P ly mouth ▁Play house . ▁It ▁was ▁broadcast ▁on ▁April ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 9 5 3 . ▁The ▁pilot ▁cast ▁would ▁return ▁for ▁the ▁series , ▁except ▁that ▁of ▁Eva ▁Marie ▁Saint ▁who ▁would ▁be ▁replaced ▁by ▁Kath le en ▁N olan . ▁ ▁The ▁star ▁of ▁the ▁show ▁was ▁ 1 1 - year - old ▁Br andon ▁de W ilde , ▁whose ▁rising ▁fame ▁had ▁cat ap ult ed ▁him ▁to ▁national ▁prom in ence ▁in ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁three ▁years . ▁Deb uting ▁on ▁Broadway ▁in ▁The ▁Member ▁of ▁the ▁Wed ding ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁he ▁followed ▁with ▁the ▁film ▁version ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 . ▁He ▁then ▁received ▁a ▁nom ination ▁for ▁an ▁Academy ▁Award ▁for ▁Best ▁Support ing ▁A ctor ▁for ▁his ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁port ray al ▁of ▁the ▁young ▁Jo ey ▁Star rett ▁in ▁George ▁Stevens ' ▁film ▁Sh ane , ▁his ▁most ▁memor able ▁role . ▁ ▁As ▁Jam ie ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁a ired ▁live , ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁some ▁public ity ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁about ▁the ▁problems ▁of ▁a ▁young ster , ▁however ▁gift ed , ▁being ▁so ▁deeply ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁press ures ▁of ▁a ▁week ly ▁series . ▁de W ilde ' 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 ▁imp air ing ▁his ▁emot ional ▁growth