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Carrie Ingalls: A Special Child on the Prairie

Louise Vanessa
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moonb

moonb

I thought of RL Carrie when I went to South Dakota's Black Hills last summer - iirc, she worked at a printer's throughout her young adulthood? I know she married in her 40s. She sounded like she had an interesting life, but for tv purposes, she was "baby" Carrie. 

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oceanblue

oceanblue

From wikipedia:

During her late-teen years Swanzey was a typesetter for the De Smet News and, subsequently, other newspapers throughout the state.[1] On August 1, 1912, at age 41, she married widower David N. Swanzey (1854–1938), who is best-remembered for his part in the naming of Mount Rushmore. She became stepmother to Swanzey's two children: Mary Swanzey (born in 1904, married Monroe Harris, 14 children) and Harold Swanzey (1908–1936). Harold was one of the workers who helped carve Mount Rushmore and his name can be found on the granite walls below the monument. He was later killed in a car accident. David Swanzey died in Keystone, South Dakota on April 9, 1938.

With her sister Grace's help, Carrie took care of their sister Mary after their mother's death in 1924.

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psychoticstate

psychoticstate

I watched a few epis during the season Laura and Manly were first married (season 6?  7?)  Anyhow . . . no disrespect meant to the Greenbush twins but good Lord, they were horrific actresses.  No emotion.  Absolutely reading from a phone book kind of bad.  No wonder they rarely spoke.  Seeing Carrie at around 9 or 10 asking Albert what the strange animal noise when was it was Laura snoring?  Yeah, a very special child indeed. 

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wanton87

wanton87

On 1/27/2017 at 2:28 PM, oceanblue said:

I imagine when ML died and took that highway to heaven he was greeted by the Ingalls sisters who just stood in line and slapped him.

Haha! Good one :D Glad to see that a sense of humor is allowed here.

First time post everyone. Needed to find a replacement for the IMDB boards which are closing up forever in about a week, and so far this one looks to be the best. Hope it picks up more.

Cheers!

wanton87

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Katy M

Katy M

Yes, the twins were not particularly good actresses.  But, the thing is, it's not really their fault.  They were 4 years old when they were cast, and I'm of the opinion that no 4 year old can really act all that well. I'm also of the opinion that 4 year olds do not say "I want to go audition for a TV show", that's on the parents.  Michael Landon should have replaced them when they were a bit older (like 6 or 7) and it was obvious they weren't that good.  Not that I think many 6 or 7 year olds are Oscar worthy either, but, there are at least some varying degrees of talent in that pool.

On ‎1‎/‎20‎/‎2017 at 10:23 PM, Maherjunkie said:

Did Mary actually have blindness?

Yes, and the real Mary also had seizures and headaches.  She never married and from most accounts became quite bitter.  Whether that was a neurological side effect of the seizures, or just general bitterness over the sudden blindness and end of her life plans is anyone's guess.

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Mystery

Mystery

In her book, Alison Arngrim says that for the opening sequence, the twins were napping and their mother hurriedly woke one up, jammed her shoes on the wrong feet, and sent her out, which is why she tripped. 

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EAG46

EAG46

On 1/27/2017 at 5:28 PM, oceanblue said:

I imagine when ML died and took that highway to heaven he was greeted by the Ingalls sisters who just stood in line and slapped him.

I also hope the real Charles Ingalls got to kick him in the butt a few times as well.  

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Jacqs

Jacqs

I have no doubt whatever that the real Carrie Ingalls deserves a lot better than her pop culture representation as a child who acts likes she's special needs.

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Jacqs

Jacqs

You almost expect a scene like the Simpsons:

Carrie: I''m going to the outhouse!

Laura: We don't have an outhouse?

Pa: My tool shed! Oh, Carrie...

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Snow Apple

Snow Apple

When I watched during it's first run, I thought Carrie was so cute and didn't know why we barely saw her and why they kept bringing in orphans when she was *right there.*

Now that I'm watching as an adult, my reaction is "good god." The twins are still cutie pies but the acting. Oh the acting. From what little I read of them, I'm glad the actresses grew up to be lovely normal women who didn't cling to an acting dream.

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Jacqs

Jacqs

Real Carrie kicking Greenbush Twins asses: I'd watch THAT!

Haley McCormick in Beyond the Prairie looked much more like Real Carrie physically. Some biopics, you wonder if they've bothered looking at a photo of the real person.

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alegtostandon

alegtostandon

Watched 'Alyssa!' the other day. What kind of drugs was Carrie on that she would black out on the way to the mercantile to buy candy or while out picking strawberries? When she'd wake up, it wasn't like curled up, taking a nap. She was out in the open in the middle of the field flat on her back like she'd just blacked out. 

And, what's this sudden obsession with Carrie and Pa. After being gone for a month, the second he steps foot on the property, she has to yank him away to meet her imaginary friend.  

Just a very strange episode. It was almost as if they were trying to see if there was any way they could try to make Carrie a larger character & just gave up after that.  I don't think we saw much of Carrie after that episode unless she was just sitting at the table.

And, speaking of sitting at the table, 'Baby' Grace looked so out of place sitting in that high chair!

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Jacqs

Jacqs

1 hour ago, alegtostandon said:

And, speaking of sitting at the table, 'Baby' Grace looked so out of place sitting in that high chair!

Yeah, the Turnbaugh twins were way too old for a high chair. (ML: "Props, can you make a high chair big enough for two girls that are almost in Kinder?)

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wanton87

wanton87

7 hours ago, JacquelineAppleton said:

The only person who would ever be Carrie’s friend is Carrie.

Well, there was also the dunny genie, and the mischievous fairy that tripped her while running down the hill, and lured her into that well. But Carrie understood that they weren’t real.

Or did she? :D

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Jacqs

Jacqs

18 hours ago, wanton87 said:

Well, there was also the dunny genie, and the mischievous fairy that tripped her while running down the hill, and lured her into that well. But Carrie understood that they weren’t real.

Or did she? :D

I also thought Carrie was cursed by a witch to pee helplessly for the rest of her life...

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wanton87

wanton87

Carrie served well in the part of a cute little kid, that said and did cute little kid things. But once some acting skills where required beyond this stage, she fell (no pun intended :D ) short. But when the show really jumped the shark with regards to Carrie, was when she was still acting the same, and reciting the same cute little kid lines; when she was friggin 12 or 13!

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Katy M

Katy M

46 minutes ago, wanton87 said:

Carrie served well in the part of a cute little kid, that said and did cute little kid things. But once some acting skills where required beyond this stage, she fell (no pun intended :D ) short. But when the show really jumped the shark with regards to Carrie, was when she was still acting the same, and reciting the same cute little kid lines; when she was friggin 12 or 13!

I'll agree, but I still don't like it when people rag on the Greenbush twins.  It's not their fault that instead of replacing them, or relegating them to just the background, that ML, or whoever, continued to write Carrie as a child.  Acting is a skill, but I don't know that it's the type of skill anybody can learn, or if like singing and dancing, it's also natural talent.  It's not their fault if they didn't have the talent. It's not like at the age of 3 they demanded the role and then demanded to keep it.  That was the decision of adults.

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Jacqs

Jacqs

8 hours ago, wanton87 said:

Carrie served well in the part of a cute little kid, that said and did cute little kid things. But once some acting skills where required beyond this stage, she fell (no pun intended :D ) short. But when the show really jumped the shark with regards to Carrie, was when she was still acting the same, and reciting the same cute little kid lines; when she was friggin 12 or 13!

I just got the image of TV Carrie, aged 12-13, trying to fumble with her newly needed bra, and finally ending up with it on her head...

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wanton87

wanton87

(edited)
10 hours ago, JacquelineAppleton said:

I just got the image of TV Carrie, aged 12-13, trying to fumble with her newly needed bra, and finally ending up with it on her head...

It also reminded me of that incident when Carrie almost got Albert’s ass kicked, after having successfully fooling that bully Bart into thinking that he was a werewolf, with that hokey paper maché mask. That Bart must have been an exceptionally dumb bully, even by 19th century standards, since everyone even back then knew that there’s no such thing as werewolves :D

Edited by wanton87
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