Vivian Carlson

Vivian Carlson was a character in the now-defunct American Soap Opera. Love of Life. She was played from 1959 through 1971 by actress Helene Dumas.

Interfering in-law

Vivian was the former mother in-law of Bruce Sterling. He was married to her daughter, Gaye, and from that union bore two children, Barbara and Alan (or so was thought at the time).

Vivian was a dominating woman, and because she was one of the wealthiest people in Rosehill, New York, she was able to spoil her grandchildren. She thought that her daughter was a saint, and as such, erected a shrine to her, after her untimely death in a car accident.

When Vanessa Dale met and married Bruce, some time after Gaye's death, Vivian was appalled. She had felt that Bruce was wrong in marrying someone new so soon after her daughter's death. With that in mind, she tried to sue Bruce for custody of her grandchildren, it failed miserably. However, her husband, Henry Carlson, whom she dominated with relish, grew to like Vanessa. As did her grandson, Alan, who missed having a mother figure after Gaye's death.

Barbara however, like her grandmother, had no liking for her stepmother, after she told Bruce about an attempted elopement with a doctor that she wanted to marry. However, things would get worse. It was discovered that the headmaster of Winfield Academy, where Bruce taught, had slept with Gaye Carlson Sterling, who was anything but a saint; resulting in Alan's birth. Van had found out and kept the findings a secret, because she didn't want anyone to have their feelings hurt.

However the headmaster, who was feuding with Bruce, exposed the dirty secret, and both Carlsons found out. Upon discovery that her sainted daughter was nothing of the kind, Vivian had a very emotional breakdown. The one person who stayed by her through all the dark hours was Vanessa, the woman she hated for taking Gaye's place in Bruce's heart. When she got a grip on herself, Vivian found out that she was indeed grateful for Vanessa's unconditional support, given all that she had done to her, and the two women became friends.

Vivian stayed around for a while, but wasn't mentioned much after 1971.