Duo that created the famous “General Hospital” supercouple “Luke and Laura”

Port Charles, NY, supercouple Luke and Laura and this controversial episode.

Every episode of the soap opera General Hospital that I watched for over four decades. I got hooked in high school and watched it daily into my forties until the storylines became beyond ridiculous.

In its heyday, GH (which first aired in 1963) was the cream of the crop and was watched all over the world by people like me who couldn’t get enough of it.

But later, as I grew older, life got in the way: pets had to be fed, a living had to be earned, and laundry took priority.

I fondly remember those days when I would be transported to another world and then left with a cliffhanger until the next day. Oh, to be a writer on the show and create characters that the audience would love…

Interestingly, I recently learned that the soap opera actually starred a married couple – Irving Stanton Elman and Mildred “Tex” Elman.

The Elmans achieved their greatest successes together in daytime television, particularly in their work on “GH” (1977) and “Search for Tomorrow” (1976–1977).

One of their most iconic storylines was, of course, the legendary romance between characters Luke Spencer and Laura Webber on GH, which captivated audiences everywhere. It is still considered one of the most memorable and beloved stories in soap opera history. The Elmans’ development of these characters played a key role in putting the soap opera back on the map after years of poor ratings.

Sadly, Irving, who was 96 years old, died of cardiac arrest on November 22, 2011 in La Jolla, while Mildred died of multiple organ failure on May 10, 2006 at the age of 85 at UCLA-Santa Monica Hospital.

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Irving was born on June 28, 1915, in Patterson, New Jersey, to Hinde Nirenberg and Joseph Jacob Elman.

Before he entered the soaps, three of his plays were performed on Broadway: The First Million (1943), The Brass Ring (1952) and Uncle Willie (1957). The latter, a Bronx-set comedy he wrote with Julie Berns, was the most successful play, running for 141 performances.

His other plays include “Tevye’s Daughters,” an adaptation of the stories by Sholem Aleichem, written a decade and a half before “Anatevka.”

In the 1940s, Irving Elman devoted himself to screenwriting and wrote the screenplays for eight films, including “Accomplice,” “Strange Journey,” “Backlash,” “Jewels of Brandenburg,” “The Crimson Key,” “Roses Are Red,” “13 Lead Soldiers,” and “Challenge.”

He also wrote for television, beginning in the early days of live television; his works include “Hallmark Hall of Fame,” “Studio One,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “The Brannagan Brothers,” “The Verdict Is Yours” and “The Eleventh Hour.”

MRS ELMAN

Mildred was also a screenwriter and English teacher at Santa Monica College and lived in Pacific Palisades. She was born in Houston on January 18, 1921. As mentioned, she was co-head writer of “GH” and “Search for Tomorrow.”

She has also written screenplays for the television series “The Eleventh Hour”, “The Brothers Brannagan”, “True Story”, “The Verdict Is Yours” and the screenplay for the Israeli feature film “Redemption”.

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Irving Elman also produced five television series about doctors: “The Eleventh Hour” and “Ben Casey,” “Western High Chaparral,” the political drama “Slattery’s People” (for which he received two Emmy nominations in 1966), and “Matt Lincoln,” about a psychiatrist. Elman also produced the television series “The Cliffdwellers” and “Roaring Camp.”

In his later years he wrote five published books: So, You Want to Be a Scriptwriter, Make a Million Dollars?, Abe Lincoln’s Doctor’s Dog, Bells on Her Toes, A Tango in Time and Sherlock Holmes: The Naked Truth.

Numerous awards

In addition to his many accomplishments, Irving has received numerous awards and nominations throughout his career, including:

• Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Drama Series for “General Hospital.”

• Soap Opera Digest Awards for Outstanding Drama Series for “General Hospital.”

• Additional industry awards recognize his contributions to film and television production.
The couple were married for 60 years and are survived by their sons Jeffrey, a professor of cognitive science at UC San Diego, and Corey, a ceramics designer who lives in Long Beach, as well as their grandchildren Emily and Jeremy and their sister Ava Jean Mears of Houston, according to an obituary at the time of death.