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Waltons TV Movies: What were they thinking...

bigskygirl

By bigskygirl
in The Waltons [V]

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DoughGirl

DoughGirl

What happened to time? Just saw the episode of John Daddy's high school reunion. Class of 1911. Yet in the movies, 1960s and it's like he's in his late forties/early fifties. And let's not even think about Grandma and The Baldwin ladies still being there.

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Blergh

Blergh

Agree with ALL the above. Also, why did they spend SO much time dealing with John-Boy and Janet having their twins on the Mountain [and turning all other sibs into wallpaper], only to end the last movie with the news that they were boy-girl twins and NOTHING more [like given them names]. FWIW, I 'd like them to have named the boy '  Rome Zebulon' and the girl 'Rebecca Esther' [and NOT use their first and middle names e.g 'John Curtis'].

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camom

camom

I didn't like John Curtis, either, but I suppose the alternative would have been Curtis Boy.

 

Yesterday Hallmark ran the movie when JB and Janet get married.  Supposedly it was 1964.  How old would JB have been?  Didn't the show start during the Depression (so around 1930) and JB was in his late teens.  Yet it was like he was getting married around age 30 instead of 50 or so.  Grrr….

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DoughGirl

DoughGirl

If the Waltons didn't always have to come first they could have named him something other than John. What about after Curt's father and John for a middle name? Or even Curt Jr. Not CurtBoy though.

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DoughGirl

DoughGirl

Ugh-Elisabeth in "The Rumor".

Channeling John Boy with the glasses and journal. "The girl blah blah blah."

And making trouble for poor Willie Bremmer.

As much as Mary Ellen irks me, Elisabeth wins the prize.

She was a nasty little piece of work in "The Children's Carol" too.

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DoughGirl

DoughGirl

Yesterday Hallmark ran the movie when JB and Janet get married. Supposedly it was 1964. How old would JB have been? Didn't the show start during the Depression (so around 1930) and JB was in his late teens. Yet it was like he was getting married around age 30 instead of 50 or so. Grrr….

Just watched "The Hero" (another episode where John Boy butts into someone's private business). John Boy states he was four years old when John comes home from WW I. So if the war ended in 1918 then John Boy was born in 1914. Until the movies screwed up the timeline.

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bigskygirl

bigskygirl

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John Boy graduated from high school in 1934, so he would have been 17 or 18 (born in 1916 or 1917.)  Plus where is Jason and Mary Ellen. Jason is a year younger than John Boy and Mary Ellen is two or three years younger than he is.

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DoughGirl

DoughGirl

I wonder if they changed the movie timelines because Earl Boy Hamner was born in 1923. I was surprised to find that he was really about Jim Bob's age during the depression rather than John Boy's.

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Tim McD

Tim McD

Just watched "The Hero" (another episode where John Boy butts into someone's private business). John Boy states he was four years old when John comes home from WW I. So if the war ended in 1918 then John Boy was born in 1914. Until the movies screwed up the timeline.

 

 

Even screwier is the fact that the United States didn't enter WWI until 1917. Did John go into hiding for 3 years before enlisting? That's not good parenting.

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DoughGirl

DoughGirl

Even screwier is the fact that the United States didn't enter WWI until 1917. Did John go into hiding for 3 years before enlisting? That's not good parenting.

Right!

I seem to remember one episode where John says there was a little baby waiting for him when he got home. That makes sense. The four year old John Boy ????

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merylinkid

merylinkid

Don't forget the episode where they found out John Sr. never graduated high school.   He dropped out to join up and go fight WWI.    Which means the high school reunion show is bogus and he marched off to war before marrying Olivia.  

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DoughGirl

DoughGirl

Don't forget the episode where they found out John Sr. never graduated high school. He dropped out to join up and go fight WWI. Which means the high school reunion show is bogus and he marched off to war before marrying Olivia.

I think it was supposed to be that John did graduate, but left before he got his diploma. So he couldn't prove to the Army he had graduated. Such a stupid premise for an episode.

Would the army really care that much during WW II? As long as he was doing his job and good work? My father was in the army in WW II and did not have a high school diploma. Maybe it was different for civilians.

At one point there was a reunion episode saying John graduated in 1911 orv 12. Given Esther found out she was pregnant just before he left John was born in 1898 or 99. So he graduated at 12ish. If he's that smart no wonder he ran and hid when John Boy was little.

Yes, I remember Esther telling Livvie she was in the family way when Zeb went off to the Spanish American War. And John's high school reunion was the class of 1911. Unless she meant his brother Ben, but I think she said it was John.

I think the writers just came up with stuff to add drama and just assumed (hoped) the viewers wouldn't notice.

They made the whole Zeb and the Rough Riders story (Which I always hated. Click.) a lie, probably so they had a premise for an episode where John Boy writes a story for Adventure Magazine.

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Tim McD

Tim McD

I'll bet the writers, being mostly familiar with WWII (and a bit lazy), just assumed all wars run about 4 years. I can't remember if Esther claimed to have given birth by the time Zeb returned; if she did that would be quite a feat as the Spanish-American War lasted just 10 weeks.

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bigskygirl

bigskygirl

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Ugh!!!  The stupid tv movie where Mary Ellen marries Jonesy and cannot have children after her accident, Cindy has Charlie, and Aimee acts like a brat is on.

 

John should not be saying anything to Cindy's mom. The family did not take to Cindy after Ben brought her home. He butts into his children's personal life a lot. And Mary Ellen running off to mama. Mama had seven children before she was told not to push her luck when it came to her age while she was thinking of having another kid. It is not the same darn thing. Can any of the kids solve their relationship problems without mama and daddy. Plus, Olivia whining about not having any more children. God, I want to smack these people.

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DoughGirl

DoughGirl

I just can't watch any of those movies, even the one with real John Boy.

Livvie and John "in pain" because of not being able to have an eighth child is rich. And IIRC John didn't seem all that broken up about it, and I can't blame him. IMHO Livvie had some kind of emotional problem wanting to have more kids at that point.

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Maherjunkie

Maherjunkie

 

 

Ugh-Elisabeth in "The Rumor".

Channeling John Boy with the glasses and journal. "The girl blah blah blah."

And making trouble for poor Willie Bremmer.

As much as Mary Ellen irks me, Elisabeth wins the prize.

She was a nasty little piece of work in "The Children's Carol" too.

Can you elaborate on your feelings DG?  From what I remember re "The Children's Carol" I couldn't take those kids either.

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GrtGzu

GrtGzu

I just can't watch any of those movies, even the one with real John Boy.

Livvie and John "in pain" because of not being able to have an eighth child is rich. And IIRC John didn't seem all that broken up about it, and I can't blame him. IMHO Livvie had some kind of emotional problem wanting to have more kids at that point.

 

Also remember the baby she was caring for before the adoptive parents showed up to take her away? She KNEW she shouldnt have gotten attached to it, but she did anyway, and it pissed me off the way she demanded to see the parents before she handed over the baby....

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DoughGirl

DoughGirl

Can you elaborate on your feelings DG?  From what I remember re "The Children's Carol" I couldn't take those kids either.

Maybe the kids were hard to take but they didn't ask to go live with the Waltons and she was such a little snit. "Do they have to come?" "You ruin everything." If a Luftwaffe bomb dropped on Waltons Mountain and took out John and Livvie, I doubt picking out a Christmas tree would seem all that fun to Elisabeth either. Hell, she couldn't even deal with being stuck on a Ferris wheel.

Also remember the baby she was caring for before the adoptive parents showed up to take her away? She KNEW she shouldnt have gotten attached to it, but she did anyway, and it pissed me off the way she demanded to see the parents before she handed over the baby....

Ugh! Her deer in the headlights look while clutching that baby when she KNEW the adoption lady was coming. She was as bad as mad Cassie when she kidnapped John Curtis.

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oceanblue

oceanblue

Mary Ellen physically couldn't conceive because of the car accident on her honeymoon.  Livvy was told she shouldn't conceive because it would endanger her life. She learned this when she and John went to the doctor to ask if it was ok before they started working on #8. I'm always curious what they were doing for birth control.  I can't picture John running down to Ike's for Trojans.  

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DoughGirl

DoughGirl

Mary Ellen physically couldn't conceive because of the car accident on her honeymoon.  Livvy was told she shouldn't conceive because it would endanger her life. She learned this when she and John went to the doctor to ask if it was ok before they started working on #8. I'm always curious what they were doing for birth control.  I can't picture John running down to Ike's for Trojans.

I thought the doctor said ME couldn't have children because it would be dangerous due to the tear they sewed up in her uterus, but I've only seen that horrible movie once.

I always wondered about the birth control method too since almost every earlier episode had one of those cringe worthy scenes of John suggestively asking when Livvie was coming to bed and then they'd make eyes at each other.

What was funny about the Livvie desperate to have a baby episode was that it wasn't long after the one where she's not so happy to be pregnant because it will interfere with selling her Bubble Beautifier. Because it could buy a lot of books for John Boy.

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Tim McD

Tim McD

Ugh! Her deer in the headlights look while clutching that baby when she KNEW the adoption lady was coming.

 

 

I can't believe Doc Whoever suggested that. "Olivia, the best way to deal with your devastation at not being able to bear any more children is to adopt a baby then have it ripped away from you just as you begin to emotionally bond with it."  Same when the Waltons take in a kid from the orphanage for a couple of weeks, then POW!, back to the orphanage with ya, sucker!

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DoughGirl

DoughGirl

(edited)

I can't believe Doc Whoever suggested that. "Olivia, the best way to deal with your devastation at not being able to bear any more children is to adopt a baby then have it ripped away from you just as you begin to emotionally bond with it." Same when the Waltons take in a kid from the orphanage for a couple of weeks, then POW!, back to the orphanage with ya, sucker!

Was that the doctor who is Ron Howard's real life father?

Doc McGyver?

Edited by DoughGirl
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Tim McD

Tim McD

(edited)

No, Ron Howard's dad was the doctor who treated Zeb after his heart attack. There was a third doctor as well who showed up sometimes (before Curt came along).

Edited by Tim McD
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DoughGirl

DoughGirl

No, Ron Howard's dad was the doctor who treated Zeb after his heart attack. There was a third doctor as well who showed up sometimes (before Curt came along).

Doc Shackleford?

I know the third doctor was Doc Vance because Mary Ellen wouldn't shut up about him when Curt came to town.

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DoughGirl

DoughGirl

Just looked up Walton doctors on IMBD. Rance Howard (Ron's father) is listed as Doc McIvers. Didn't see a Doc Shackleford listed. And there are a bunch of doctors listed, Banin, Canfield, Lewis, that I don't remember.

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DoughGirl

DoughGirl

Yes, the two Nurse Nora's. I have my theory as to why they cast a different actress for the second Nora but it could just be they couldn't get the same actress.

Zeb really bugged with the make-believe heart attack.

Why such a plethora of doctors on the mountain?

Mary Ellen was always harping in about how much they needed doctors and nurses where she came from and there are too many doctors to keep track of and two nurse Noras. ;-)

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bigskygirl

bigskygirl

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Elizabeth and her constant asking people to come to Thanksgiving on Walton's Mountain, and Mary Ellen saying her pain in the butt son's name over and over again makes me want to cover my ears and scream. I would be avoiding coming home if I had to put up with these two nitwits. I also understand why Paul ran to the hills.

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DoughGirl

DoughGirl

Elizabeth and her constant asking people to come to Thanksgiving on Walton's Mountain, and Mary Ellen saying her pain in the butt son's name over and over again makes me want to cover my ears and scream. I would be avoiding coming home if I had to put up with these two nitwits. I also understand why Paul ran to the hills.

I tried watching that too. All I could think of was what a bunch of unpleasant people. Elisabeth screaming at Cindy that it wasn't Thanksgiving if they weren't all together, John Boy and his writer's block, Paul bitching at Erin, Jason bitching at Elisabeth over her bitching, Jim Bob bitching about his future... I had to give up on it. And I REALLY hate that kid that plays John Curtis.

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