A very unusual episode compared to the ones I have seen so far, an excellent one at that. The Charlie based ones are few and far between, but wow does he shine. The opening scenes may tempt you to skip this one but DON'T! Cheers to the writers for stepping outside the box on this one.
7 Reviews
A Haunting Fantasy Episode
bkoganbing15 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This episode of Wagon Train, Little Girl Lost coming in its last season remains one of the most haunting ever done on that long running series. It also is one of the few times that Frank McGrath as Charlie Wooster took center stage in an episode.
Charlie was always the comic relief on that series. In fact Terry Wilson as Bill Hawks and McGrath are the only two regulars that made it through the Ward Bond and John McIntire years of the series from the beginning to the end.
Wooster and Hawks were fellow veterans with Ward Bond of the Civil War and Bond was their commanding officer hence why he was known as Major Seth Adams. In fact it was a running gag kept up throughout the series about Wooster's lousy cooking and lousy coffee.
We're well into the John McIntire years now in this episode. Wooster is the only one who hears the plaintive cry of a little girl at night as the Wagon Train is traveling through the California Sierras He asks around and the rest think he's been hitting the cooking sherry. A few nights later he meets her and her name is Robin Mercy Rossiter. Wooster's relieved of course that he's not crazy.
But then he can't find her family or who she's traveling with on the Wagon Train. Until he meets up with another oldtimer on the train in the person of John Doucette.
The tragic truth is that little Robin is a ghost and she was one of the many who perished in that most horrifying of incidents of pioneers crossing the plains, the Donner Party. Doucette was one of the survivors of that and one can speculate how he survived since it was reported that the survivors turned to cannibalism. But that's not part of this show.
Doucette remembers how little Robin and her parents perished. It's been a quarter of a century now since they died Robin's ghost is still calling out for them.
Since the only human contact she's made for all that time was Charlie Wooster it's up to him to explain it to her. In a tear jerking climax Frank McGrath explains it to little Robin played by Eileen Baral. She's finally at peace now and reunited with her parents.
McGrath who was always comic relief was described by Harry Carey, Jr. in his book as one tough hombre. He was a stuntman, used a lot by John Ford and he finally got some bit parts and then came along with Ward Bond and fellow stuntman Terry Wilson to Wagon Train. But this was his episode and he plays it beautifully. There was not a dry eye in America wherever a family was watching Wagon Train that evening.
It was one of the best episodes of the series.
Charlie was always the comic relief on that series. In fact Terry Wilson as Bill Hawks and McGrath are the only two regulars that made it through the Ward Bond and John McIntire years of the series from the beginning to the end.
Wooster and Hawks were fellow veterans with Ward Bond of the Civil War and Bond was their commanding officer hence why he was known as Major Seth Adams. In fact it was a running gag kept up throughout the series about Wooster's lousy cooking and lousy coffee.
We're well into the John McIntire years now in this episode. Wooster is the only one who hears the plaintive cry of a little girl at night as the Wagon Train is traveling through the California Sierras He asks around and the rest think he's been hitting the cooking sherry. A few nights later he meets her and her name is Robin Mercy Rossiter. Wooster's relieved of course that he's not crazy.
But then he can't find her family or who she's traveling with on the Wagon Train. Until he meets up with another oldtimer on the train in the person of John Doucette.
The tragic truth is that little Robin is a ghost and she was one of the many who perished in that most horrifying of incidents of pioneers crossing the plains, the Donner Party. Doucette was one of the survivors of that and one can speculate how he survived since it was reported that the survivors turned to cannibalism. But that's not part of this show.
Doucette remembers how little Robin and her parents perished. It's been a quarter of a century now since they died Robin's ghost is still calling out for them.
Since the only human contact she's made for all that time was Charlie Wooster it's up to him to explain it to her. In a tear jerking climax Frank McGrath explains it to little Robin played by Eileen Baral. She's finally at peace now and reunited with her parents.
McGrath who was always comic relief was described by Harry Carey, Jr. in his book as one tough hombre. He was a stuntman, used a lot by John Ford and he finally got some bit parts and then came along with Ward Bond and fellow stuntman Terry Wilson to Wagon Train. But this was his episode and he plays it beautifully. There was not a dry eye in America wherever a family was watching Wagon Train that evening.
It was one of the best episodes of the series.
Little Girl Lost
patriciascully-8060810 January 2022
GREAT EPISODE...SO TRUE AND HONEST...Acting Is Incredible...I love the Paranormal,so this one was right up my Alley...This Happened in my family in Ireland...The Ghost Child Refused To Move In...Very Scary...Love this show.
episode was on metv 3/23/21 - well done
trobertt-15-2211223 March 2021
Excellent writing complimented by excellent acting. Might bring tears to your eyes. I like how they mentioned the cold air when the young girl appeared. quite a few of us might know the feeling if we are old enough.
Little Girl Lost
soorbeck-14 June 2022
One of my Favorites
LAeditor25 October 2022
This is a great episode. Wagon Train is one of my all time favorite series. I'm always amazed at how the writers could come up with so many interesting and different stories about travelers on a wagon train. I think a big part of the success of the series, in addition to the writers, were the actors and their parts. How unfortunate we don't have TV series like this today. And this episode, in my opinion, is one of the best. Frank McGrath, Charlie, was at his best in this one. And Eileen Baral as Robin, the little girl, was also outstanding. Don't miss this episode if you have a chance to watch it.
Charlie and the little girl
jarrodmcdonald-127 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I know this is a highly rated and well-respected episode from the final season of Wagon Train. And I really wanted to like it as much as everyone else apparently did, but some things just seemed a bit unrealistic to me.
First, they keep telling us in the beginning of the story that it's summertime and they are traveling through the desert. We see the covered wagons moving near cacti in the stock footage, so that is believable. Yet what is not believable is how none of the actors are perspiring, and it seems as if they are working on an air conditioned soundstage for the closer shots. Surely the director could have had someone spray them with a bit of mist to indicate they were sweating under the hot desert sun.
Other things don't make much sense either. Like why is the little girl only appearing to Charlie and Barnaby? Is it because they are cooks and she wants food? Wouldn't she be appearing to other people who can help her deal with the cold and help her deal with the deaths of her loved ones?
Furthermore, there is dialogue in the episode where Chris Hale tells Charlie he's been over the Donner Pass before. They've traveled this way with other groups. So why didn't little Robin's ghost make contact with Charlie before? Wouldn't her broken heart and tears have been an issue before, when Charlie and the others previously came through this part of the country?
I know I am probably over analyzing it, but there are definitely some plot holes. I think people really like the episode's story because it upholds Christian beliefs, even though it uses supernatural elements or paranormal happenings to accomplish this. The big scene near the end where Charlie takes the girl to her grave and she walks off into the light is probably the part where Christian viewers feel strongly connected to the story. Atheists may find it corny, but then atheists probably don't watch this program!
I do agree that Frank McGrath does a nice job here, giving us sides of Charlie Wooster we don't normally glimpse on the show. He is sincere, attuned to helping a little spirit reach her heavenly reward, and he admits he's an old man that others might see as having a cracked-up head. But his beliefs and his convictions are what keep him going until he achieves his mission. Now if he could just improve his cooking!
First, they keep telling us in the beginning of the story that it's summertime and they are traveling through the desert. We see the covered wagons moving near cacti in the stock footage, so that is believable. Yet what is not believable is how none of the actors are perspiring, and it seems as if they are working on an air conditioned soundstage for the closer shots. Surely the director could have had someone spray them with a bit of mist to indicate they were sweating under the hot desert sun.
Other things don't make much sense either. Like why is the little girl only appearing to Charlie and Barnaby? Is it because they are cooks and she wants food? Wouldn't she be appearing to other people who can help her deal with the cold and help her deal with the deaths of her loved ones?
Furthermore, there is dialogue in the episode where Chris Hale tells Charlie he's been over the Donner Pass before. They've traveled this way with other groups. So why didn't little Robin's ghost make contact with Charlie before? Wouldn't her broken heart and tears have been an issue before, when Charlie and the others previously came through this part of the country?
I know I am probably over analyzing it, but there are definitely some plot holes. I think people really like the episode's story because it upholds Christian beliefs, even though it uses supernatural elements or paranormal happenings to accomplish this. The big scene near the end where Charlie takes the girl to her grave and she walks off into the light is probably the part where Christian viewers feel strongly connected to the story. Atheists may find it corny, but then atheists probably don't watch this program!
I do agree that Frank McGrath does a nice job here, giving us sides of Charlie Wooster we don't normally glimpse on the show. He is sincere, attuned to helping a little spirit reach her heavenly reward, and he admits he's an old man that others might see as having a cracked-up head. But his beliefs and his convictions are what keep him going until he achieves his mission. Now if he could just improve his cooking!
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