First Love is an American soap opera that aired on NBC Daytime from July 5, 1954, to December 30, 1955. The series was broadcast at 4:15 p.m. EST, between Golden Windows and Concerning Miss Marlowe. Although it garnered a strong fan base, NBC had little interest in developing their daytime shows at the time and canceled First Love after a year and a half. Many cast members, including Patricia Barry, Val Dufour, and Rosemary Prinz, went on to become long-standing daytime stars. Created by Adrian Samish and written by Manya Starr, the series focused on jet engineer Zach James and his troubled marriage to Laurie James. Having been neglected as a child, Zach was determined to make a name for himself. Laurie tried to understand him but struggled to help him confront his issues, especially when he went on trial for the murder of an aviatrix with whom he might have been having an affair. The show became particularly known for a major blooper early in its run. A Friday cliffhanger featured Zach witnessing his friend Chris crash his plane. Zach rushed to inform Chris' wife Amy, saying, "Chris cracked up the plane." In his haste, Dufour mistakenly said, "Chris crapped," then quickly added, "...on the plane." Patricia Barry began to giggle, and when the camera cut to a "bereaved" Prinz, she was shaking with laughter. Reportedly, NBC nearly fired all three actors but changed their minds after fans praised them for the scene. In 2003, Prinz denied that such a scene ever aired.
