Rodney "Rod" Harrington is a fictional character in the 1956

Grace Metalious Grace Metalious (September 8, 1924 – February 25, 1964) was an American author known for her novel '' Peyton Place'', one of the best-selling works in publishing history. Early life Marie Grace DeRepentigny was born into poverty and a broken ...

novel '' Peyton Place'', the 1957 film adaptation, and the 1960s television adaptation '' Peyton Place''. He was portrayed by

Barry Coe Barry S. Coe (born Barry Clark Heacock; November 26, 1934 – July 16, 2019) was an American actor who appeared in film and on television from 1956–1978. Many of his movie parts were minor, but he co-starred in one series, titled '' Follow the ...

in the film, and by

Ryan O'Neal Ryan O'Neal (born April 20, 1941) is an American actor and former boxer. He trained as an amateur boxer before beginning his career in acting in 1960. In 1964, he landed the role of Rodney Harrington on the ABC nighttime soap opera '' Peyton Pla ...

in the TV series.

Character history

Film version

In the film, Rodney is a popular guy at school who has a fling with

Betty Anderson Betty Anderson is a fictional character in the novel '' Peyton Place'', written by Grace Metalious, as well as the subsequent films and TV series based on the novel. In the film, she was played by actress Terry Moore; and in the TV series, she ...

. They go to the 18th birthday party of

Allison MacKenzie ''Peyton Place'' is a 1956 novel by the American author Grace Metalious. Set in New England in the time periods before and after World War II, the novel tells the story of three women who are forced to come to terms with their identity, both as ...

together. However, Rodney ends up kissing Allison. At the prom night, he wants to go with Betty. Betty's father demands he marry her. He is scared by this idea and decides to dump Betty for Allison. During the summer, he chooses Betty above Allison. They marry, which angers Rodney's father

Leslie Harrington Leslie Harrington is a fictional character in the novel and movie ''Peyton Place (novel), Peyton Place'' as well as the television series of the same name. In the movie, Leslie was played by actor Leon Ames (actor), Leon Ames. Paul Langton played ...

. After the

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...

, Rod enlists for the army and goes away. Later that month, it is announced Rod has died in the war.

Soap version

Rodney was introduced as the son of

and Catherine Peyton and brother of Norman Harrington. He has a relationship with Betty, but he dumps her after he sees his father having an affair with Betty's mother, Julie Anderson. He next starts dating Allison for a short period, which angers Betty. Betty reveals she's pregnant with Rodney's child. Rodney decides to marry her. They are involved in a car accident, in which Betty suffers a miscarriage. She doesn't tell Rod, as she is afraid he will leave her. When he finds out, he divorces her. He again starts dating Allison, but discovers he still loves Betty. When his brother Norman starts dating Rita Jacks, her ex-boyfriend Joe Chernak starts stalking them. Rodney decides to help them out and starts a fight with him. Joe accidentally dies and Rod gets the blame. Despite the help of his powerful grandfather Martin Peyton, Rod is charged guilty. It is Stella Chernak who proves his innocence. After this, Rodney decides to quit college to work in a garage. He ends his relationship with Allison and starts having a sexual relationship with Sandy Webber. He is also secretly in love with Rachel Welles. But Martin decides he should remarry Betty. He manipulates Rod into doing this. After he settled with her, he starts going into business with Norman and Rita. At one point, Jill Smith enters town and claims she is having Allison's baby. Rodney is convinced he is the father and battles for custody. He eventually gets bored with his life and goes off for college, leaving Betty behind.

Harrington jacket

The character was often seen wearing a jacket made by a British company called Baracuta (the model was called the G9). His frequent appearances wearing the jacket resulted in it becoming known as a ' Harrington'; indeed, the style is still to this day manufactured worldwide by many different companies under this name.

References

External links

Rodney at fansite
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harrington, Rodney Fictional characters from New Hampshire Peyton Place characters Literary characters introduced in 1956 Drama film characters Male characters in literature Male characters in television