Krista Errickson in LITTLE DARLINGS wasn’t the only one
who stroked my fancy during my quest for beauty when I was a teen. Lori Loughlin (currently in WHEN CALLS THE
HEART on the Hallmark channel) quickly came into the picture as well. I think the first time I ever saw her was on
the now-defunct daytime soap THE EDGE OF NIGHT which, if I remember correctly,
was always struggling in the ratings back in the early ‘80s. But how gorgeous was she even then?! That face, that hair. She truly was the epitome of the perfect
girl—in my eyes anyway. I’m sure if you
talked to her in those days she’d humbly say how incorrect I was. But boy, what a looker she was. Anyway, after that soap went off the air,
nothing major in her court until she was cast in the campy 1983 horror AMITYVILLE
3-D, playing the first girl who gets it.
I was kind of bummed by her quick demise but at least I got to see her in
something else and in 3-D no less. But a
better role came her way two years later in the lovable teen comedy SECRET
ADMIRER. It featured a bunch of talented
actors, some seasoned, some younger, but starred C. Thomas Howell who was a big
thing to female teens (and to some males, I’m sure) back then.
In it Loughlin plays Toni, the girl next door type who
has a secret crush on Howell. Her anonymous
love letter to him sets off a chain of events that make SECRET ADMIRER a fun if
totally fluffy experience. What I liked
most about this film, besides connecting with the plot, is the staying power of
Loughlin. She isn’t tossed aside after
her triggered mishap, which could have been easily made by director David Greenwalt (who subsequently ended up on GRIMM’s doorstep on ABC). No, the script calls for her to embark even
further into this comedy of errors and the result is quite engaging, I’m
telling you. That is, if you can put
aside the silly teen male bonding subplot.
How tiresome is that. But, hey,
this type of flicks were a dime a dozen in those days, not to mention
specifically aimed at adolescent males with a high dose of libido. Some were truly effective (FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT
HIGH, CAN’T BUY ME LOVE, JUST ONE OF THE
GUYS…) and some not so much (FRATERNITY VACATION, WEEKEND PASS, JOYSTICKS…). And like its well-made predecessors, SECRET
ADMIRER understood quite well its purpose: to be funny without going too far on
the joke. 
Loughlin went on to make all kind of features, from big
to small screens, but she truly found her niche when she joined the cast of FULL
HOUSE on ABC in 1988. Sadly, I never
watched it. There’s a limit to my
following the careers on my fave stars.
I mean, FULL HOUSE is just too goodie goodie for my taste. But I’ve heard that she was quite remarkable
in it. I’m not surprised. Hadn’t she proved her comedic flair in SECRET
ADMIRER already? One show I did follow
for a while was SUMMERLAND which she starred and co-produced 15 years later. I know, this one had kids in it as well, BUT
it also featured pre-TRUE BLOOD Ryan Kwanten who of course was shirtless most
of the times. So here’s
to you, Lori Loughlin, may your beautiful and talented self still be a
permanent fixture on our screens for many years to come, just as long as you
bring other hotties with you. And from the way things are looking up (Hallmark
has just renewed WHEN CALLS THE HEART for a second season) I wouldn’t be
surprised.
Until next post—Martin
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