Little House On The Prairie - General Discussion

[jason88cubs]

1 hour ago, Superclam said:

Totally. The most entertaining by far. 

 

The perfect snob. When they went to Winoka and she was crying saying bye to Caroline, then goes to Winoka and is back to her usual snobby self, I love it

[Mr. Sparkle]

Katherine MacGregor clearly had a ball playing that part. 

[jason88cubs]

6 minutes ago, Superclam said:

Katherine MacGregor clearly had a ball playing that part. 

and when Nels would make those smart allic remarks under his breath and she'd say "what did you say?"

[BigBingerBro]

It was amazing how Katherine MacGregor could pull of rather comedic scenes in a dramatic show and make it seem real and believable.

[bunnyblue]

1 hour ago, jason88cubs said:

The perfect snob. When they went to Winoka and she was crying saying bye to Caroline, then goes to Winoka and is back to her usual snobby self, I love it

And shortly after being a snob again to Caroline, Harriet was the recipient of one of the best burns on the show. When her fellow waitress at the saloon tells Harriet to do something about her crow's feet, an insulted Harriet says those are laugh lines. And the waitress says: "Honey, nothing is that funny", leaving Harriet with the shocked Pikachu face. She was great at dishing out the insults and snobbery, but it also nice when someone gave her a taste of her own medicine.

[debraran]

13 hours ago, bunnyblue said:

And shortly after being a snob again to Caroline, Harriet was the recipient of one of the best burns on the show. When her fellow waitress at the saloon tells Harriet to do something about her crow's feet, an insulted Harriet says those are laugh lines. And the waitress says: "Honey, nothing is that funny", leaving Harriet with the shocked Pikachu face. She was great at dishing out the insults and snobbery, but it also nice when someone gave her a taste of her own medicine.

She was good. I liked when she said to Caroline who was pregnant again, something like , "Willie and Nellie are just enough for me" and Caroline said "In the case of Nellie and Willie, I agree". Her face......lol

I wish the writers gave her a little more diversity and meat in a show more on her. She was great evolving in the blind school journey and of course in any emergency but the show with her old preacher fiance, you saw other dimensions. I wish we heard a little more about meeting Nel's or seen baby picture of Nellie when she was pregnant, just making them more than the shopkeepers. Every show that had them away from that I loved.

[CountryGirl]

I loved all the nuances to Harriet. She could be a nasty bigot but then when she overheard Samson, it affected her. And then when she told off Larabee and Samson reached out to take her hand and smiled and you literally saw her grinch’s heart grow 3 sizes as she grinned back, took his hand and did that sweet little squeeze of their intertwined hands, that is one of the standout moments of the series. 

And in whatever plague episode where Nels and the kids come down with it and Harriet thinks Nels has stopped breathing and she tells him how much she loves him. Just little moments like that show the obvious love and affection between them.

Or her dunking newly-adopted daughter, Nancy, when she learned the truth about Nancy, Belinda, and the ice house.

 

 

[jird]

Watching the Barn Burner episode. In the courtroom scene, the judge asks Rev. Alden to be foreman of the jury, which he declines because it wouldn't be appropriate. Then, of course, he nominates Charles, because if the defendant is accused of burning down Garvey's barn, it makes perfect sense for Garvey's best friend to be the jury foreman, rather than the preacher.

Also, Andy's stupid giant head bandage in this episode.

[jason88cubs]

10 minutes ago, jird said:

Watching the Barn Burner episode. In the courtroom scene, the judge asks Rev. Alden to be foreman of the jury, which he declines because it wouldn't be appropriate. Then, of course, he nominates Charles, because if the defendant is accused of burning down Garvey's barn, it makes perfect sense for Garvey's best friend to be the jury foreman, rather than the preacher.

Also, Andy's stupid giant head bandage in this episode.

Yes!!! When Rev. Alden picked Charles i said out loud "Of course it's Charles!!"

[Mr. Sparkle]

On 9/11/2020 at 5:29 PM, jason88cubs said:

Yes!!! When Rev. Alden picked Charles i said out loud "Of course it's Charles!!"

Because there is no man more decent, more honorable, not only in Walnut Grove, not only in the great state of Minnesota, not only in these United States, but in the entire known universe.  

Edited September 13, 2020 by Superclam
Grammah.

[jason88cubs]

Saw a Waltons episode today that had Victor French in it, WITHOUT A BEARD! Looked way different

[jason88cubs]

Why do I feel like Nels, who was very friendly to Charles, would go muttering to himself anytime Charles charged  "Cash on the barrel my backside, take another orphan kid why don't you"

[Mr. Sparkle]

8 minutes ago, jason88cubs said:

Saw a Waltons episode today that had Victor French in it, WITHOUT A BEARD! Looked way different

He's only got a mustache in "An Officer and a Gentleman." I wouldn't have recognized him. 

[debraran]

https://www.washingtonblade.com/2018/11/27/katherine-macgregor-remembered/

I tried to watch that family feud on you tube mentioned in above link, but she wasn't highlighted very much. (maybe it was just the clip I saw) I liked the above interview and agree with most of it. 

I also loved an interview she gave to Patrick Loubatière . It was different than the DVD ones, honest and refreshing. Katherine and Richard Bull said nice things about Jonathan Gilbert(smart, kind, good young man) and talked of his seemingly neglectful mom. I gave the book away but wish I kept it. I remember I he told a tidbit with Richard Bull said in his interview, things were "all about Melissa" and Jon was more "I'm done with this". I feel though it must have been much more. Sad, he just disappeared. Really it was a soft cover magazine type book but if you ever see it around at a discount, nice for LHOP fan.

Edited September 12, 2020 by debraran

[alexa]

Speaking of Harriet, I am watching the Blind Journey where she thinks she is meeting a St Louis elite, but she will soon find out that Hester Sue is not what she expected!  Lol

[debraran]

9 hours ago, alexa said:

Speaking of Harriet, I am watching the Blind Journey where she thinks she is meeting a St Louis elite, but she will soon find out that Hester Sue is not what she expected!  Lol

Or Dr Caleb Ledoux for that matter.

[Mr. Sparkle]

43 minutes ago, debraran said:

Or Dr Caleb Ledoux for that matter.

I just caught this one for the first time ever. Whatever happened to him? They set it up like he would be a regular character, but he never appeared again. (Wikipedia has a brief mention about it.)

This was another "learn a valuable lesson about racism." episode. You could see Harriet's reaction coming from a mile away. 

[debraran]

2 hours ago, Superclam said:

I just caught this one for the first time ever. Whatever happened to him? They set it up like he would be a regular character, but he never appeared again. (Wikipedia has a brief mention about it.)

This was another "learn a valuable lesson about racism." episode. You could see Harriet's reaction coming from a mile away. 

He was mentioned in passing in the next show I think, Doc Baker took Caroline to a plague ridden area and said he'd be helping at home (but memory is foggy) I don't think they felt at the time that anyone cared and without social media, letters took a long time to read or answer. I feel a mention that he went somewhere else would have been fine but really where could a great black surgeon go then except Walnut Grove?

Edited September 13, 2020 by debraran

[jason88cubs]

most awkward scene

when laura found jack who had passed away in the barn, charles comes in no shirt all sweaty, and laura hugs him and we see a close up shot of laura crying with charles sweat pouring on her and a great view of his nipple

just straight up awkward and uncomfortable

[debraran]

10 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

most awkward scene

when laura found jack who had passed away in the barn, charles comes in no shirt all sweaty, and laura hugs him and we see a close up shot of laura crying with charles sweat pouring on her and a great view of his nipple

just straight up awkward and uncomfortable

I felt that only because I thought Mr Landon thought more of this chest in that scene and it was a distraction from Jack. I mean everyone knows he liked how he looked and had those bare chest scenes but this was a heart-wrenching moment for most kids and adults.

Although I understood why Charles got her Bandit, I also understood Laura's reaction. A friend of mine lost one of her 2 dogs to illness and her partner wanted to replace him. A couple of weeks later they did but she did reluctantly and resented it for a while, the work, the way he wanted to play with her all the time and didn't mourn the other enough. We are all different that way but if my parents did that to me, I'd be upset too. (I could never be that mean though) : /

[CountryGirl]

That reminds me, whatever happened to Bandit? He seemed to have disappeared around the sametime Half-Pint got her Feminine Bun of Maturity.

[jason88cubs]

1 hour ago, CountryGirl said:

That reminds me, whatever happened to Bandit? He seemed to have disappeared around the sametime Half-Pint got her Feminine Bun of Maturity.

Probably got tired of Charle's Hyena laugh and ran away

[debraran]

Some tidbits on dogs 
MIchael Landon had decided to have Jack die of old age to change the story line and open the door for a new dog to enter into the Ingals lives. He told me it was to boost the ratings of the show. (because dog death always does that ?)

Michael Landon bestowed the name of “Bandit” on Jeff the dog because he thought the black fur across the dog's face looked like a mask. Jeff (Jeffrey) the dog had two other litter companions: Jake and Joey. After three seasons, Jeff was retired from the show. He is now in doggy heaven.

 

[bunnyblue]

On 9/14/2020 at 3:37 PM, jason88cubs said:

when laura found jack who had passed away in the barn, charles comes in no shirt all sweaty, and laura hugs him and we see a close up shot of laura crying with charles sweat pouring on her and a great view of his nipple

just straight up awkward and uncomfortable

I fast forward this scene every single time I watch the episode because I can't deal with fictional dog deaths, so I've never watched what sounds like a terrible moment. I mean, an adult male actor pressing a child actress against his naked sweaty chest? Yikes. Things were just different in the 1970's, I guess.

[alexa]

Alicia is on an episode as another young girl.  It is the episode where Charles stays at a house he is buying some horses.  I am not sure why Charles acted like he never met her before.  Lol!

[Snow Apple]

I always laugh when comparing the show to the books. Book Ma keeps her ears covered because a teacher once scolded her for being un-ladylike for showing them. What would she think of Michael Landon flaunting his body when portraying her husband?

[CountryGirl]

Talk about flaunting one’s flesh in temptation’s rainment. In this case, nothing but a pair of suspenders. 

[jason88cubs]

2 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

Talk about flaunting one’s flesh in temptation’s rainment. In this case, nothing but a pair of suspenders. 

Even when they had visitors Charles would flaunt them instead of doing the proper thing and covering up

[jason88cubs]

In the richest man in walnut grove, charles told the REV that he didnt like tea

this surprises me

i thought everyone back then drank tea

water, milk, tea or coffee usually

and well beer

but charles didnt seem to partake in alcohol

[Snow Apple]

9 minutes ago, jason88cubs said:

In the richest man in walnut grove, charles told the REV that he didnt like tea

this surprises me

i thought everyone back then drank tea

water, milk, tea or coffee usually

and well beer

but charles didnt seem to partake in alcohol

Sorry to bring up the books again but the real Charles like tea. I think he was the one who called it a "man's drink." 

[debraran]

12 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

Sorry to bring up the books again but the real Charles like tea. I think he was the one who called it a "man's drink." 

Tea was used a lot back then and maybe cheaper, that I'm not sure about. It's sad to learn an actor you liked had issues like anyone else, but he was honest later. Many actor's drank too much but since he was able to work, a working alcoholic as they put it, he was given a pass. If you need alcohol daily, have to drink it during the day, talk about the boozing with pals etc. you have a problem. The heavy cigarette smoking fits in with the addictive substances. I read 4 packs unfiltered a day but I also read he quit after Victor French's death. (not sure if that were true) I know a friend who had cancer, couldn't quit, but 4 years later with another cancer scare, she did cold turkey. You never know, never stop trying.

[jason88cubs]

Honestly it surprised me to learn how much he drank and smoked. I mean he must've worked out like a madman to keep those pounds off

[debraran]

1 hour ago, jason88cubs said:

Honestly it surprised me to learn how much he drank and smoked. I mean he must've worked out like a madman to keep those pounds off

He did, he worked out a lot. Some people can drink a lot and not eat as much but as you get older, it gets harder. Karen Grassle commented He reached frequently for a cup with a little inch of vodka in it, so it wasn’t obvious for the children that he was drinking vodka,” recalls Karen Grassle, Landon’s former costar. “But his costumer always knew when to go and get a little snort for Mike — and that could be morning, noon, or night.”

I think vodka also has less of a smell but it's funny how a family show would have "3 case days" as the staff put it when things were stressful. I'm glad the kids didn't really know but the older ones realized it.

Edited September 19, 2020 by debraran

[jason88cubs]

The way Charles talked to the banker annoyed me

When Charles sat there and said the banker had no friends

I mean how rude could you be? Charles was just mad the banker hadn't given him the loan yet

Can you blame the banker? Charles was a walking fraud. I'm surprised Charles didnt break his ribs putting together the bank

Also CHARLES DIDNT EVEN GET IT BUILT IN TIME. He was like 40 minutes late. Great first impression Charles

The banker thought charles sent laura fishing to soften up the banker and guess what CHARLES WOULD do something like that

[Katy M]

2 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

Also CHARLES DIDNT EVEN GET IT BUILT IN TIME. He was like 40 minutes late. Great first impression Charles

I never really understood that. He got there.  They were done.   Why did he get there 40 minutes after he wanted it done?  Maybe they should have charged him for being late taking possession and it would have washed.

[Mr. Sparkle]

Holy sh!t! I've never actually seen the "Caroline Almost Cuts Her Leg Off" episode, although I've heard about it. That was messed up! It would have terrified me if I watched it when I was a kid. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Followed by "The Runaway Caboose" or "The Little Engine That Couldn't," which I do remember. Even the kid version of me knew that Laura and Mary weren't getting hurt on that train. 

Edited September 22, 2020 by Superclam

[debraran]

13 hours ago, Superclam said:

Holy sh!t! I've never actually seen the "Caroline Almost Cuts Her Leg Off" episode, although I've heard about it. That was messed up! It would have terrified me if I watched it when I was a kid. 

I never thought she meant to cut it off ,that would be impossible, but knew she had to cut it . My mom would say ( before penicillin) you had to let the toxins out and “ let it bleed” . Of course in real life they would probably kill her if it went on too long . Doc was right that it had to be done just right and God knew when.

[Katy M]

31 minutes ago, debraran said:

I never thought she meant to cut it off ,that would be impossible, but knew she had to cut it . My mom would say ( before penicillin) you had to let the toxins out and “ let it bleed” . Of course in real life they would probably kill her if it went on too long . Doc was right that it had to be done just right and God knew when.

I don't know about that.  She did read the Bible verse about cutting off your hand and poking out your eye.  This is one of the plots stolen from Bonanza.  Little Joe was left behind to wait for a late cook to go on a cattle drive or round up and he cut himself and was going to cut off his hand.

[Mr. Sparkle]

20 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I don't know about that.  She did read the Bible verse about cutting off your hand and poking out your eye.  

This was my take. She heated up that knife and tied on a tourniquet. Personally, I would have gone with an axe... 

[jird]

1 hour ago, Superclam said:

This was my take. She heated up that knife and tied on a tourniquet. Personally, I would have gone with an axe... 

Yeah, I figured that she was kind of delusional from the high fever and the pain, and she was taking the Bible verse kind of literally.

[debraran]

1 hour ago, Superclam said:

This was my take. She heated up that knife and tied on a tourniquet. Personally, I would have gone with an axe... 

That’s what I meant, she realistically couldn’t have done that and would have bled to death but I thought the verse was to give her guidance and strength 

[Mr. Sparkle]

57 minutes ago, debraran said:

That’s what I meant, she realistically couldn’t have done that and would have bled to death but I thought the verse was to give her guidance and strength 

"Realistically" is the keyword here. 

[BigBingerBro]

What always strikes me in that episode is how the freshly baked pies didn't get waterlogged during that epic storm.  I know they were under the front door overhang, but that was one windy storm!  

[CountryGirl]

It always bugged that Rev Alden and Mrs. Foster didn't spend more than 5 seconds to see if Caroline was home. Yes, the door was locked, the shutters closed, but she could have been in the barn, out back, etc. 

They just nabbed the pies and were out of there.

No wonder Ma looked so pissed off here.

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

On a total shallow note, I thought Caroline looked really good here with her hair down and in the nightgown. I guess the bonnet and frumpy dress don't do it for me. 

Edited September 24, 2020 by Superclam
Grammah.

[CountryGirl]

I liked seeing her with her hair down, too. 

[debraran]

4 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

I liked seeing her with her hair down, too. 

She had beautiful hair, nice and thick. During Handyman she had it down too and it looked lovely. I don't think I ever saw Miss Beadle's down, maybe Harriet's a few times but since she usually had a face mask on or something, it's wasn't "pretty". ; ) I don't think Alice did, Patricia Neal did in bed. You would think they'd keep it shorter since it was always up but I guess that wasn't "womanly back then.

I found it fascinating how fast Charles got back, if he had a car it would have been 100 miles an hour! Since food was real, I'm sure the crew had some nice dessert that day.

[BigBingerBro]

1 hour ago, debraran said:

I don't think I ever saw Miss Beadle's down

When she wiped out in the runaway buggy and was recouperating in her room, she had a super long thick braid, which was obviously false.  I don't think her has was very long in real life.

[debraran]

24 minutes ago, BigBingerBro said:

When she wiped out in the runaway buggy and was recouperating in her room, she had a super long thick braid, which was obviously false.  I don't think her has was very long in real life.

No in all her pictures, it was short. This one of Harriet shows a somewhat blurry pic of her hair down. It was pretty.