Hi everyone,

I hope everyone's had a great week so far, and looking forward to a busy, or relaxing, weekend...maybe both. :-) Ours is going to be really busy, and hence the digest being a little earlier this week.

It's been a very cold one here this week. The start of our ski season was last weekend, and you guessed it. No snow on the mountains at all! However by Monday it had started falling and it looks as if it might keep going. Let's hope so anyway. It must be really hard having a business up there, relying on the snow fall, and not having any! I hope it's nice and sunny for you guys anyway.

My newsletter from the Waltons Mountain Museum arrived in my mailbox this week and there is a lovely tribute to Ellen Corby in it, and also another piece written by Earl Hamner remembering her. He mentioned that he was a bit concerned at the start that she was not playing Grandma like a sweet little old lady, and approached her about it. Her reply was that he needed a character amongst all that goodness and sweetness, to add spice. Of course this "spicy flavour" of her portrayal of Grandma comes out very strongly in Grandma Returns Home, and Grandpa finally finds his Esther again.

I also came across a tiny little Waltons related piece in our Melbourne paper last week that I thought I'd share. Perhaps some of you know more about it.

"Waltons Together Again

Ma and Pa Walton are reuniting, at least on stage. For the first time since they acted together on The Waltons, the long-running US television series, Michael Learned and Ralph Waite are working in the play "Chasing Monsters" in Connecticut.

Learned played Olivia Walton on the TV show, which ran from 1972 until 1981, while Waite portrayed John Walton."

Of course this little piece is not entirely accurate, but interesting all the same.

Talk to you all again next week.

Goodnight everyone,

Karen.

Another subject but a Walton aspect. Today is John Boys Birthday. Also Todays High Profile, a society insert in the Dallas News, has a picture of Ronnie Claire Edwards (Corabeth) at an event in Dallas in May.

Donald

Try www.dallasnews.com

go to High Profile

KAREN'S COMMENT: I'll have to go have a search for it. If I'm not mistaken Richard Thomas would be 48 wouldn't he? I think that he was born in 1951. Speaking of RT, I came across a very nice picture of him with Sian Barbara Allen which I'll scan at some stage. There's also an article called something like "A Dream Date With Richard". Stay tuned next week, and I'll let you know what a "dream date" with RT would include. :-))

Do you know if The Waltons still going to have a special this fall? I have heard one was in the works but the last I heard they have not gotten permission from CBS to start filming. Have you heard anything?

Thanks, Sheila

KAREN'S COMMENT: I think we're all still waiting Sheila.

Hello Karen,

You asked the following question in the last Digest (21-99):

<<The other thing was that The Waltons is apparently referenced in the following movies, according to the Internet Movie Database:

"Bad Taste" (1987)

"Dazed and Confused" (1993)

"'Til There Was You" (1997)

"Lost in Space" (1998)

It's also spoofed in the following:

"Van, The" (1996)

"Lost in Space" (1998)

Does anyone know of these references? I haven't seen any of them, but would love to know more.>>

I can only answer the question concerning the "Lost in Space" movie. The Waltons are never mentioned in the movie but they are spoofed in the following way.

Setup:

The father & mother are John & Maureen Robinson

The children (oldest to youngest): Judy, Penny, and Will

The pilot: Major Don West

The Saboteur: Dr. Smith

The Robinson family has survived their crash landing onto a planet. They are preparing for their first night on this alien planet. John and Maureen Robinson are getting ready for bed in their room and talking about their son Will. Maureen hits John with a pillow and the following conversation ensues.

Maureen: It's nice having our whole family under one roof. [pause] Even if we did have to go half way across the galaxy to manage it.

The doors to their bedroom close as the camera backs out.

John's voice: Goodnight Maureen.

Maureen's voice: Goodnight John.

The camera backs out of the ship to an exterior shot of the front of the ship looking in its front windows. Major Don West is at the ships controls looking out the windows.

Will's voice: Goodnight Judy.

Penny's voice: Goodnight Will.

You hear the Bawk (its goodnight call) of the little alien monkey like creature that the Robinson family rescued from another spacecraft before crashing on the planet. Penny wanted to keep the creature as a pet and Judy let her. I forgot the creatures name ( on the old TV series it was Bloop and something similar in the movie).

Judy's voice: Goodnight Penny.

While all of this has been going on the camera has been backing slowly away from the Jupiter 2 spacecraft.

Don's voice: You guys have got to be kidding!

At this point you hear the ending music that was played at the end of the Waltons goodnight scene just before the ending credits started.

I don't know about the other people in the theater but when I first saw this I sure had a good laugh. I hope this answers your question on that movie. This has gotten so long that I will save the other information that I have for another time.

Goodnight Karen!

Brian

KAREN'S COMMENT: Thanks for sharing that Brian. I'll have to hire/rent <g> the movie so that I can catch up. It was actually mentioned in Friends too. Episode 1 I think. I was watching old eps with James over the weekend last week and a reference popped up. I'll have to find it again. I know that the often cynical Chandler mentioned it.

Hello, everyone. Rockfish, Virginia is alive, well, and on county road 617 appros. 3-4 miles west of Schuyler, VA. By the greatest of coincidences, on our trip to Lynchburg, VA to see family, we decided to go to "Walton's Mountain." It will be a wonderful addition to our memories of this trip. The Nelson County Visitor Center does not suggest to take Rt. 617 from the west but I want to tell you that I felt while driving that stretch of road with its curves and the Rockfish River on my right, I would certainly encounter the Walton children on their way to school. Schuyler (pronounced "Sky-ler") is nestled within the walls of mountain ridges and exciting to see.

The people at the museum are easy to talk to and the 30 minute video that they show periodically during the day gives extra insight to the actors' feelings about the show. The Special event for the Walton's Mt. Museum is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, October 23 and 24, 1999. No release at this date as to who will be there to sign autographs, etc.

One "glitch" in the trip was the Walton house. From the Internet I had assumed that there was a replica house built (full-size) just like the one on the set. However, I was not the only one who had to be set straight because it is a table-top model. But as far as models go, it is a great scene of the entire set of house, barn, shop, smoke house and even John Boy's Model A. Exact detail in miniature. My family and I really enjoyed the side trip to Schuyler. Incidentally, Rockfish isn't very big but it does have a few homes and a railroad crossing. I may end up keeping my collection of Waltons tapes now! Thanks for allowing me to share a few thoughts about Waltons Mt.

Dave

One more thing, everyone. I forgot to mention, Did anyone see Ellen Corby on Dennis the Menace with Jay North about 3 weeks ago? She played the part of a daughter who came to claim cash that was hidden in the back of an old radio Dennis had been given. Interesting how many times she shows up in movies. Adios. Dave

KAREN'S COMMENT: Glad you enjoyed your trip Dave. I think the model would be well worth seeing. A fascinating addition to the museum. I hadn't realised that it included all of the out buildings as well and the store. I often forget about the smokehouse. It is shown in a few episodes though. Perhaps we should remember those ones. I think they're probably from the earlier shows.

And finally from me....rather sad news for Australian Waltons fans. I received this note from Foxtel during the week and after their promise of new episodes from July here's what they said:

"Dear Karen,

Our Programming Department advise that The Waltons contract is not being renewed so there will be no further new episodes.

Regards

FOXTEL Feedback"

So there you are. It looks as if we here in Australia are not destined to have the later seasons. It's a bit of a shame. If any Aussies want to complain bitterly about seeing only the early seasons, go to the Foxtel site (I think it's <www.foxtel.com.au> but I'll check it for next week) and look for the "feedback" link. You can go there and leave your message. They do reply to you which is one thing I guess. It's just a shame that their messages sometimes don't contain better news.