By Ann Limongello, Soap Opera Digest, 1986

She snuck into town disguised as a man. Then, she masqueraded as a bag lady, an Italian contessa and a newspaper columnist, all in an effort to reacquaint herself with her long-lost family, the Capwells of Santa Barbara. When her true character, Sophia, the thought-to-be dead wife of C.C., finally emerged, all eyes were on actress Judith McConnell. Unfortunately for Sophia, she had not arrived soon enough. C.C.'s heart had been won by Gina DeMott, who became the second Mrs. Capwell in Sophia's absence.

While actress Linda Gibboney portrayed Gina Capwell, she and Judith became friends. Linda, who has left Santa Barbara to pursue other projects, often visits Judith at her "cottage" to catch up on things.

They also like going out on the town. Both are single, fun-loving and enjoy each other's company tremendously. "We giggle a lot. We laugh," admists Judith. "On the set, we used to make each other laugh all the time, so it was really hard to get into the attitude, "You're taking my husband, you're taking my son away."" Adds Linda, "And when we got together with Louise Sorel (Augusta Lockridge), forget about it !"

Judith's home, rumored to have been the pied-a-terre of Charlie Chaplin, has a dream-like quality. With almost a denial of design, the place is open and illogical. Walls, stairways, ceilings and terraces are angled and arcaned for no apparent reason. The effect is astonishing - undefined and hoisnest, romantic and intrinsically seductive. "It's a haven in the hills," says Linda, praising Judith's taste.