The Loretta Young Show - S3 E1 - "Christmas Stopover"

Episode # 5519 CHRISTMAS STOPOVER Original airdate: 12-25-55 NOTE: In the third season of The Loretta Young Show (premiering on August 28, 1955) Miss Young did not make a single appearance on her series until the 19th episode, which aired on Christmas night 1955. Her rigorous schedule of producing and appearing in 71 episodes in the previous two years left Miss Young exhausted by the spring of 1955, and she spent the better part of that summer hospitalized in Oxnard, California. Instead of canceling the popular series, she and her agent, the William Morris Agency, prevailed on Loretta’s many famous friends to pitch-hit for her, hosting and acting on the show until her return. In the remaining seasons, Miss Young appeared in approximately half of the ‘dramatic’ portions of the episodes produced. These so-called ‘guest’ episodes have had little exposure since, but the majority of them do still exist in the NBC-Universal vaults in California. In this, her much-touted return, Loretta Young stars in this holiday tale of two lonely people who find the times particularly break. Miss Young plays Sadie Kolesar, a waitress working the dreary coffee counter at the local railroad restaurant on a snowy Christmas Day. She is thrown together with a forlorn nine-year-old, played by Bobby Clark, whose been stranded by a delayed train. After hearing his heartbreaking story, she and a traveling soldier (played by John Larch) become determined to make this the boy’s best holiday yet - by reuniting him with his separated parents. Bobby Clark began his professional career at the age of six. His longest lasting role was that of Casey Junior in the syndicated 1957-1958 television series, Casey Jones, starring Alan Hale, Jr. He made guest appearances on other popular TV series at the time; Perry Mason, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Lassie, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater, Bachelor Father and many more. He also appeared in the movies Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Ransom!, Gun Duel in Durango, Rebel in Town, The Happy Road, Bring Your Smile Along, and The Ten Commandments. Clark is semi-retired from show business now (2018) but still makes an occasional public appearance. The traveling soldier, Sgt. Ernie Robbins, is played by John Larch. Larch had much experience for this role, he served four years in the Army during World War II — an experience that left him troubled for years thereafter. He played other military roles too, Captain Ben Foster on the NBC series Convoy (1965-1966) in addition to guest roles on series such as Johnny Ringo, Riverboat, Naked City, Stoney Burke, Route 66 and The Fugitive. He often appeared with his wife, actress Vivi Janiss (who was formerly married to Bob Cummings), including in the premiere episode "No Fat Cops" of Leslie Nielson's The New Breed on ABC, among others. Larch died on October 16, 2005 at age 91 in Woodland Hills, California. Directed by Richard Morris Teleplay by Richard Morris from the story by Richard Morris & D. F. Miller Cast: Sadie Kolesar Loretta Young Sgt. Ernie Robbins John Larch Gordy Robert Lowery Russell Bobby Clark Ed Robert Anderson Mr. Hunter Ross Elliott Old Lady Carroll McComas