Allred's career continued its ascent over the years, but there was always one thing on the horizon: his church mission. For years he had been telling his representatives that he planned to drop out of the business and serve a mission when he turned 19. As luck would have it, his workload crested in the months leading up to his 19th birthday with "Teen Angel," "Diamonds" and "Anywhere But Here," as well as several TV commercials and guest appearances on TV shows.

"I warned my representatives early that I'd be gone for two years," says Allred, "but when it came up, they were like, 'Are you serious? You're nuts. Can't you go later?' I'd be lying if I didn't say I thought long and hard about staying home."

Says Diane Allred: "There were agents who were saying, 'You'll be a big star; you'll make your million this year.' They couldn't understand that there was something more than this (movie) life."

Allred finally told his family: "If I don't go now, I'll never go."

He opened his mission call on the set of "Diamonds" in Reno, Nev. Half of the cast and crew thought he was crazy to abandon his career, but a few days later, Douglas, the legendary actor, called Allred at his home in Utah and told him, "I know you've gotten a lot of flak for your decision, but it was the right decision, and God will bless you." Douglas continued to write to Allred during his mission.

A week after finishing the shooting of "Diamonds," Allred entered the Missionary Training Center. While he was gone, his family attended the premieres for two of his movies — one in New York, one in Los Angeles — without him. Publicists searched in vain to find him for interviews and promotions. Premieres are important for actors, a time they can promote themselves and land other roles. When he returned from his mission, some studio types told him, "Where were you? We wanted you for a movie."

Allred was recognized occasionally during his mission, and one newspaper wrote a story about him, but for the most part, he worked in anonymity. More than once, while talking with people at their front doors, he heard or saw himself on the family's TV behind them.

Onorato, Allred's manager, was among those who didn't question Allred's mission. "You don't interrupt a religious (calling) for a career," he says. "That was uppermost in his mind for a long time. I knew eventually we were going to have to deal with it. The timing wasn't the best, but ... "

Onorato and Allred acknowledge that his career hasn't regained its momentum. Along with his absence, Allred's age precludes him from playing roles he once played. And his religious beliefs narrow the field again.

"There are certain roles that he doesn't audition for," says Onorato. "He wants to look back on his career and say he didn't fall into the trap of just doing a role to do it and then compromised his values."