WYMAN RETURNS TO ‘FALCON CREST’

Oscar-winning actress Jane Wyman, who underwent abdominal surgery in early January, resumed her role Wednesday as the scheming matriarch of CBS’ “Falcon Crest.”

Wyman, 72, the former wife of President Reagan, was welcomed back to the show by a banner across the sound stage and many bouquets of flowers, said Greg Taylor, a spokesman for Lorimar Productions.

A red carpet extended from the door to the “Falcon Crest” house on the sound stage at CBS-MTM Studios in Studio City. The banner said: “Welcome home, Jane.”

Lee Rich, president of Lorimar, and many others sent her flowers for the occasion.

During her five-week absence, the production company filmed around her scenes, Taylor said. She will not appear in two episodes of the prime-time soap opera.

Wyman, who stars as Angela Channing, the matriarch of a wine-growing family in the Napa Valley, had surgery Jan. 2 after entering St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica on New Year’s Day with flu-like symptoms. An adhesion on her intestine was removed in the surgery, Bob Crutchfield of Lorimar said.

She celebrated her 72nd birthday in the hospital Jan. 4.

The actress won an Academy Award as best actress in 1948 for her role in “Johnny Belinda.” She was also nominated for “The Blue Veil” in 1951” and “Magnificent Obsession” in 1954.