Reviews

What has been said in the other reviews seems correct. I just feel this motion picture is quite realistic as to how many of the greats and not-as-greats from early films wound up. How sad that the men and women who made film-goers laugh were later far from that laughter and support.

The best part of "The Comic" to me is at the ending when Van Dyke as "Billy Bright" gets up early one morning and, alone and by himself, watches one of his silent movies on television. How many actors & actresses from older films or even TV shows have done the same? We'll probably never know.

The title of this motion picture is just how I feel about it. It is "So Dear To My Heart". This film is easily my most-favorite motion picture. Some may feel the theme of "It's What You Do With What You Got" is out-dated or otherwise not applicable to current times. To me, nothing is further from the truth. The dream of a young man to achieve with what he is given, no matter the odds or the obstacles, is as current now as when this film was made or even from the year it is supposed to be from (1903). With the animated portions showing life's simple truths and how others in history have overcome long odds, the viewer can find room for its use in his/her own life. I feel that will always be true.

I certainly remember this show, especially the first episode. Cameron Brooks has just arrived in Millsburg. In a flashback, we see him as a young man when he was preparing to leave that town many years before. He is with a young girl named "Tina" and is telling her good-bye. They promise that when he returns to Millsburg, they will kiss. Back to the present, Brooks is seen meeting the townspeople. One of these is a woman named Chris Logan. As this episode moves toward its conclusion, it is seen that this woman is actually the "Tina" he said good-bye to (full-name Christina). He reminds her of the promise from years earlier that they will kiss. She remarks it was a promise made many years before. He notes that "promises were meant to be kept" and they do kiss. I thought it was a beautiful way to begin the TV series. Chris, played by Constance Moore, was a regular in the show.

Persons should remember that Robert Young had recently finished being in Father Knows Best (1954-1960) when he began this series. In fact, Father Knows Best continued on in prime time for two seasons (1960-61, 1961-62) on CBS. As such, Young was actually being seen in two separate shows in prime time during that 1961-62 TV season. Window on Main Street was on Mondays and Father Knows Best was on Wednesdays. Maybe the plot was too similar for the new series to take hold. Window was trying to solve the concerns of someone from the town in 30 minutes just as Father had tried to do with a family member or friend during its long run.

It's a series few remember or know of, but I do; particularly that opening episode.

Cynthia Pepper has always been one of my favorite actresses, as such, I somehow have always wished that it would have been her as "Jean" who would have wound up with "Mike" instead of him going on and marrying "Sally" played by Meredith MacRae. This could have been the episode which could have put the two of them back in the direction that began in the first season of the series in 1960-61. As far as I'm concerned, it is the old romances that are the best romances, but I've always been a romantic. By way of interest in real life, Cynthia Pepper was born over three years before Meredith MacRae. Ms. MacRae unfortunately passed away in 2000.

This is a long , but beautiful story of a man's search for what life is all about. The song, "Mam'sel" is heard hauntingly throughout the film. The rivalry between the characters of "Isabel" played by Gene Tierney and "Sophie" played by Anne Baxter, as a result of their feelings for Tyrone Power as "Larry", results in the latter resuming her drinking which ultimately leads to her death. The beautifully-read words read by Power in tribute to Sophie after he learns of her death is my favorite part of the film. With the song "Mam'sel" heard in the background, he reads the an ode from Keats, one he had previously read to "Sophie" when she was a small girl. Since first seeing this movie, I have always wanted to obtain a copy of those words and I have through another portion of this website that deals with this motion picture.

I enjoyed seeing that the person telling the story of what John XXIII did to help the Jewish children turned out to be one of those children who had grown up. Many knew of what this man did after becoming Pope. Not many knew of his unsung accomplishments that were done in the fearful times of Nazi threats.

I was a senior in high school when "Margie" was on the ABC-TV Network line-up for the 1961-62 season. I will admit, I really had a "crush" on Cynthia Pepper. She was the perfect "Margie".

This show attemmpted to show that the problems the youth of the Roaring 20's were facing were not much different that faced by the teenagers of the early 1960's.

Not many people recall this series. If you ask someone about it, they may think you are referring to "My Little Margie" starring Gale Storm. Not only were they not on network TV at the same time, but Gale Storm's "Margie" was screwball comedy. Cynthia Pepper's "Margie" was lighthearted and warm comedy.

It still easy to spot Miss Pepper in a TV show or movie. You just look for the upturned corners of her mouth. She presented a sweetness that was noticed. Her acting career was all too brief.

Would love to have some videos of this show. I know it was shown long before home videos were in use. I wonder if any of the 30-minute films are in an ABC vault somewhere? I do have a small portion of one of the shows on reel-to-reel audio tape including the opening with the theme ("After all is said and done, there is really only one...Oh, Margie, Margie, it's you").

I really liked this show. It offered warmth and honest humor. Wish it had lasted longer.

I one BIG FAN of Cynthia Pepper who played Jean Pearson, the girl next door in the first year of the series - 1960-61. She was Mike's girlfriend.

Not long before Mike got married several seasons later, she returned, but found that Mike had someone else and was planning on marrying her. It was kind of sad, but very true to life. I wish Miss Pepper could have been on more. She was a talented young lady who stopped acting way too soon.