Jamie (1953)

Jamie is a sitcom television series, created by David Susskind's Talent Associates, that was telecast live in the United States of America by ABC-TV from October 5, 1953, until October 4, 1954. The series was the result of the success of the pilot, an episode of the ABC Album/Plymouth Playhouse entitled Jamie, which aired on April 26, 1953. The pilot cast would return for the series, except that of Eva Marie Saint who would be replaced by Kathleen Nolan. Star of the show was 11 year-old Brandon deWilde, whose rising fame had catapulted him to national prominence in a period of 3 years. Debuting on Broadway in The Member of the Wedding in 1950, he followed with the film version in 1952. He then received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his 1953 portrayal of the young Joey Starrett in George Stevens' film Shane, his most memorable role. Jamie was to be aired live and there was some publicity at the time about the problems of a youngster, however gifted, being so deeply involved in the pressures of a weekly series. De Wilde's parents had obtained a contract that allowed him to drop out of the series on short notice if he wanted to, or if his parents felt it was impairing his emotional growth.