Big Sister

Soap Opera (1936-1952)

Sponsored by Rinso, Big Sister stars Alice Frost as Ruth Evans. Ruth is a modern day heroine, giving up her life and love to take care of her orphaned siblings. As the story progresses, her sister, Sue, marries a newspaper man, and her crippled brother Ned is cured by a miracle procedure performed by Ruth's love, Dr. John Wayne (not to be confused with the cowboy).This then leaves Ruth free to follow her heart into the arms of John Wayne, marry, and have some little blessed events. Happiness may not be long, as John goes to war, shell shocks himself, and more drama ensues.

Mesmerizingly dramatic, Big Sister is sprinkled with fun war-time commercials about saving tires and happy Rinso commercials ("get your clothes sparkling clean with Rinso white!").

This series created the spin-off soap opera, Bright Horizon starring Richard Kollmar. Lillian Laugerty, who also penned the series Your Family and Mine.