Young Love is a 30-minute American radio situation comedy that was broadcast on CBS from July 4, 1949, through May 13, 1950. The series centered around Janet Shaw and James E. Lewis Jr., a secretly married college student couple who faced the usual problems of newlywed couples while trying to keep their marriage a secret from the college administration.
Janet lived in a girls’ dormitory, while James lived in a fraternity house, which added to the challenges they faced. One exception to the secrecy was Professor Mitch, a member of the college faculty who was James’s best man in the wedding.
Other characters heard regularly on the program were Dean Ferguson, a “crusty” administrator at Midwestern University, and Molly Belle, Janet’s roommate.
The Stars
The roles of Janet Shaw and James E. Lewis Jr. were played by Janet Waldo and Jimmy Lydon, respectively.
Herb Butterfield portrayed Dean Ferguson, and Shirley Mitchell was heard as Molly Belle.
Professor Mitch was played by John Hiestand.
Other actors who appeared on the program included Jerry Hausner and Hal March.
Roy Rowan was the announcer, and Wilbur Hatch led the orchestra, with the Judd Conlon Choristers providing music between scenes.
Key Dates
- Young Love debuted on CBS on July 4, 1949.
- It ran through May 13, 1950.
- The series initially aired on Mondays at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time as the summer replacement for Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts.
- It was initially a sustaining program, but Ford Motors began sponsoring the show in November 1949.
- On January 7, 1950, the program was moved to Saturdays at 7 p.m., ET, replacing Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.
Other Information
The concept for Young Love was developed by the writing team of Jerry Lawrence and Bob Lee, who also wrote, produced, and directed the series.
Many of the situations depicted on the program came from the real-life experiences of Lee and Waldo, who were married at the time. Aspects of the college campus setting were based on Lawrence’s alma mater, Ohio State University, and Lee’s alma mater, Ohio Wesleyan University.
The program received generally positive reviews. A Billboard review described it as “a happy blend of commercial schmaltz, slick production work, and bright scripting,” though it noted that “sometimes the comedy punch lines were at odds with the story.”
Variety called the show “a particularly charming” program that “should provide considerable divertissement to a hot summer’s evening,” and praised the performances of Lydon and Waldo, as well as the writing, directing, and producing of Lawrence and Lee.
Media critic John Crosby wrote that the program’s concept “is durable and, far as I know, original for radio,” though he felt that Waldo and Lydon’s characters still sounded somewhat youthful for their roles as a married couple.
