Unrequited Love in Old Time Radio

To love and be loved! Some writers will tell you that it is the experience which makes us human, a part of society. It seems somewhat tragic that there are situations where love is not or, perhaps cannot be reciprocated. 

This washes the "two-way street" theory out the window, but it can and does occur. When love is not returned or even acknowledged by the beloved, that love is said to be unrequited or one-sided. Unrequited love seems like an awfully unfair situation for the lover, but many psychiatrists have pointed out that there are greater benefits in loving than there are in being loved.

It can be truly sad when an unrequited love could be returned but is not. However, the condition is truly situational. A fan may truly love a big Star, but the Star has no direct knowledge that the fan even exists. A sensitive celebrity might express a degree of love by appreciating his fans, and as unsatisfactory as this would seem, it may be more than enough for the bobbysoxer screaming at the top of her lungs at a single glimpse from the latest heartthrob.

If the beloved is or at least seems to be attainable and the love is unrequited then we see a truly sad situation, but as with all things having to do with romance, things are still incredibly situational. Romeo might have been a lot better off if Juliet had simply rejected his affections, although that would have cheated us out of a great story. We want to believe that love can conquer all and it is hurtful when we discover that it is not always true. Sometimes the gap in social standing or attractiveness is simply too great to overcome. Sometimes the beloved simply is not and never will be attracted to the lover. However, whether returned or not, as painful as it may have seemed at the time, the lover is richer for having loved without regard to reciprocation.

• Gunsmoke, January 30, 1960, "Chester's Dilemma". Marshal Dillon realizes that something is off with Chester but has not noticed that Chester has been paying a lot of attention to pretty Edna Wallstrom. As sweet as things appear, Miss Edna has a secret which could spoil everything.
• The Columbia Workshop, May 7, 1938, "The Fisherman and his Soul". A tale by Oscar Wilde. A young and virile fisherman catches a mermaid in his nets. She begs to be let free so he agrees if she will come when he calls and sing for him, which will attract the fish to his nets. She does and he falls in love, but the mermaid explains that it cannot be since the seafolk have no soul. They can only be together if he loses his soul.
• The FBI in Peace and War, January 20, 1957, "Ladies in Lace". The Jessup Sisters (of the New Orleans Jessup's) have been running the same con game for years. They find a gentleman of means, win his confidence with their old-world charm, and then, through a trusted third party, spring the trap. Luckily for the FBI, the sisters have a weakness for Wilshire Chinaware.
• The Great Gildersleeve, May 28, 1947. Gildy's insurance agent convinces the Great Man that he needs to go down to the doctor's office and get a checkup. The doc tells Gildersleeve that he is in good shape "for his age", but his blood pressure tells him he should give up his cigars. Gildy loves his cigars, even if they don't love him back.
• The Hermit's Cave, World Syndication, "It Happened on Sunday". Viola's friend, Dave the lawyer, introduced her to wealthy Ray Putman the painter and they fell in love, but Ray is hiding something. Every year on the anniversary of her death, Ray's late wife visits his studio, just like she said she would before she died. As it turns out, Miriam was crazy, perhaps that is how she began haunting, but Ray's plans might cost Viola everything.
• The Lux Radio Theatre, February 5, 1945, "Laura". Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, and Vincent Price appear in their screen roles. Lt. McPherson is investigating a strange murder case. Laura Hunt answered the door to her apartment, and someone blasted her in the face with a shotgun. McPherson has a long list of rather nefarious suspects, all of whom had reasons to be jealous of Laura. The detective even manages to fall in love with Laura's portrait.
• Dragnet, July 5, 1951, "The Big Love". Mrs. Gorman and her two-year-old daughter went missing, and Mr. Gorman filed a missing person report. Some neighbors report that she had been running around with another man. Mr. Gorman knows about the other man, but he is worried about his little girl. As it turns out, Mrs. Gorman was not much of a mother.

See also: Tales of Cheating Hearts collection.