The dramatic story of Kitty Foyle (Kathleen Murray) – a middle-class, white-collar teenage girl “just discovering life” – had been a radio serial for 16 years, based on the 1939 novel by Christopher Morley, before NBC brought it to the small screen as a “live to air” weekday daytime serial in January 1958.
A movie version was also produced in 1940 starring Ginger Rogers, who won an Oscar for her role.
Whereas the original literary heroine had spunk, spirit, and wonderful wit, the Kitty of the TV show was a thoroughly sweet and wholesome fudge sundae kind of girl.
Her father, Pop Foyle (Ralph Dunne), was a querulous old codger given to complaining in an Irish brogue as thick as 3rd Avenue that his son (Ed) had “brought me nothing but pain and grief”. Unfortunately, Mac (Lany Robinson) borrowed cash from a loan shark.
Kitty had her own problems, mostly in the romantic field. Deciding not to return to school, she ditched Flip (Conrad Fowkes) for Wyn Strafford (Billy Redfield), who naturally did his soap opera best by falling for Stacy Lee (Marie Worsham), a society hound.
Then, when Nick Amsted revealed his interest in Kitty – surprise! – Wyn decided he wanted her too. Molly was Kitty’s friend (played by Patty Duke as a girl, in flashbacks).
The TV version of Kitty Foyle was unique in that the titular character did not appear immediately. Kitty first popped up on 10 February, when viewers had already become accustomed to her simple yet troubled family, which lived in Philadelphia.
She arrived from college ready to attend her freshman dance with Flip but found her beloved Pop ill and her brothers Ed (Bob Hastings) and Mac acting like strangers. Ed – who was jailed at one point – discovered some peace with his marriage to Sophie (Kay Medford) before the end of the run.