I just saw his episode today and was taken by Kathleen Nolan's performance - and the believability of her portrayal as Dodie. If I wasn't already aware of her in other productions, chiefly in "The Real McCoys", I would have sworn that I was watching a very talented teenager in the lead role.
In reading the other reviews, I find I could agree with each one of them (except one in particular) on both positive & critical/negative comments. There really isn't much I could add to the reviews except for the idea/question of why didn't they do this as a 2-part episode...?
There was a lot that was stuffed into this episode, as it is; but with more time I think different scenes & personalities would have been more fully developed leading to a better more satisfying ending. It was interesting & telling how James Arness carried his main scene at the orphanage and closed out the episode. Also, with extra time the pacing would have been more consistent without that rushed feeling at the very end.
Still, it was a very good production with plenty of emotion to go around; and thought-provoking ideas or scenes of what life was like in a time & setting of such roughness, apathy & poverty. Like another reviewer mentioned, it did pull at my heartstrings and brought some tears to my eyes. I couldn't help but think about or wonder "what if" it were my daughter(s) - or what it must have been like for my female ancestors of those times & morés.
In reading the other reviews, I find I could agree with each one of them (except one in particular) on both positive & critical/negative comments. There really isn't much I could add to the reviews except for the idea/question of why didn't they do this as a 2-part episode...?
There was a lot that was stuffed into this episode, as it is; but with more time I think different scenes & personalities would have been more fully developed leading to a better more satisfying ending. It was interesting & telling how James Arness carried his main scene at the orphanage and closed out the episode. Also, with extra time the pacing would have been more consistent without that rushed feeling at the very end.
Still, it was a very good production with plenty of emotion to go around; and thought-provoking ideas or scenes of what life was like in a time & setting of such roughness, apathy & poverty. Like another reviewer mentioned, it did pull at my heartstrings and brought some tears to my eyes. I couldn't help but think about or wonder "what if" it were my daughter(s) - or what it must have been like for my female ancestors of those times & morés.