Page 14 - aruba-today-20220914

a14 people & arts
Wednesday 14 september 2022
At 50, TV's 'The Waltons' still stirs fans' love, nostalgia

By BOBBY ROSS Jr. ma Esther, played by the a Hollywood actress who
Associated Press late Ellen Corby — brought smoked and drank — who
The Rev. Matt Curry's par- a sense of comfort and re- met a mixed reception.
ents were children of the turn to childhood. In 1972's "The Sinner" epi-
Great Depression, just like "It just feels familiar," said sode, a young pastor
"The Waltons" — the be- Harrington, a grandmother played by the late John
loved TV family whose herself. Ritter arrived preaching
prime-time series pre- Another lifelong fan, Car- fire-and-brimstone Bible
miered 50 years ago. ol Jackson, like Curry the verses. But he inadvertently
When Curry was growing daughter of Depression-era became intoxicated af-
up on a farm in northern parents, sees her own fam- ter drinking too much of
Texas, his carpenter father ily's story reflected. the "secret recipe" served
and teacher mother often She became a fan as a by the Baldwin sisters, two
argued playfully over who kindergartner and as an prim and proper recur-
had a poorer childhood. adult placed "Waltons" ring characters who didn't
"The Depression was the DVDs in the resort cabins seem to realize they were
seminal time of their lives that her family operated bootleggers. After the mis-
— the time that was about in the Ozarks of northern hap touched off some-
family and survival and Arkansas. The homespun thing of a scandal, John Sr.
making it through," said stories still connect with made a rare appearance
Curry, now a 59-year-old the 55-year-old mother of at church and pointed to
Presbyterian pastor in Ow- three. Jesus' words from John 8:7:
ensboro, Kentucky. "My "I just told my kids, 'One day "Let him who is without sin
dad used to talk about when I'm old and in my cast the first stone."
how his dad would go work wheelchair … just wheel "The religious aspect of the
out of town and send $5 a me in front of 'The Waltons' show had to do with the
week to feed and clothe on a continual loop, and I'll fact that Earl Hamner was
the family." This photo provided by CBS in September 2022 shows actors be happy,'" Jackson said. talking about a time and a
So when "The Waltons," in the television series "The Waltons.” Bottom row from left are Kami Cotler, who was 6 place ... where those issues
set in 1932 and running Judy Norton-Taylor, Eric Scott and Mary Elizabeth McDonough. years old when she first were very much in play,"
Second row from left are Jon Walmsley, Ellen Corby, Will Geer,
through World War II, de- Kami Cotler and David W. Harper. Top row from left are Michael starred as youngest sibling said Thomas, now a grand-
buted on CBS on Sept. 14, Learned, Richard Thomas and Ralph Waite. Elizabeth in a 1971 holiday father of four. "I mean, in
1972, the Currys identified Associated Press TV movie that launched a small community in the
closely with the storylines. the series, still interacts reg- mountains of Virginia in
Millions of others felt the cable TV reruns, binging ter each performance. The ularly with such fans via her the Depression, if you don't
same, and the Thursday episodes via streaming familiar catchphrase pays Facebook page, which has deal with the church as-
night drama about a De- apps and keeping up with homage to the Emmy-win- nearly 150,000 followers. pect of things, then you
pression-era family in rural former stars through social ning role that made him Cotler said "The Waltons" don't deal with things as
Virginia became one of media. famous. shared "universal truths" they were."
TV's most popular and en- Based on the life of its cre- "It's kind of astonishing that that help explain its lasting Over the show's long run,
during programs. ator, the late Earl Hamner we're still talking about a popularity. the Waltons and their
At a time when the net- Jr., the show followed a show 50 years later," said "The show frequently told neighbors learned valu-
works generally avoided large extended family liv- Thomas, who narrates "A really simple human stories able lessons about over-
"dangerous" content, "The ing in a white, two-story Waltons Thanksgiving," a that resonate with people coming differences and
Waltons" was notable for farmhouse and running made-for-TV movie airing because that's what life treating everyone with love
taking on difficult topics — a sawmill in the fictional this fall on the CW network. is like," said Cotler, now and respect. Those lessons,
religion, in particular — said Blue Ridge foothills town "To have that kind of lon- an educator in Southern Cotler said, "are perhaps
Robert Thompson, director of Walton's Mountain. The gevity and then have it California. "People will joke even more relevant today."
of Syracuse University's Blei- parents, grandparents and mean enough for people that it was very saccharine On a personal note, Cot-
er Center for Television and seven children — John Jr., to want to do a new version sweet, but I don't think that ler, a secular Jew, cred-
Popular Culture. Jason, Mary Ellen, Erin, Ben, of it — I'm not sure exactly it actually was." its grandpa Zeb, played
"I think it was an important Jim-Bob and Elizabeth — why," he added. "I know it On the show, parents John by the late Will Geer, with
show, and I think it actually were depicted wearing affected a lot of people's Walton Sr. and Olivia Wal- teaching her how to sing
doesn't get the attention overalls and dresses, pray- lives. But I think primarily Earl ton — played, respectively, church songs on the show.
that it deserves," Thompson ing at meals and overcom- Hamner's writing was just so by the late Ralph Waite, Curry, the Kentucky pastor,
said. ing adversity through hard great and the cast loved an ordained minister in real said "The Waltons" reflected
"'The Waltons' really did work and grace. each other so much and life, and Michael Learned how Jesus often rebukes
get down and roll around "The Waltons" focused on we were so committed." — frequently clashed over religious people for hypoc-
in some very, very serious John Jr., known as John- John-Boy had a lot to do their differing approaches risy in the Bible, while com-
spiritual themes," he add- Boy, played by Richard with the show's popular- to God. Olivia was a de- mending an unexpected
ed. "For example, an athe- Thomas and modeled on ity — and inspired many vout Baptist, but John Sr. person — such as a Samari-
ist comes to town, and we Hamner. The oldest sibling, a crush back then among was not a churchgoer. tan who helped a stranger
get this whole discussion he aspired to be a writer fans like Jerri Harrington, "I've always looked for God — for showing love and
between atheism and spiri- and experience the world now 67, of Centreville, Vir- in my own way," he said in grace. The show "talked
tuality." beyond his humble up- ginia. one episode. about religion and faith …
"The Waltons" ran for nine bringing. Harrington still watches an An ongoing theme was the in a way that does not de-
seasons and 221 episodes, Now 71 and starring as law- episode every night with appearance in Walton's mean people," Curry said.
ranking as high as No. 2 in yer Atticus Finch in a tour- her husband of 47 years. Mountain of an outsider "There's something in there
the Nielsen ratings. A half- ing production of "To Kill During the frightening early — a Jewish family fleeing that we are missing today,
century later it still stirs nos- a Mockingbird," Thomas days of the COVID-19 pan- Nazi persecution, a Black and it's the sense of com-
talgia among loyal fans said he still hears fans call demic, she said, its charac- boxer and preacher raising munity, of unity, of battling
who can't resist taking in "Good night, John-Boy!" af- ters — particularly grand- money for a new church, through hard times."q