I was a young child back in the early 80’s, just hit my teens. My mother had just had her youngest child, my baby sister, and worked sporadically. During the summer, or on those days you stayed home from school ‘sick’, there were a few things certain to happen through the day. Price is Right at 10 or 11 am, my memory has faded enough that I do not recall properly (RIP Bob Barker), and 1pm when Days of our Lives came on. Always, without fail, the television had those shows on, often to the point my mother would take an hour break from house work, cooking, etc. I would join watching DooL, as usually lunch was made. While my eternal favorite will always be Hope Brady (aka, Catherine Mary Stewart), Calliope made the show fun for me. Arleen Sorkin had a screen presence that was just invigorating.
On screen, her character would eventually marry Eugene Bradford, played by none of than Q of Star Trek Fame, John de Lancie. Those two when the appeared on an episode made you become fully aware that something entertaining and fun was about to happen. They were a hit with Soap Opera Digest as well, something that seemed to be littered across the coffee table and end tables.
It was this zaniness that would lead to one of DC’s’ most memorable characters ever. 8 Years after first appearing on Days of our lives, a legend was born, Dr. Harleen Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn.
It took me a few episodes to finally sit through the credits of Batman: The Animated Series when I realized that voice, that voice that would echo in my ears “MR. J”, was none other than Calliope Jones-Bradford.
Yes, not only was she the voice, but her clown persona on Days of our Lives was the inspiration in general for the character.
The mannerism she showed physically transformed through her voice to make, in my opinion, the second most iconic voice in Batman Animation. (Kevin Conroy will always be my favorite).
Through different Batman series, movies, video games, until 2012, Arleen “Harley Quinn” Sorkin, shone a bright as the batsignal.
And I am man enough to admit, there were times when she would call the Joker “Mr. J”, I wish it was me.
~Jeff