Kim Schuster
Encyclopedia
Kim Schuster is a fictional character
on the television drama Peyton Place
. She was portrayed in 33 episodes by Kimberly Beck
, between 1965 and 1966.
daughter of David Schuster (William Smithers
) and his wife Doris Schuster (Gail Kobe
). She is very fond of her father, who is often at work and doesn't see her much. However, she doesn't like her mother, blaming her for having moved from New York City
to Peyton Place. She often ignores her attempts to bond with her and feels she doesn't love her as much because of her hearing impairment. It is implied her rebelliousness against her mother is actually a cry for attention, as she also steals to get attention.
David at one point thinks it was a mistake for having come to Peyton Place. In New York, she had her own private teacher, Amy Warren, but after arriving in the small town, she refused to talk. Doris suggests she be sent to a reform school in Boston. She is shocked and decides to run away, but Allison MacKenzie
(Mia Farrow
) soon finds her. They bond and Allison becomes her babysitter. This upsets Doris very much, because she wants to have the same relationship with Kim as Allison has. Besides Allison, she doesn't bond with many girls. The girls from her own age bully her for being different.
One night, Kim runs away for a second time and witnesses Rodney Harrington
(Ryan O'Neal
) and Joe Chernak fighting. Joe eventually dies the same night. A long murder trial follows and Kim has to be called to the witness stand. This upsets her very much, because the events of that night have become very traumatic for her. Doris notices Peyton Place is becoming too much for Kim and decides to leave with her for New York.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the television drama Peyton Place
Peyton Place (TV series)
Peyton Place is an American prime-time soap opera which aired on ABC in half-hour episodes from September 15, 1964 to June 2, 1969.Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. A total of 514 episodes were broadcast, in...
. She was portrayed in 33 episodes by Kimberly Beck
Kimberly Beck
Kimberly Beck is an American actress with over sixty television and film roles to her credit.-Biography:...
, between 1965 and 1966.
Character history
Kim is the six-year-old deafHearing impairment
-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...
daughter of David Schuster (William Smithers
William Smithers
William Smithers is an American actor, perhaps best known for his recurring role as Jeremy Wendell in the television series Dallas. He appeared in the series in 1981 and from 1984 to 1989...
) and his wife Doris Schuster (Gail Kobe
Gail Kobe
Gail Kobe is an American actress and producer.-Career:During the 1950s and 1960s, Kobe made dozens of guest appearances on such television programs as Felony Squad, Ironside, The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone, Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, Daniel Boone, Mission: Impossible, The Untouchables and Mannix...
). She is very fond of her father, who is often at work and doesn't see her much. However, she doesn't like her mother, blaming her for having moved from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to Peyton Place. She often ignores her attempts to bond with her and feels she doesn't love her as much because of her hearing impairment. It is implied her rebelliousness against her mother is actually a cry for attention, as she also steals to get attention.
David at one point thinks it was a mistake for having come to Peyton Place. In New York, she had her own private teacher, Amy Warren, but after arriving in the small town, she refused to talk. Doris suggests she be sent to a reform school in Boston. She is shocked and decides to run away, but Allison MacKenzie
Allison MacKenzie
Allison MacKenzie is a fictional character and one of the protagonists in the novel Peyton Place, its sequel Return to Peyton Place, the subsequent film adaptations of both, and the primetime television series and daytime soap opera they inspired....
(Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
) soon finds her. They bond and Allison becomes her babysitter. This upsets Doris very much, because she wants to have the same relationship with Kim as Allison has. Besides Allison, she doesn't bond with many girls. The girls from her own age bully her for being different.
One night, Kim runs away for a second time and witnesses Rodney Harrington
Rodney Harrington
Rod Harrington is a fictional character on the television drama Peyton Place. He was portrayed by Ryan O'Neal. He was also a character on the 1957 film adaptation of the original novel. In this version, he was portrayed by Barry Coe.-Film version:...
(Ryan O'Neal
Ryan O'Neal
Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received...
) and Joe Chernak fighting. Joe eventually dies the same night. A long murder trial follows and Kim has to be called to the witness stand. This upsets her very much, because the events of that night have become very traumatic for her. Doris notices Peyton Place is becoming too much for Kim and decides to leave with her for New York.