The Waltonsan Episode Guide
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| aired from: Dec 1971 to: Jun 1981 | 221 eps, 1 Special, 7 TVMs |
CBS/NBC | 60 min | mono | ______ |
regulars:
recurring characters:
The Waltons is the story of a large close-knit family living in rural Virginia during the Depression. Creator Earl Hamner Jr. based the series on his own childhood, which he previously fictionalized in his novel, "Spencer's Mountain". That book was made into a feature film in 1963 starring Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara as the parents and James MacArthur (before his role as "Dano" on Hawaii Five-O) as Clay-Boy. In 1971, Hamner's second book about the Spencer family, "The Homecoming", was made into a TV movie. The family name was changed to Walton and Patricia Neal and Andrew Duggan played the parents. Clay-Boy became John-Boy and young Richard Thomas was cast in the role. Ellen Corby and Edgar Bergen (father ofCandice Bergen) were cast as the grandparents. The children were played by a talented array of newcomers that included Jon Walmsley (Jason), Judy Norton (Mary Ellen), Mary McDonough (Erin), Kami Cotler (Elizabeth), Eric Scott (Ben) and David Harper (Jim Bob). The film was broadcast on CBS by December 19, 1971. The positive response by viewers to "The Homecoming" prompted CBS to create a series based on the Walton family. The Waltons debuted on September 14, 1972 with Richard Thomas, Ellen Corby and all of the children returning to their roles. Miss Michael Learned was cast as the mother (Olivia), Ralph Waite was cast as the father (John) and veteran actor Will Geer was given the role of the grandfather. Other original characters included Joe Conley as general store owner, Ike Godsey, John Crawford as Sheriff Ep Bridges, Mariclare Costello as schoolteacher Miss Rosemary Hunter and Helen Kleeb and Mary Jackson as eccentric sisters-- Mamie and Emily Baldwin, respectively. The Waltons' first season brought critical acclaim and several awards. Both Richard Thomas and Michael Learned took home Best Actor Emmys, Ellen Corby was awarded the Best Supporting Actress honor and the series was given the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. The show also earned Emmys for writing and editing in addition to receiving the prestigious Peabody award. The series entered the top-ten in its second season and finished second that year to All in the Family. The show remained in the top twenty for the next few seasons and received several more Emmys, including two more for both Michael Learned and Ellen Corby and a Best Supporting Actor award for Will Geer. In all, The Waltons received 37 Emmy nominations and took home 13 of the golden statuettes. During the show's nine-year run, the series underwent several cast changes and additions. John Ritter (1973 - 1975) was featured as Reverend Fordwick. His character would later marry Miss Emily Hunter. Ronnie Claire Edwards (1975 - 1981) joined the show to play Corabeth, a distant cousin of John Walton. She soon married Ike Godsey and they later adopted young Aimee, played by Rachel Longaker (1976-1979). At the end of the fifth season, Richard Thomas left the series with the character of John-Boy heading for New York City to pursue a writing career. (John-Boy's character would later return in the eighth season played by Robert Wightman). Tom Bower (1976 - 1979) portrayed Mary Ellen's husband, Dr. Curtis Willard. They had a baby, John Curtis (played by twins Marshall and Michael Reed). In the fall of 1976, Ellen Corby suffered a serious stroke and did not return to the series until the last episode of the 1977-1978 season. Before production resumed for the 1978 - 1979 season, Will Geer passed away. His character was never to be recast. Also in that seventh season, Michael Learned announced that she would no longer appear in the series as a regular. So by mid-season, Olivia Walton had left for a sanitarium to recover from tuberculosis. She would later return for occasional guest appearances d uring the following season. Other characters were added as the show neared the end of its run. Leslie Winston (1979 - 1981) played Cindy, Ben's wife, and Lisa Harrison (1979 - 1981) portrayed Jason's girlfriend, Toni. Peggy Rea (1979 - 1981) joined the show as Olivia's cousin, Rose Burton, to help care for the Walton household. She brought along her granddaughter, Serena, played by Martha Nix, and her grandson, Jeffrey, played by Keith Mitchell. William Schallert (1980 - 1981) played Rose's husband-to-be, Stanley Perkins. The last regularly scheduled episode of The Waltons was broadcast on August 20, 1981. Three specials were broadcast on NBC in 1982 without Michael Learned and Richard Thomas. Three reunion movies have been produced in the 1990s for CBS. "A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion" (1993), "A Walton Wedding" (1995) and "A Walton Easter" (1997) all feature the original cast with the exception of the late Will Geer.Summary from TNN (The Nashville Network)
Editor's NOTE: If you like to find out even more information, please visit the author's extensive website dedicated to the series.
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Production Credits
Executive Producer: Lee Rich
Created by: Earl Hamner, Jr.
Producer: Robert L. Jacks
Music: Jerry Goldsmith
The movie began with John-Boy and his brothers and sisters, trooping through the snow. It is 1933, during the Depression, and being Christmas Eve, the Walton family are in the midst of their Christmas preparations and hoping to celebrate it together. The problem is that there are many events which seem to prevent John Walton (Daddy) from arriving home to share this Christmas with his family. The majority of the film then, has Olivia wishing and hoping that he will make it home, the children rushing to the door to see if the noises they hear are their Daddy, and John-Boy heading out into the snowy night to try to find him. Eventually Daddy walks through the door, and the first Walton Christmas"miracle" has occurred. We are also introduced to the little old ladies, the Baldwin sisters, the makers of bootleg whisky, a venture that doesn't go down at all well with Olivia. We learn that John-Boy writes down all his secret thoughts, but tries to keep this from his parents, especially his father. He wants to go to University but feels that there is no way that his family would be able to manage this. The surprise for John-Boy comes, though, when his father comes home with a special present for him: packs of writing paper.
b: 19 Dec 71 pc: _________ w: Earl Hamner, Jr. d: Fielder Cook NOTE: "The Homecoming" was the pilot movie for The Waltons. Although it was not originally intended to be a pilot for a series, it was popular enough for a series to be commissioned. This episode provides us with quite a bit of background to the Walton family. Livvy says that she planted the Christmas cactus she finds in the basement, the same year that she and John were married, 1916. We also learn from John-Boy that he is 15 years old. They are struggling to make ends meet with the sawmill having closed, and John Walton has had to move away from home to find work. He is only coming home on the weekends. Livvy tells the children that she and John eloped because her family didn't approve of him but they were so in love that they wanted to marry. John wasn't religious says Olivia, but of course Grandma disputes this saying that he simply wasn't a churchgoer. Part of the original cast of the movie remained on the show, but there were cast changes when The Waltons went into production.| Back to TOP of Page |
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Production Credits
Executive Producer: Lee Rich
Created by: Earl Hamner, Jr.
Producer: Robert L. Jacks
Music: Jerry Goldsmith
Production Manager: Lynn Guthrie
rc: Ike Godsey, Marsha Woolery, Sheriff Ep Bridges
A six-year old deaf and dumb girl is abandoned on the Walton's doorstep. With loving care they teach her to "talk" with sign language. But their kindness to the foundling causes a family crisis. Elizabeth, playing hide-and-seek with the deaf and dumb girl Holly, runs into an old abandoned shack and hides inside an empty trunk, but the lid falls shut and locks itself. Holly sees what has happened and runs to get help but is picked up by her father who doesn't understand sign language and takes her away. John and the family pursue and Holly then tells them by sign language what has occurred, and Elizabeth is rescued in time. Holly's parents now realize that their little girl is not retarded and are now able to communicate with her.
b: 14 Sep 72 pc: _________ w: John McGreevey d: Vincent Shermanrc: Ike, Sheriff Bridges
Although the Walton children had wanted to attend the carnival when it comes to Waltons Mountain, they decide to put the money to better use when Grandma breaks her glasses. After the manager of the carnival leaves unexpectedly with the money from the carnival, four members of a carnival troupe are left stranded and living in a barn near the Walton home. The family helps them by giving them food and arranging a lift back to town for them, and the troupe members pay for the Walton's hospitality by giving them a private show.
b: 21 Sep 72 pc: _________ w: Nigel McKeand d: Alf Kjellinrc: Sheriff Bridges
The Waltons are happy when Chance the cow gives birth to a healthy calf. The one problem is that it is a bull, and not practical to keep, especially when John tells his family that it must be sold to pay for emergency repairs to the truck. The children, especially the younger ones though, have become very attached to it and are heartbroken to think of it leaving their family. John does indeed sell the calf to a neighbor for the much needed $9.00, but when Chance frets for her calf by bellowing loudly, continuously, he reconsiders and tries to buy the calf back, only to find that the price the neighbor is willing to sell it for, has increased. Jim Bob and Elizabeth decide to take the matter into their own hands and the neighbor calls in the sheriff.
b: 28 Sep 72 pc: _________ w: Jim Byrnes d: Harry HarrisJohn-Boy has very mixed feelings about taking part in his first turkey hunt. He wants to show that he is grown up and can manage a gun just as well as any other man, and wants to show that he is able to provide food for the family, yet he doesn't know how he feels about taking another creatures life. He finally gets to look the turkey in the eye, but simply cannot pull the trigger, causing him to feel that he has embarrassed his father in front of their friends. He leaves the hunt to head back home, but finds that he does indeed need to shoot an animal, and take very quick action, when a bear threatens his father's life. In the meantime, Mary Ellen is having her own dilemmas about growing up. She has been saving very hard to buy a catcher's mitt, which she is looking forward to sharing with her friend G.W. when they play catch together. G.W. suddenly becomes interested in girls though, and Mary Ellen thinks that perhaps she should buy a dress with the money, instead of the longed for catcher's mitt. When she tries the dress on at home, she realizes that it doesn't suit her at all and she ends up going back to Ike's store to return the dress and get the catcher's mitt after all.
b: 5 Oct 72 pc: _________ w: John McGreevey d: Robert Butlerrc: the Baldwin Sisters, Miss Hunter, Ike, Sheriff Bridges
John-Boy has written a story and Miss Hunter suggests that a magazine might be interested in publishing it. It is returned, however, with a note telling him that they only accept type written manuscripts. John-Boy then secretly borrows a museum piece typewriter from the Baldwin sisters, but has to hide it, knowing that his mother would not approve of anything, which came from the Baldwin's. He is horrified when he learns that his sister has innocently found it with other junk and sold it to a junkman and he is left to tell the Baldwin's that their prized possession was sold as junk. Mary Ellen however, goes to great pains to track down the whereabouts of the typewriter though, and eventually she is able to rebuy it and return it to the sisters.
b: 12 Oct 72 pc: _________ w: Theodore Apstein d: Philip Leacockrc: the Baldwin sisters, Miss Hunter
Zeb Walton, Grandpa, still subscribes to the old superstition that a falling star means eminent death and when a meteorite falls on the Baldwin sister's house, he believes that his time has come and takes to his bed to await his death. In the meantime, however, the Baldwin ladies become the victims of a hoax by their cousin, Polonius, and his friend, who are really visiting to try to get the machine for making the recipe away from the Baldwin's. When Grandpa hears about their scam, he immediately goes to help the ladies out and eventually their two visitors leave empty handed.
b: 19 Oct 72 pc: _________ w: John McGreevey d: Alf Kjellin NOTE: John-Boy does not have the typewriter in this episode nor on the show from thereon.rc: the Baldwin sisters, Ike, Rev. Fordwick, Yancy Tucker
The young Reverend, Matthew Fordwick, arrives to stay, and preach, at the Waltons Mountain church, but he upsets John whilst staying with the Waltons, because he continually shouts bible verses at the children. Matthew is a distant relation of the Baldwin sisters, and visits with them, and of course, they offer him a"sip of the recipe", which results in Matthew becoming drunk. Needless to say, the Waltons Mountain folk witness his drunken state and Matthew feels so ashamed that he contemplates leaving the ministry, until John Walton steps in and makes him realise that ministers are human too, and are prone to make all kinds of mistakes.
b: 26 Oct 72 pc: _________ w: John Furie, Jr. d: Philip Leacock NOTE: This is the first time in the series Jason plays the piano.rc: Ike
Gino, a young boy from the slums of New York, has run away from a CCC camp. He lands at the Walton house when he is found in the woods and injured, by John-Boy and Elizabeth. Gino finds it very hard to accept the kindness and generosity offered to him by the family as his background has made him suspicious of everyone. He is caught stealing their money one night and John is about to place him with the Sheriff, however when Elizabeth is facing a crisis of her own, John reassesses Gino when he sees how caring and kind he is towards Elizabeth.
b: 2 Nov 72 pc: _________ w: William Welch d: Harry Harrisrc: Ike
A Jewish family, Professor Mann, his wife Eva, and their son Paul are refugees who have fled from Nazi Germany. The young family try to live in an isolated mountain cabin on Waltons Mountain, but they live in fear of being persecuted in their new home as well. To try to avoid any further problems they decide that they must pretend that they are not Jewish and that they should no longer observe their Jewish customs. Paul is devastated though, because he has long been looking forward to celebrating his Bar mitzvah on his 13th birthday. His drastic actions then cause the Walton family to become involved and finally it is arranged that Paul's special ceremony will be celebrated in the Walton home, with the Mann's new friends present.
b: 9 Nov 72 pc: _________ w: Nigel McKeand d: Vincent Sherman NOTE: Ellen Geer, playing the role of Eva Mann, makes her first guest appearance in this episode. Ellen is a well-respected actress and is, in real life, Will Geer's daughter.An old army friend of John's, Tip Harrison, arrives at Waltons Mountain for a visit, full of stories and remembrances of the old days. However he is still living in the past and John tries to show him that there is good reason to live for the future. Before he comes to realize that what John says is true, however, he causes havoc and heartache for the whole Walton clan. He starts a fire in the Walton's yard, which Jason is blamed for and then he accidentally shoots Reckless, the family dog, whilst he and the other Walton men are looking for the fox, which is raiding their chicken coop. He decides to take off and leave without saying anything to John about his mistakes, but his conscience gets the better of him and he finally confesses.
b: 16 Nov 72 pc: _________ w: John McGreevey d: Lee Phillipsrc: Ike, Sheriff Bridges, Dr. Vance
A stranger, A.J. Covington, who plays Good Samaritan when John-Boy's truck breaks down, says he is a writer. He entertains John-Boy with his tales of adventure and the famous authors he has known. His advice to the fledgling writer, John-Boy Walton, is to try and write about what he knows: his life, his family, and his friends. Fortunately A.J. Covington is on hand when Jim Bob develops a severe stomachache. Covington suggests that it is likely to be appendicitis and realizes that Jim Bob needs to go urgently to the hospital to have his appendix removed.
b: 30 Nov 72 pc: _________ w: Corey Kibber d: Philip Leacock NOTE: This episode won for Gene Fowler Jr., Marjorie Fowler & Anthony Wollmer an Emmy for Cinematography for a Single Episode of a Drama Series.rc: Ike, Yancy
Distant relations of the Waltons, Ham Denby, wife Cora, and son Job, from Kansas, move in with the family on Waltons Mountain. They are also dishonest and try to get what they can out of everybody. Even though the Walton family are struggling financially themselves, they feel that it is their duty to take in the homeless relatives, but emphasize that the arrangement is to be only temporary. Once he is living at the house though, Ham becomes very settled and does not want to leave. Conflict arises though when Job is found to be causing trouble and becomes involved in a fight with John-Boy. By this time Cora feels that their welcome has been worn out, and the family leave.
b: 7 Dec 72 pc: _________ w: Paul Savage d: Robert Butler NOTE: This episode was won an award given by the Director's Guild of America for the Best Direction in a Dramatic Series.rc: The Baldwin Sisters, Sheriff Bridges
Whilst John-Boy is working at the Baldwin sister's home, their cousin, Homer comes to visit. Homer has a police record though, unbeknownst to the ladies, and takes off with much of their stock of the recipe. The ladies had been preparing the recipe in preparation for their family reunion, which they have been planning. Most of their invitations though, have been sent back to them. The Waltons come to their rescue by visiting with them that evening.
b: 14 Dec 72 pc: _________ w: Earl Hamner d: Jack Shearc: Maude Gormley
When Mary Ellen meets a young itinerant folk singer, she begins to feel particularly restless with her life on Walton's Mountain, especially after having a fight with her parents. Jamie, the young singer, has come looking for Maude Gormley, hoping to write down the old songs of the mountains. Mary Ellen decides that Jamie's life is far more appealing so she runs away, hoping to be able to travel with him. He calls her a kid though, which causes her more pain and turmoil so she runs away once more. John-Boy finds her though, and the family decide to spend their earnings from picking apples to help to send Mary Ellen to visit Washington, which seems to cure her longing for other places for a while.
b: 21 Dec 72 pc: _________ w: John Furia Jr. d: Philip Leacockrc: Ike, Sheriff Bridges, the Baldwin Sisters
A famous film star, Alvira Drummond, arrives on Walton's Mountain and forces her to stay there when her Cadillac breaks down. Since she is stranded, the Walton family invites her to share their home. Some of her stories though, are found not to be true, and it is only after she overhears Olivia speaking about her that she decides to change. She is encouraged to raise money for her train fare home by giving the people of Walton's Mountain a one-woman show. It is during this show that she reads a piece out of John-Boy's journal.
b: 4 Jan 73 pc: _________ w: William Best d: Vincent Shermanrc: Miss Hunter, the Baldwin Sisters, Ike, Sheriff Bridges
One of the people of Walton's Mountain, Lutie Bascomb, has fallen on hard times. His wife has left him and he no longer trusts his daughter. When Miss Hunter begins to teach the class about Darwin's theory of evolution, he does not believe that it is good for his daughter to learn this and so he arrives at the school, threatening Miss Hunter. After going on a drinking binge he decides to set fire to the school, but he collapses and is killed in the fire, which burns down the school. The Sheriff finds his daughter at home and eventually Lois May is reunited with her mother.
b: 11 Jan 73 pc: _________ w: Earl Hamner d: Harry Harris NOTE: This episode was nominated for an Emmy for the make-up. The make-up artist involved was Robert A. Sidell.rc: Sheriff Bridges
John-Boy discovers that young Jenny Pendleton has run away from her home in Richmond and is staying at her father's place on Walton's Mountain, the old Pendleton place. She tells John and John-Boy that her father has remarried and that she feels that there is no room in her father's life for her at present, so she decided to move back to the Mountain for a while. The Walton family takes Jenny into their home and notifies the Sheriff. It seems as if the Walton's are the answer to Jenny's dream of being a member of a large family. Jenny's father and stepmother arrive looking for her and decide to stay a while in their home. Jenny and John-Boy fall in love, however both Jenny's and John-Boy's world is shattered when an accident claims the life of Jenny's father and she and her stepmother return to their home in Richmond.
b: 18 Jan 73 pc: _________ w: Earl Hamner d: Lee Philips NOTE: Jenny and her mother will appear again in Episodes 35 and This episode was nominated for two Emmy awards: one for Lee Philips as best director and the other for Earl Hamner, Jr. as best writer.rc: the Baldwin Sisters, Rev. Fordwick
It is spring of 1933 when Olivia's uncle, Cody Nelson, comes to stay on the mountain. He had lost his job when the bank that he had worked in closed, and he had decided to visit for a while. He is a very timid man and during his stay John-Boy and Grandpa decide to play matchmaker. He meets Cordelia Hunnicut who has been married four times, and much to the disapproval of Grandma and Olivia, love blossoms. He eventually asks for her hand in marriage and Reverend Fordwick performs the marriage ceremony for them before the happy couple returns to Ohio.
b: 25 Jan 73 pc: _________ w: Jeb Rosebrook d: Harry Harrisrc: Ike, Sheriff Bridges
A band of gypsies are traveling through Walton's Mountain when they become stranded because stormy weather has damaged their caravan. When they break into a house to shelter from the weather though, they encounter distrust and prejudice from the people of the mountain. Their baby is ill though and when the Walton adults try to help, the leader of the band considers it charity and refuses any help. As the baby becomes worse though, he does accept their help and the gypsy family eventually come to trust and become friends with the Waltons.
b: 1 Feb 73 pc: _________ w: Paul Savage d: Harry Harrisrc: Yancy
The Walton family needs to find $200 to register their legal right to their land after they have learned that their land has never been registered and another lumber company is looking at it for part of their development. John-Boy decides to go to the city to try to help the family come up with the money. At home the rest of the family is also trying to gather money together. It is John-Boy's encounter with some thieves though which helps to secure the Waltons property.
b: 8 Feb 73 pc: _________ w: James Menzies d: Vincent ShermanVerdie Grant, a neighbor of the Walton family, is illiterate, a fact that she has tried to keep a secret. Her daughter is about to graduate from college though, and she plans to go to visit for the graduation, and wants nothing more than to be able to sign her name on the register, and be able to read the menu when she goes out to dinner. She sees how patient John-Boy is when he is teaching Elizabeth to read and write and feels that he will be the perfect teacher for her. Her chance comes when Olivia and Esther go visiting relatives for a wedding and Erin becomes sick and needs her tonsils removed. Verdie is asked to look after Erin while the women of the family are away. John-Boy begins teaching her how to read and write as part of a game of playing school with Elizabeth. Verdie eventually does tell John-Boy the truth, and the two continue with their lessons, with John-Boy under strict instructions not to tell anybody. Word does get back to Verdie though, when Elizabeth tells her school teacher, Miss Hunter, that she couldn't do her homework because John-Boy was using her book to teach Mrs. Grant to read.
b: 22 Feb 73 pc: _________ w: John McGreevey d: Lee Philips NOTE: This episode was the winner of the Emmy for Writer of a Drama Series for a Single Program.rc: Ike
During this episode Olivia becomes very restless and tied down so when Ike Godsey suggests that she use his bike to ride to her church choir practice, she decides that it might be fun. On her way she dreams that she might one day become a famous opera singer. At the same time, Ann Harris arrives on the mountain to marry Curtis Norton, to whom she has been writing for some time. Little did Ann know though, that it has been John-Boy who has been writing the letters. Ann finds Curtis a bit of a disappointment and not at all as she had imagined. She had imagined a movie like marriage on Walton's Mountain. She is ready to leave when she discovers that it was not Curtis writing the letters, but she finally realizes that life is not like the movies, and that even movie stars don't speak their own lines.
b: 1 Mar 73 pc: _________ w: Nigel McKeand d: Alf Kjellinrc: Miss Hunter, Sheriff Bridges
Sarah is a neighbor, and a good friend of John-Boy's, who lives with her very religious mother. She sees marriage to John-Boy as a way of getting away from her repressive mother. When John-Boy doesn't take her marriage plans seriously, she begins a relationship with a "townie", Theodore Albert Claypool Jr., the son of a wealthy businessman. The two of them decide to elope and they take off one night with the son stealing cash from his father, as well as his father's car. Both Sarah's mother and Theodore's father blame John-Boy for them running off together, and so he sets out to find them before they can tie the knot.
b: 8 Mar 73 pc: _________ w: Richard Fielder d: Jack Shea NOTE: Sarah and her mother appear again in Episode 27.One Sunday in February was the beginning of a very long and frightening lead-up towards Easter. Olivia became ill after church and it was determined that she had polio. She, and her family refused to believe that she would never walk again and although the whole family were scared by the knowledge that Livvy might never fully recover, they provided her with much needed support. John-Boy was instrumental in finding out as much as he could about new polio treatments, and these were tried on Olivia. As Easter Day approached, Livvy began to improve rapidly.
b: 19 Apr 73 pc: _________ w: John McGreevey s: Earl Hamner d: Philip Leacock NOTE: This was originally a two-hour episode.One Sunday in February was the beginning of a very long and frightening lead-up towards Easter. Olivia became ill after church and it was determined that she had polio. She, and her family refused to believe that she would never walk again and although the whole family were scared by the knowledge that Livvy might never fully recover, they provided her with much needed support. John-Boy was instrumental in finding out as much as he could about new polio treatments, and these were tried on Olivia. As Easter Day approached, Livvy began to improve rapidly.
b: 19 Apr 73 pc: _________ w: John McGreevey s: Earl Hamner d: Philip Leacock NOTE: This was originally a two-hour episode.| Back to TOP of Page |
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Production Credits
Executive Producer: Lee Rich
Created by: Earl Hamner, Jr.
Producer: Robert L. Jacks
Music: Jerry Goldsmith
Production Manager: Lynn Guthrie
rc: Ike, Marcia, Dr. Vance
Maggie McKenzie knows that she has a bad heart, which will soon take her life, but she wants to return, just once more, to the place where she and her husband began their life in America, after arriving from Scotland. She is too ill to drive to the coast so she asks John-Boy to take her there. He already has tentative plans with Marcia Woolery though and wishes to take her to a dance. He even buys new trousers for the occasion. John-Boy changes his mind, however, and ends up taking Maggie to the coast and gives her a most memorable day there. She has a heart attack on the way home and dies very soon after.
b: 13 Sep 73 pc: _________ w: Nigel Keand d: Harry Harris NOTE: This episode has a new end title sequence. This episode was nominated for an Emmy for direction. Although he missed winning the Emmy, director Harry Harris was awarded the Directors Guild of America Award for the Best Direction in a Dramatic Series. Earl Hamner Jr. makes a special appearance in the flashback scenes that Mrs. Mackenzie has.rc: Ike, Dr. Vance
John-Boy becomes frustrated at not being able to find a quiet place to write so he heads up to the mountain to spend the night at an isolated cabin. On his way up the mountain, he stops to help an old woman, whose mule is in her vegetable patch. When he gets to the cabin, he discovers his old school friend, Sarah Simmons, who wanted to marry John-Boy in"The Townie" (episode 23). Sarah has since married and become pregnant but is ill. As her fever develops, John-Boy goes to the old woman's home for help, and she gives him a potion, which helps to break Sarah's fever. She goes into labor, however, leaving John-Boy no choice, other than to deliver her baby.
b: 20 Sep 73 pc: _________ w: Joanne Lee d: Jack SheaEveryone in the Walton family is very excited about the upcoming barn dance, but their excitement turns sour when they get a visit from a man from the electric company, who has turned up to either collect their overdue payment, or else turn off the electricity. Since they can't pay their debt, the power is turned off. Grandpa is sent off to the mercantile with their last 22 cents to buy some candles, while John goes out to try to collect some outstanding debts of his own. Instead though, Grandpa goes to fix some pipes at the Baldwin's house, and they pay him enough to meet the Walton's electricity debt. He heads off to Charlottesville to pay the bill, and takes the sisters along for the ride. Whilst in town, Grandpa buys some perfume for Grandma with some of the extra money. The Waltons left at home begin to worry when they notice that Grandpa has been gone for some time, and become even more worried when Ike says that Zeb hasn't been in at all. John and Grandma drive around looking for him, only to see him returning to the Baldwin home, and seeming very happy with himself. Grandma assumes the worst and Grandpa feels angry at her lack of trust in him, so he doesn't explain anything. She throws him out and he ends up sleeping on Ike Godsey's pool table. The pair stubbornly refuses to talk to each other, even after John reveals the truth and she is given the perfume. Olivia decides that it would be a good idea to make Grandpa jealous, especially after she finds out that Grandma's old beau will be at the barn dance. Both Grandma and Grandpa are persuaded to go to the dance, but when Zeb sees Esther dancing with her old beau, he immediately asks Miss Emily to dance. Finally the band plays "My Wild Irish Rose", their favorite dance tune, and Grandpa finally asks Grandma to dance.
b: 27 Sep 73 pc: _________ w: Richard Carr s: Ellen Corby d: Philip Leacock NOTE: As of this episode it is sometime in 1934.rc: Ike, Sheriff Bridges
John Walton a thief! Well that's the rumor going around the mountain when a rich neighbor finds that a silver collection is missing. Needless to say, John is the only visitor she has had in weeks. Mrs. Claybourne has had John Walton doing some odd jobs around her home, but she accuses him of stealing some valuable silver goblets, while he was working in her mansion. When he refuses to clear himself of the charge, the family pride suffers a severe blow. Finally it is revealed that it was Mrs. Claybourne's son who took the goblets and sold them, as he was trying to protect his mother from learning that they simply had no money left and he was trying to make ends meet.
b: 4 Oct 73 pc: _________ w: Robert Malcolm Young d: Harry HarrisItinerant farm laborer Harley Foster and his small son Jodie meet the Walton children when they are all picking peaches at the same orchard. The two are invited to stay a few days with the Waltons, which gives Jodie a small taste of stable family life, which he really enjoys and he finds it hard to accept that he will soon have to leave with his father, for life on the roads again. Although it seems that he has visited many places that the Walton children have not visited, he has missed out on schooling and having friends and family around him. Widow Verdie Grant takes a liking to Harley, and Jodie and sets out to win the love of them both. Harley does not want to settle down though, and seems intent on moving on, but young Jodie has enjoyed his taste of staying in one place and making friends and doesn't want to. He tries to stop his father from leaving by stealing some money and hiding it in his father's pocket.
b: 11 Oct 73 pc: _________ w: Sheldon Stark d: Philip Leacockrc: Ike, Sheriff Bridges, Yancy, Maude
While John-Boy is out on an errand for his father, he sees Yancy Tucker stealing some chickens from a neighbor's house. He is then torn between keeping quiet for his friend's sake, and reporting what he witnessed to the Sheriff. Yancy explains that he was just taking the chickens, not for himself, but to give to others who were very poor. John-Boy learns that his neighbor was shot though, and so he and his father go to speak to Yancy to try to persuade him to turn himself in. It is whilst John-Boy is at his neighbor's place helping out, that he learns that he was shot with a different type of gun to the one Yancy has, and the neighbor admits to shooting himself accidentally. It is during this episode that young Ben becomes the first Walton to have something published too. Ben has taken an old poem of John-Boy's, but has rewritten it to make quite a different poem, and this won a poetry competition sponsored by the Liberty Magazine. Ben's poem is called "A Winter Mountain".
b: 18 Oct 73 pc: _________ w: Richard Carr d: Ralph Selenskyrc: the Baldwin Sisters, Sheriff Bridges, G.W., Dr. Vance
All of the Walton family are preparing for the County Fair, which is approaching. Ben plans to enter the greasy pig contest, Olivia has an idea for a stunning cake and Grandma is absolutely certain that her patchwork quilt will win a prize. Ben does in fact win his greasy pig contest, and Olivia's cake icing contains a secret ingredient which puts her cake out in front of all of the others. Meanwhile Olivia has a visit from her childhood sweetheart, Oscar Cockrell, who is now very wealthy and hoping for a career in politics. He is to be the judge at the fair. His visit has John-Boy wondering what life would have been like if Olivia had married Oscar instead.
b: 25 Oct 73 pc: _________ w: Dale Eunson d: Philip Leacockrc: Ike, Sheriff Bridges, Marcia, Martha Rose
John-Boy takes a disliking to Hobie Shank, a teenaged orphan who once stayed with the Waltons. He returns to the Walton home while he waits for a tryout as a pitcher for a professional baseball team. With all of his big talking though, the Waltons don't know whether or not to believe what Hobie tells them. A talent scout does turn up to watch him and offers him a contract with his baseball team. Whilst up in the tree house, however, Hobie shows off and falls, causing his arm to break. The contract is cancelled and a very depressed Hobie returns to recuperate, and lick his wounds, with the Waltons. In an effort to get him out of his depression, a baseball game is organized between the folk of Walton's Mountain and the Boy's Home where Hobie grew up. He is offered a job working full time with the home, which he accepts.
b: 1 Nov 73 pc: _________ w: Richard Fielder d: Jack SheaJohn-Boy becomes a rent collector for a neglectful, dishonest landlord, Graham Foster. Actually collecting any money is a problem though, because the tenants don't have any money. They also point out to John-Boy, the repairs which need doing around the houses. When John-Boy alerts Mr. Foster to these complaints though, he is fired without his pay. John-Boy and Jason plot a scheme to earn John-Boy's wages and get back at Mr. Foster at the same time. Erin discovers an orphaned fawn which she wants to keep as a pet. The law says that it is illegal to keep wild animals in captivity though, and after much soul searching, Erin decides that it would be best for her to let the fawn loose in the forest once more.
b: 8 Nov 73 pc: _________ w: John McGreevey d: Ralph Waiterc: the Baldwin sisters, Rev. Fordwick, Miss Hunter, Dr. Vance, G.W.
The Thanksgiving Holiday is approaching and John-Boy is excited for two reasons. Firstly he has been accepted by Boatwright University to sit for their scholarship exam, without which he will not be able to go to college, and secondly because his girlfriend Jenny is returning to Walton's Mountain with her stepmother. Whilst he is waiting, however, he has an accident at the family sawmill, when a belt running the saw flies off, hits him in the head and the impact forces him backwards into a pile of lumber. He is unconscious for some seconds and brushes it off as just a scratch, but as the days go on he experiences difficulty with his sight. When he attends for the scholarship exam he is not able to finish the exams because he can't see. When he finally sees the doctor, he orders tests which show that John-Boy needs major head surgery to release the pressure of the swelling on the optic nerves. The secondary story in this episode provides much light relief as we see Jason accepting a job with the Baldwin sisters. He arrives there to begin the work, only to find that they want him to help them make a special batch of the recipe so that they can send some to President Roosevelt for his Thanksgiving present. Jason fears his mother's wrath when she discovers what he has been doing, so tells his father instead. Things come to a head though, when the Baldwins consider that Jason is just like their "Papa" and decide that they will offer to adopt Jason. Some very funny scenes follow with the Baldwin ladies confronting John and Olivia with their request, then another between John and the outraged, strong Baptist, Olivia, who is trying very hard to feel Christian towards the Baldwin ladies but who is absolutely mortified that her Jason would be instrumental in making bootleg whiskey!
b: 15 Nov 73 pc: _________ w: Joanna Lee s: Earl Hamner d: Philip Leacock NOTE: This was originally a two-hour episode. Philip Leacock, the director of this episode was nominated for an Emmy for best director, and writer Joanna Lee won an Emmy for best script.rc: the Baldwin sisters, Rev. Fordwick, Miss Hunter, Dr. Vance, G.W.
The Thanksgiving Holiday is approaching and John-Boy is excited for two reasons. Firstly he has been accepted by Boatwright University to sit for their scholarship exam, without which he will not be able to go to college, and secondly because his girlfriend Jenny is returning to Walton's Mountain with her stepmother. Whilst he is waiting, however, he has an accident at the family sawmill, when a belt running the saw flies off, hits him in the head and the impact forces him backwards into a pile of lumber. He is unconscious for some seconds and brushes it off as just a scratch, but as the days go on he experiences difficulty with his sight. When he attends for the scholarship exam he is not able to finish the exams because he can't see. When he finally sees the doctor, he orders tests which show that John-Boy needs major head surgery to release the pressure of the swelling on the optic nerves. The secondary story in this episode provides much light relief as we see Jason accepting a job with the Baldwin sisters. He arrives there to begin the work, only to find that they want him to help them make a special batch of the recipe so that they can send some to President Roosevelt for his Thanksgiving present. Jason fears his mother's wrath when she discovers what he has been doing, so tells his father instead. Things come to a head though, when the Baldwins consider that Jason is just like their "Papa" and decide that they will offer to adopt Jason. Some very funny scenes follow with the Baldwin ladies confronting John and Olivia with their request, then another between John and the outraged, strong Baptist, Olivia, who is trying very hard to feel Christian towards the Baldwin ladies but who is absolutely mortified that her Jason would be instrumental in making bootleg whiskey!
b: 15 Nov 73 pc: _________ w: Joanna Lee s: Earl Hamner d: Philip Leacock NOTE: This was originally a two-hour episode. Philip Leacock, the director of this episode was nominated for an Emmy for best director, and writer Joanna Lee won an Emmy for best script.rc: Miss Hunter
Miss Hunter, the Waltons Mountain schoolteacher, needs to take leave from the Walton's Mountain School because of a family emergency. Miss Pollard, the relieving teacher, comes to them from New York, and stays at the Walton home. Although she is a brilliant woman, she is not sensitive to the children's needs, and she finds it very difficult to relate to the people of the mountain, even when they try to become friendly. Ben is also finding life difficult when he is trying to build a kite for a contest. Grandpa wants to help him, but wants it done his way, not Ben's, and this causes conflict between the two.
b: 22 Nov 73 pc: _________ w: John McGreevey d: Lee PhilipsThere is great excitement in the Walton household when Grandma receives the news that an old friend had died and left her an unexpected bequest of $250. Naturally everyone has ideas as to how she should spend it, but she eventually decides to share her new found wealth by spending some to fix the church roof, some to each of the children, and the rest would go towards John-Boy's education. Having decided all of this, they decide to spend their saving on a new water heater, only to receive another letter saying that the bequeathed money has gone paying debts. Grandma is terribly ashamed that she has to go back on her promises, but together, the family and the community work out a way to right the situation.
b: 29 Nov 73 pc: _________ w: Mort Thaw d: Alf Kjellinrc: Ike
The Walton family befriends an airmail pilot who is forced to land because of engine trouble. As it is Olivia's birthday each of the family members gives her a present: John-Boy gives his present to her by reading her a poem. The poem is about a bird flying high in the sky and feeling the wind in its wings. The airmail pilot then gives her a huge thrill by taking her for a ride in his plane, which the family has helped to get flying again.
b: 13 Dec 73 pc: _________ w: Peter L. Dixon & Sarah Dixon d: Robert Butler NOTE: Jason plays and sings a short song for Olivia's birthday.Miss Hunter is so taken by John-Boy's essay about 'someone who is an inspiration to him" that she encourages him to perfect it and send it into a competition. With his constant redrafts and reworking to make it as good as he can, he is thrown together with the young Miss Hunter, so that she might help him as much as possible. She becomes very distracted though, when Reverend Fordwick requests her permission for him to court her, and she fails to realize that the person whom John-Boy is writing about in the essay, is not the Aunt he claims, but is herself instead. John-Boy becomes very jealous of the Reverend's attentions and gives up his essay altogether. Meanwhile, stronger boys have bullied Ben, and one of them has even stolen his love interest, Naomi, away from him. He decides that it's time to take action, and so sends away for some bodybuilding scheme.
b: 20 Dec 73 pc: _________ w: Lionel E. Siegel d: Lee Philipsrc: Ike, G.W., Dr. Vance
Grandma is troubled by age and suffers from a hearing loss, as she nears her 68th birthday, but will not do anything about it. Meanwhile Mary Ellen falls in love for the first time, when she falls for a college student. She pretends to be older than she really is and is heartbroken and embarrassed when Grandma has told her beau that she was not at home because she was at school with the others. Now that Mary Ellen is growing up she decides that she needs a room of her own and asks to move into the shed. What she didn't know, however, that John-Boy had asked his father for the shed as well. Needless to say, problems arise when they both find that the other is moving their things into the shed. After some fainting spells, Grandma does eventually go and see a doctor, and is happy to find that she has an ear infection which has been causing her problems.
b: 3 Jan 74 pc: _________ w: Joanna Lee d: Lee Philips NOTE: At the end it is stated that Mary Ellen today has married a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, which is considered wrong because she married Jonesy in "Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain", and Jonsey is a veterinarian.Olivia seems to be overworked and in need of a holiday, so, after 19 years of marriage, John schemes to take her on a belated honeymoon. Plans seem to be short-lived, however, when the mill engine requires repairing, and they spend their money on that. All of the children contribute to a "honeymoon fund" though and Grandpa sells a rare coin and this enables the honeymoon to be back on again. Once John and Olivia leave though, things again go wrong at the Walton house and instead of the romantic and comfortable hotel room John and Olivia were imagining, they find themselves sleeping in the truck after it breaks down. The couple ring Ike's store to find out how everything is going at home, and Ike tells them truthfully all of the things, which have happened since they had left. They decide to return home immediately instead of continuing on with their honeymoon plans.
b: 10 Jan 74 pc: _________ w: John McGreevey d: Jack Shearc: Yancy, Ike, Sheriff Bridges, Mrs. Brimmer
A land developer has the idea of turning Walton's Mountain into a tourist resort complete with hot mineral springs, and he offers John Walton a generous cash offer for his property. John needs to decide whether it is more beneficial for his whole family to accept this offer, and the financial stability it would mean for them all, or whether Waltons Mountain, and the land that has been part of their family for many years, would be better to remain in the family. It is during this episode to, that Zeb and Esther's 50th wedding anniversary approaches.
b: 17 Jan 74 pc: _________ w: Dale Eunson d: Harry Harrisrc: Ike
Jason's best friend, Seth Turner, longs for nothing more than to be able to play in his father's band. To pass the time until his father returns, he suggests that Jason and he go and find some wood to make a recorder. Seth collapses up on the mountain though and he is diagnosed with leukemia, given only one year. Jason finds it hard to accept this and simply will not talk to his friend. Seth's mother wants to wrap him up in cotton wool and protect him as much as she can, so that she can keep him alive longer. When Seth comes home though, although shocked and distressed, he realizes that Seth deserves to live the best life he can for as long as he can and arranges for Seth to accompany him on his next tour. Seth finishes making the recorder and asks John-Boy to give it to Jason. It is Grandpa though, who goes to speak with Jason and helps him to accept his friend's illness and coming death. Jason sees Seth and is able to learn to play the recorder before Seth leaves with his father.
b: 24 Jan 74 pc: _________ w: Carol Eva McKeand s: Ray Goldup & Jack Hanrahan d: Ralph SeneskyOlivia takes on a job as a door-to-door salesperson, but then discovers that she is pregnant again. Elizabeth feels very put out at first, fearing that she will be displaced, but begins to come around and everyone starts making small gifts to welcome the baby. Things do not go as planned though, and Olivia loses the baby.
b: 31 Jan 74 pc: _________ w: Joanna Lee d: Ralph SeneskyThe Walton family takes an eight-year-old orphan, Stevie, into their home for a taste of family life. Stevie turns out to be very bitter and unhappy. Curtis and Ann Norris make a return appearance in this episode, and Ann tells Olivia that they cannot have children. Young Stevie, however, becomes good friends with Curtis Norris and the couple decides that they will adopt him.
b: 7 Feb 74 pc: _________ w: Michael Russnow & Tony Kayden d: Nick Webster NOTE: Curtis Norton and Ivy Jones appeared in Episode 22, but Curtis Norton is played by Victor French.The children of the Walton family are excited about the possibility of speaking with spirits when they get a Ouija board, given to them by Ike. Neither Grandma nor Olivia is pleased at this prospect, as it goes against their religious beliefs. Things get a bit spooky though, when the Ouija board spells out the name of Luke, a visitor at the Walton home, then suggests that he should not board a specific train. Circumstances cause Luke to miss that train and they later discover that it was involved in a crash.
b: 14 Feb 74 pc: _________ w: Nigel McKeand d: Ralph WaiteThe Waltons are getting ready for John-Boy's high-school graduation with a new suit being bought, but the death of Chance, the cow, interrupts these preparations. The family needs to buy another cow, but cannot afford to do so. Without telling them, John-Boy returns his suit so that his money can be used for the cow. Grandpa's best suit is then altered for John-Boy's graduation.
b: 21 Feb 74 pc: _________ w: Lionel E. Siegel d: Alf Kjellinrc: Ike
The five-foot shelf is a collection of 50 Harvard classic books, and Olivia Walton takes pity on the book salesman who is trying to sell them, and puts a deposit on them. Instead of placing her order though, he uses the money to buy a doll for his daughter. After John finds out that their money has been used for this, he tells the salesman to keep the doll but to leave Walton's Mountain. The salesman realizes the error of his way though and returns with both their money and an apology for the family. The Walton family decides to go ahead with their order though and all are very excited when the first package arrives.
b: 7 Mar 74 pc: _________ w: John Hawkins d: Ralph Waiterc: Ike
John-Boy desperately needs to buy a car to enable him to get to and from college. Ike knows of a man, Hyder Rudge, who has a car that he never uses, but it doesn't seem as though he is interested in selling it. John-Boy arranges to see the car, and also to do some work around the Rudge home in exchange for the car. When comes to take possession of the car though, it has been hidden. The Rudge's once had a son who has since died and the car was his. Mr. Rudge did not want to give the car to anyone else because he felt as though he was losing the last piece of his son. Eventually he comes to realize that if he holds onto the past he will lose his wife and future, and so the car is handed over to John-Boy willingly and husband and wife work together to put their lives back together again.
b: 14 Mar 74 pc: _________ w: Chris Andrews d: Philip Leacock| Back to TOP of Page |
TO Title List |
Production Credits
Executive Producer: Lee Rich
Created by: Earl Hamner, Jr.
Producer: Robert L. Jacks
Music: Alexander Courage
Production Manager: Lynn Guthrie
rc: Boone Walton, Martha Corinne
Aunt Martha Corinne's house is condemned for a highway right-of-way so the Waltons rally around to help their aunt to fight the government eviction.
b: 12 Sep 74 pc: _________ w: Jeb Rosebrook d: Ralph Senesky NOTE: This season opener was originally a two-hour episode which was about the building of the Blue Ridge Parkway.rc: Boone Walton, Martha Corinne
Aunt Martha Corinne's house is condemned for a highway right-of-way so the Waltons rally around to help their aunt to fight the government eviction.
b: 12 Sep 74 pc: _________ w: Jeb Rosebrook d: Ralph Senesky NOTE: This season opener was originally a two-hour episode which was about the building of the Blue Ridge Parkway.rc: Ike, Miss Hunter, Mike Paxton
A highly anticipated first day at college starts with John-Boy giving a pretty coed a ride but ends in total disaster. At home, Jason takes on the role of "big brother" much to the other children's disgust.
b: 19 Sep 74 pc: _________ w: John McGreevey d: Philip Leacock NOTE: As of this episode, it is considered September 1934.rc: Ike, Mr. Zack Roswell
John-Boy enters a mule in the annual cross-country race and finds himself competing for Selena's affections.
b: 26 Sep 74 pc: _________ w: Michael Russnow & Tony Kayden d: Harry Harrisrc: Ike
Jim-Bob runs away after all the family ignores his sadness over the death of the school guinea pig, which had been entrusted to his care.
b: 3 Oct 74 pc: _________ w: Larry Bischof & Carol Evan McKeand d: Harry HarrisOlivia takes a night-school art class and receives other attentions from the instructor.
b: 10 Oct 74 pc: _________ w: Hindi Brooks d: Ivan Dixonrc: Martha Rose
Mary Ellen discovers a beautiful ring in a secondhand purse she bought for a date with John-Boy's best friend.
b: 17 Oct 74 pc: _________ w: Nigel McKeand d: Philip LeacockJohn-Boy defends an athlete he tutored after having to report him for cheating on a history exam.
b: 24 Oct 74 pc: _________ w: Jeb Rosebrook d: Harry HarrisA former New York stockbroker and his family move to Walton's Mountain and upset the equilibrium of the residents.
b: 31 Oct 74 pc: _________ w: Caryl Ledner d: Jack Shea NOTE: One of the children mentions John-Boy staying out all night Dancing, which could refer to the next episode 60, which possibly should be shown before this one.rc: Daisy
Against Olivia's wishes, John-Boy enters a dance marathon with a girl he met in a neighboring town.
b: 7 Nov 74 pc: _________ w: Nigel McKeand d: Ralph Seneskyrc: Ike, Bobby Bigelow
John-Boy's stories being accepted for publication upstages Jason's first professional musical job, with Bobby Bigelow and the Haystack Gang.
b: 14 Nov 74 pc: _________ w: Joseph Bonaduce d: Harry HarrisJohn-Boy's job reading to a young blind woman involves him in the hostile girl's struggles.
b: 21 Nov 74 pc: _________ w: Nigel McKeand d: Ivan Dixonrc: Ike
Feeling "put out to pasture", John seeks adventure by leaving to work in a Norfolk shipyard. He soon discovers, however, that the place where he would rather be is home with his family.
b: 5 Dec 74 pc: _________ w: Joanna Lee d: Ivan Dixonrc: Ike
The Waltons help prepare for the return of an old friend of Zeb Walton's, but they soon discover that there are some very strange circumstances surrounding his visit.
b: 12 Dec 74 pc: _________ w: Kathleen Hite d: Ralph Waiterc: Ike
Zeb Walton has a heart attack and appears to be close to death and losing the will to live until the family tries some unconventional treatment, which eventually helps him to recover.
b: 19 Dec 74 pc: _________ w: Nancy Greenwald d: Ivan Dixon NOTE: As of this episode it is the spring of 1935.When Ben borrows John-Boy's car without his permission, it is somehow involved in a hit and run accident. John-Boy is left to try to figure out how the events occurred in order to get Ben out of serious trouble.
b: 2 Jan 75 pc: _________ w: Hindi Brooks d: Jack Shearc: the Baldwin sisters, Ike, Corabeth Walton (Godsey), Rev. Fordwick
Corabeth, a socialite and cousin of the Waltons, arrives at Waltons Mountain for a visit and quickly meets and marries Ike Godsey, the owner of the Walton's Mountain General Store.
b: 9 Jan 75 pc: _________ w: John McGreevey d: Jack Shea NOTE: This is Corabeth's first appearance on the show..rc: Ike, Mrs. Brimmer
An unscrupulous student at Boatwright University steals John-Boys notes but the blame falls on a male student, a good friend of John-Boy, causing a great deal of hurt and distrust.
b: 16 Jan 75 pc: _________ w: Kathleen Hite d: Ralph Senenskyrc: Ike, Corabeth, Mrs. Brimmer
Grandpa gets angry and moves out with Grandma after John suggests he take life a little easier.
b: 23 Jan 75 pc: _________ w: Richard Carr d: Ivan Dixonrc: Ike, Yancy, Zack Roswell
Olivia plans a wedding for a friend's daughter, but the city-bred fiancÚ objects to the proceedings, not really understanding the customs of the people of Waltons Mountain.
b: 30 Jan 75 pc: _________ w: Max Hodge d: Lee Phillipsrc: Miss Hunter
Amid plans to expand his business, John considers Jason's desire to study music a waste of time. Jason, however, is intent on following his dreams and tries to win a scholarship to the Klineberg Conservatory.
b: 6 Feb 75 pc: _________ w: Nancy Greenwald d: Alf KjellinGrandpa is the lucky winner of a raffle from Ike Godsey's store, however Grandma's feelings are hurt when she sees the prize. It is a statue, which looks just like one of her husband's old girlfriends. To save his marriage, Zeb finally takes the statue and throws it into Drucilla's Pond.
b: 13 Feb 75 pc: _________ w: Earl Hamner s: Sumner Long d: Ralph Waiterc: Ike, Bobby, Horace Brimley, Zack Roswell
Ben's plan to win a girl's heart sends her into the arms of Jason.
b: 20 Feb 75 pc: _________ w: Richard Carr & Armand Lanzano s: Richard Carr d: Richard Thomasrc: Rev. Fordwick
John and Olivia are preparing to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary and John-Boy begins to make plans with an older woman, whom he falls in love with.
b: 27 Feb 75 pc: _________ w: Hindi Brooks d: Harvey S. Laidmanrc: Ike, Zack Roswell
The family may lose its considerable investment in a new business when John is hospitalized with pneumonia.
b: 6 Mar 75 pc: _________ w: Joseph Bonaduce d: Ralph Waite| Back to TOP of Page |
TO Title List |
Production Credits
Executive Producer: Lee Rich
Created by: Earl Hamner, Jr.
Producer: Andy White
Music: Alexander Courage
Production Manager: Lynn Guthrie
rc: Ike and Corabeth, the Baldwin Sisters, Miss Hunter, Rev. Fordwick, Mrs. Brimmer, Martha Rose
Miss Hunter and the Rev. Fordwick make plans for their wedding and a short honeymoon. Their wedding plans rely, however, on Olivia taking Miss Hunter's place as the teacher of the school, and on John-Boy standing in for the Rev. Fordwick and delivering the Sunday sermon in church. Both of them find their tasks challenging, especially John-Boy who feels that he really has nothing profound to say to the congregation. As he watches his family and friends during that week, however, his sermon is gradually written and he realizes just how important it is to be tolerant of people's differences and that it is important to treasure these differences.
b: 11 Sep 75 pc: _________ w: Kathleen Hite d: Harry Harrisrc: the Godseys (Ike and Corabeth), the Baldwin Sisters
The Dean at Boatwright University, concerned about John-Boy's physics grade, has asked that he be tutored by a 16-year-old genius, with a photographic memory. In exchange he asks that John-Boy try to help him by taking him home for the weekend. The genius, Lyle Thomason, has never experienced family life and has absolutely no idea of how to interact with other people, or how to have fun. He takes a shine to Mary Ellen who he feels is very intelligent, but he doesn't know how to talk to her without sprouting out facts and figures. He further insults the family when he claims that he doesn't go to church because gods are "superstitious beliefs" made up by "primitive societies". Needless to say this does not go down well with the Walton family! The Waltons are in the midst of preparing for a church bazaar which is being set up to help raise money for one of their neighbors, who are having difficulties at present. Again, Lyle has no understanding of their motives. As part of the bazaar, Erin has written a play based on Joan of Arc and Jason is also in it. He pulls out at the last minute though and just as the play is about to be canceled, John-Boy persuades Lyle to fill the gap. At the end the family finds that Lyle is much more personable than they first thought, and even finds that he has a great sense of humor.
b: 18 Sep 75 pc: _________ w: Robert Weverka d: Harry Harris NOTE: Ralph Waite does not appear in this episode.rc: Verdie Foster, Jody, Zack
James Travis Clark is a young Negro from the slums of Richmond, a city near Walton's Mountain. He arrives at the Walton mill looking for some work. In exchange for his work, he wants food and a bed in their barn. It is soon found that he is there because he wants a place to stay while he trains in the clean mountain air. He is a fighter. Neither Olivia nor Grandma is very impressed with his boxing aspirations and they insist that he be told to leave. However it is soon discovered that the only reason he wishes to enter a boxing match is so that he can win some money to build a church for his people on Walton's Mountain. It seems that he has "the calling to preach". When he goes into Richmond to sign up for a fight, however, the fight he is scheduled for is a set up where the winner is predetermined, and unfortunately it is not James. He goes ahead with the fight though and does indeed lose, but not through lack of trying. At the last minute his opponent was switched. Back at the Walton home, while he is recuperating from his wounds, the Negro people on the mountain had taken up a collection to begin building their church. With the Walton lumber, and all the people helping together, the congregation builds the foundations for their church, and James is to be their preacher. The episode ends at the first church service to be held there, even though the church isn't finished yet. The Walton family joins the congregation James's church. During the episode Elizabeth and Jim Bob had commented that they didn't enjoy church because the minister spoke over their heads as if they weren't even there. As his first sermon then, James chose to tell a bible story that John-Boy had rewritten for Elizabeth, and James specifically directed the sermon to the children.
b: 25 Sep 75 pc: _________ w: Andy White d: Ivan Dixonrc: Zack
John's 25th year high school reunion is approaching, and he feels very apprehensive about facing his classmates, whom he feels have succeeded better at life than he has. When the reunion comes about though he finds that most of his classmates envy him for the things, which they don't have: a loving wife and family.
b: 2 Oct 75 pc: _________ w: Marion Hargrove d: Harry Harrisrc: the Baldwin Sisters, Mrs. Brimmer
As a journalism student, John-Boy is given the job of showing around Porter Sims, a reporter who is writing a guidebook about Virginia. He says though that he doesn't just want to see the historical sites that John-Boy wants to show him, he also wants to meet the people of the community. He claims that everyone has something that they don't want to talk about. John-Boy suggests that he meet the elderly Baldwin sisters, but Grandpa is not keen, fearing that Sims may uncover something that will bring shame on their memories of their father, Judge Baldwin. The ladies are so taken with Sims that they allow him to read the private papers and journals of their father. In the papers Sims finds papers which say that the Judge harbored Union soldiers in his house and that he was charged with treason against the Confederacy. Miss Mamie is particularly distraught by this and both ladies take to their rooms and vow to live a reclusive life. This upsets John-Boy and he orders Sims to leave. There appears no way to clear their father's name because it seems that the war ended before the case could come to trial. Further investigation reveals that their father helped both sides during the Battle of Rockfish by taking wounded from both sides into his home until they had recovered. Sims called it a heroic act and that he was a compassionate man. Letters from both sides were sent on his behalf to help to clear his name and the charges were dropped.
b: 9 Oct 75 pc: _________ w: Rod Peterson and Claire Whittaker d: Ralph Waiterc: Bobby Bigelow
Jason becomes very rundown after taking on too many responsibilities and spreading himself too thin. He is working in a band playing gospel music for a radio station first thing in the morning and playing at dances during the evening. In between he has to answer fan mail for the group as well as fit in his music studies at the Klineberg Conservatory. He also finds himself with a girlfriend, after he rescues her from being hurt by her ex-boyfriend. Gradually he finds that he has no time to do all of these things, and that by not doing any of these things to the best of his ability he is disappointing everyone involved. However he keeps thinking that he has been running after John-Boy all his life and feels that because John-Boy seems to be able to cope with everything, then so should he.
b: 16 Oct 75 pc: _________ w: John McGreevey d: Ivan Dixonrc: John-Boy is intrigued when he is sent by the local newspaper to do a story on a wing-walker who is performing at the local fair. He is even more intrigued when he discovers that the wing-walker is a woman. He invites her to stay at the Walton home and emotional entanglements follow. Bobbie Strom, the wing walker, discovers that she is being courted when she receives small gifts of things such as flowers, but thinks that the young man involved is John-Boy. Conflict arises though when Bobbie kisses John-Boy, thinking he is her assailant, and the real besotted young man is revealed.
b: 23 Oct 75 pc: _________ w: Andy White d: Harry S. Laidman NOTE: Tom Bower will return to the series as Curt Willard in Season 5.John-Boy meets a handsome young college man who is walking towards Waltons Mountain. As he is studying forestry and is researching the forestry on Waltons Mountain, John-Boy invites him to come home with him and speak to his father and grandfather about their lumber business. While the student is there both Mary Ellen and Erin develop quite a crush on him and a competition ensues, each one trying to win his affections. Tempers fly as each girl feels that they are the one who should win Chad's attentions.
b: 30 Oct 75 pc: _________ w: Nancy Greenwald and Paul West s: Nancy Greenwald d: Alf Kjellinrc: Marcia
The Walton children find that it really isn't easy having their mother as a substitute teacher while Miss Hunter is on her honeymoon, especially Elizabeth who has never had to share her mother with so many other children before. When a young man comes to school whom the other children call slow and simple, she is distracted even further. During the course of the school lessons she realizes that the reason he read is because he needs glasses, however his parents are unable to buy them. She does, however, persuade them to pay a minimal amount and buys a very cheap pair for him. Meanwhile one of John-Boy's old girlfriends returns to Waltons Mountain to sell the old house left to her by her father. She wants the money to invest in her fiancÚ's new business venture, however John-Boy feels that the fiancÚ really just wants to marry her for the money she supposedly has.
b: 6 Nov 75 pc: _________ w: Hindi Brooks d: Alf KjellinYoung Olivia returns to stay with the family, however she is now a widow. Her husband, Bob, was killed suddenly in an accident. The family is at a loss to know how they can best help her to recover from her grief, especially since the only things which Bob seems to have left her are memories of when they met flying kites. The episode shows Olivia going through the stages of the grieving process, with all of the family trying to find ways to help her to cope with her future, which now seems so bleak. While all this is progressing we learn that the elderly Walton cat, Calico, is soon to have kittens. It is through having to help the new kittens to survive, after Calico dies, that Olivia eventually begins her own healing process.
b: 13 Nov 75 pc: _________ w: Joan Scott d: Alf Kjellin NOTE: This episode has a reference to episode 70.An old writer friend of John-Boy's returns to Waltons Mountain, where a film company is making the screenplay that he wrote. The people of Waltons Mountain who are watching the dramatic scenes being filmed begin laughing at the way the scenes have been written. John-Boy explains that this is just not the way the people of the mountain speak, unless they are making jokes. John-Boy is then asked to rewrite the speech to make it more authentic, and the director ends up firing John-Boy's writer friend, and asking John-Boy to move to New York to work with him. John-Boy must then decide whether the time is right for this move. Mary Ellen meanwhile is quite taken with one of the men helping to organize the making of the film, and romance blooms for her. This episode also details the events leading up to the abdication of Edward VIII, King of England, who is facing the decision of losing the one he loves and remain the King of England, or abdicating so that he may continue his romance with Mrs. Simpson, the American divorcee.
b: 20 Nov 75 pc: _________ w: Matt Robinson & Paul West s: Matt Robinson d: Harvey S. Laidmanrc: Sheriff Bridges
Vera, a cousin by marriage of the Walton family, has left her husband Wade, and she and her baby take refuge in the Walton home. She feels that Wade is ignoring her and no longer wants to be married to her. City life, she claims doesn't suit either of them, although they have tried to make it work. She is afraid that Wade is seeing other women. In actual fact Wade is trying to make some extra money by running moonshine for his uncle, Grandpa Boone. He gets arrested and then realizes that neither he nor Vera really should be in the city and so tries to make a go of it by working at the Walton mill.
b: 4 Dec 75 pc: _________ w: Michael Rossnow & Tony Kayden d: Harry Harrisrc: Ike
Just after graduation, Mary Ellen receives a letter from the University of Virginia, School of Nursing, asking for her to take an examination for a place in nursing school. She goes to take the exam, only to find that she needs the prerequisites of algebra and chemistry, two courses that she has not done at the Walton's Mountain school. She is given two books to study by the nursing school and told to come back when she knows them to try for the exam again. John-Boy offers to help her, however he is also doing badly at chemistry, so she decides to ask the public health nurse, Nora Taylor, for some help. Nora is staying with a family high on the mountain. The mother is dying of a heart condition. Mary Ellen offers to stay there and help her in exchange for the tuition she needs.
b: 11 Dec 75 pc: _________ w: Kathleen Hite d: Alf Kjellinrc: Ike
Ben decides that the whole family, and his girlfriend are not treating as an adult, so he decides to leave home and fend for himself. The only job that he can find, however, is at a lumber company, one that has recently opened in opposition to the Walton's company. The Waltons are losing business because this new company seems to be able to undercut their prices, and the Waltons can't match this. When the railroad urgently needs lumber for repairs, both companies make a deal that the first company to make the delivery wins an important contract. When Ben discovers that the mill employing him is vying for the same contract as his father he leaves and returns to his family. Even with all hands on deck, it doesn't look as though the Waltons will meet the deadline, however Grandpa does some scheming to send the other lumber company on a wild goose chase.
b: 18 Dec 75 pc: _________ w: Seth Freeman d: Richard Bennettrc: Ike
Olivia is preparing to visit a friend and takes Elizabeth and a very reluctant Jim-Bob with her. Ben and Jason are asked to change one of the tires on the truck before they leave and each leaves it to the other so that it is not done. The jack is also left at home and, needless to say, the tire blows out and the car runs off the road and into some bushes. Problems further arise when the hen they were taking to Olivia's friend escapes and Elizabeth follows it into the woods trying to catch it. Olivia and Jim-Bob follow her to stop her from becoming lost and all three end up not being able to find their way back to the road. They finally see smoke coming from a house, only to find that it is a bootleggers camp and they are making illegal moonshine. These people bundle the three onto the back of their truck and take them further into the woods before letting them off, leaving them hopelessly lost, with a storm brewing. At the Walton home, John is alerted that the three are missing and a search party is formed to try to find them before the storm hits. The three on the mountain set up markers and survive because of the things Jim-Bob has heard from both his father and his grandfather. They are finally located and taken back home. Pity poor Erin and Mary Ellen though...they had to wait around the house doing chores for Grandma all day because she says that it is better for them to keep busy!
b: 1 Jan 76 pc: _________ w: Paul West s: Ellen Corby d: Harry Harrisrc: the Godseys, Mrs. Brimmer
When Erin and Ben begin to tease Jim Bob about the fact that he may not be a Walton because he doesn't look like any of the others, Elizabeth pursues the idea until Jim Bob himself doubts that he is really a Walton, instead thinking that perhaps he was a foundling. He begins asking questions and discovers that a lot of people seem to remember the time when he was born, mainly because of the difficulties his mother experienced during his birth, however these difficulties had never been talked about and so appeared to be quite mysterious. The mystery and secret which have been kept since that time, however, are finally uncovered when John-Boy takes Jim Bob to see his birth record at the county records office.
b: 8 Jan 76 pc: _________ w: Rod Peterson & Claire Whittaker d: Harvey S. Laidmanrc: Ike, Maude
Grandpa has continually told the Walton children about the battle at San Juan Hill where he was part of the unit, which charged to the top of the hill, with Teddy Roosevelt, during the Spanish-American War. Each time he mentions it though his wife becomes quite irate. However when John-Boy begins to organize a reenactment of the event, Grandpa will have nothing to do with it. Apparently he has been "embroidering" the tale, as he puts it, to make it more attractive and his task in the war was nothing like what he had told the children. All the same, though, there is one man at the reunion who makes a special trip to Walton's Mountain to meet Zeb simply because he sees Zeb as a hero.
b: 15 Jan 76 pc: _________ w: Max Hodge d: Richard Thomasrc: the Godseys, the Baldwin sisters, Rosemary and Matthew Fordwick, Mrs. Brimmer, Dr. Vance
John-Boy is asked to submit part of his novel to a publishing company, but as he is preparing to do so he loses the whole novel in a fire, which destroys most of the Walton home. Olivia tries to keep the family together as best she can, but with all of the sleeping quarters destroyed, John and Olivia decide that it would be best to allow the children to stay with friends and neighbors. John-Boy has to struggle with the guilt he feels after realizing that it may have been his lit pipe, which caused the fire, and he struggles to rewrite his novel. Mary Ellen stays with Dr. Vance and his wife, but angers the wife with her efforts to learn about medicine and help Dr. Vance with his work. Jason lives in luxury with the Baldwin sisters, and finds that he enjoys the attention and solitude of being the only child around. Erin and Jim Bob stay with the Reverend Fordwick and his wife. Erin also has to deal with guilt as she feels that she is to blame for John-Boy's destroyed novel. If she hadn't waited to save her best dress she wouldn't have been overcome by smoke and needed John-Boy to drop his novel and rescue her. Elizabeth, at the Godsey home, feels that she shouldn't love her family too much, as something bad happens to whatever or whoever she cares about. Ben discovers that he does in fact need some rules, after he finds life without them at Yancy Tucker's awkward and not as appealing as he had thought. The family finally ends up back at the rebuilt house, happy to be with each other once more.
b: 22 Jan 76 pc: _________ w: John McGreevey d: Harry Harris NOTE: This was originally a two-hour episode.rc: the Godseys, the Baldwin sisters, Rosemary and Matthew Fordwick, Mrs. Brimmer, Dr. Vance
John-Boy is asked to submit part of his novel to a publishing company, but as he is preparing to do so he loses the whole novel in a fire, which destroys most of the Walton home. Olivia tries to keep the family together as best she can, but with all of the sleeping quarters destroyed, John and Olivia decide that it would be best to allow the children to stay with friends and neighbors. John-Boy has to struggle with the guilt he feels after realizing that it may have been his lit pipe, which caused the fire, and he struggles to rewrite his novel. Mary Ellen stays with Dr. Vance and his wife, but angers the wife with her efforts to learn about medicine and help Dr. Vance with his work. Jason lives in luxury with the Baldwin sisters, and finds that he enjoys the attention and solitude of being the only child around. Erin and Jim Bob stay with the Reverend Fordwick and his wife. Erin also has to deal with guilt as she feels that she is to blame for John-Boy's destroyed novel. If she hadn't waited to save her best dress she wouldn't have been overcome by smoke and needed John-Boy to drop his novel and rescue her. Elizabeth, at the Godsey home, feels that she shouldn't love her family too much, as something bad happens to whatever or whoever she cares about. Ben discovers that he does in fact need some rules, after he finds life without them at Yancy Tucker's awkward and not as appealing as he had thought. The family finally ends up back at the rebuilt house, happy to be with each other once more.
b: 22 Jan 76 pc: _________ w: John McGreevey d: Harry Harris NOTE: This was originally a two-hour episode.rc: the Baldwin sisters, Ike, Sheriff Bridges
When dropping John and Olivia off at the bus station, John-Boy meets a young girl, 12-year-old Muffin, who tells him that she has run away from her stepfather who beat her and her mother, but she has become separated from her mother during their travels. John-Boy takes her home, and all of the Waltons, apart from Grandpa, take her and her plight, to their hearts. Grandpa, however, remains quite suspicious of her story. She has come into their lives at a time when John-Boy is beginning to feel as though his younger brothers and sisters are becoming so independent that they no longer want his advice, so he is quite happy that Muffin seems to need him. As the story unfolds we discover, however, that Muffin is trying to raise money to get her swindler grandfather out of jail. She uses a variety of cons to try to raise this money, and is generally successful, until she tries it just once to often with the wrong people.
b: 29 Jan 76 pc: _________ w: John McGreevey d: Ralph Waiterc: the Baldwin sisters, Maude
Olivia is feeling down and in need of a close girl friend to talk to, and John is upset when equipment fails and there is no money to fix it. Olivia however, finds that she can make some money from home when she is asked to make some dresses for the Baldwin sisters. A woman who owns a dressmaking business in town then spots her needlework skills, and she offers Olivia a full time job, which she accepts. Olivia finds the close friendship she yearned for, but as talk the dress shop owner talks of expansion, leaving Olivia in charge of one of the shops, Livvy decides that the place she really wants to be is at home with her family.
b: 5 Feb 76 pc: __________ w: Kathleen Hite d: Harvey S. Laidmanrc: the Godseys, the Baldwin sisters, Yancy, Maude, Mrs. Brimmer, G.W.
When Grandma comes home from nursing a sick relative, she and Mary Ellen clash because Grandma takes it upon herself to organise Mary Ellen's quilting. A quilting was a "back woods" custom to announce to the community that a young lady was of an age when she could accept young men who wished to court her. Mary Ellen, however, finds the custom demeaning and is adamant that she will not participate in it. Grandma on the other hand, goes ahead and sends out the invitations to all the women folk of Waltons Mountain and the quilting does indeed go ahead. John-Boy tells Mary Ellen that the quilting is a way of the women showing just how much they care about her and that she should think about the breach she is causing between both her grandmother and herself, and her grandmother and her mother.
b: 12 Feb 76 pc: __________ w: Rod Peterson & Claire Whittaker d: Lawrence Dobkinrc: the Baldwin sisters
Grandma finds that the old Whittley house is going to be demolished and she feels that instead it should be renovated for all the community to share. Together with the Baldwin sisters they try to collect signatures to petition that the house not be pulled down. Grandpa, however, goes ahead and gets the contract for the Walton Company to demolish the house, not realizing or remembering why his wife has such sentimental attachments for the old house. In his eyes the house needs to be pulled down, because it is a hazard the way it is, and there is excellent lumber, which can be salvaged from the house, which someone may as well use. Needless to say, tempers fly as the two take opposing sides, and John-Boy gets caught in the middle when he is given his first editorial to write...about whether or not the house should be saved!
b: 19 Feb 76 pc: __________ w: Kirby Timmons d: Harvey S. Laidmanrc: the Godseys, the Baldwin sisters, Mike Paxton
When the newspaper, where John-Boy works as a stringer, is closing down, his boss offers to sell him an old printing press so that he might start his own country newspaper. John-Boy has to take a full time job in order to earn the down payment for the press, at the same time trying to juggle school and his other commitments. He eventually finds that he has very little time left to even sleep, so he moves into a boarding house near the college. He also feels that his professor at Boatwright University, who keeps reminding him that he is meant to be working on his novel, is pressuring him. His job at the bus depot ends suddenly and he finds himself with only half of the money he needs for his down payment, so he disappointedly leaves the boarding house and returns home. At home, however, he finds that his professor at college has already made the down payment on his behalf and the printing press has already been delivered to his home and is waiting for John-Boy to write, edit, publish and print his first edition of the Blue Ridge Chronicle.
b: 26 Feb 76 pc: __________ w: Earl Hamner d: Harry Harris NOTE: As of this episode, it is sometime in 1936An old flame is rekindled for John-Boy when Selina Linville returns to Walton's Mountain after being away at boarding school. She has grand ideas that John-Boy should join her and go to Spain and write about a war, which is happening there. She claims that he is a coward by not jumping at the chance to go, however he maintains that all of the mountain folk are already fighting their own war: the war against poverty.
b: 4 Mar 76 pc: __________ w: John McGreevey d: Richard Thomas| Back to TOP of Page |
TO Title List |
Production Credits
Executive Producer: Lee Rich
Created by: Earl Hamner, Jr.
Producer: Andy White
Music: Alexander Courage
Production Manager: Lynn Guthrie
rc: the Godseys, Sheriff Bridges, Mrs. Brimmer
John-Boy is preparing to publish the first edition of his newspaper, the Blue Ridge Chronicle. While in town asking the Sheriff for a really good headline for the front page, he sees a spectacular car accident. The Mayor of the town has his car out of control, and he crashes into the front of a shop. John-Boy suspects that the reason the Mayor crashed was because he had been drinking and he plans to publish this in his newspaper. He maintains that the public has a right to know the truth, especially as the Mayor is up for re-election. His family, however, believes publishing this story will hurt his good name and reputation and are against John-Boy publishing it. Tensions between the family members mount when John-Boy covers another story, this time regarding a criminal matter involving four teenaged boys, one of whom is his brother Ben. John-Boy claims that the story is newsworthy and should be reported, however his mother believes that the good name of the Walton family should not be plastered over the front page of the paper! John-Boy is torn between doing what is right as a newspaper publisher and editor, and doing what is right for all the people involved.
b: 23 Sep 76 pc: __________ w: John McGreevey d: Lawrence Dobkin NOTE: Richard Thomas is using a walking stick, the script indicating that John-Boy had an accident with a motorcycle. He uses this walking stick in the next two episodes.rc: Ike, Sheriff Bridges, Dr. Vance
This episode opens with John-Boy interviewing the local Doctor who is preparing to leave Walton's Mountain because he is having trouble making a living in Walton's Mountain. He is finding that, with the Depression, people are having difficulty paying their bills with money, and instead are paying with homegrown produce. He says that food won't allow him to pay his own bills, however, hence the reason for the move. This will leave the people of Walton's Mountain without a Doctor though, and this concerns John-Boy. While the Doctor is away in the city Grandma becomes quite ill with fevers and stomach pains, and Mary Ellen, who has just begun nursing school, tells her that the symptoms she describes are those of the stomach flu which they are seeing a lot of in the hospital and that bed rest is all she needs to recover. Grandma becomes increasingly worse though, and without a Doctor in the vicinity the family is forced to take her to the hospital, where she undergoes an operation. In the meantime Erin has taken a job as an assistant to Miss Fanny, the switchboard operator, who is a very proper and pedantic woman. She gives Erin a difficult time without listening to her excuses and reasons, but she shows Erin how important a job she does when she uses the switchboard to track down the Doctor and sends him to the hospital in time to tend to Grandma. Needless to say, Grandma makes a full recovery, and Mary Ellen learns an important lesson on just what the role of a nurse really is.
b: 30 Sep 76 pc: __________ w: Kathleen Hite d: Harry Harrisrc: Yancy, Ike, Sissy, Thelma
As a part of the cost cutting measures being introduced at the Klineberg Conservatory, scholarships are being withdrawn. As a result Jason finds that he has to come up with his tuition fees: $300 for the year's tuition, or in installments of $100, the first payment being expected within a month. He hears of a job for a musician at the Dew Drop Inn, the local bar, and he begins playing the piano and his guitar there each night. Neither his grandmother, nor his mother are very impressed with his new job however, thinking that young Jason will be led astray by all the sinful folk who go there for their entertainment. He also renews his acquaintance with a family he hasn't seen for some time. Seth Turner, Jason's friend who was diagnosed with leukemia in Episode 44, had similar aspirations to Jason, wanting to study music and become a musician. Seth's father was a well known musician, who had a band, but he dropped out of music when his son died. In fact the father, Red Turner, had almost lost interest in life altogether, and Jason forms a plan to encourage him to make a comeback, and uses the Dew Drop Inn as the venue.
b: 7 Oct 76 pc: __________ w: Seth Freeman d: Harry S. Laidmanrc: the Godseys, the Baldwin sisters, Rev. Fordwick, Sissy
The Waltons Mountain community becomes very excited when they learn that a well-known evangelist is coming to the Mountain to lead this year's revival meeting. Olivia has hopes that some of the Walton children will heed the call and become baptized, especially Ben who is spotted at the Dew Drop Inn, by both the evangelist and Reverend Fordwick, with Yancy Tucker. They called in there as soon as the evangelist arrived on the mountain, so that he could see the "center of sin". Both Olivia and Esther also pray that John will take part in the meeting and also become baptized, however John has so far not felt the need to be formally baptized, feeling that he believes in God in his own way and preferring not to go to worship in the Baptist church with the other family members. However John does end up going to the meeting. A sudden storm forces him to go outside to cover the wood which he intended to work on while the others were at the meeting, and a bolt of lightening near him, renders him unconscious and the wood gets wet. Olivia sees this as a sign from God and John duly attends the meeting with the others. When the preacher begins with his "fire and brimstone preaching", however, John walks out, upsetting Olivia further. At the same time Ben is struggling to decide whether he really wants to be baptized adding to Olivia's stress and the division between John and Olivia deepens. Olivia comes to accept John's decision in the end and sees him as a searcher, one looking for religion, which is different from the mainstream. Her distress is diminished somewhat when both Ben and Yancy take the plunge into the river and both become baptized.
b: 14 Oct 76 pc: __________ w: Andy White d: Ralph Waiterc: the Godseys, Rev. Fordwick, Mrs. Brimmer
John-Boy decides that he will publish excerpts from Hitler's book "Mein Kampf" in his newspaper. It was a book written by Hitler where he vows to lead Germany to world dominance, and John-Boy feels that the people of Waltons Mountain should be aware of what he has written. Many of the community's people, including the Reverend, however, think that they should remain ignorant of what Hitler has to say. John-Boy argues, however, that ignorance will cause people to become afraid and behave irrationally, causing fear and hatred. He thinks that if people know the truth they will not be afraid. Mrs. Brimmer tells John-Boy that her husband was born in Germany and during World War 1 they were victimized wherever they went because of it, and eventually they settled at Waltons Mountain where nobody knew the truth. Hatred and fear does indeed occur, with many people taking their ads out of the newspaper and not buying it. The Waltons even get a rock thrown through their window. As all this is going on, Erin is pleading with her family to allow her to enter a beauty contest, but they are not keen, until Grandpa comes up with a compromise. She doesn't win and blames John-Boy and his article for her loss. The show ends with a symbolic"book burning" thought up by Reverend Fordwick. He says that if the Nazis are burning American books then they should burn a copy of "Mein Kampf". Buck Vernon found this copy and then went on to gather all the other German books he could find and proposes that these are burned too. John-Boy becomes very angry and says that if books are burnt then you can't know about what's in them, and your freedom is taken away. He pauses and picks up one of the books: a German version of the Holy Bible. Ashamed, the Reverend acknowledges that John-Boy did have a point and the townsfolk recognize that ignorance did indeed cause hatred and fear and could cause normally rational people to behave irrationally.
b: 21 Oct 76 pc: __________ w: Rod Peterson and Claire Whittaker d: Ralph Senesky NOTE: As of this episode, it is sometime in 1937.rc: the Godseys, the Baldwin sisters, Sheriff Bridges
When Ike Godsey renovates a hall with the intent on hiring it out to people for functions, John-Boy suggests to Jason that he might raise some much-needed cash by holding a dance for the local people. He begins to organize this, only to find that there is a prowler frightening the people of Waltons Mountain. The prowler appears not to be harming anybody, but as everyone in the community knows everyone else, and nobody knows who this prowler could be, people are afraid that he might harm somebody. The prowler ends up to be the mute son of a new neighbor who finds his place, as well as acceptance, on Waltons Mountain. Once the people know who the prowler is, Jason ends up holding a very successful, and profitable, dance.
b: 28 Oct 76 pc: __________ w: Paul West d: Harvey S. Laidmanrc: the Godseys, the Baldwin sisters, Rev. Fordwick, Yancy, G.W., Mrs. Brimmer, Curt Willard
Mary Ellen, unexpectedly, announces her engagement to David Spencer, a wealthy young medical intern studying at the hospital where she is a nursing student. The two plan to have a very short engagement, marrying in just a few weeks time then returning to live in Richmond where David will join his father in a medical practice. An engagement party is duly planned and right in the middle of it, the new Waltons Mountain doctor arrives, young and unmarried Curtis Willard. Sparks fly between Mary Ellen and Curt right from the start. In fact many of the folks he comes into contact with claim that he must have failed the bedside manner subject in medical school. He appalls and shocks Miss Mamie and Miss Emily Baldwin when Miss Emily arrives at the clinic and he wants to unbutton her blouse to listen to her chest! Mary Ellen tries to match Curt with the mountain nurse, Miss Nora, even though she herself is attracted to Curt. As the wedding approaches, Mary Ellen becomes more confused about her feelings for Curt and at the wedding rehearsal she finally runs out at the "I do" part and tells David that she can't marry him. Instead she marries Curt.
b: 4 Nov 76 pc: __________ w: Rod Peterson and Claire Whittaker d: Lawrence Dobkins NOTE: This is originally a two-hour episode. Grandma makes a reference to Mary Ellen's coming of age quilting party (episode 98), John makes a reference to Mary Ellen placing a blue-jay's nest on their Christmas tree (pilot episode), and how she and G.W. Haines learned to dance (episodes 24 & 25).rc: the Godseys, the Baldwin sisters, Rev. Fordwick, Yancy, G.W., Mrs. Brimmer, Curt Willard
Mary Ellen, unexpectedly, announces her engagement to David Spencer, a wealthy young medical intern studying at the hospital where she is a nurs