Stu Bergman
Encyclopedia
Stu Bergman was a fictional character
in the now-cancelled American
soap opera
, Search for Tomorrow
. The part was played for almost all of the show's 35 years by the late Larry Haines
.
(Melba Rae
), and his children Janet
and later, their son, Tommy (played famously by John James
and Robert LuPone).
They were next-door neighbors and best friends of the recently widowed Joanne Gardner
. The Bergmans always were able to bring a smile to Jo's face, whenever she needed their advice, or good cheer.
Just as Jo and Marge were best friends, their daughters, Janet and Patti
, also became best friends. Stu and Marge were together for almost twenty years when in 1971, she died. (Since actress Melba Rae
, who played Marge had just died too, the character was not recast).
Because the house had too many memories of Marge, Stu and Tommy moved in with Janet and her new husband, Wade Collins (John Cunningham). Jo and Stu remained best friends and cronies afterwards.
Stu eventually got over his grief for Marge and married a woman named Ellie Harper (Billie Lou Watt
). She proved to be a great wife to Stu for a long time, but she eventually ran off with the temperamental chef at the Hartford House, the inn that he and Jo ran together. He had enjoyed a relationship with one Dr. Barbara Moreno (Olympia Dukakis
) for a time, since he was friends with her son, Joshua & daughter, Angela. Much later, he had a romance with a songstress named Wilma Holliday (Anita Gillette
) but that ended when she went back to her husband David Glenn (Jack Betts
).
Stu and Jo were related as her father, Frank Gardner, had married his widowed mother. They were step-siblings, but they truly cared for one another. He was also the grandfather of Gary Walton (Rick Lohman); Liza Walton Sentell
; and Danny Walton (Cain DeVore); their father was the late Dr. Dan Walton, Janet's third husband. During the Travis and Liza storyline, Stu was tied into it, as Liza was his granddaughter; and Martin Tourneur, Travis
's uncle was married to Jo.
In 1985, several things happened to Stu: he, Jo and Sarah, Jo's granddaughter opened up a bed and breakfast building called The Caldwell House. His grandson Danny Walton (John Loprieno) came back to Henderson from California. Stu was a victim of the "Henderson Serial Killer"; he fell down the stairs, but he survived the latest attack from the killer. He was very lucky to have survived because the killer had already killed Sarah Whitting, Jo's granddaughter and was going to kill Stephanie Wyatt in February 1986.
In January of 1986, Stu decided to go on vacation to Florida, where his relatives were at the time. But a few weeks later (that February) he came back when the town was washed away in a flood that nearly destroyed Henderson. The flood had washed away many buildings & many survived the flood but many others were missing or were dead. The Caldwell House suffered damage but was still intact; Stu then was concerned when he realized that Liza, Lloyd, The Kendalls and Danny were all missing. He eventually was reunited with all of them and was devastated to learn that Liza was about to separate with Lloyd, who has gone back to his ex-wife, Estelle. He also learned that Al Miller the person who was helping out Jo, decided to leave town for good and gave an offer to Jo that she couldn't refuse. Then, he and Jo decided not to have the Caldwell House anymore - instead they created another new bed-and-breakfast (replacing Caldwell House) with "Liberty House".
In the last episode, after Stu and Jo had been at her daughter Patti's wedding to Hogan McCleary, Jo was looking up at the sky, and Stu, who had been through it all with Jo, asked what she was searching for. She replied, "Tomorrow, and I can't wait!" Then the two long-time best friends hugged.
During his time on Search for Tomorrow, Larry Haines, who played Stu, teamed up again with Rick Lohman, who played his grandson, Gary Walton, to play in-laws on the short lived sitcom, Phyl and Mikhy.
Larry played the father in-law, Max Wilson, a University track coach, and Rick played Mikhail "Mikhy" Orloff, a track star from Russia who was married his daughter, Phyllis (Murphy Cross). The language barrier was bad for Mikhy, who, unfortunately for him, his Russian accent made the word "Dad" sound like "dead", to Max's dismay.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the now-cancelled American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow is an American soap opera which premiered on September 3, 1951 on CBS. The show was moved from CBS to NBC on March 29, 1982. It continued on NBC until the final episode aired on December 26, 1986, a run of thirty-five years. At the time of its final broadcast it was the...
. The part was played for almost all of the show's 35 years by the late Larry Haines
Larry Haines
Larry Haines, born Larry Hecht was an American actor. He was born in Mount Vernon, New York.-Biography:He was born on August 3, 1918....
.
Jo's best friend
Stu lived in the fictional community of Henderson with his wife, MargeMarge Bergman
Marge Bergman was a character in the now-cancelled American soap opera Search for Tomorrow. She was played by actress Melba Rae until her death in 1971....
(Melba Rae
Melba Rae
Melba Rae was an American soap opera actress.-Career:Rae was a key figure in early daytime television, playing the wife of the couple next door on Search for Tomorrow for 20 years — from its inception in 1951 until her untimely death of a cerebral hemorrhage...
), and his children Janet
Janet Bergman Collins
Janet Gardner Walton Collins is a fictional character in the now-defunct American soap opera, Search for Tomorrow. She was played by several actresses including actresses Ellen Spencer, who originated the role in 1951, and Fran Sharon, but actress Millee Taggart is most identified in the role...
and later, their son, Tommy (played famously by John James
John James (actor)
John James Anderson is an American actor, best known to television audiences for playing the character of Jeff Colby in both the prime-time soap opera Dynasty and its spin-off series The Colbys throughout the 1980s....
and Robert LuPone).
They were next-door neighbors and best friends of the recently widowed Joanne Gardner
Joanne Gardner
Joanne Gardner was the main character on the long-running soap opera Search for Tomorrow. For 35 years, the role was played by actress Mary Stuart...
. The Bergmans always were able to bring a smile to Jo's face, whenever she needed their advice, or good cheer.
Just as Jo and Marge were best friends, their daughters, Janet and Patti
Patti Tate
Patricia Tate Whiting McCleary , often called Patti Tate, was a fictional character on the now-cancelled American soap opera Search for Tomorrow...
, also became best friends. Stu and Marge were together for almost twenty years when in 1971, she died. (Since actress Melba Rae
Melba Rae
Melba Rae was an American soap opera actress.-Career:Rae was a key figure in early daytime television, playing the wife of the couple next door on Search for Tomorrow for 20 years — from its inception in 1951 until her untimely death of a cerebral hemorrhage...
, who played Marge had just died too, the character was not recast).
Because the house had too many memories of Marge, Stu and Tommy moved in with Janet and her new husband, Wade Collins (John Cunningham). Jo and Stu remained best friends and cronies afterwards.
Stu eventually got over his grief for Marge and married a woman named Ellie Harper (Billie Lou Watt
Billie Lou Watt
Billie Lou Watt was an actress in theater and television, including several voice acting roles for commercials and animated series...
). She proved to be a great wife to Stu for a long time, but she eventually ran off with the temperamental chef at the Hartford House, the inn that he and Jo ran together. He had enjoyed a relationship with one Dr. Barbara Moreno (Olympia Dukakis
Olympia Dukakis
Olympia Dukakis is an American actress. In 1987, she won an Academy Award, BAFTA, and a Golden Globe for her performance in Moonstruck...
) for a time, since he was friends with her son, Joshua & daughter, Angela. Much later, he had a romance with a songstress named Wilma Holliday (Anita Gillette
Anita Gillette
Anita Gillette is an American actress, most notable for her work on Broadway and as a celebrity guest on various game shows....
) but that ended when she went back to her husband David Glenn (Jack Betts
Jack Betts
Jack Richard Nelson Betts , also credited as Hunt Powers, is an American actor of film, stage, and television. A graduate of the Actors Studio, he started his career as a leading man in spaghetti westerns, before taking a career in supporting roles in American films.-Filmography:-External links:...
).
Stu and Jo were related as her father, Frank Gardner, had married his widowed mother. They were step-siblings, but they truly cared for one another. He was also the grandfather of Gary Walton (Rick Lohman); Liza Walton Sentell
Liza Walton Sentell
Liza Kaslo Sentell was a fictional character on the now cancelled American Soap opera, Search for Tomorrow. She was played, most notably, by Kathleen Beller; actress and writer, Meg Bennett; the late actress Sherry Mathis, who was most identified in the role; and Louan Gideon, who played her to...
; and Danny Walton (Cain DeVore); their father was the late Dr. Dan Walton, Janet's third husband. During the Travis and Liza storyline, Stu was tied into it, as Liza was his granddaughter; and Martin Tourneur, Travis
Travis Sentell
Rusty "Travis" Tourneur Sentell, Jr. was a character in the now-cancelled American soap opera, Search for Tomorrow. He was played by actor Rod Arrants.Travis was the son of Rusty Sentell, Senior and his wife, Mignon...
's uncle was married to Jo.
In 1985, several things happened to Stu: he, Jo and Sarah, Jo's granddaughter opened up a bed and breakfast building called The Caldwell House. His grandson Danny Walton (John Loprieno) came back to Henderson from California. Stu was a victim of the "Henderson Serial Killer"; he fell down the stairs, but he survived the latest attack from the killer. He was very lucky to have survived because the killer had already killed Sarah Whitting, Jo's granddaughter and was going to kill Stephanie Wyatt in February 1986.
In January of 1986, Stu decided to go on vacation to Florida, where his relatives were at the time. But a few weeks later (that February) he came back when the town was washed away in a flood that nearly destroyed Henderson. The flood had washed away many buildings & many survived the flood but many others were missing or were dead. The Caldwell House suffered damage but was still intact; Stu then was concerned when he realized that Liza, Lloyd, The Kendalls and Danny were all missing. He eventually was reunited with all of them and was devastated to learn that Liza was about to separate with Lloyd, who has gone back to his ex-wife, Estelle. He also learned that Al Miller the person who was helping out Jo, decided to leave town for good and gave an offer to Jo that she couldn't refuse. Then, he and Jo decided not to have the Caldwell House anymore - instead they created another new bed-and-breakfast (replacing Caldwell House) with "Liberty House".
In the last episode, after Stu and Jo had been at her daughter Patti's wedding to Hogan McCleary, Jo was looking up at the sky, and Stu, who had been through it all with Jo, asked what she was searching for. She replied, "Tomorrow, and I can't wait!" Then the two long-time best friends hugged.
During his time on Search for Tomorrow, Larry Haines, who played Stu, teamed up again with Rick Lohman, who played his grandson, Gary Walton, to play in-laws on the short lived sitcom, Phyl and Mikhy.
Larry played the father in-law, Max Wilson, a University track coach, and Rick played Mikhail "Mikhy" Orloff, a track star from Russia who was married his daughter, Phyllis (Murphy Cross). The language barrier was bad for Mikhy, who, unfortunately for him, his Russian accent made the word "Dad" sound like "dead", to Max's dismay.