Original subtitles

This is Earl Hamner.

When I was growing up in the hills of Virginia during the Great Depression,

I would never have believed that

I would someday end up at a studio in Hollywood,

telling the story of my life on television.

As a matter of fact, television as we know it today didn't even exist.

We grew up here in this house where my mother still lives.

From the earliest times, I can remember I wanted to be a writer.

I was told that to be a good writer,

one should write about what he cares for most passionately.

That was my family. And I wrote about them in my novel Spencer's mountain,

and in a later novel, The Homecoming,

Spencer's mountain became a film and

a homecoming became a Lorimar CBS television special in 1971.

From the special grew the series, The Waltons,

which premiered in the fall of 1972.

Since then, we've covered 10 years,

a decade of the Waltons.

On the special program will visit my hometown where it all began.

Meet my mother, my brothers and sisters,

and the actors who have portrayed them all these years.

Stay with us during the next two hours for a visit to to theater,

dissimilar towns, Hollywood, California and Skylar Virginia

and a fun look back at a decade of the Waltons?

Here on this set on the backside of the Burbank studio,

a lot of talented people have recreated the world

in which I grew up my family and

a time that existed some 40 years ago

in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia was their health.

I'd like to take you back to a very special day.

grandma's birthday.

We're looking for Mama.

Oh Which shoe it is. Wherever did you find that up in the attic?

Just when it comes to finding junk.

JimBob got a sixth sense.

This isn't the pictures I've been missing for grandma's album.

This is the best present we could ever give her.

Where's that picture of Ben

jumping into the pond in his birthday.

was looking for the one with you at the mumps.

Yeah, you look like a beach ball with freckles

mono looks jumbo is handwriting.

By smile the Beeman son that quite outshine

and warms the course in blood like heavy wine.

That was the your Jumbo was in love

with Marsha Woolery.

Smile, the beaming Sun dot quad outshine and

warms the coursing blood

like heavy wind tunnel

Oh, that's as far as I've written.

Like, it sounds just like God

stuff I don't understand. And I did it for books.

I plan to write at least 12 stanzas of it.

I don't see how you do it.

Only inspiration is the important thing.

I mean, when someone inspires someone else

with feelings

with certain feelings.

Do you drink a lot of wine John boy.

Why me? mentioned some kind of wine in the poem

for heavy wine heavy wine.

Well, actually, I don't know too much about wine.

My daddy makes dandelion one

and I finished my poem you think?

Not to be keeping your permit.

Cool. That's all right.

No one asked to the loo Anyway, bye

funny how often something like this

brings back a whole flood of memories.

I bet John boy would be embarrassed that we read his poem.

I doubt he never did have any privacy.

I remember times when he'd be trying to write

and he'd be interrupted

by just about the whole family

yeah, let me know

think I'm having a heart attack.

Heart attack. Well, it keeps going. Wham. Wham. Wham.

It starts from lunchtime and I think I'm suffocating

or how to start trying to sleep

trying to figure out things.

Now what kinds of things like why a boy likes girl one day,

and the next day is off chasing some other girl.

I know what kind of hard trouble you got.

GW Haynes hard trouble, right?

I don't know what he sees it or

she can't catch can't run can't throw screens

if she sees a woolly worm.

Why not? More than a week go GW was making fun of her.

What happened?

Well, sister, there comes a time when boys like girls to be different.

And GW may be at exactly that point.

Where fancy dress is more interesting

than a great catcher's mitt.

Well, he might still like the catcher's mitt,

but he'd rather see the girl in the fancy dress

Did I leave my harp in here?

No, I don't know Jason look around

right

you gotta save depends on look around

the dresser changed my pajamas

broke

I sleep in here John boy

there's mass under my bed

What do you write? Stuff

Good night

now what's it doing over here

pretty Jason

but is this a family reunion?

John boy, you're not following us.

That was nice here. It's a little darker now.

Why would you think we should put this one in the book?

Oh, Grandma doesn't always approved with the Baldwin sisters.

But why not? They're part of the family too.

That's a good fit.

So the only

Has anybody tried using it lately?

See?

They wouldn't accept my story in longhand.

Like might one venture to ask what the story is about?

Well, it's not my family mostly.

But how I went looking for my daddy

when Christmas time stopped here on the way

and had little recipe and you mentioned the recipe in the story.

Yes, ma'am. I hope you don't mind.

Of course we don't mind.

What everybody in the whole world should know about the recipe.

How dare those magazine people turn down a story about the recipe.

Yankees probably.

Yes, ma'am. New York people.

Now am I to understand John Boy,

that these treacherous Yankees might be persuaded

to accept your story about the recipe

if it were typewritten.

I think it would stand a better chance of it

but the judge say made me believe

the judge would say that nothing is more important

than the nurturer and of artistic endeavor.

I can just hear him saying

he had such an authoritative voice.

Does this mean that?

Typewriter helped, but it was going to be some time

before my first story was to be published.

In the meantime, other important events were taking place

that were to affect our lives.

It was a time in the country when everybody was learning

at firsthand what it was like to be poor.

In the cities man who had owned their own businesses the year before,

we're selling apples on the street.

The outlook was equally grim for the farming people of the heartland of the country,

already trying to get along under pressure and prices for their produce.

They were struck by a series of natural disasters,

the area came to be called the dustbowl

hometowns in Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska.

Were left inundated with dust

as the people migrated in the hope of finding some better life.

It was also a time in our country

when a crippling disease called polio was raging unchecked.

It was destroying 1000s of families including our own

hands that will test

this it is live

tomorrow I'm going to start learning how to use it

what's happened live

it's afternoon I have a lesson in humility

got to get back to the business of living

with things the way they are instead of the way

I wish they could be

Sure.

You heard Elizabeth cool

I just had to go

she was having a bad dream

did you know maybe you were right jump.

Maybe I was trying to win it

just got up without thinking

Look at me

walk as well as any one year old

in the county.

I just make take utensil you grow

and been meaning to finish this photo album for years

after the special occasion to bring me to do it.

Somebody get ribbon and paper and we'll wrap it.

I gotta pick certain books somewhere.

Mama, do you think Grandma's gonna want to be reminded of all these years?

I don't see why not. They've been good years

mostly learning and growing years.

Looking at all our old baby pictures might make her feel old.

Grandmas too young to feel old.

Right? Besides grandmothers kind of like having pictures of their grandchildren

to show off to people. Just ask mama

asked me later right now I got other things on my mind

like a birthday dinner up everybody reminiscing.

Back The Waltons will continue as we look back to the time

when the family considered moving away from Walton's Mountain

don't want this cake to fall?

Don't worry, Mama got plenty of wood

when do I get to lick the spoon? You have to wrestle me for it

make a whole bunch of party.

This is not grandma's 10th Birthday JimBob.

We would like to have some semblance of dignity.

Until this series appeared television families remain stationary in time,

characters and family drama frequently did not reflect the events that took place.

In the previous week's episode,

we were determined to design each episode of The Waltons,

as if it were a chapter in a continuing novel.

If we've been successful, it's because our audience recognizes our characters as human

endowed equally with strengths and weaknesses,

reaching out to those around them for warmth,

and support and affirmation.

And we've found drama in the simplest of situations,

and the homeless setting up a kitchen in an exchange

between young and old members of the same family.

Mostly on the series, what we've always tried to do was to entertain,

to tell a story and we hoped a good story.

But as time passed, it turned out we were doing something in addition,

we were celebrating some values in American life

that go back to pioneer times.

But if you had $100,000 just for yourself,

let's say you couldn't spend anybody else you'd lose it.

What would you do with it?

Oh, I wouldn't. I wouldn't begin we're

we're just playing little games to what we do if we suddenly got rich.

I can do Gumball icon.

I'm gonna have some neat. I'll be there.

Pretend Mom, what would you do with money?

All right, let's see.

Well, first, I'd buy me a new dress the golden anniversary.

Then I buy some curtains.

What else mama?

Well, I guess it'd be enough leftover to go see my sister Frances next month.

I know what I do.

I buy me a pig card kind of which people have

have somebody drive me around.

Like go to my friend's house. Give them rides.

What would you do daddy?

I'd probably buy Elizabeth a new tooth for the front of her mouth.

Seriously, what would you do?

Watching the roof, paint the house,

fix up the sawmill base some of those debts

and put the rest in the bank.

I'd like to get me a new rocker with a good backrest.

Well, that's your grandma. What would you like?

Oh, I don't know. I'd like to be two inches taller.

I don't need none. Well, you got all that money. Graham.

You got to spend it on something.

Some kind of a clock that can turn back 20 years

I but then the children wouldn't be here and forget.

We got to go to New York City and study music.

What would you like Ben?

I'd buy me an airplane to fly up that New York Marsh Yankees.

I know a Marriott I'm like Shut your yap to go to Hollywood

and see Gary Cooper in person. Hey, that's not a bad idea. I'd like that.

We haven't asked Jim Bob what he'd like

what would you do if you had $100,000?

He I never had $100,000

How many zeros?

I don't believe a person should have more than they know what to do with.

I believe a body should earn his living

by the sweat of his brow.

I don't know. There are times

when I can use a little less sweat on my brow

see 280 plus 14 times 10

No seven you got the pedals.

No, I'm trying to figure out how many birthdays we've celebrated in this family.

How many do you think

I couldn't even begin to guess which one was your favorite?

That's an easy one

well, thank goodness someone's come to keep me company.

I have some for your birthday for you

I've been trying to figure out what to give you.

It's been difficult this year. I thought I knew what I was going to give you.

But that didn't seem right. But I was reading this morning.

And I found a poem in here by a man named Gerard Manley Hopkins,

and I'd like to read it to you for your birthday

here it is, it's called the wind hover.

That's a bird I caught this morning morning's minion.

Kingdom of daylights Dauphin, dappled Dawn drawn Falken

in his riding of the rolling level underneath him steady air.

And striding Hi there, how he rung upon the reign of a wimping wing and his ecstasy.

Then off, off fourth on swing as escapes, heels sweeps smooth on a bow

Ben the hurl and gliding rebuffed the big wind my heart in hiding stirred for a bird,

the achieve of the mastery of the thing.

Root beauty and valor and act

Oh air pride plume here buckle and

the fire that breaks from the then

a billion times told lovelier, more dangerous

Oh my Chevalier. No wonder of sheer plod

makes plow down Cillian shine

and blue bleak embers

My dear fall,

call themselves and

gash gold vermillion.

Tomboy those words were just like listening to music

don't really understand what the poet meant.

But I think those

were just about the most beautiful words I ever heard.

Well, I think the poem has a meaning.

To me. It means that some things

which may seem too simple or unimportant

or even just downright plain

plus things are really every bit as important and

every bit as beautiful as the most magnificent things

in the whole world

thank you jamboree.

Happy birthday

there was a there was a line in there

something about my heart.

My heart and hiding stirred

your breath is really.

Popular belief has it that anybody

who's lived 50 or more years is over the hill in every way.

The older person is pictured as cranky,

exhausted, emotionally, economically, sexually

and financially deprived of vitality in general.

Ironically, our population of older people

is growing with leaps and bounds.

Whether we like it or not old age is what we're all headed for.

In this series, our older people have been portrayed as vital,

meaningful and contributing members of the family.

Once John and Olivia considered selling the house and moving away,

one of their main concerns was

how grandma and grandpa might take the news

your hands are a lot better than

any dangle hotspring was 50 years ago

I wouldn't missed one minute

have an old girl remember the day

we first came up here to this place Esther

shouldn't remember such things

Why not was married wasn't

and that was the day I come running up here

when I found out I was in the family

way scared as a cop

then you found me and everything was

scared to know you

such a tiny little thing all I want to do is to protect you.

Even the moon and all the trimmings and all

I have ever been able to give you just a piece

of this good Earth and one another.

It's about all in one's meant to have

the best there is anyway.

Young people don't know what's important.

Memories. We can't take them.

We've had some good times and we

I want you to come back downstairs.

Got to hear what you have to say.

It's only fair.

Yeah, that's what I've been thinking about.

Would be fair.

The other day when we had a talk,

he said that by selling the place

you wanted to benefit the children but

I don't think you were really considering these two.

The rest of us the older ones.

I think maybe it wouldn't be so hard for us.

We've had this place all our lives.

We have a history here that's made us what we are.

And we have memories of this place

that are so firmly planted in our minds we'll never forget

every breath we've ever taken

is still somewhere in this house.

As long as I live I will never forget the smell of coffee and bacon

drifting upstairs on a winter morning

I'll never forget the sound of your footsteps in the hallway

Daddy, I have a picture in my mind of you that is so clear.

I can just see you walking across the meadow

through a new crusted snow

I'll never forget those things.

I've stood under the kitchen window and

I've listened to the sounds that this family makes at dinner time.

And everyone's talking once and nobody's listening to anybody else

but the sound of that talk is so beautiful.

You just thought to put it to music.

The way it drifts out on the evening air

it's the sounds of this house that I'll never forget

especially that one moment when we're all in bed

we're all safe together

just before we go to sleep

and we say goodnight to each other

here Daddy,

I don't know what kind of Waltons.

These two children would be

if they had to grow up without all that.

And I think really the decision is theirs to make.

us go to bed

the decision of whether to sell the farm or not didn't come until the night

before grandma and grandpa's golden wedding anniversary.

Mr. Varma do with the present.

Oh, hi. That will give a draft to suffer.

Don't you dare put a finger to it yet.

You know, there's hardly any water.

Jason is retaining a bath.

We ought to all be getting ready soon.

Daddy will be here with grandma.

Everything looks real nice mama.

I wouldn't mind having Mrs. John Jacobs has to come first.

Yeah, but I'd rather have grandma.

Let's go get rich.

In a moment we returned to our decade of the Waltons.

We will meet Cora Beth Godsey for the first time and

relive the fearsome night when fire ravaged the family home

Wow, wow, what to look pretty well.

Well, thank you. But that cakes gonna look pretty shabby

if you don't stop jabbing your finger in it.

Or we're gonna have to drink with it.

What would you like?

How about some of the bottom ladies recipe?

Okay, how about some lemonade?

All right, but you'd have to go to the store and get the lemons.

I don't mind. hurry then. Steak. I spend my bacon CORBA

the mom was Corbis really a wall?

Should you follow the second cousin?

Jim Bob This is no time to haul out the family tree

go get those lemons

this lady came by the store and she asked me folks

and I felt I just had to bring her by.

I guess I should have written but I wanted to surprise you.

But doesn't anybody know me?

John?

Is it really you Cory?

It's me. All right. Harbeth car best.

walked in on your bed.

Doll and wolves are always welcome here.

Come on meet the family

spent a lot of years

the years have been candy.

Corvettes meet the rest of the family.

The our children are so young Mr. Elizabeth and Mary Ellen is your cousin Corvette.

And there's Jason and Jim. Bob. Nice to meet you.

Oh, forget Aaron over here. Oh,

Aaron. This doesn't car Beth. Hi.

John. Boy, I guess you don't remember me? Well,

I remember I used to go by your house when your daddy was sick.

He used to keep a little sack of candies by the bed. I remember that.

Just a little boy.

The rest of you hadn't even been father.

He must be wore out from traveling.

My hips are temporary. thing

I have

called Beth, what brings you over Jefferson County.

Mom passed away last month.

Sorry to hear that.

Oh, she must have been I on to at 79

I'm on my way to reach to look for a position and

I thought it only about proper family duty

to stop in and see my kin

when are you expected Richmond expected? Oh

no, my time's my own now.

I'm in no hurry.

I don't intend to move back to here.

Everything I own is right here.

I'm much obliged to you Mr. Godsey.

For your kindness. I was very happy to do it.

Not everyone would extend themselves for a stranger.

Well, if there's anything else I can do for you to make your visit here more enjoyable.

You just say the word.

Thank you so much.

I spotted you for a gentleman

the minute I walked in your general marketing team

so much

John, it was a pleasure.

We'll see you later

just walking in like this isn't any inconvenience or not at all Corbett.

Last thing I want to be is a burden to anyone.

But I couldn't fit in with your plans.

I certainly would appreciate a chance to rest.

Just stop your friend car Beth.

John boy.

Why don't you take her back things up

to your room Jason Gillibrand. Sure.

Oh, dear.

dispossessing you for

not really just a guest room

I only stay there when we're not having visited

wonderful looks to me like chaperones

and even more fun the sweet dogs.

Well, I tried but he kept saying things

that just didn't make any sense at all.

You don't have to make sense to be Corten

Corbett didn't give me any encouragement

no matter what he said.

I feel sorry for

now so to why but that doesn't mean

I wonder living in the same room with me.

Quebec what's wrong? What happened?

Corbis was all out of lemons.

Just wonderful.

I guess we'll just have to have some recipe there.

Jim Bob. This keeps up

I'm gonna have to go on another sit down strike.

Oh, I remember the first one you went on

Have you ever heard a loop of Burbank

It seems I ran across his name helped run a YouTube with your homework

just in Burbank live over on the road to rock fish

no grammar this guy was a scientist he experimented with crossing plants

your crops won't plant within the plant and

meet all kinds of new plants vegetables proven on the Lord's work

Mary Ellen acrossing cucumber with watermelon

whatever for can you imagine the giant pickles

Oh good lord carry on.

You were supposed to mop this flog

I'll tell you right now more I did it.

Well, I'm sorry. I just forgot

that's the third time this week

look what she did to my flowers and

they were just getting a good start.

It's not your fault. I guess I had a chance to stall door open

Elizabeth I have told you and told you

Jason woodbox again,

I told Ben Well I told Jimbo

no to Jim Bobtail reckless

reckless

right let's come back into spot yet miss.

I'm sorry. It's all our fault

living buddy Sorry.

Sorry. I'm and I am

What are you doing?

What's the matter you resting mama

can ever speak to us again.

It's going on in here. All of a sudden,

let me begin to act short it peculiar,

peculiar.

Nobody does the chores they're supposed to do

so I end up doing them and then reckless comes in and ruins everything.

Stinger aggravated live. We all simmer down and talk this over

there has been enough talk and

blame paths and and sorry saying

if you don't want to talk, what do you want to do?

I'm doing it.

What's that?

I'm staging my own personal sit down strike.

Oh, she's having a sit down strike. Grandpa.

What's a sit down strike.

These fellows in Detroit started it

they sort of plunk themselves down in the middle of things

and they don't budge till they get it arbitrated on

and get what they want.

What do you want mama? I want better working conditions.

No more excuses and a little cooperation.

Well now we're ready to arbitrate.

A house is more than walls and floors,

a ceiling and a roof.

It's all the words that were spoken.

They're all the cries and whispers

all the good times and the bad.

Smoke

Wake up

what's up

everybody

You fire was the most frightening thing

we've ever been through on the mountain

this room had suffered the least damage

so while all the children were given a place to stay

with friends and neighbors the grown ups stayed here

spend our whole lives trying to raise our kids and

give them a proper home and how they're scattered

to the winds and the house is nothing

but a shell

honey there's nothing gone

we can't replace

we had hard times even from the beginning

and we got through some

but here we are still stumbling

and picking ourselves up over and over.

pick myself up anymore

overtired Honey

Let's see if we get a good night's rest.

Maybe tomorrow things won't look so grim.

We'll get through

we're always looking for a way to get through a person

wonder why we struggle so

maybe you're not listening to me.

I got two good strong hand strong back

I'll put this place back together for you again

you know you probably made a big mistake

a long time ago.

Right now you could be married to ostracod Graham.

Be the wife of the state senator

living in the lap of luxury Dan Richmond way.

Love Oscar Koco sides

he married Dodi Roberts.

Here Dodi left him.

With this go down to the courthouse tomorrow.

Get me a divorce and go chase and have to ask a cook.

You see.

Daughter things would look better tomorrow.

Elizabeth had been more deeply affected by the fire

than anyone knew.

Even after the house had been rebuilt

She was afraid to come home.

Elizabeth.

Elizabeth

Why did you have to find me here?

You can't sleep up here.

Why not?

All by yourself, but I want to thinking about the firearm.

It's not going to happen again.

There's no reason to be afraid.

I'm not afraid. Then why are you acting this way?

Don't you know how much you're worrying your mama?

I don't want my wife to worry.

Well, she is worried.

And she's worried because she cares about you

and I don't understand it but lately you've been acting

as though you don't care about her or anybody.

I don't I don't care Elizabeth

I give her to care about anyone or anything ever again.

You don't mean that he's

I do job why do whatever I care

terrible things happen

what terrible things

Luciana was my best friend Lucy got Calico

the mama cat raccoon?

I butterfly it always happens to your boy always.

Whenever I love somebody that dives is that a word?

You are any or anybody to die?

I was fine. We're all fine.

Now I'm scared y'all boy

sometimes you do lose people that you love

that's a hard thing.

But it doesn't happen because you love them.

It just happens cuz

it's part of nature.

You can't keep somebody safe by pretending not to love them

it just doesn't work believe me.

Everybody's afraid

everybody

the best way I know to get over it is just to put myself

smack dab in the middle of people that I do love

people to love me

it seems to make it all worthwhile

Why don't you try that this other thing didn't work did it?

drove all the way down likes no sign

never didn't care on the road anyway.

What can we do?

You said you've been able to visit bits home

We were so worried about you.

Are you sure it was Daddy pulled up

was a surprise.

We weren't expecting him.

I hope everybody's home

during grandma's birthday party

will journey back in time to Waltons mountain

visit with members of our cast and

then traveled to Virginia where all these stories began

many years ago.

It's time for the evening meal, a very special one for its grandma's birthday.

In other parts of the country, it's cold in a we called it supper,

a time to visit to exchange information

to catch up on all that had happened during the day.

And to give thanks for all our blessings.

Heavenly Father, we ask your blessing on this food

and on those who partake of it.

We especially ask your blessing on one of your most devoted daughters, Esther Walton.

We are grateful for the love and strength

she's brought to this family down through the years.

Amen. Amen.

All right, let's get started. Take some of those pieces.

I've been looking through some old snapshots today

and I ran across some pictures of my wedding.

I didn't even know I had

too bad you didn't find any about what happened before the wedding.

It's a one to any of us survived everything that led up to it.

Well, if it isn't Dr. Willard, nice of you to return

would have been even nicer if you'd let us know you were leaving Mary Ellen steers

sweet, gentle Mary Ellen.

It sure is great to be back.

And I did let you know

Maryland I've he left a letter last Sunday morning.

I didn't want him to come between you and David

so so I burned it. Aaron.

So okay, it's, it's all over

now You stay out of this, Kurt. How could you do that? Aaron?

I didn't want the wedding spoiled.

I saw you kissing last Saturday night

I didn't mean a thing.

Well, I hope it did Mary Ellen,

because I'm gonna marry you.

I suppose you call that a proposal,

the best one you're gonna get from me? Well, I wouldn't

marry you, Curtis Willard, if you were the last man on earth.

Do you Curtis, take this woman to be your true and lawful wife ?

I do unto you, Mary Ellen,

take this man to be your true and lawful husband.

I do. And now by the authority vested in me,

as the minister of the gospel by the Old Dominion,

and in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

I pronounce you man and wife, therefore,

whom God has joined together,

let not man put a son

it was always a great satisfaction for grandma to be with her grown grandchildren,

and to recall the role she played in their younger years.

Like the time she prepared her eldest grandson

to preach a sermon in Reverend FoodWorks absence.

You just sit there, and make out like you're in church.

All right.

For thou art and unto shalt thou return.

You see, that way you get their attention right off,

and that's very important.

Sure works.

You remember when God got so mad at Adam,

and all that promotion about Adam and Eve and eating the forbidden fruit?

I remember,

I thought you might like to talk against original sin.

And when it goes on from there, you know,

and that all that began went on for the longest time,

I believe people the earth, and you you know what people are?

Yeah. And, and God saw the wickedness,

excuse me.

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth.

And all the imaginations of his thought of his heart

was nothing but evil, continually.

And when I skipped the verse there,

and God said, I will destroy man

who I have created from the face of the earth.

Except Noah, now he walked with God.

You're still in Genesis, aren't you?

Yeah, well, then, then came the flood, the ark, the animals, and

then all that begotten started again.

So, so I skipped if that will do

if it goes into your

to do that on the publisher,

about do which is evil, be afraid.

Now evil is one of those words you can drive home.

And vengeance is another way. Vengeance is Mine

say a Vengeance is mine.

I will repay saith the Lord.

It's all here for your study.

We you know I've missed in the Gospel most all my life.

And when I was a girl, we used to go to what they call protracted meetings

where the preaching went on for a whole week.

And sometimes we have a dozen preachers in

and are more well Reverend for it, because all right.

I liked those old time preachers.

And what I did was I just took the best of everything they they said

and I put it down for you,

John to hurt your hand.

Well, it didn't work out.

It's you know,

maybe you would have practiced that Paladin

because there must be a knack of doing it right.

Or well

dang is a law of kindness.

Proverbs 31 Verse 26 is all about a richest woman.

Her price is far above that of Ruby.

You know what everybody thinking back and remembering lately,

I find myself doing the same thing the other day,

I was working over the forage and staring at those red hot coals.

And I remember the time that John Boyle was trying to warn everybody

about what Hitler was doing over in Europe.

Or the way things turned out as one and nobody would listen to.

Everybody knows but burning their

can find your anything you're looking for.

It's most appropriate that he found for me,

a real piece of junk.

Mind come.

I propose that tonight we have a symbolic foot

burnin of our own.

Hitler may replace the Bible with his own book in Germany,

but it shall never happen here.

When I was in it, I found a whole bundle of German books.

I just had him to keep the fire warm.

John boys

to stop that right now.

Hold on, you're young.

I didn't mean to go this. Boy.

Your hand off me.

This is my phone. I started this whole thing with my newspaper.

I know that.

But you misunderstood me.

I was trying to show you what people are capable of out of ignorance

and out of fear and out of hatred.

Do you realize that this kind of thing is happening all over Germany,

all over Germany. And right now Germany and Walton's Mountain

are not very far apart in my mind.

Read that a foreign tyrant was publishing his plans to take over the world

and was carrying out those plans

I thought you ought to have the opportunity to know about it.

Just like I take the opportunity to tell you if there was a blight

that was threatening your crops or some kind of scandal that was threatening your government

that's freedom as far as I can see it and

if you choose not to know about it,

that's freedom to but if you take a book and if you burn this book,

then you can't know about it. And you had your freedom taken away from you

you understand me?

Or if there's anybody here who feels that this book is more dangerous in one piece

and it is burning ashes in that fight and

I want you to come up here I want you to take it out of my hand

I want you to throw it in the fire right now

in the fire

I wish there was someone here could read Burma

Burma, will you read this task please?

Shoot, got him on the air on the air day version.

And a spa Finster of GTA

five. Now you read that for something,

just that.

In the beginning, God created heaven and earth.

And the earth was without form.

And void and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

And the Spirit of God

moved upon the face of the waters

and God spoke let that be.

This book should be in good hands,

John boy, both of them

the power of words is something to behold.

I realized why John boy wanted to become a writer.

That's when I started to prepare myself for the moment

when he'd strike out on his own.

After that trip to New York, I knew we wouldn't be around here much longer.

It's getting chilly. Winter is coming on

while these find South

any day now. Sound boy

you're off quiet now

I got a lot on the mind

nothing has ever stirred me up in my whole life

like seeing that city for the first time

I reckon if you were born there you might take it for granted

being a country boy

it's a love affair right from the start

just being on that island

kidney such a feeling of promise and adventure.

Like the wildest things I ever dreamed in my whole life

could happen.

There's a hotel called the Algonquin.

And that's where a lot of really great writers get together

I stood across the street for a long time and

I'm not sure but I think I saw Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley come out

and get into a taxi cab

same sky looking down on Times Square

but it seems like a whole different world to me

and to you young folks feel about your firstborn

flying the coop

I don't think we get in the state but even if we tried

I've been meaning to well

there's no need to son

better get busy

done and you suck

because one of them it doesn't have a whole

don't get your way home son

I never will.

I deadly Walton's Mountain to live and work in New York City.

I wrote more novels raised a family of my own.

Today we live in California.

But no matter where I am the call of a nightbird

the rumble of a train crossing a trestle, the center of crab apple,

the lowing of a sleepy cow can call me home again.

In memory I stand before that small white house and

I can still hear those sweet voices in our mama.

That's your mama named Kim Bob.

Knight grandpa.

Jason, my grandpa.

My daddy would know Jason,

not Elizabeth.

Daddy Good night.

I love you.

Our decade of the Waltons will continue in just a moment.

Working on this all week,

we had a lot of fun with myself.

This was the first picture is grandma that's the front

here we go

we all have special memories of grandpa.

My favorite is one I don't think you even know about grandma

was when you were in the hospital after your stroke

oh that Paula MaryAlice you can come out from behind that foliage

Zeb I'd know you anywhere come on both of you out

to behave himself Kurt.

I don't care what he promised he's not allowed in here.

Esther and I have been together for over 50 years

to good times and bad times and

you're trying to keep us apart

just when we need one another most

I don't have any choice

grandma's got to have quiet if she's going to get well

you whatever happened families that took care of one another

time was born at home got sick at home

was taken care of at home but but people would love one another

they died at home too because

they didn't have doctors on duty 24 hours a day

and nurses and modern medical equipment

sab you gotta give up Esther long enough to let us make her well

all right. If you in this hospital couldn't pick over for me.

You better do a first class job.

First class

have much patience for rules and regulations.

It didn't make sense to him.

Some of his grandchildren can be just as stubborn

Why are you looking at me Mama?

Oh for about 10,000 reasons I'd say like the time you were determined to have your baby at home

when Kurt thought you should go to the hospital

oh snap

has gone on for too long

it's not going away with the boys dilation

the deuces?

Jam I hate waiting I always have

miserable isn't it

I use take comfort new saying

they also serve only stand and

wait only I never could figure it out

we've had a lot of experience and we pop between us

sure hey I wanted this time

he was a grand and I'm agreed

he's either their son

all of us hoped ease the pain of a loved one

that's almost impossible.

You know you gave life you live very early in

their pain is very much a part of life

can you grant

in real life, Ellen Corby,

who plays grandma had suffered a severe stroke.

Her speech had been affected, and she was paralyzed on her right side.

But Ellen like grandma fought back,

she learned to speak again and to walk and

after an absence of nearly two years,

Grandma came home

in trying to make things easy for grandma

the family mostly made her feel like an invalid

and that was the last thing she wanted to be

Can I interrupt in something

Oh Ah is

that you might want to help me snap some beans

got a nice heavy company for sitting down to us

but

it's more than one way to skin a cat

there's no need to rush grandma.

They call morning if you want to.

suit me

all afternoon for that matter.

Meet me.

Don't get upset.

You don't have to rush it

took me a long time when I had polio.

Before I could put one foot in front of the other

without thinking about it

do to

me sorry, grandma.

Me, me. Me need you.

Yes. Oh grandma's we do need you

to me

don't think anybody needs you OTV

Me me me

it's all

it's alright crap

he's been writing this journal for a long time now.

I never once looked into it.

But there comes a time when the secret isn't a secret anymore.

I'm hoping I might find out from here. What?

What was wrong with your mom?

What did you find out?

Right here.

Just a few days before she'd come home from the hospital.

She she wrote down.

I have come to realize that my loss of speech is punishment

for having been shocked and in the past.

I have made a solemn promise to the Lord

that if he allows me to go home,

I will always be uncomplaining that my family and

friends and not forced my opinions on others.

That is exactly what she's been doing.

Always smile on the grill.

Never complaining.

No wonder she can't talk.

She got it all locked up here

but kind of a promise you made if you don't get mad

when I've been prying into your most private thoughts.

I've seen the time I did a thing like this

you to hold off and what to me was the first thing

you could get your hands on.

Governor Newsom

You never did make a promise

you didn't keep

No grandpa I think we're all kind of guilty of over protecting.

Are you talking about we have treated her like a queen.

More like an invalid.

Chevron that oh raka every time she tries to do something

somebody rushes in to give her a hand.

She might as well not even get out of bed in the morning.

Just trying to do what's best for live.

When you're older, you need to feel

like you're good for something like you need it.

We've taken that away from a grandpa.

A lot of things around here are not right.

And I'll admit to being wrong.

About half of its probably ever.

I wouldn't like to point out to you.

It was a good lord himself that may do the sharp

Kung woman that you were.

He did it to add flavor to this family

he way you put salt or pepper in a stew.

Keep it Mensa flat.

And if he did take away your speech,

maybe he did it as a lesson us not to you.

By golly, we need a little seasoning around here.

Otherwise life would be just to taste this without it.

Our history the EBU did make a promise to the good Lord

that everything would be sweetness and light

if he just let you come home from the hospital.

However, I also made a promise to the Lord

that I will let you sit in the sun and not hit the finger.

If he just let you get well enough to come back with me.

However, I am going to break that promise

and asked the Lord's forgiveness.

And I hope you do likewise.

Oh woman if you want any breakfast,

you better start sweeping this porch and earn your keep

and that's the way it's going to be from now on out

come home and come home

you we will return to grandma's birthday party in a moment

I Know What Mom and Daddy are thinking about.

That's a song we sing. It's your 25th

wedding anniversary when I discovered that

I'm married just about the most romantic man in the world

just about.

Now I know how you feel about drinking one glass of champagne.

Every 25 years won't turn you into a sinner.

Any more than two or three visits to church

will make you into a saint.

Olivia

this has been the best 25 years of my life

thanks Mike. I thought it would allow me to finish it for you

know well, I never thought I'd be dancing and drinking champagne today.

You tend not to be irregular to Galahad.

I'd appreciate if you wouldn't let that get around son

straining good dad.

Maybe we ought to think about heading back.

Let's just wait a little longer.

I want to make a wish on the first stop.

With me, and the shining glory show.

On April 22 1978, America lost a national treasure.

And each of us lost a beloved friend

with the death of wheel gear.

We were all on vacation when we all died.

And his death came as a great shock.

We never had a chance to say farewell.

So to help us to deal with his passing.

We decided to say goodbye on the Waltons.

Grandpa

no Jay bez.

He was the pig for my four H

project the one Clarence gave me

well I'm keeping the home now.

And he's getting nice and fat.

For the fair we're going to have hope

we just moved to Richmond before the fair

realized spot up a little bit

around this season so everything's got real nice.

You should already know that

I've been thinking about you a lot like your grandpa,

GW too.

If you see him tell him I love him.

I miss you both very much

Grandpa is a lot of you and John Curtis.

He loves to hold his hands out to all kinds of people

just like you did.

He loves playing in the dirt.

I think he's going to be close to nature

the way you were

daddy's letting me use your tools now grandpa.

He was gone for a few days and while he was gone

I didn't get into much trouble and

take good care of them

heard this song the other day grandpa

reminded me of you.

It's one of your favorites.

You in

get a good time I'm sure she do.

She's got the photograph album in bed, whether

there's still a few empty pages at the end.

With his family I'm sure we'll fill him up

in a few moments, It'll be my pleasure to introduce you to our cast

and the members of my family they have betrayed on the Waltons.

And then we will visit Skyler,

Virginia where these stories began.

Please stay with us.

For the past eight years,

some extraordinarily gifted actors have acted out the life of a family.

their art they have moved as to laughter entity is

and through their caring they have created characters

that will live in our hearts.

When we filmed the homecoming, kami Cotler was six years old.

In the eight years we've worked together

a good many happy things have happened,

and one of the most pleasant was watching CAMI grow up.

Kenny Were there times when you thought of the Walton brothers and sisters

as if they were real brothers and sisters.

Most of the time we've always teased each other like real brothers and sisters

and played together like real brothers and sisters,

I think will always be close.

There's one viewer who has watched the series with special interest.

Her name is Nancy Hamner, Jamison, and

she is my youngest sister, the model for the character of Elizabeth.

Kenny, I'd like you to meet Nancy

Cami. I'm glad to finally meet you.

They're very pretty. Thank you.

I've had people tell me that you and I look a lot alike.

How does it feel to have your life story on television?

It's almost like living your life over again.

I only know about you up to the time you were 14.

What's your life like today?

I live in Richmond, Virginia.

I'm married to Garnett Jamison and

I work at the Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries.

Do you watch the show?

I never miss it.

Thank you, Nancy. It was nice to meet you.

Goodbye Cami.

When we first met David Harper as Jim Bob.

He was eight years old. He needed a haircut and he was a terrific actor.

Today he's a fine young man and still one of the best actors in the business.

David do strangers ever come up to you and call you Jim Bob

sometimes?

Do they ever comment on the show?

Most the time they tell me that their favorite part is

when we all say goodnight.

We really did that at home.

Last thing we did before going to sleep

we'd all call goodnight to each other.

He still do that.

There's someone standing by in Virginia.

He's the grown up Jim Bob, my brother James.

Let's ask him about it. Jim.

You still say goodnight all over the house.

Well, only my mother and I live here now

that sometimes when the brothers and sisters are home and

some of my nieces and nephews are here.

We still say goodnight that way.

They've helped me do some crazy things on the show.

One time I brought home a peacock. Did you ever do that?

As a matter of fact, I did.

I found a peacock wandering around in a robe and

I was kind of days I picked it up,

put it in the car, brought it home.

We kept it for a long time.

On the show for about three years now.

I've been trying to get into the Air Corps.

And last show I finally made it. Did that really happen to you?

Now, I ended up in the medical corps and

spent most of World War Two at Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco.

Did you stay in that kind of work? And away?

The day I work at the University of Virginia Hospital?

What's it feel like when you watch the show?

I gotta tell you, most of the time we sit around and cry.

isn't that bad? No, David, it's that good.

We've seen the character of Jason grow from a small boy

interested in music to a young man who has become a working composer.

Because of the warmth of John Warmsley. His portrayal of Jason

he's been a favorite of everyone on Waltons mountain.

The one time he showed signs of becoming spoiled was

when he went to live with the Baldwin ladies

had a room of his own and breakfast in bed.

And probably his first taste of the recipe.

Is that you cliff?

My brother cliff, the model for Jason.

John, When are you coming back to Virginia.

I'm still trying to recover from that last trip

when you showed me the town.

I thought you were having a good time.

I was having a little too good time.

That was the problem.

Cliff I think our audience would like to know what kind of person you are.

Well, I have three children.

I work for a machine manufacturing company.

I fish in hockey and whenever I can

I go to the country where we grew up.

Your brother is always written Jason is a musical character.

How close is that to your own life?

Well, I can dance from the time the sun goes down to the comes up again.

I love music, but the truth is I can I can tune.

Hope one of these days you'll come out to Hollywood and

I'll show you the town the way you showed me Richmond.

I look forward to that John. A few years ago, my sister Marian hawks visited the set of The Waltons

and ended up in the show we were filming at the time.

At that time she met the actress

who had been portraying her Judy Norden Taylor.

Hello again, Judy.

Hi, Marian.

Early in the series, you were always written as a tomboy.

How close to the truth is that

I was a terrible tomboy.

Growing up in a house with all those older brothers.

I learned to fight practically as soon as I learned to walk.

I know you became a nurse just as Mary Ellen does on the series.

I practice nursing for a while even after I married,

did you marry a doctor?

Glenn has his doctorate in psychology.

So I suppose you could say I did marry a doctor.

He is a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University.

And we have two sons Rob and Bill.

Rob teachers aren't and Bill is a student at VCU.

Do you have a busy life?

They aren't ours enough in the day.

I play golf. I collect antiques

I paint and I work as a hostess

and tour guide for when bus line.

Of course we include a visit to our hometown of Schuyler.

Would you like to relive those days we show on television

when you were growing up? In a way we do that?

Every Thursday night when we watch the Waltons.

In the original novel of the homecoming,

there were eight brothers and sisters just as they are in my own family.

When CBS decided that the book should become a television special,

they asked us to combine two of the characters into one.

Thus, my brothers bill and Paul became a composite.

The character played by Eric Scott,

if I've been playing to people all these years

should have been paid twice a salary.

Eric need one half of your real life counterpart.

My brother Paul. I agree with Eric.

He does deserve a raise.

Thanks, Paul. You know,

Ben has been something of a businessman on the series.

How does that match up to your life?

have worked for Baker shoe stores in New York and

New Jersey for the past 23 years?

How do you remember these years we've been dramatizing on television?

They were good years. Eric?

What is your life like today?

My two children are grown and go to college.

I live in New Jersey but I love Virginia and

I come home whenever I can.

Eric, the other half of your character is standing by in Virginia.

Meet my brother Bill.

How do you like the way I've been playing your half have been bill.

You're doing a good job already.

I can see why I got the part.

Please are here. Same color.

Well, Bill, do you have a family?

Yes, I'm married and I have three children.

I work in Richmond.

Are there any stories about Ben we haven't told yet that you'd like to see?

Yes, but you can tell them on television.

Eight years ago, the role of Aaron was created by a gloriously beautiful little girl.

In the intervening years she grew up

to be this gloriously beautiful young woman, Marybeth McDonough

are all on the show. Something has always gone wrong when Erin falls in love.

How about you so Sister Audrey, did she ever have a happy love affair?

Well, let's ask her. Mary Beth McDonough.

My sister, Audrey Hamner,

Hankins?

Mary Beth,

I think I had about as many boyfriends as you've had on the show.

But eventually Hank came along and we were married.

Well, maybe that'll happen to Aaron Walton someday.

I hope so. She certainly has had her heart broken enough times.

Aaron thinks she'd like to have a career,

but it might be good for her to settle down.

It was for me.

We live on a farm outside of Roanoke in Bedford County.

We have five children, four sons

and your daughter Wendy is still in high school.

I now work as a donor resources consultant for the American Red Cross.

What's it been like for you to be compared to Aaron Walton?

Well, I've taken a lot of teasing.

So have I it was nice talking with you, Audrey.

Goodbye, Mary

Beth, come to Virginia when you can.

Thank you, Audrey.

Well, Walton's Mountain is actually located here

in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

My people were drawn to these mountains and

peaceful valleys when the country was young.

They settled here, cleared the land, and planted their crops

along the banks of the winding rock fish river.

I grew up in a small town of Skyla,

about 28 miles south of Charlottesville.

Little has changed down through the years.

And whenever I returned to Virginia,

I go back in time to another life.

The life I lead as a boy, and

I'm filled with a strong exaltation.

I'm home again.

This is a house where we lived those years

we brought to life on the Waltons.

My mother still lives here, and

is always ready to welcome us home.

It's good to be home.

It's good to have you home.

You know, when I think of this house when I'm away from here,

the one thing I remember is what good food we always had you were a good cook.

I still am and I hope you're going to stay long enough to enjoy some good home cooking.

Well, I certainly am.

Now the thing I remember is, when all of us were away at night

when we'd come home, it always be a light in the window.

Neither your dad and I could sleep too

when you you were saving your beds.

Now scattered all over the world. And you don't know if we say for now beds.

I still pray for each one of you before I go to sleep.

world's changed a lot since those years

that we were growing up.

It's hard to be a parent today.

But I think that children still need the same thing.

They always did. They need to be guided and

it needs to be loved.

Since the Waltons went on television,

I know you've received visitors from all over the world.

But to most of them was no.

The most common question they asked is

if your children were as well behaved as the Walton children.

Where are we? Well, I tell them you were

my father died in 1969.

So he never got to see the Waltons.

He was a fine man, and we still miss him.

Whenever we come home, we always come here

to pay our respects and to remember him.

I have walked the land in the footsteps of all my father's

back in time to where the first one trod and stopped,

saw sky felt wind bent to touch Mother Earth and call this home.

This mountain, this pine and hemlock, oak and Poplar,

Laurel wild and Rhododendron, home and mountain,

father and mother grow to the sons and daughters

to walk the old paths to look back in pride in honored heritage.

To hear its laughter and its song, to grow to stand

and be themselves one day remembered.

I have walked the land in the footsteps of all my father's I saw yesterday.

And now look to tomorrow.

Someone once asked my sister Marian where Walton's Mountain is.

And she said it's somewhere My brother was very happy.

We've been happy here.

And I hope that in the past eight years, we've entertained you

that we've enriched your lives in some small way.

And that whenever possible, we've made some affirmative statement

about us as a people and about people as a part of all mankind.

We'll get started the custom of joining hands

during the setting of grace at meals

and in his memory.

Good night, Ellen. Good night.

Good night Allen.

Tonight Michael

can I know Eric?

Good night Michael.

Great David Schneider thank him

CAMI Matt David.

Good night Marybeth.

Good night kami.

Tonight, John. Night Mary.

Goodnight, Judy.

Goodnight John.