. Hopefully the ones with Merv Griffin will surface at some point.

 

[Chloe-Fusco]

Michael Reagan (adopted son) also starred in FC a couple of times. He had a part in Angela's Del Oro.

 

[Toni]

Another potential subject for another Feud season, along with the de Havilland -Fontaine sisters... Wyman v the Reagans, starring Sarah Paulson as Janie and Leslie Grossman as Nancy. Reagan played by Murphy's latest gigolo. All in 50s-60s eras...

 

[Caryscott]

Another potential subject for another Feud season, along with the de Havilland -Fontaine sisters... Wyman v the Reagans, starring Sarah Paulson as Janie and Leslie Grossman as Nancy. Reagan played by Murphy's latest gigolo. All in 50s-60s eras...

Agreed as long as they avoid the dull stereotypes of Reagan biographers. The homemaker vs career woman trope they try to push is so not the story. Reagan had a type to be sure. Both had complicated relationships with their children and no discernible domestic skills. Both were raised by someone other than their biological parents. I think maybe a bit of the 80’s to at least frame the 50’s to 60’s focus. One made devoted wife into a career and the other wasn’t the “permanent marrying kind” as she herself put it. Would be a great counter programming for this summer’s Reagan hagiography movie which made them both out to be one dimensional.