The Loretta Young Show

Series overview

The series was sponsored by Procter & Gamble for its first six seasons, from 1953 to 1959. After a dispute with that sponsor, Young secured backing from The Toni Company (1959–1961), Philip Morris (1959–60), and Warner-Lambert's Listerine (1960–61). The program originally presented each drama as an answer to a question from fan mail, a concept reflected in the title Letter to Loretta. The name changed to The Loretta Young Show during the first season, effective February 14, 1954, and the letter premise was abandoned after the second season.

Young's health suffered from the heavy production schedule of the second season, leading to the use of guest hosts and guest stars; her first appearance in the 1955–56 season was for the Christmas show. Thereafter, she acted in roughly half of each season's episodes and served as host for the rest. Her trademark entrance involved swirling in a gown through a door, a gesture parodied by comedians such as Ernie Kovacs. Young remarked that after the audience saw her well-groomed at the start, she could wear unattractive clothing or makeup during the show without causing concern about her appearance.

The series, stripped of Young's introductions and conclusions at her insistence to avoid dating the program, was rerun in daytime by NBC as The Loretta Young Theatre from October 1960 to December 1964, and later in syndication through the 1970s. In 1992, selected episodes with the opening and closing segments intact, authorized by Young and taken from her personal 16 mm film prints, were released on home video and later shown on cable. The series finished 28th in the Nielsen ratings in spring 1955 and ended its run far behind competitor Candid Camera on CBS, leading to cancellation. In 1954, Billboard ranked it the third-best network filmed drama series.

Accolades

The series won a Golden Globe Award for Best TV Show in 1959. Loretta Young received three Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Actress, in 1955, 1957, and 1959, and earned additional Emmy nominations in 1954, 1956, 1958, 1960, and 1961. Norbert Brodine won an Emmy for Best Cinematography in 1957 and was nominated in 1955, 1956, and 1958. Other Emmy nominations included Best New Program in 1954, Best Dramatic Series – Less Than One Hour in 1959, Best Direction for Robert Florey in 1955, Best Teleplay Writing – Half Hour or Less for Richard Morris in 1957, and Best Art Direction in a Television Film for Frank Paul Sylos in 1959. The Directors Guild of America nominated Robert Florey in 1955 and Norman Foster in 1957.

Reboot

The New Loretta Young Show lasted just one season on CBS, running from September 24, 1962, to March 18, 1963, with Lever Brothers and The Toni Company alternating as sponsors. It was an episodic comedy-drama in which Young played Christine Massey, a widow living in suburban Connecticut with seven children. Her love interest, Paul Belzer, married her character in the show’s 26th and final episode. Going up against the hit series Ben Casey, the show drew low ratings and was canceled after that single season.

As she had done on her earlier series, Young appeared as herself to open and close each episode. Some syndicated packages of The Loretta Young Show include episodes of this series, but they remove the new title and replace it with the original show’s theme and titles. A legal dispute broke out between Lyl Productions, Young’s company, and Portland Mason. At age 13, Mason was cast as Marnie but was let go before the pilot was filmed.

Her mother sent her home to eat lunch and calm down after producers rejected her wardrobe, which she was required to provide under contract. Lyl decided that if she wasn’t back by that afternoon, Celia Kaye would take the role. The Masons were not told, and Portland returned late, so Kaye replaced her. Both sides sued each other for breach of contract, and the court ruled in Lyl’s favor.

The cast included Loretta Young as Christine Massey, James Philbrook as Paul Belzer, Dack Rambo as Peter Massey, Dirk Rambo as Paul Massey, Cindy Carol as Binkie Massey, Sandy Descher as Judy Massey, Tracy Stratford as Maria Massey, Beverly Washburn as Vickie Massey, and Celia Kaye as Marnie Massey.