It’s my favorite show. I can’t get it anymore on TV. I would give anything to be able to watch it.😊 the real name for the family is the Hamner’s, and my third grade teacher was one of them. She was the daughter of one of the sons I’m from Fredericksburg, Virginia.😊
Loved the grandparents. Will brought an exuberance and love of the outdoors, he had a Masters in Biology. Ellen brought some spice to the show with her sharp tongue, helped keep things from getting too sweet
One technical note about Ellen Corby - it was her TV husband Will Geer that became concerned when she was late to the set the morning of her stroke and orchestrated a wellness check on her. She wasn't married in real life.
This is correct. Also, Ms. Corby was in a long term relationship with a female companion and she reportedly was not attracted to men. Likewise, Will Geer was also attracted to same sex partners.
@@ApricotRse Heavens to Murgatroyd! Are you saying that Grandma and Grandpa Walton were both gay? I guess the show is more contemporary than I realized.
"The Waltons" did not go to TV because the book "Spencer's Mountain" was interesting. It went because of the success of the Christmas TV special "The Homecoming" which served as something of an accidental pilot. It was highly rated and the wife of a CBS executive loved it so much that she suggested it be put on the 1972 fall schedule as a weekly series. All of the children from "The Homecoming" special and Ellen Corby as Grandma were brought back, but the remaining key adult roles were recast.
CBS apparently had a history of 'pillow talk' saving a show. 'M*A*S*H' and 'GUNSMOKE' were about to be axed (at different times) when William Paley's wife convinced him to give the former another chance, and a politician on the floor of the Senate, actually lamented the possible demise of the latter (and I think Mrs. Paley agreed), something like that. both shows were switched to different nights, which gave a boost to each show. as Larry Linville said, "we had a rough time for a while, 'til they put us on right after ''All in the Family," and it was smooth sailing from then on".when I was a child, 'GUNSMOKE' was on for adults at 10 PM Saturday nights, but when it was in trouble, they switched it to (I think) Tuesday nites, when I was in Jr. High, enabling me to see it at a more convenient time. I've spent my adult life catching up on the shows that aired when I was a baby.
I liked Grandpa the best. He was like the glue that held the family together and always reminded them of the sacrifices their ancestors made to settle the land. He always tried to pass that pride on to the rest of the family. As serious as Grandma was he always made her laugh and allowed his grandchildren to make mistakes so they could learn about life on their own. He was a very wise man and that is why he is my favorite character.
The Waltons was such an iconic show, taking us back to what most people call the simpler times. We only find that they struggled just as much as we do today. This was a show that I use to watch faithfully. And now that I have it on dvd, I relive the experience. Henry Fonda may have been a good choice, but he was correct, the family was the star, even though John Boy was the central character from the writer’s point of view. I thin the casting was as spot on as you could get. It would be hard to pick one character as the best, but I would have to say that Grandpa Walton was my favorite. He had wisdom that he imparted to all of the family, but also didn’t mind a nip of the recipe when it was offered. We could all benefit from this show. It may not have been accurate, but it can instill a kind of life that was filled with love. Something that we lack at times. Oh to go back to Walton’s mountain again…..Goodnight John Boy, goodnight Mary Ellen….
@@FactsVerse I liked the episode where John Boy was delegated to chop down the Christmas tree from Walton’s mountain. He was up there with grandpa Walton, and they were sharing life’s secrets. Grandpa basically telling John Boy about the mountain and how it wasn’t theirs per se, but that they were caretakers of the mountain. After a long walk and a long talk, they found the perfect Christmas tree, and cut it down. It may have not been the most exciting episode, with a clear meaningful storyline, but there were moments that were profound. I’d like to think that John Boy carried those conversations with his grandpa with him long after grandpa died. The fact that the actor had died before the shows end, was heartbreaking, but there were times we heard the voice of the actor in John Boy’s head.
Ellen Corby did not have a husband (she was not attracted to men) but instead a long time female companion. Likewise, Will Geer (not Greer) was also same-sex attracted. Their exceptional acting skills combined to make a convincing, loving couple of Grandma and Grandpa Walton. Side note: I always found it touchingly ironic that after missing Ellen for more than a year's worth of episodes for her absence due to her stroke, Will would reunite with her for only one more episode ("Grandma Comes Home") before his death between the 6th and 7th seasons. The 7th season would begin with a shot of Grandpa's headstone and Earl's voiceover explaining that he died six months earlier.
Ellen Corby was also good friends with her companion's husband. It's likely that she was "married to her career" and saw her female companion as simply a dear friend. They shared a house after she suffered her stroke.
@@midgie1166 Yes, that's technically correct -- but that marriage was 25-35 years prior to her time on The Waltons, which is the relative time frame for this discussion thread. That's really "ancient history" to the point that by this time and for the duration of the series, Miss Corby was intimately engaged with a longtime female companion after having switched her orientation from men to women.
I loved The Waltons!! My dad grew up in Charlottesville , VA, about 20 miles north of Schuyler, VA, in the 40’s/50’s. As I was growing up in VA, we traveled to Charlottesville often to visit family. I always felt it was cool to have a TV show about where I came from. It was cool in the early 2000’s when I actually visited Schuyler and the Walton’s museum. In the early episodes John Boy was my favorite, especially in “The Love Story.” That episode still makes me cry. As the show continued, Ralph Waite became my favorite. He reminded me of my own Dad. Over the years I see more and more resemblance. Now that my Dad is gone, I remember him as much as the lost cast members when I watch on TV or DVD. 8:13
Ok, Facts Verse, language police here! The man's name isn't Earl Hammer. Its "Hamner." The "N" isn't silent. Actually "Earl Hamner Jr." You're free to go.😅
I worked on The Waltons, started as a PA...appeared in various episodes as a day Player...Harry Harris (one of our most prolific Directors) sponsored me into the Director's Guild. Notes here are written in a good-spirited way, with thanks for remembering the work we all did over 50 years ago: This video is flattering in that it recognizes the show, thankyou. HOWEVER...it is chock-full of mistakes...here are a few: Earl HAMNER...not Earl HAMMER. Will GEER, not Will GREER, ELIZABETH is not wearing her sweater when we cut to the kitchen as (not seen) she left it on the porch; We did shoot some exteriors at the WB Ranch just down the street from the Main Lot, these primarily were the Exterior of The Baldwin Sister's House, a few scenes in the park in front, anda couple times on the short New York Street there. Traffic noise was not a problem there , however Departing Aircraft from Runway 33 was up until 1978 when Noise Abatement Policies were put in place...forcing departing planes to divert to the right immediately after take-off along with a throttling down of the engines...this was better for us...but didn't entirely alleviate the problem. as the departing end of Runway 33 was 2.5 miles from our Walton Flats location on the WB lot. Ellen Corby DID NOT have her Stroke on Set...rather she suffered it at her home in Hollywood.over the weekend..when Ellen failed to showup on Monday Earl Hamner and Will Geer rushed to her home and found her there...and Ellen Corby was NOT married...no husband., ever. And finally, yes wardrobe and hair, very rarely did not exactly conform to the times, but we were aware of that and it was appropriate for the spirit of the particular episode...I'm not aware of a single letter from our fans regarding that, but perhaps I was out-of-the-loop on that. Working on The Waltons was a joy, and I was a lucky kid to begin my career with such a group of folks that I still, to this day, consider my Family. Many thanks, John Dayton
_'...and Ellen Corby was NOT married...no husband., ever.'_ This is false. (Where do you think the surname, "Corby" came from? lol) Ellen Corby (née Hansen) wed film director/cinematographer Francis Corby who was 20 years her senior, in 1934; they divorced in 1944. The marriage produced no children.
All the years I watched this, I never thought about any of these things or dates, change of wardrobe, etc. As far as Jim Bob running out of the scene, with all those kids I thought nothing of it as the kids were always running around! It only got strange in later years when they would say mama is in a hospital but still alive. It seemed weird she could not come to her daughters' weddings!
Earl Hamner's last name is not pronounced "hammer" as you called it through this video. Will's last name is Geer, not Greer. Ellen Corby wasn't married. Will was the one to find her at home when she suffered her stroke after noticing she was late for work that morning, and she was never late before. Also, a fact you didn't mention regarding the set bedrooms...John and Olivia's bedroom didn't exist. It was actually the room they used for the girls' bedroom. They just switched out the furniture for filming the different bedroom scenes.
My favorites were John - Boy and Olivia. Yes, I was surprised about Michael Lerner drinking problem. I'm glad she was able to get some help and conquered that. There were so many similarities between the movie Spencer's Mountain and The Waltons. I was pleased they had the same writer and creator. Both shows I felt were well cast.
A correction about the "rural purge": CBS had already infamously purged its schedule of all its rural based shows like "Green Acres", "The Beverly Hillbillies", "Hee Haw", and "Mayberry RFD" before "The Waltons" was ever on the air. "The Waltons", as erroneously stated in this video, did NOT survive the purge because it was never a part of it. It was put on the air AFTER the purge.
I heard that the Warner Ranch was demolished a year or so ago to create office space for the studio. So the iconic Walton house as well as the Leave it to Beaver house,The I dream of Jeannie house, the Bewitched house, the Partridge Family house, the Gidget house, and the Munsters house as well as the opening sequence of Friends, fountain are all gone.😢 I wish I had had a chance to see them close before their demise.
Fonda apparently turned it down only because "I thought the stories would be mainly about the (Hamner) kid, who wanted to be an author, and I didn't see where I'd fit in." paraphrasing, but accurate. I highly recommend 'Spencer's Mountain'. an old film. I saw it on INSP, in great condition, and in color. but by the mid-'70's, Fonda would have to be Grampa. I remember the show he did breifly, w/ Ronnie Howard as his son. he was born for film.
Let's clear up the situation regarding Henry Fonda since, well, facts matter. The film "Spencer's Mountain" was based on Earl Hamner's novel of the same name which served as the root source for the TV special "The Homecoming" and eventually the TV series "The Waltons". In the film (wherein the family name is Spencer, not Walton), Henry Fonda played the equivalent of the TV role of John Walton -- played in "The Homecoming" by actor Andrew Duggan and in "The Waltons" by Ralph Waite. CBS did first approach Henry Fonda because he played the father role in "Spencer's Mountain" (not Space Mountain" and they wanted a big name to draw an audience. However, Fonda indeed turned them down because he didn't consider the father's role a starring one, as it had been in the film.
Marie Earl was the little great hair lady who played maude. She had a hard time remembering lines sometimes. The picture you showed was Ellen Corby who plays Grandma Walton.
@@jon2849 yeah, in the interest of full disclosure, of course. I remember Johnny Carson liked to tell the story (supposedly true) about an attendant at a TV station who accidentally let a porn film go out over the air (from his own collection). Johnny: "it wasn't until the film was completely over, that he was flooded w/ complaints and calls!" (paraphrased)
The best tv programme of its day or decade as it turned out! The senior members of the cast all stood out with great supporting support actors, but grandpa Walton was the best until his poor health and death began the sad demise of the programme.
In any series, it's not always possible to get every single scene 100% correct, because shows are not always filmed in continuity. The middle or ending might be filmed first, due to availability of equipment, or a location that can only be used at a particular time, whatever. It's the same with movies. An actor can get sick or injured, resulting in a delay of filming.
There are mistakes in this video. Talking about eye color, the narrator said "all 3 kids had darker eyes" I thought there were 7 kids? Also, talking about Michael's drinking issue, the narrator called Ralph "Richard". Not just continuity errors, huh?
The children who had brown eyes inherited Patricia Neal’s who played their Mother in “The Homecoming” Richard Thomas talks about how the producers wanted to keep all the children for the series Not really a blooper.
I remember watching The Walnuts TV show back in the 1970's. I can't say that I liked the show much though. It was about sad and troubled times and quite depressing. I had a sad and sick feeling after watching it.
@@superfly3990 really? I never felt that way at all. I absolutely loved that show and I never felt sad or depressed watching it. I ‘m sorry that you felt this way…
@@danaschwartz2712 Make your mistaking Gilligan's Island for The Walnuts ? The Walnuts was basically about being Cold and Hungry and then getting kicked in the teeth when you try to get ahead. They lived poor and pitiful and then they died.
Me and my husband are watching the Walton’s now on Freevee. It has all of the seasons in chronological order. My favorite is Grandpa Walton. He reminds me of my daddy the way he talks and would bust out in song for no apparent reason 😂 He makes me laugh. I know his character is going to die and has been dead for years. When we come up on that episode I am going to loose it. Last night we watched Olivia get a perm from Corabeth and Grandma mad about the lady playing the organ at the church. I love being able to watch this show ❤❤❤
It’s hard to say they were all my favorites; however, we all need one. I’ll say John Boy all through his tenure! I live in South Jersey & it’s on mon through fri. I can watch it anytime, I have the videos!
I feel like they were part of family and now I can imagine how the actors miss those who have passed. They must have been close being so young and growing up on set
Another blooper is in the show the quilting. The Baldwin sisters were discussing their coming out party. One sister remembers walking down the red carpeting staircase at the John Marshall hotel. Olive in Richmond and that staircase is in the Jefferson hotel.
Henry Fonda played the father with Maureen O'Hara as the mother in Spencer's Mountain, not space mountain. That movie is based on Earl Hamner's original book. The tv family name was changed due to copyright issues with the studio that produced the movie.
It’s “Earl Hamner”, Hamner with an N, not Hammer. Henry Fonda was in “Spencer’s Mountain”, not space mountain. Space Mountain is a ride at Disney theme parks.
"The Waltons" came on AFTER the rural purge, so it didn't have to survive it. The show started as a "throw-away" and wasn't expected to survive opposite Flip Wilson on NBC and The Mod Squad on ABC. it was a surprise hit, forcing the cancellation of these competitors.
Ummmm ... while you're pointing out "The Waltons" bloopers and mistakes why not start with your own mistakes and bloopers in your reporting, for instance, it's Earl HAMNER, Jr and not Earl HAMMER, Jr.; Henry Fonda starred in "Spencer's Mountain" and not Space Mountain; and it's Will GEER and not Will GREER ... just for starters.
The Waltons writers played fast and loose with the calendar many times. The episode about John and Olivia's 25th High School Reunion said they were in the class of 1911 but later in an episode where John had to prove that he had graduated from high school and could not find his diploma, it was revealed that he did not receive his because he and two other boys left after graduating but before the ceremony where they were to recieve their diplomas, because they had joined the Army to fight in WWI. We did not enter the war until 1917. Mary Earle beautifully covered a blooper in a scene where she came to the Walton's house to visit her goat Myrtle that she had given to the Waltons in an earlier episode because she could no longer take care of her. In this episode as she is walking up to the house someone asks her what she is doing there and she says Oh' i just came to see my goat Bertha. She catches herself in her mistake and shakes it off and keeps going as if nothing happened. A real trouper.
My family never watched The Waltons. Like Lawrence Welk and The Andy Griffith Show, it was too wholesome for us. And also too goyish. But I sometimes watch it now on MeTv.
I had a crush on John boy, loved all the characters and episodes. My favorite would be the Quilting, where Maryellen didn’t want a quilting party to show she was available. Got me interested in quilting! ❤
It wasn’t anything wrong with all the children being in the same school having the same teacher. That was how it was back then my mother went to school and was in high school with her third and fourth grade brothers. They all sat in the same classroom with the same teacher.
During the show they skipped a few years to get to Pearl Harbor and then they skipped a few more years for the war to end. In the TV movie that took place in 1963 it should have been years earlier.
Henry Fonda had absolutely nothing to do with Space Mountain, which you cited as one of his films. Instead, he starred in Spencer's Mountain (1963) in which he co-starred with Maureen O'Hara. There's no excuse for sloppy research.
Continuity is all wrong in this show, but I still love and watch it often. I liked Jim Bob his character always surprises me, I wish they’d given him a real love interest.
Kami Kotler who played Elizabeth said that when Reckless died the dog who took his place was a girl so they had her be a girl and have puppies. That was ridiculous.
Did he call Earl Hamner, Hammer? I thought I heard Space Mountain instead of Spencer's Mtn. Ellen Corby had no husband from what I've read. Geer, not Greer.
My favorite character would depend on the episode. So mine would change with each episode. I would also question the "Burn Out" episode. You would have thought based on the location of the house and when the fire dept got there the house should have been either fully engulfed or completely burnt to the ground. They really didn't have the manpower back then too.