Little House On The Prairie - General Discussion

[Egg McMuffin]

Ha - yes. The only really odd thing that happened was that one of the characters returned from the dead.

[Zella]

2 minutes ago, Kyle said:

Ha - yes. The only really odd thing that happened was that one of the characters returned from the dead.

You have my attention. 

[CountryGirl]

2 hours ago, Kyle said:

Ha - yes. The only really odd thing that happened was that one of the characters returned from the dead.

I know the character and nope, I’m having none of that. 

[Blergh]

I agree@ Country Girl!

However, for any Waltons fans or curious folks who'd like an  insight. I've just written some of the worst of that show's latter day transgressions in their own Subforum which everyone is invited to have a gander at ( but no goosing, please).

 

As for Little House? It's interesting to note that once the show became a series, there was little if any of the workday life of the family depicted (besides the girls aimlessly feeding the chickens and maybe sweeping hay out of the barn (which looked like a much bigger dwelling than the Little House). The clothes and people seemed virtually immaculate despite washing days never being depicted and I'm not sure they had any clothes lines (or any bathing for the Ingallses).  Of course, in the books the one time bathing was depicted was before the family was to take a train ride- and in those dwellings that only had a hand pump with cold water only, that was no mean feat. One of my relatives has a scar on her leg to this day from spilling hot water from a large bucket that she carried from a stovetop to an upstairs bath tub  as a young girl because the house had no hot water and they'd had to boil it on the kitchen stove (and this was many decades AFTER the Little House times). 

Edited April 3, 2021 by Blergh

[Zella]

2 minutes ago, Blergh said:

One of my relatives has a scar on her leg to this day from spilling hot water from a large bucket that she carried from a stovetop to an upstairs bath tube as a young girl because the house had no hot water and they'd had to boil it on the kitchen stove (and this was many decades AFTER the Little House times). 

Yes, it's not as limited to the 19th century as we commonly think. My grandparents had no electricity, no running water, and no indoor plumbing until the 50s (and into the early 60s on the running water/indoor plumbing) in rural North Carolina. Both of them grew up doing the weekly baths with water heated on the stove. 

Hell, I have a neighbor who still uses an outhouse, though he is the only one I know who does. He's a real weirdo in general. 

[debraran]

Karen Grassle wanted a grittier LHOP. From an interview with Charlotte Stewart:

Karen — and she’s talked about this publicly as well — thought the show was a bit too lightweight in its exploration of themes such as family, marriage relationships, the harshness of prairie life, and so on,” Stewart explained. “She wanted the show to be grittier.”

While Grassle would later come to accept Landon’s vision for the show, she grew frustrated at times for storylines that struck her as make-believe playtime.

“As she said once in an interview, adding that at one point she felt like the show was ‘Let’s Pretend on the Prairie,'” Stewart remarked. “She says she’s come to see it differently with time, but it’s a legitimate point and gets to a tension that exists any time you produce a show intended for a very broad audience.”

Decisions regarding the content on Little House were ultimately up to Landon, and he was confident in the messages he was creating on the show.

“Ultimately Karen — and everyone else — knew that it was Mike’s show, and he would produce it the way he wanted to,” Stewart commented. “I think everyone in the cast agrees today that he worked some magic in terms of touching a lot of hearts. Something we did not always see at the time, and really wouldn’t know until years, and in some cases, decades later.”

I accepted it as make believe but no way did they get up everyday, have a breakfast and all look the way they did. Clothes rarely got washed even when muddy, miraculously were clean again. Michael was filthy almost everyday, pioneers usually just hung their dirty, smelly clothes and washed once a week. That little house couldn't have smelled very well unless mom was cooking fritters. ; )

The bathroom was rarely used (besides poor Carrie) no one had to go when it snowed a lot or was pouring out or ever mentioned a chamber pot. The amount of time for mom to do most things was never really explored and some think of this living as "fun" which Karen must have heard a lot, because she made it look so easy. He said too gritty, even on occasion would turn fans off, but once in a while to mention things instead of showing them, would be okay. "It took all morning to do "fill in the blank".

 

[Egg McMuffin]

I knew Grassle was unhappy with the show and there was discussion of recasting Caroline at some point early in the series. Hersha Parady, who played Alice, was reportedly considered. And I would have hated that because man, I hated that sourpuss Alice Garvey. Landon, thankfully, convinced Grassle to stay. She was underrated and one of the best things about the show. She was like Robert Reed - could take lightweight material and give it some gravitas.

[jason88cubs]

At least with the Waltons, John wasn't going around sticking his nose in everyone's business and getting his ribs broken constantly

 

 

[debraran]

37 minutes ago, Kyle said:

I knew Grassle was unhappy with the show and there was discussion of recasting Caroline at some point early in the series. Hersha Parady, who played Alice, was reportedly considered. And I would have hated that because man, I hated that sourpuss Alice Garvey. Landon, thankfully, convinced Grassle to stay. She was underrated and one of the best things about the show. She was like Robert Reed - could take lightweight material and give it some gravitas.

I had heard that was before the show started until he met Karen but maybe it was later. She came from a different background in acting and it took some getting used too. Katherine also had her say at time about her character and occasionally just changed things. ; )  Hersha asked once when she really thought her character would be better doing it another way and he said okay even when it meant re shooting and different light (she was shocked) but never asked again.

[Egg McMuffin]

I’d also read that he considered letting Katherine MacGregor go at one point because of their differences. Don’t know how true that is, but thank god he didn’t. She was the best actor on the show. I still laugh at that scene in Country Girls where Caroline brings her eggs to the store. There’s some sort of cloth over the eggs in the basket, and Harriet removes the cloth by the very tips of her fingers, as if she can’t stand to touch anything dirty that that farm woman brought her. It’s little touches like this that make her so much fun to watch.

[debraran]

3 minutes ago, Kyle said:

I’d also read that he considered letting Katherine MacGregor go at one point because of their differences. Don’t know how true that is, but thank god he didn’t. She was the best actor on the show. I still laugh at that scene in Country Girls where Caroline brings her eggs to the store. There’s some sort of cloth over the eggs in the basket, and Harriet removes the cloth by the very tips of her fingers, as if she can’t stand to touch anything dirty that that farm woman brought her. It’s little touches like this that make her so much fun to watch.

She was a gem. In some ways she was just as much part of LHOP as the Ingall's. Dean Butler said he welcomed her advice and I think Karen took an acting class she was in. She was pushy but hey, who knows now if some of her ideas would make some of our less complimentary comments less. 😉 Michael's ego and personality was not one to listen though but I'm glad she stayed and added much needed charm and wit to the cast. I wonder if she wanted at times to be less one sided (as you saw on occasion) and he didn't want to do that.

[Blergh]

5 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

At least with the Waltons, John wasn't going around sticking his nose in everyone's business and getting his ribs broken constantly

 

 

That's because Grandpa, Grandma, Olivia and John-Boy did plenty of that (though it wound up that John-Boy got a lame leg for a time after an offscreen motorcycle accident [!]) but no one busted any ribs.

[Wonkabar5]

All such good and informative responses. 🙂  It’s funny because on that PBS and UK produced reality show, “Frontier House,” (2002)  one of the main characters, Adrienne Clune,  actually said she thought she would have more time on her hands and not be as tired as she was as to re-create “Little House on the Prairie,” moments, romantic and all, LOLOL.  Yes, she actually named the show. Ha! 

That show did depict not being able to wash (even clothes) everyday, putting on dirty clothes and even when you did the laundry, it was hung up inside to dry (bad weather), and was not dry to use when desperately needed.   See milking cows in the snow without proper attire. Uggh. 

[Blergh]

7 minutes ago, Wonkabar5 said:

All such good and informative responses. 🙂  It’s funny because on that PBS and UK produced reality show, “Frontier House,” (2002)  one of the main characters, Adrienne Clune,  actually said she thought she would have more time on her hands and not be as tired as she was as to re-create “Little House on the Prairie,” moments, romantic and all, LOLOL.  Yes, she actually named the show. Ha! 

That show did depict not being able to wash (even clothes) everyday, putting on dirty clothes and even when you did the laundry, it was hung up inside to dry (bad weather), and was not dry to use when desperately needed.   See milking cows in the snow without proper attire. Uggh. 

And even when the clothes DID dry, unless one had one of those special enclosed screened drying porches/gazebos, there wasn't much if anything to prevent them being targeted by members of the avian community so one often had to deal with unsightly and sometimes permanent spots! 

Yet, Miss MacGregor was  boon to the show- despite the fact that Miss Arngrim freely admitted that the older performer often tried to direct every other performer on the series (which her onscreen husband Mr. Bull flat out told her that she could do whatever she wanted but  not that with HIM), flubbed her lines, and openly argued with &dissed ML- yet despite ALL these hashmarks, she created this unforgettably wacky  but necessary part of the picture and Miss Arngrim and virtually all the other performers adored her in spite of said hashmarks. 

[Zella]

I read something that said when she first met Michael Landon, she took a bit of an instant dislike to him because she thought he strutted around like a bantam rooster, and that made me laugh so hard. That's an insult my older relatives throw around (except they call it a banty rooster). From what I've read about Landon, it seems like an apt comparison. 

[BigBingerBro]

29 minutes ago, Wonkabar5 said:

It’s funny because on that PBS and UK produced reality show, “Frontier House,” (2002)  one of the main characters, Adrienne Clune,  actually said she thought she would have more time on her hands and not be as tired as she was as to re-create “Little House on the Prairie,” moments, romantic and all, LOLOL.  Yes, she actually named the show. Ha! 

OMG that series was like a train wreck.  The Clunes were the worst family they could have chosen.  Remember when Adrienne cried because they wouldn't allow her to wear makeup?   I think doing that show was the best thing for the kids, especially the spoiled older girls.  They really did turn into wild nature children by the end of it.   Talk about gritty, that series was how LHOTP should have been.   There was also a similar show produced out of Canada where 3 familes spend a year in Manitoba (I think) living like pioneers.  Very gritty as well.

[Wonkabar5]

Thanks for the info on the Canadian show. I think I may have seen it on amazon dvd.  If it is the one I am remembering, yes, that sounded *very* gritty.  

“Pioneer Quest?” Something like that.

Edited April 4, 2021 by Wonkabar5

[Zella]

I need to watch Frontier House. I remember seeing some episodes when it aired, but I was about 12/13 and don't remember much about it. I do vaguely remember some people being very annoying. 

The only show I've seen like that was Manor House, which is the same premise but Edwardian country house style. We watched it in a class I took on British Literature in college. I think the professor was only going to show us an episode to make a point about servants and class, but we got so sucked into the meltdowns and drama that we begged him to let us watch the whole series, and he did because he was retiring at the end of the semester and didn't give a fuck anymore. 😄 

[jason88cubs]

I'm surprised the Oelson's were as well off as they were. WIth how the town of Walnut Grove was financially I'm surprised they didnt move somehwere where they could have people paying for stuff and not always using credit

 

But come to think of it , tehre was a few episodes where you would see money being exchanged, it just seemed like Ingalls was using credit alot. I never recall Garvey or Mr Edwards doing credit unless I missed it?

 

BUt I felt bad for the Oelson's. They were friends with people and I'm sure declining credit to people wasn't easy

Edited April 5, 2021 by jason88cubs

[Blergh]

3 hours ago, jason88cubs said:

 

 

BUt I felt bad for the Oelson's. They were friends with people and I'm sure declining credit to people wasn't easy

You mean, it wasn't easy for Mr. Oleson! No doubt Harriet was happy to decline and/or refuse credit-yet of course expected everyone to still treat HER like she was their friend. Is it any wonder that Mrs. Foster gleefully took advantage of the bogus '100 Percent Off' Sale in 'Harriet's Happenings'? She likely was the closest person in Walnut Grove that Mrs Oleson would have considered to have been her friend (yes, even more so than Caroline or Hester-Sue) but, despite Mrs. Foster having had the steady payroll of being the town's postmistress (and also fellow gossip- with more direct sources than anyone else in town via her position until they stupidly put in the switchboard in Harriet's conniving hands), no doubt Harriet had  eagerly dogged HER about not wanting to give her credit! 

[debraran]

5 hours ago, Blergh said:

You mean, it wasn't easy for Mr. Oleson! No doubt Harriet was happy to decline and/or refuse credit-yet of course expected everyone to still treat HER like she was their friend. Is it any wonder that Mrs. Foster gleefully took advantage of the bogus '100 Percent Off' Sale in 'Harriet's Happenings'? She likely was the closest person in Walnut Grove that Mrs Oleson would have considered to have been her friend (yes, even more so than Caroline or Hester-Sue) but, despite Mrs. Foster having had the steady payroll of being the town's postmistress (and also fellow gossip- with more direct sources than anyone else in town via her position until they stupidly put in the switchboard in Harriet's conniving hands), no doubt Harriet had  eagerly dogged HER about not wanting to give her credit! 

I thought in the first few shows, the Oleson's were very honest about not extending credit and why. Charles was indignant and shocked but no matter how we would have felt too, he had to know it was a reality. (he did do what they worried about in the books too!) Was Mr and Mrs Oleson supposed to know Charles was a saint by his hat or smile? Did he do service for people and not expect to get paid or barter? Even bartering is only good when you both get something but doesn't pay for the products the Oleson's had to buy before he bought them. We all know this but it makes me angry when a new neighbor just wants them to trust him. (rant over)

I also thought the 100% off was funny but not he way they did it. Having people not ask about it wasn't real, no one gives their stuff away. They also hurt Nel's and I couldn't have done that and of course they'd never show Caroline etc. doing it. Not really stealing but a prank and the kids shouldn't have hurt Nel's too. He had enough pain. That was money he'd never get back and they took expensive things!

They must have had more people in town we never saw with money to buy things to keep them in nice dresses and home. They always got money to give Charles for trips and medical expenses and Rev Alden thought somehow they could pay for a 300.00 organ from donations. lol   Yes, I agree, egg sales and credit from them didn't keep them in the green. They had to have the town fail to leave and then miraculously were able to get things when they returned.

Edited April 5, 2021 by debraran

[Egg McMuffin]

I thought Pa Ingalls always believed in cash on the barrel head. Except when he didn’t.

I liked Harriet was selective about giving Jonathan Garvey credit for his anniversary present to the sourpuss. She wouldn’t give him credit for something fancy, but would do it for something practical, like a nice ham.

Edited April 5, 2021 by Kyle

[RedbirdNelly]

we watched the Walton and LH growing up. I associated them together--both involved a house catching on fire (although I don't think anyone died on the Waltons. I remember Elizabeth recovering her doll). As a result, I grew up thinking house fire was the most likely awful thing that could happen to you and spent time thinking about how I would escape my bedroom (main issue being the prickly holly bushes right outside my window; I planned to put a blanket over them and rescue all of my dolls/stuffed animals before exiting myself). 

I learned what Pearl Harbor was from the Waltons (although years later, I watched a few later episodes and Kurt somehow comes back--which I assume is when the show had jumped the shark). 

The theme song to the Waltons is great and relaxing. I used to catch the beginning of reruns just to hear it and calm myself while studying for finals

[jason88cubs]

5 minutes ago, RedbirdNelly said:

we watched the Walton and LH growing up. I associated them together--both involved a house catching on fire (although I don't think anyone died on the Waltons. I remember Elizabeth recovering her doll). As a result, I grew up thinking house fire was the most likely awful thing that could happen to you and spent time thinking about how I would escape my bedroom (main issue being the prickly holly bushes right outside my window; I planned to put a blanket over them and rescue all of my dolls/stuffed animals before exiting myself). 

I learned what Pearl Harbor was from the Waltons (although years later, I watched a few later episodes and Kurt somehow comes back--which I assume is when the show had jumped the shark). 

The theme song to the Waltons is great and relaxing. I used to catch the beginning of reruns just to hear it and calm myself while studying for finals

The fire on The Waltons was really intense. They got really close to the flames

[Egg McMuffin]

I saw that episode when I was seven or eight. Really intense. For the next few years, I’d wake up in the middle of the night and listen for the sounds of fire. Even though we had smoke detectors!

[RedbirdNelly]

2 hours ago, Kyle said:

I saw that episode when I was seven or eight. Really intense. For the next few years, I’d wake up in the middle of the night and listen for the sounds of fire. Even though we had smoke detectors!

the LH and W fire episodes really made an impression on me. I don't think I've ever gotten to rewatch the Walton's one

[CountryGirl]

5 hours ago, RedbirdNelly said:

we watched the Walton and LH growing up. I associated them together--both involved a house catching on fire (although I don't think anyone died on the Waltons. I remember Elizabeth recovering her doll). As a result, I grew up thinking house fire was the most likely awful thing that could happen to you and spent time thinking about how I would escape my bedroom (main issue being the prickly holly bushes right outside my window; I planned to put a blanket over them and rescue all of my dolls/stuffed animals before exiting myself). 

I learned what Pearl Harbor was from the Waltons (although years later, I watched a few later episodes and Kurt somehow comes back--which I assume is when the show had jumped the shark). 

The theme song to the Waltons is great and relaxing. I used to catch the beginning of reruns just to hear it and calm myself while studying for finals

The Burnout was an episode that has stayed with me. Especially when they realize Erin is still in the house and John and John-Boy go back into the house.

Kurt coming back...

He died at Pearl Harbor on 12/7/1941 and I will brook no more nonsense. Nor will I ever accept what's-his-face as John Boy. 

And yet I'll accept the same actor on LHOTP as Uncle Jed, Zachariah, and the guy who owned the Ingalls' farm years ago. 

[RedbirdNelly]

I was in school, realized I could see some of the Waltons and decided it would be fun to watch some of it--and stumbled into the Kurt nonsense. Such a big no. I'm glad I'm not alone.

Back to LH--although it could have been tedious to show us realistic stuff, there is a downside to only showing the good parts and ignoring reality. It encourages us to think those truly were the good old days when life was simple. . . .but truth is I hate being cold so I want my indoor plumbing, my central heat and the ability to quickly warm up food.

[jason88cubs]

2 hours ago, RedbirdNelly said:

I was in school, realized I could see some of the Waltons and decided it would be fun to watch some of it--and stumbled into the Kurt nonsense. Such a big no. I'm glad I'm not alone.

Back to LH--although it could have been tedious to show us realistic stuff, there is a downside to only showing the good parts and ignoring reality. It encourages us to think those truly were the good old days when life was simple. . . .but truth is I hate being cold so I want my indoor plumbing, my central heat and the ability to quickly warm up food.

I always thought they dressed to light for the cold harsh winters they got

[Mr. Sparkle]

1 hour ago, jason88cubs said:

I always thought they dressed to light for the cold harsh winters they got

Yeah, I just watched "Blizzard" the other day. Charles & Edwards are basically wearing long sleeved shirts. I know the blizzard came on suddenly, but isn't it pretty cold in Minnesota in the winter? 

Slightly related, I was watching "Gold Rush" today, and when they were leaving Walnut Grove it was supposed to be raining, but the southern California sun was cutting through the storm! 

[Snow Apple]

25 minutes ago, Superclam said:

Yeah, I just watched "Blizzard" the other day. Charles & Edwards are basically wearing long sleeved shirts. I know the blizzard came on suddenly, but isn't it pretty cold in Minnesota in the winter? 

Even Mrs. Oleson had more common sense when she told Mr. Edwards to grab warm clothes from the store.

Mrs. Oleson may be a lot of things but she's there to help when s*** gets real.

Edited April 6, 2021 by Snow Apple

[debraran]

8 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

Even Mrs. Oleson had more common sense when she told Mr. Edwards to grab warm clothes from the store.

Mrs. Oleson may be a lot of things but she's there to help when s*** gets real.

Yes, she was smart, her kids were warm and she and Nel's always let them take whatever they needed in a tragedy. I realize it was  very hot on the set or outside at times from what others have said so maybe they didn't want to show them sweating.

[alexa]

10 hours ago, Superclam said:

Yeah, I just watched "Blizzard" the other day. Charles & Edwards are basically wearing long sleeved shirts. I know the blizzard came on suddenly, but isn't it pretty cold in Minnesota in the winter? 

Slightly related, I was watching "Gold Rush" today, and when they were leaving Walnut Grove it was supposed to be raining, but the southern California sun was cutting through the storm! 

I do think it was because it was hot on set.  They didn’t have them in coats often, probably because they were hot enough in the clothes they had to wear on the set.

[Egg McMuffin]

Simi Valley, where they filmed, gets pretty hot in the summer. That’s why they didn’t even try to fake it for the final Christmas movie, Bless All the Dear Children (“Spring came early to Walnut Grove that year...”). LOL.

The Waltons is the same way. It was filmed in California so there were very few “cold weather” episodes, aside from the pilot movie which was partly filmed in Wyoming.

[Blergh]

3 hours ago, debraran said:

Yes, she was smart, her kids were warm and she and Nel's always let them take whatever they needed in a tragedy. I realize it was  very hot on the set or outside at times from what others have said so maybe they didn't want to show them sweating.

Plus, let's not forget that Harriet DID use her powers of nosiness for the greater good- as in 'My Ellen' when Laura had disappeared after last being known to have cut across the Busbee Farm and everyone up to Charles thought that this very challenged and awkward farmer had done something horrible to her. However, Harriet (for once) didn't join the impending lynch mob, but instead shared the vital clue that Ellen's mother had just bought some birthday candles and said she planned to have a  party for her daughter- despite it being universally known in Walnut Grove that Ellen had drowned just days earlier! Harriet shared said clue (and they listened to it instead of just dismissing it as baseless gossip about a distraught, grieving mother)- and, as a result, they found out that Laura had been held captive by Ellen's mother who had been intent on having her 'replace' her deceased daughter and rescued her before it was too late! 

Of course, it somewhat stretched the show's credulity that birthday candles (or even regular candles) would have been readily available at a mid-19th century rural mercantile  instead of perhaps just having beeswax or paraffin that customers would have been able to melt and mold for needed candles. 

[Pirpana]

11 hours ago, Superclam said:

Slightly related, I was watching "Gold Rush" today, and when they were leaving Walnut Grove it was supposed to be raining, but the southern California sun was cutting through the storm! 

And in the same episode, if you've ever wondered how they were able to shoot characters on driver seat of a wagon without camera wobbling, the answer can be seen reflecting on a window. Picture quality restoration has it's downsides! 😄

[jird]

On 4/3/2021 at 6:35 AM, Kyle said:

I knew Grassle was unhappy with the show and there was discussion of recasting Caroline at some point early in the series. Hersha Parady, who played Alice, was reportedly considered.

Hersha might have been closer to the book Ma, who was pretty stern and serious a lot of the time. But Karen Grassle was the Ma that everyone loved.

I watched the Luke Simms episode, and randomly thought about how much fun it would have been to see the scene where Nellie casually drops into a conversation with Percival that she was married to a pig farmer for about half an hour once.

Edited April 6, 2021 by jird

[jason88cubs]

Quick mention of The Waltons, I always felt their show was more gritty. Especially the first 3-4 seasons.

 

Olivia(Mom) was very strict in the earlier seasons but they lighted her up. Kids walking around barefoot because they couldn't afford shoes, John always being a sweaty dirty mess from working in the mill

 

They really got down and dirty but it changed. Idk if the network made them lighten it up or they got a little lazy

[Katy M]

31 minutes ago, jason88cubs said:

Quick mention of The Waltons, I always felt their show was more gritty. Especially the first 3-4 seasons.

 

Olivia(Mom) was very strict in the earlier seasons but they lighted her up. Kids walking around barefoot because they couldn't afford shoes, John always being a sweaty dirty mess from working in the mill

 

They really got down and dirty but it changed. Idk if the network made them lighten it up or they got a little lazy

As for the shoes that was a safety issue that one of the kids' moms complained about.  I guess there were lots of nails and things on set and they (quite reasonably) didn't want their kids stepping on them in bare feet.

[Egg McMuffin]

I felt that with The Waltons, when it became less “gritty,” it was somewhat organic. They came out the depression and had more money. Livvie realized that as her children grew, she wasn’t going to be able to control them (they had several episodes devoted to this). And John always stood up for the kids’ independence.

One of the better episodes in a later season focuses on a new minister coming to town. The church has fallen into disrepair and John Boy explains in his narration that without Livvie and Grandma around, most of the kids have become backsliders when it comes to attending church.

[alexa]

4 hours ago, jird said:

Hersha might have been closer to the book Ma, who was pretty stern and serious a lot of the time. But Karen Grassle was the Ma that everyone loved.

I watched the Luke Simms episode, and randomly thought about how much fun it would have been to see the scene where Nellie casually drops into a conversation with Percival that she was married to a pig farmer for about half an hour once.

He probably would have loved to hear about it!  Lol

[Egg McMuffin]

I loved the Harriet/Perciville dynamic.

Anyone know why Alison Arngrim left? Was she bored when they reformed Nellie?

[Blergh]

10 hours ago, Kyle said:

I loved the Harriet/Perciville dynamic.

Anyone know why Alison Arngrim left? Was she bored when they reformed Nellie?

IIRC, Miss Arngrim stated that she had had a seven-year contract and at the end of that, she and her manager-father had tried and failed to negotiate a new one for her with an increased salary so that's why she was no longer a regular. While Miss Arngrim wasn't happy that they decided to totally defang Nellie, she DID adore working with Steve Tracy (Percival) and had stayed besties with Miss Gilbert to the last of her being a regular. Of course after her regular stint was over, when NBC and Mr. Landon decided a 'guest appearance' by Nellie with her semi-clashing with Nancy, they coughed up more for that episode- and while she recognized that they oddly wrote the character more like it was Miss Arngrim herself visiting her beloved fellow performers playing her family and onetime enemy (Laura) with her trying to give them advice on how to deal with Nancy, she DID like it that they included a brief scene of her CHOKING Nancy when the latter snored too loud in their shared bed for Nellie to sleep so that there was an indication that Nellie hadn't been totally tamed! Oh, and she said that the tears all the characters shed re Nellie's return to New York went far and above the script! The only real hashmark she  felt about that mini-reunion was that they did NOT include Percival in it (as she'd stay close platonic friends with Mr. Tracy until his tragic death from AIDS at age 34 in 1986- which would spur her pioneering activism in its fight). 

[Blergh]

18 hours ago, Katy M said:

As for the shoes that was a safety issue that one of the kids' moms complained about.  I guess there were lots of nails and things on set and they (quite reasonably) didn't want their kids stepping on them in bare feet.

Judy Norton (Mary Ellen) has recently said that one of the other minor performers stepped on something and got hurt, so THAT was the end of the Walton kids appearing barefoot except for sleeping, bathing and swimming scenes.

As for LHOTP? Despite the fact that Mrs. Wilder herself made it clear that the only times the Ingalls girls wore shoes growing up was during winter and very formal church occasions (with Nellie's wealth compared to them being denoted by the fact that she wore fancy clothes and shoes to school), it seems ML didn't want to worry about liability and thought the audience might get depressed seeing the girls in bare feet on a regular basis (although he sure didn't shy away from  the cast from doing stunts like getting caught in rapids, rolling down steep hills in wheelchairs and getting into mud wrestling matches).

[Zella]

Pa's not gonna let his family run around barefoot when he could be barechested instead! 😁

[BigBingerBro]

What was that one episode where Charles needed to get all the girls new shoes, but Harriet would not extend credit?  In the end she wound up giving them all shoes (with the prodding of Nels) - I can't remember why.....

Also, there was the one episode where Charles boot was falling apart on his long hike to find work.  He ended up befriending a shoemaker along the way sho made/gave him new boots.

[CountryGirl]

54 minutes ago, BigBingerBro said:

What was that one episode where Charles needed to get all the girls new shoes, but Harriet would not extend credit?  In the end she wound up giving them all shoes (with the prodding of Nels) - I can't remember why.....

Also, there was the one episode where Charles boot was falling apart on his long hike to find work.  He ended up befriending a shoemaker along the way sho made/gave him new boots.

The girls getting shoes was after the race where Laura/Bunny beat Nellie and her Thoroughbred. Laura returned the family silver cup to Harriet and Nels prodded her into giving them the shoes in exchange for Laura's kindness.

[BigBingerBro]

9 minutes ago, CountryGirl said:

Laura returned the family silver cup to Harriet

Thank you!!  I knew it had something to do with Laura

[jird]

1 hour ago, CountryGirl said:

The girls getting shoes was after the race where Laura/Bunny beat Nellie and her Thoroughbred. Laura returned the family silver cup to Harriet and Nels prodded her into giving them the shoes in exchange for Laura's kindness.

Harriet was so unbelievably awful in that episode. I know there are probably times she was worse, but that one always got to me. First buying Nellie a stupidly expensive horse that none of them were going to take care of, and then after Laura tired out Bunny the morning of the race in order to go get Doc Baker because HARRIET'S SON was sick, Harriet refused to reschedule the race and tried to claim Laura forfeited.

I just saw that one recently, which is why it's so fresh in my head. She just seemed so mean, for no reason other than the sake of being mean.

[jason88cubs]

In the Bunny episode, why didnt Doc Baker recommend they take  Nellie  to a doctor? One in a bigger town. I figured he would've