Pat Falken Smith

Patricia Falken Smith (January 21, 1926 – May 19, 2001) was a television writer, best known for her stints as head writer of several soap operas, including General Hospital and Days of Our Lives.

Positions held

Days of Our Lives

• Head Writer: May 1975 - April 19, 1977, October 21, 1981 - April 16, 1982
• Script Writer: 1966, 1968-1971, 1972-1975
• Story Consultant: 1987-1988

General Hospital

• Head Writer: 1979-1981, 1985-1986, 1988-1989

Guiding Light

• Head Writer: 1982-1983

Ryan's Hope

• Co-Head Writer: 1983-1985

Career

Smith served as the Head Writer for Days of our Lives from 1975 - 1977, where she earned a salary of $285,000 a year, considered very high for that time, which included $35,000 just for "thinking creatively."[1] She won the "Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series" Daytime Emmy Award for Days of our Lives in 1976 and 1977. She returned to Days of our Lives in 1981 where she introduced the Brady and DiMera families.

Smith was hired by Gloria Monty to head write ABC Daytime's General Hospital from 1979 - 1981 and she is credited with taking the show to the top of the soap ratings. Smith was reported to be the highest paid writer in broadcasting history when she left General Hospital in 1981, at $1 million per year.[2]

Then Smith went to Guiding Light in 1982, where she served as Head Writer for less than 13 weeks.[3] She went on to serve as Head Writer of Ryan's Hope before returning as Head Writer of General Hospital two more times in the 1980s. (1985-1986, 1988-1989). She died in Los Angeles, on May 19, 2001, aged 75.

Awards and nominations

Daytime Emmy Awards

WINS

• (1976; Best Writing; Days of Our Lives)

NOMINATIONS

• (1975, 1977 & 1978; Best Writing; Days of Our Lives)
• (1981 & 1986; Best Writing; General Hospital)

Writers Guild of America Award

NOMINATIONS

• (1975, 1976, 1977 & 1978 seasons; Days of Our Lives)

Notes and references

1. TIME, Sex and Suffering in the Afternoon, January 12, 1976.
2. Allen, Robert C. (1985). Speaking of Soap Operas, p.49, UNC Press, ISBN 0-8078-4129-3
3. Allen, Robert C. (1985). Speaking of Soap Operas, p.53, UNC Press, ISBN 0-8078-4129-3

External links

• Patricia Falken Smith on IMDb
• Obituary for Pat Falken Smith on SoapCentral
• Genie Francis

Preceded by William J. Bell	Head Writer of Days of Our Lives 1975 - 1977	Succeeded by Ann Marcus
Preceded by Douglas Marland	Head Writer of General Hospital 1979 - 1981 1985 - 1986 1988 - 1989	Succeeded by Robert J. Shaw
Preceded by Gary Tomlin Michelle Poteet Lisanti	Head Writer of Days of Our Lives 1981 - 1982	Succeeded by Margaret DePriest Sheri Anderson
Preceded by Douglas Marland	Head Writer of Guiding Light 1982	Succeeded by L. Virginia Browne Gene Palumbo
Preceded by Claire Labine Paul Avila Mayer	Head Writer of Ryan's Hope (with James E. Reilly) December 1983 - February 1985	Succeeded by Millee Taggart Tom King