This CBS soap ran from October 12, 1953- August 16, 1957. The show had the same name as a radio soap which fan from 38-46 and 51-52, but their stories were different. The radio version focused on Joan Barrett's fight to keep her "brilliant but unstable husband" on "the pathway to success." The TV version was about Helen Emerson, and her family - husband Frank, 9 year old Kim, 19 year old Mickey. Mickey was in love with Bonnie, a married woman. Helen and Frank also had a daughter, 17 year old Diane, who eloped with a divorced man but waited to marry until Helen gave her blessing.

Helen was widowed in the first year, and struggled to cope, both with money and family problems. When Mickey stood up to his fiancee's controlling father, Helen finally gave her support to their union. Helen then began dating Gov. Lawrence Walker, marrying him on Valentine's Day, 1957.

Nancy Coleman was on the show for a year, but left because it took up too much of her time. Flora Campbell, star of TV's first soap, Faraway Hill, replaced her. James Kirkwood Jr. was a lead player for the entire run. His mother, silent film actress Lila Lee, tried out for the Helen Emerson role, but they told her she looked too young. Kirkwood went on to write Legends, as well as the iconic musical A Chorus Line, before passing away in 1989. One of his last works was a book on dealing with Mary Martin and Carol Channing during their run in the play Legends.

Valiant Lady was created by Allan Chase, produced by Leonard Blair and Carl Green, written by Charles Elwyn, and directed by Herb Kenwith, Ted Corday, and Ira Cirker.

The show aired from New York, 12-12:15 PM, EST.

(thanks to the Soap Opera Encyclopedia for a lot of this)

Edited August 4, 201114 yr by CarlD2

Above are two pictures of the cast of Valiant Lady.

One shows Nancy Coleman (as Helen) and, also in the picture, is Lydia Reed as Kim.   I had, until now, not realized that Lydia Reed (who played Hassie McCoy on the situation comedy The Read McCoys) had been a child actress or had appeared in any soap opera.    The Valiant Lady listings on the IMDb reveal that Ms. Reed played Kim #1.

Then, in the second picture found above (marked as the two year anniversary of Valiant Lady), Flora Campbell is playing Helen.   I know that this is an assumption, but there is a little girl in the picture, and I assume that she is playing the role of Kim.

Can anyone identify who played Kim #2 (if that is indeed Kim, as I suspect)?

43 minutes ago, danfling said:

Above are two pictures of the cast of Valiant Lady.

One shows Nancy Coleman (as Helen) and, also in the picture, is Lydia Reed as Kim.   I had, until now, not realized that Lydia Reed (who played Hassie McCoy on the situation comedy The Read McCoys) had been a child actress or had appeared in any soap opera.    The Valiant Lady listings on the IMDb reveal that Ms. Reed played Kim #1.

Then, in the second picture found above (marked as the two year anniversary of Valiant Lady), Flora Campbell is playing Helen.   I know that this is an assumption, but there is a little girl in the picture, and I assume that she is playing the role of Kim.

Can anyone identify who played Kim #2 (if that is indeed Kim, as I suspect)?

If it is Kim, it is Bonnie Sawyer.

 

Here's the list that @Paul Raven and I have amassed for Valiant Lady's cast.

VALIANT LADY

October 12, 1953-August 17, 1957     CBS

Middlebury

 

Dane Clark         Dane Clark    1955

Martin Cook... Victor Thorley     1954-56?       promoter

Tom Davis     Yale Wexler              1956

Joanne Dru      Joanne Dru     1955

Frank Emerson    ...   Jerrome Cowan    1953-57

Kim Emerson   ...    Lydia Reed  ...   1953-54

                           ...   Bonnie Sawyer   1954-57

Mickey Emerson ..... Jimmy Kirkwood, Jr.   1953-57

Jinx Falkenberg  ...   Jinx Falkenberg     1955

Margot Finchley ...   Katherine Anderson    1953

Bill Fraser  ....   Marc Kramer 

Madame Garstel    Lilia Skala   1957    

Fay Gillen ...   ???? 

Joey Gordon ...    Martin Balsam   1955    (+Diane)

Elsa Harley    ?????     jealous of Helen, spinster, loved Bill Fraser

Gertrude Harper ....   Katherine Squire   1956-57  

Ivy Harper ...   Doro Merande   1956-57

Signe Hasso   Signe Hasso        1955

Charlton Heston    ...   Charlton Heston      1955

Jim Hunter ...    Robert Carroll    1956

John Ireland      John Ireland     1955

Captain Chris Kendall   ...    Lawrence Weber ...   1954-55

David Kendall    ...   Johnny Coleman    1955

Linda Kendall  ...    Frances Helm    1955

Ginger Lambert...   Freida Larson    1956

Jane Lynch   ...   Helen Wagner    1953-54       

Lieutenant Maxwell      Andrew Duggan      1953

Elliott Norris   ...   Terry O'Sullivan     1955      

Sam Perkins ...   Bert Freed   1956   boss, (JW)

Whitlow Preston...  ???                  boss   Diane

Joe Salinas .....    Angel Rosado   

Mrs. Sayre ...   Margaret Hamilton   1955    

Diane Emerson Soames ...   Anne Pearson    1953-54       

                                  .... Dolores Sutton  1954-55  

                              Mariann (Sue) Randall       1955-56

                            ...Leila Martin    1956-57  

Hal Soames     ...   Earl Hammond      1954-55     

Peggy Norris Thurston ...   Pat Peardon      1955-56   

                                  ...   Flora Campbell  ... 1954-57     

Governor Lawrence Walker...   John Graham    1956-57

Marion Walker    Joan Tompkins ...   1957                               

Lewis Wilcox     Royal Beall

                          ...    Malcolm Beggs

Roberta Wilcox ....   Betty Oakes (?Cakes)   1956

Jackson Winters  ...   Barry Kroeger     1956

Shelley Winters  ...   Shelley Winters    1955

Bonnie Withers   ...   Shirley Egleston   1955

                              ...   Joan Loring   1954-55    

Roy Withers   ...   ?Don Dubbins??

 

 

Fran            Ann Thomas

Thomas ...   William Zuckert   

Pilot   ...   Allan Melvin    1955

 

Announcer  ....   William Elliott

 

????? 

Ronald Dawson   

Eda Heinemann   9 months    1959 ?

Joy Hodges    1957

Harry Holcombe

Robin Keil     5/1958  ?

Abby Lewis

Anne Louise

Gerald Price

Robert Webber    1957

Lionel Wilson

David Winters        1955

James Kirkwood (Mickey) Betty Oaks (Roberta Wilcox) assuming this photo was taken on set. If so the set looks quite lavish.

A reupload of the 1953 episode that used to be on Youtube, in superior quality this time.

 

James Kirkwood, Jr. about his time on Valiant Lady:

Thanks @chrisml. Such an eerie still.

I can see why Flora Campbell (I assume it's her) was annoyed. She had to sell the stories and then someone is around constantly [!@#$%^&*] talking. 

I wonder if there are any interesting stories in that By Emily Possessed book.

One that always interests me is how the actors felt about the last months of the show - it had been canceled and then they had to stretch the cancellation date out while their new show (which was a big flop) was being prepared. 

I like the bits I've seen of Valiant Lady. I hope more shows up.

Thanks. Getting Shelley Winters and Charlton Heston to pop in is kind of a big deal. Not sure I've heard of that with any other new or new-ish soap. Yet it wasn't enough for them to keep the faith with the show.

Speaking of Valiant Lady actor James Kirkwood, Jr (mentioned above), when he later became a playwright and novelist, he turned out some stellar work.

Aside from collaborating on A Chorus Line, his novels P.S.: Your Cat is Dead and Good Times, Bad Times are well worth a read. Both are mesmerizing and impossible to put down.