In the mid-1970s, an informal federation of Hollywood soap opera queens, called the "Ladies of the Day," met for occasional lunchtime gabfests. The photo above is from one of those lunches. Reprinted in the May 22, 1976 issue of TV Guide ("Love of Lunch [a continuing saga]"), one of the legendary actresses pictured is celebrating a birthday today.
Jeanne Cooper (October 25, 1928 – May 8, 2013)
Ms. Cooper played Katherine Chancellor on CBS' The Young and the Restless from 1973-2013. At the time of the lunch, Kay was a bored, widowed, filthy rich drunk being tortured by her late husband's lover. Ms. Cooper complained about the salary of soap stars at the time ($400-3,500 a week). During her run on the show, she was nominated 10 times for a Daytime Emmy Award for her performance (winning in 2008), and received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.
