Thursday, June 25, 1970, was known as "TV Guide Day," as the cast and crew were accompanied by east coast picture editor Susan Ludel and a TV Guide photographer as they filmed in both Salem at The House of the Seven Gables and once again on Stacy Blvd. in Gloucester.

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As described by Executive Producer Harry Ackerman, who was also present in Salem, the day did not end on a positive note.

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Each evening, when returning to accommodations at the Hawthorne Hotel (then known as the Hawthorne Motor Inn), they would encounter hundreds fans waiting to get a glimpse of Elizabeth. Because of this, she would have to be slipped into the hotel by various means to avoid the crowds, most often unsuccessfully.

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On this day, it was requested by Ms. Ludel that she be delivered to the front entrance, with the fans knowledge, so that the TV Guide photographer could cover the arrival.

Ms. Ludel was informed by Ackerman that they would be shooting in Gloucester until about 8:00pm and to expect the arrival at the hotel at about 8:30pm.

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According to plan, the limousine carrying Elizabeth, Bill Asher, Dick Sargent and Ackerman approached the hotel at almost exactly 8:30pm. Massed in the street were 600 or 700 people and the limo couldn't even get to the curb before it was engulfed with people, "crawling on the hood and everywhere."

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Once Elizabeth was out of the car, she tried to accommodate the people nearest her with photographs, and the police tried to clear an area for picture taking, but the crush was too great and they all had to fight their way into the hotel.

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Inside the hotel lobby, which was also crowded with people, Ackerman was informed that police officers were put on extra duty and stationed around the hotel, and National Guardsmen were stationed on a side street nearby.

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There was only one thing missing. Sue Luddel and the TV Guide photographer. They had already returned to New York.

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Due to the fact that unnecessary extra police officers and the National Guard had been recruited for this "staged" performance devised by Ms. Ludel, Elizabeth felt obligated to post herself in an upstairs window of the hotel, answering questions on a bullhorn and posing for pictures.

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This went on for over two hours without a break, finally having dinner at about 11:30pm after being up since 5:00am, and having to rise at 5:00am the next morning.

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There were also "certain witch-type signs" that were made to be used in the filming, and Ms. Ludel requested that they be delivered to the hotel to be photographed.

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Because they were not scheduled to be delivered by truck until the next morning, the carpenter personally drove them to the hotel that evening, so not to cause any delay for Ms. Ludel, and Ackerman advised her that it would be at least 9:00pm before they could get the shots of Elizabeth and the signs. At that point, she stated that she would plan on leaving to return to New York at about 10:00pm.

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Upon being contacted by a Screen Gems executive, Ms. Ludel stated that she had asked "some member of the crew" to call her at the hotel when they were on the way back to Salem, and when she hadn't heard anything by 7:15pm, took off back to New York.

Ackerman did not accept that information, noting that Ms. Ludel did not bother to leave a note for them, and had not made an attempt to contact them to call off the picture-taking event. He also noted that upon checking with hotel records, she had checked out of the hotel at 5:10pm.

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A two page article titled "Samantha Goes Home" appeared in the September 5-11, 1970 issue of TV Guide. It includes photos taken on the morning of June 25th at The House of the Seven Gables, but no author is credited for the article.

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Susan Ludel passed away July 18, 1999 at the age of 56.

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