Young Doctor Malone

[Paul Raven]

[Paul Raven]

Broadway Star Joins Soap Opera Takes Role In Doctor Malone By RICK DU BROW

 

HOLLYWOOD (UPI) -Nearly eight years ago, Patty McCormack dazzled Broadway as a child murderess in The Bad Seed" and one would hardly expect to find her in that lowly art form, a television soap opera. Yet that is where she Is, a new regular of NBC-TV's daily weeper, "Young Dr. Malone." One's first impulse is to lament that, like many child stars who have created unforgettable stereotypes, such as Shirley Temple and Margaret O'Brien, she may have fallen flat on her career. And it is tempting to wish she would do with her new job what architect Frank Lloyd Wright suggested to officials after a look at Pittsburgh, namely: "Abandon it." To this viewer, however, who watched her Wednesday and at other times on "Malone," there is an admirable practicality, professionalism and lack of affectation about her decision to take the part.

 There is a reason for everything. And one may assume! that Miss McCormack, now in her late teens, took the role for the usual reasons that one accepts comedown jobs. She is also at the awkward age for an actress who does not play sexpots. Whatever the reason, she had the sense , to know an actress is not an actress unless she is acting. In "Malone," she plays Lisha Koda, a child born out of wedlock and later legally adopted. And Wednesday, as always, she made the program seem far better than it deserves. She looked after a little girl at night and gave the show a sense of acceptable tone. When she is not on, it falls apart as usual, with those soap opera hams, who, like most of our series heroes, are full of humanity and compassion and understanding full of everything, in fact, except the ability to act. Geroge Bernard Shaw once said something to the effect that an artist's first duty to himself is to provide his table with three square meals a day. And Miss Shirley Booth, as NBC-TV's "Hazel," has shown that a fine performer can be an asset to any format.

[Paul Raven]

Dec 15 1962

One of TV's veteran shows, "Young Doctor Malone," marks its 1,000th telecast Tuesday on NBC-TV at 3:30 p.m. With this impressive record in TV and many years in radio before that, the producers like to think of the show as starting its second thousand episodes.

Still heading the cast are noted performers William Prince, Augusta Dabney, John Connell, Sarah Hardy, Peter Brandon, Martin Blaine, Lesley Woods, Nicolas Coster, Ann Williams and Chase Crosley. The program is the pioneer medical dramatic series on the air, having started on radio in 1939, and branching to TV in 1958.

The current producers, Carol Irwin and Doris Quinlan, perhaps TV's only female producing team, were previously responsible for the long-run TV series, "I Remember Mama," and the telecast "Claudia" dramas. Richard Holland, who has been on the writing staff of the program, was recently elevated to the post of chief writer.

"Young Doctor Malone" tells the story of the Malone family, the dedicated father, Dr. Jerry Malone (Prince), and his son, Dr. David Malone [Connell). Much of the action centers in Valley Hospital, where the 2 doctors serve on the staff. Many of the players on "Young Doctor Malone'' appear in Broadway shows while playing their roles on TV. The daytime schedule of rehearsing and broadcasting makes this possible.

Next week's capsule dramas are: Monday -4 Faye looks bleakly at the future}; Tuesday — Stefan and Ted compare notes on Lt. Flagler's questioning; Wednesday —Thoughts of Christmas fail to brighten the Malone and Koda households; Thursday — David and Eve meet [after a long separation; Friday — Tracry is impressed with Jill's fortitude.

 

 

1.  

[Paul Raven]

Thursday April 25 1963 Melbourne Australia

1.05 pm Channel 7

Final episode of YDM.

So it seems it had a short run on Oz TV.

I wonder if they started from the first episode, otr the series began there at some point during the run. Maybe that was the case and viewers were confused by being dropped into the midst of things...

[Paul Raven]

Kathleen Widdoes, Virginia Dwyer, William Prince 1958

 

 

[danfling]

All three (Ms. Widdos, Ms. Dwyar, Mr. Prince) were to later appear on Another World.    Ms. Dwyer and Mr. Prince in the premiere cast.

[danfling]

Actress Lenka Patterson, who played Faye Banister on the NBC/Procter and Gamble soap opera, has passed away.

[DRW50]

@Paul Raven @dc11786 @danfling @vetsoapfan @Vee @victoria foxton @slick jones @SoapDope @soapfan770

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Audio only, but still worth the listen.

[Paul Raven]

Thanks for posting. will definitely be listening!

[slick jones]

Thanks, @DRW50   what a great treasure!

[vetsoapfan]

This is new to me, and I'll happily take episodes of vintages soaps any way I can get them.

Thanks, Carl!

[victoria foxton]

@DRW50Thanks! 

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[dc11786]

Very interesting to hear. It was wild hearing Dick van Patten as Larry. I think I found the most compelling sequences to revolved around Tracey trying to grapple with her young son Jonathan's passing. The closeness between her and the family friend was also interesting. 

[danfling]

Diana Hyland, currently appearing as "the nymphomaniacal drunk minister's wife" in ABC's prime-time soap Peyton Place, and author Burt Prelutsky is in love with her. She's got it all: a dazzling smile, lovely blue eyes, and legs that won't quit. She's interesting, too; she believes in flying saucers, said good evening to Nikita Khrushchev at the UN and was winked at by Fidel Castro, and has remained 27 for the last five years*, the previous time when she was interviewed by TV Guide.  "I lied then," she tells Prelutsky.

*According to the always-reliable Wikipedia, Hyland was born in 1936, which means she was in fact 27 —in 1963. She told the truth then; she's lying now.

She's a dedicated actress, and a successful one—"everything I've ever tried I've done well," she says. Her Peyton Place director, Walter Doniger, calls her "an elegant, bright, witty dame" who's also svelte, sophisticated, and a nonconformist. In fact, she only has two vices: she owns 200 pairs of shoes, and she smokes three packs of cigarettes a day. 

I don't know if that last vice is significant or not. Flash forward to 1977: she's in a happy relationship with John Travolta, she's playing Dick Van Patten's wife in Eight Is Enough—and she's diagnosed with breast cancer. She dies in March of that year, aged 41.