''Janet Dean, Registered Nurse'' is an American medical drama television series. It was released in February 1954, and it continued to be broadcast in reruns in the early 1960s. It was the first TV series in which the lead was a nurse. By October 1954, the show's title had been changed to ''The Ella Raines Show'' "following the lead of other packages that switched to the stars' names to help pull an audience for the package."

Title character

Ella Raines Ella Wallace Raines (August 6, 1920 – May 30, 1988) was an American film and television actress. Early life Raines was born Ella Wallace Raines on August 6, 1920, in Fall City, Washington. She studied drama at the University of Washingto ...

left retirement to portray Dean, the only regular character on the series. Dean had varied assignments from week to week. Raines's portrayal "brought cool dignity to her character". Bill Dozier, a friend of Raines who became executive producer for the series, conceived the idea for the program. He and Raines decided to make Dean a member of the

United States Air Force Nurse Corps The U.S. Air Force Nurse Corps ensures the health of military personnel and their family members. Entry requirements New members of the Air Force Nurse Corps are required to hold at minimum a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree prior to rec ...

Reserve, making her "subject to recall for temporary or extended service", thus providing opportunities for a variety of locations and situations. Raines "spent weeks at the source, gathering material, studying the life and the personnel" in order to prepare for portraying Dean.

Episodes

''Janet Dean'' differed from some medical TV shows by emphasizing interpersonal drama more than "obscure medical conditions". Dean believed that applied psychology could resolve many problems and often used personal counseling as much as she applied medical treatments. Hal Erickson wrote in his book, ''Syndicated Television: The First Forty Years, 1947-1987'': "This group of stories about an R. N. who moved from job to job had its share of wounded hoodlums and gun-wielding dope fiends, but the best ''Janet Deans'' were emotional dramas concerning such subjects as child abuse, parental neglect mistreatment of the mentally disabled and the shutting out of the elderly — dramas usually dismissed by critics of the '50s as 'Women's Stories'." Raines concluded each broadcast with a brief appearance that promoted nursing as a profession.

Production

''Janet Dean'' was produced by Cornwall Productions, of which Raines was president. Joan Harrison was the producer, and William Dozier was the executive producer. The directors were Peter Godfrey, Robert Aldrich, Robert Boyle, and James Nielson.

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financed production of the program. Thirty-nine episodes were filmed at Marion Parsonet Studios in Long Island City. Additional visual content came from stock film footage and from film borrowed from the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

. Motion Pictures for Television (MPTV) distributed the show in an effort to make the company a quasi-network by adding new syndicated TV series to its library of feature films. Before the first episode was broadcast, Emerson Drug Company had been signed as a sponsor, promoting

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, and 26 stations in major markets had committed to carrying the program. Guild Films acquired the ''Janet Dean'' series from MPTV in 1956. Royal Dell Manufacturing Company produced Janet Dean doll and nursing kits under license from Cornwall Productions in 1954. A 14-inch doll with nursing equipment sold for $9.95, and an 18-inch doll similarly equipped sold for $13.95. Each one came in a box that resembled a TV set.

Guest stars

Actors who appeared on episodes of ''Janet Dean'' included Murray Matheson,

Melville Cooper George Melville Cooper (15 October 1896 – 13 March 1973) was an English actor. His many notable screen roles include the High Sheriff of Nottingham in ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), Mr. Collins in ''Pride and Prejudice'' (1940) and ...

Marcel Hillaire Marcel Hillaire (born Erwin Ottmar Hiller; April 23, 1908 – January 1, 1988) was a German-born character actor who had a lengthy career, appearing on stage, in films and on television. Hillaire was recognizable by his gaunt appearance and his a ...

, Darren McGavin,

Cloris Leachman Cloris Leachman (April 30, 1926 – January 27, 2021) was an American actress and comedian whose career spanned nearly eight decades. She won many accolades, including eight Primetime Emmy Awards from 22 nominations, making her the most nomina ...

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, William Prince,

Margaret Wycherly Margaret De Wolfe Wycherly (born Margaret De Wolfe, 26 October 1881 – 6 June 1956) was an English stage and film actress. She spent many years in the United States and is best remembered for her Broadway roles and Hollywood character parts. On ...

Patty McCormack Patricia McCormack (born Patricia Ellen Russo in 1945) is an American actress with a career in theater, films, and television. McCormack began her career as a child actress. She is perhaps best known for her performance as Rhoda Penmark in Max ...

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, Addison Richards, and Gerald O'Loughlin.

Critical reception

Raines was named Best Actress Appearing Regularly in a Non-Network Dramatic Film Series in The Billboard's Second Annual TV Film Awards. Media critic John Crosby described the series as "hardly very medical". He noted that "some impressive endorsement" from the

American Nurses Association The American Nurses Association (ANA) is a 501(c)(6) professional organization to advance and protect the profession of nursing. It started in 1896 as the Nurses Associated Alumnae and was renamed the American Nurses Association in 1911. It is b ...

and the National League of Nursing preceded the series's debut, but he felt that Dean's activities such as fending off insurance adjusters, confronting witnesses in cases, and averting an attempted murder detracted from a medical focus.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Janet Dean, Registered Nurse 1954 American television series debuts 1950s American television series