''First Love'' is an American

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

which ran on

NBC Daytime NBC Daytime was the daytime programming block of NBC. It historically featured many soap operas, game shows, and talk shows. Its main competitors were CBS Daytime and ABC Daytime. Game shows were discontinued from NBC Daytime's lineup in 1994 a ...

from July 5, 1954 to December 30, 1955. The series aired at 4:15 p.m. EST, between ''

Golden Windows ''Golden Windows'' is a daytime soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1954 to April 1, 1955 from 3:15 to 3:30 PM/ET. The program was sponsored by Procter & Gamble, for Cheer. Synopsis The series tells the story of Juliet Goodwin (played by ...

'' and ''

Concerning Miss Marlowe ''Concerning Miss Marlowe'' is an American daytime television serial that was broadcast on NBC from July 5, 1954, until July 1, 1955. Plot The title character was 40-year-old Maggie Marlowe, whose husband succumbed to pneumonia shortly before the ...

''. Although the show had a strong fan following, at the time NBC had little use for developing any of their daytime shows (the first successful NBC daytime soap was not until 1963's '' The Doctors'') and canceled ''First Love'' after a year and a half. Many cast members such as Patricia Barry, Val Dufour and

Rosemary Prinz Rosemary Prinz (born January 4, 1931) is an American stage and television actress. She is most known for her work in the early era of the soap opera, ''As the World Turns''. Prinz originated the role of M'Lynn Eatenton in ''Steel Magnolias (p ...

went on to become long-running daytime stars. Created by Adrian Samish and written by

Myrna Starr Myrna is the anglicized form of the Irish name ''Muirne'' and may refer to: *Myrna Anselma (1936–2008), Dutch Antillean fencer *Myrna Blyth (born 1939), American editor and writer * Myrna Brown (1959–2007), African-American singer and songwrite ...

, the series centered on jet engineer Zach James ( Val Dufour, then

Tod Andrews Tod Andrews (born Theodore Edwin Anderson; November 9, 1914 – November 7, 1972) was an American stage, screen, and television actor. Early years Tod Andrews was born as Theodore Edwin Anderson in El Paso, Texas, to Henry Anderson and Lydia ...

) and his difficult marriage to Laurie James (''née'' Kennedy) ( Patricia Barry). Due to being neglected as a child, Zach was obsessed with building a name for himself. Laurie tried to understand him but was unable to help him deal with his problems, as he went on trial for the murder of a woman

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

he may have been having an affair with. The show became known chiefly for a major blooper early in its run. A Friday cliffhanger involved Zach (Dufour) seeing his friend Chris ( Frankie Thomas) crash his plane. Zach ran to tell Chris' wife Amy (Prinz), "Chris cracked up the plane." In his rush, Dufour blurted out, "Chris crapped", then abruptly added, "...on the plane." Patricia Barry began to giggle. When the camera cut to a "bereaved" Prinz, she was shaking with laughter. Supposedly NBC nearly fired all three actors, but changed their minds after fans wrote in praising them for the scene. In 2003 Prin
denied
such a scene ever made it to the air.

Cast

*Zach James - Val Dufour, then

*Laurie James - Patricia Barry *Matthew James - Paul McGrath *Amy -

*Chris - Frankie Thomas *Paul Kennedy -

Melville Ruick Melville Ruick (July 8, 1898 – December 24, 1972) was an American actor. Early years Ruick was born in Boise, Idaho in 1898. His father was a U.S. district attorney in Idaho, and Ruick studied law at the University of California. Milit ...

*Doris Kennedy -

Peggy Allenby Peggy Allenby (February 1, 1896 – March 23, 1966) was an American stage, film, television, and radio actress. Early life Allenby was born Eleanor Byrne Fox in New York City and attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart. She entered theatrical ...

*Judge Kennedy - Howard Smith *Mike Kennedy -

John Dutra John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

*Bruce McKee -

Jay Barney Jay B. Barney (born October 8, 1954) is an American professor in strategic management at the University of Utah, Early life and education Jay Barney was born in Walnut Creek, California on October 8, 1954. He spent his formative years in San B ...

*Quentin Andrews -

Frederic Downs Frederic may refer to: Places United States * Frederic, Wisconsin, a village in Polk County * Frederic Township, Michigan, a township in Crawford County ** Frederic, Michigan, an unincorporated community Other uses * Frederic (band), a Japanese r ...

*Peggy Gordon - Henrietta Moore *Phil Gordon - Joe Warren

References

External links

IMDB profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:First Love NBC original programming American television soap operas 1954 American television series debuts 1955 American television series endings Black-and-white American television shows English-language television shows