Larue Wilson

Larue Wilson is a character introduced in the 1965 sitcom version of "Gidget", where she was played by Lynette Winter. IMDb credits for Gidget (TV series) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058806/] ] Larue is first mentioned in Frederick Kohner's 1957 novel "Gidget, the Litte Girl with Big Ideas". In that novel she is a fairly minor chracter, and is said to be one year older than Gidget, and to live across the street from her. "Gidget" by Fredrick Kohner (2001) Berkley Publishing Group (first printing 1957).] She does not appear in any of the subsequent Gidget novels by Kohner, nor in any of the three Gidget motion pictures produced by Columbia Pictures. She reemerges in the television sitcom "Gidget" as a principal character. The best friend of Frances "Gidget" Lawrence (Sally Field), she more often than not gets caught up in Gidget's schemes and other misadventures. In some ways, Larue is presented as a foil to Gidget personality-wise. She often joins her on her trips to the beach, but is fair-skinned and thus hardly seen there without being covered up and wearing a floppy hat to protect her from the sun. Some of Gidget's friends see Larue as uncool (like Dolly in the episode "My Ever Faithful Friend," who makes snide comments about her), but she generally is depicted as fitting in with most of them regardless. And of course, she and Gidget are usually inseparable.

In the ABC telemovies "Gidget Grows Up" and "Gidget Gets Married" Larue does not appear, IMDb credits for "Gidget Grows Up" [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065778/] ] IMDb credits for "Gidget Gets Married" [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068639/] ] but she does appear as "Larue Powell" in the 1985 ABC telemovie "Gidget's Summer Reunion", played by Anne Lockhart. IMDb credits for "Gidget's Summer Reunion" [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089202/] ]

In The New Gidget (1986), Larue is played by Jill Jacobson, and is renamed "Larue Wilson".IMDb credits for "The New Gidget" [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090488/] ]

Other facts about Larue based on information given in the show ["Gidget: The Complete Series" [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E3L7DM] (2006). [DVD set] . New York: Sony Pictures.] :
- She regularly does eye exercises.
- She is fluent in at least some Spanish, which is a necessity as her home has a housekeeper who only speaks the language.
- She is into equestrianism, as seen in "My Ever Faithful Friend," which is partially centered around her regular trips to the stable and interest in buying "Snowball," an older white horse.
- Larue was a little older than Gidget (by a few months), and already had her drivers license, while Gidget did not. This necessitated her getting involved in some of Gidget's schemes in which driving/traveling was required. For example, in one episode, Gidget is hired as a delivery girl for a florist, as the owner of the shop is unaware that she can't drive. So Larue shows up at shop during Gidget's shift in order to drive the delivery van.
- She has an older first cousin who dated Gidget in the episode "Image Scrimmage."

-Although no mention of Larue having any siblings is ever made in either the 1957 novel, nor the 1960's sitcom, Gidget and Larue attend Larue's younger sister's wedding in "The New Gidget" (episode 15 "The Perfect Man").

References