| WALTONS DIGEST 1-98:
Hi everyone, It does seem to have been a long time since I last compiled a digest, or even since I was on the computer for any length of time. Needless to say, after 3 weeks away, there has been a lot of email to catch up on. We have had a lovely holiday. We went to New South Wales (remember we live in Melbourne) and stayed in the Blue Mountains for the first week, then spent the rest of our time away in Sydney. The Blue Mountains are about an hour's drive from Sydney and are the most lovely mountains. There is a lot of really spectacular scenery around there. It's extremely steep and rocky in places. It was just glorious there...we stayed in an old coach house which has been renovated. It was really relaxing and just what we needed. No television either which was nice, although Tim, our 16 year old, complained a little. He managed find other things to occupy his time though, and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The weather there was not really hot, just very pleasant. Sydney was another matter though. Although the temperature wasn't terribly high, the humidity was quite bad while we were there. We did enjoy our visit there though and did a lot of touristy things. Is anyone coming out for the Sydney Olympics in 2000? We had thought we might go up, but have changed our minds. Rod hated the traffic and the roads up there and kept complaining because I couldn't see where we were supposed to be going on the map!!!! I think we'll stay at home for an armchair view of it instead. Some of you wrote to see if we were alright with all of the weird weather we are having here. There have been dreadful storms up in the northern part of Australia. I am pleased to say that we arrived home to find our home still fine. We are a long, long way from Queensland. I did appreciate your concern though. Well onto your mail now. Hopefully with all the mail I have had I won't miss anyone's out. We have a whole lot of new members to, so welcome to all of you. By the way, as you can see, there is a new numbering system for the digests to start the new year. The last one sent last year was number 53.
Goodnight everyone, Mary Beth McDonough - Erin Walton: Was she on a Montgomery Wards Christmas commercial on television? KAREN'S COMMENT: Well being in Australia, I really can't answer this one. Can anyone help please?
I'm wondering who can help me with information about the end of the series. I know a special ran toward the end that featured appearances by actual members of the Hamner family. I saw that one. But I'm wondering about the last episode of the actual story line. I saw an episode last year that I thought might have been the last one. It was rather ordinary, I thought, until the last 15 minutes or so. It ended with an extended epilogue by Earl Hamner--I have never heard one that went on that long. It was very touching and I thought wrapped things up quite well. I would love to hear from someone who knows more. Thanks. Scotch Gray
KAREN'S COMMENT: Once again, can anyone come up with the answer? It seems to me watching the Family Channel presentations that the segments featuring Ralph Waite and other cast members are taped at the Walton house as seen in the series. Can anyone confirm that the same set is still there? And if so, where exactly is it located? Is it part of a tour? Has anyone been on the tour? Is it just an exterior or are the rooms actually inside? That brings up the mechanics of the original series shooting. I assume they shot the interiors in a building in the LA area. Anyone know where? And where was that original exterior? One more question for this time: Where did they film the exteriors that showed mountain vistas and how far away from the set was it? Thanks.
Scotch Gray Hello Everyone, Just a quick note to say hello and that Paige has a good eye in spotting Walton cast members in other shows. I also watched "Its a Wonderful Life " again and sure enough it was Martha Corinne. I am so glad that you brought that up in the digest, because it was something that I really wanted to share with everyone and over the holidays, I just plain forgot. Also I wanted to say thank you to Larissa for sharing with us her views on the weather in Va. I live just outside of Richmond and she was right on the money about how the winters are here in VA. I think that Hollywood gave Walton's Mountain a lot more white Christmas' than they ever had in real life. I have lived in Richmond for the last 29 years and I can not remember ever having it snow on Christmas day. I hope that everyone has a good new year and keep the digest's coming. Logan Star11buck@aol.com
KAREN'S COMMENT: I guess the "white Christmas" concept always appeals to romantics like me. I would love one! I take it you didn't have one for the Christmas just past? I have another Will Geer spotting...My husband and I rented the movie "Black Like me" starring James Whitmore. The story is of a white journalist who dies his skin black to view the world as a black man in the early 1960s. Will Geer plays the small role of a driver who picks up the main character while hitchhiking. The role MR. Geer plays is such a departure from Grandpa. This character is a very unpleasant racist, but a convincing performance nonetheless... Marcia in Detroit KAREN'S COMMENT: Our list of Walton spotting is certainly growing isn't it? I think it's really nice to see our favorite Waltons characters in such different roles as this one obviously was for Will Geer. How about Michael Learned? Has anyone seen her in quite a different role than the motherly Olivia?
Please feel free to keep in touch! I enjoy the company of other fans! Pen Pals encouraged! Cindy
KAREN'S COMMENT: Welcome to the group Cindy. There are quite a number of us Waltons fans now, all keeping in touch via this weekly digest. I hope you will enjoy being a part of our group. Do you have the information for getting into the chat room? If you don't, let me know and I'll send you the details, and a contact for someone who may be able to help you. It's a lot of fun but I haven't had the time to visit for ages. My name is Tricia Slattery and I live in Dublin, Ireland. I grew up in San Francisco, California, but moved to Ireland in 1972, just as the first season of 'The Waltons' was beginning. I had seen 'The Homecoming' in 1971, so when the series finally got to Ireland I was an instant fan. I have most episodes on tape. When I was in college, I was sitting in the university library one day reading the newspaper. When I saw the article saying that Will Geer had died I started to cry. Someone came over to me to see what was wrong, and I said 'Grandpa's dead'. I was getting great sympathy until they realised I meant Grandpa Walton! Will Geer was one of my favorite characters. In 1988, I was in the States and went to Schuyler, Virginia. This was before the Museum was open, but it was great to see the place. As well as the Baptist church, there is a beautiful old stone building that was a Mennonite church. The Blue Ridge Mountains are magnificent - I hope to get back there someday. Also in '88, I tried to find out if there was a Hollywood studio tour that included The Walton's set. I couldn't find one, but if anyone knows of it, let me know. That's about it from an obsessed Walton's fan. I'm also obsessed with Bob Dylan - any other Walton fans share this twin obsession?? Well, Karen, thanks for the web site and the newsletters. Hope it's warm and summery in Australia. It's cold and wintry in Dublin today. Tricia Slattery
KAREN'S COMMENT: Hi Tricia and welcome. I would love to visit the USA some day and see the Blue Ridge Mountains too, but my husband Rod, is just as keen to have us visit Ireland. One of his passions is genealogy and local history, and most of his ancestors were Irish, from County Tipperary. We are saving hard so perhaps one day.... I, too, remember being very shocked to hear of Will Geer's death. It was nice that Earl Hamner paid tribute to him by building the death of Grandpa into the first episode of that season. As for Bob Dylan...well I'm not obsessed, but perhaps some of our members are. Who knows? |
