Reality vs The Waltons (2024)

FAQs

Are any of the Hamner family still alive? ›

In addition to The Waltons, Hamner created the long-running TV drama Falcon Crest and collaborated with Rod Serling on The Twilight Zone. Hamner is survived by his wife, Jane; son, Scott; and a daughter, Caroline.

Although three of the older family members — Grandma Walton (Ellen Corby), Grandpa Walton (Will Geer) and dad John (Ralph Waite) — have passed away in real life, the seven Walton children are alive and well, and even grandparents themselves!

All of the Waltons were based on real people — Hamner's family, his grandfather and grandmother, his father and mother, and his brothers and sisters, of whom there were seven in the show but eight in real life.

"I hope that you'll remember this house as I do," Earl Hamner narrates in the closing moments of the final episode of The Waltons. "The sound of warm voices drifting out upon the night air. A family waiting, and a light in the window."

In addition to the Walton characters, other roles, such as the “recipe-making” Baldwin sisters and General Store owner, Ike Godsey were also inspired by real people.

Hamner had moved to New York and found work writing radio and television scripts for NBC. In 1954, he married Jane Martin, an editor at Harper's Bazaar, who survives him.

Ellen Corby died in 1999, but she is remembered as Grandma Walton on the hit television show, The Waltons. Her work on the show earned her three Emmy awards. Yet her career almost ended in 1976 after a stroke that left her with aphasia.

Harper, who first found fame as Jim Bob Walton, now works as an art dealer in Los Angeles. He was cast as a child actor but have up acting after his success in the Waltons, and subsequent jobs have included driving for co-star Eric Scott's transport company.

Mary Ellen marries Dr. Curtis Willard and they have 1 child, John Curtis, before he is lost and presumed dead after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Did any of the actors on The Waltons date each other? ›

Ma and Pa Walton — Ralph Waite and Michael Learned — quietly fell on love on set. And remember Jason and Toni, who we just mentioned in the prior paragraph? Well, actors Jon Walmsley and Lisa Harrison tied the knot in real life in 1979!

The show aired from 1971-1981 and won an Emmy in 1974. The original house that served as the backdrop to Hamner's childhood was built in the early 20th century in the village of Schuyler in Nelson County, where it still stands today.

Her character's abrupt disappearance was explained by Olivia developing tuberculosis and entering a sanatorium in Arizona. She made occasional guest appearances until the show's cancelation and later appeared in four of the six Waltons reunion movies made during the 1980s and 1990s.

The Walton's made use of many period appropriate buildings, sets and locations. Being a domestic, family based drama much of the action was staged in and around the Walton family home. While the interiors were filmed on Stage 26 of the former Burbank studios, the house exterior was filmed on the jungle set.

The name is reference to the popular 70s TV show "The Waltons," on which John Boy was a lead character. The show ended each episode with the Waltons saying good night to each other.

People have been asking for more than four decades if "the family is real" and "is there a 'real' Walton's Mountain?" The answer is yes. Though the names might be different Earl Hamner based the show on his memories of growing up in rural Virginia with his family during the depression.

Nancy Hamner (the baby of the family) was not allowed much independance. She was doted on by the older children especially James. She is seen her at the end of her walkway.

Ronnie Claire Edwards (February 9, 1933 – June 14, 2016) was an American actress, best known for playing Corabeth Walton Godsey on the TV series The Waltons.

Olivia Daly Walton. Olivia, also known as Liv, Livie, or Mama, (pilot, Patricia Neal; series, Michael Learned) is John Walton's soft-spoken, patient, loving wife, who complements his tough-skinned, opinionated nature.

Arthur Joseph “A.J.” Covington (1953-2013) - Find a Grave Memorial.

Did Ben and Cindy Walton stay married? ›

The actors playing Ben and Cindy Walton both happily married but still became inseparable. One of the earliest appearances of Cindy Brunson Walton comes in one of the most emotional episodes of The Waltons, an episode called "Founders' Day."

87 years (1911–1999)

Ellen Corby / Age at death

The three most prominent living members (Jim, Rob, and Alice Walton) have consistently been in the top twenty of the Forbes 400 list since 2001, as were John ( d. 2005) and Helen (d. 2007) prior to their deaths. Christy Walton took her husband John's place in the ranking after his death.

They find Jim-Bob's birth record but they also discover that Jim-Bob had a twin, Joseph Zebulon Walton who died at birth. Esther learns from Ike and Flossie Brimmer that Jim-Bob is asking questions concerning he birth.

In addition to working as an educator, Cotler ran her own boutique travel company and managed a San Francisco cafe. She has reprised her role as the youngest Walton child in each of the Waltons' reunion movies and she occasionally makes speeches and personal appearances.

The character of Elizabeth is based on Nancy Hamner Jamerson who lives in Richmond with her husband, Garnett. They have been married for over 30 years.

Although Becker appeared in eight episodes of The Waltons and came back for the reunion movies, Drew and Elizabeth never tied the knot on the series.

Virginia Walton was only ever depicted on screen as a baby (in the show's final two seasons) and a toddler in the 1982 reunion special Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain. However, fans came to know that she had died at the age of 17, int he fourth TV film, A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion.

The Carousel is Cindy Walton's personal quest to find who her real parents are after she finds out that she was adopted.

Then Curt was killed at Pearl Harbor in the 1978 season, and Mary Ellen found new love with Arlington Wescott “Jonesy” Jones (Richard Gililand) while taking premed courses. The romance was threatened when Curt was discovered not to have died after all, but the two decided their marriage had ended and divorced.

Who was the oldest Walton child? ›

One fan asked about the age inconsistencies on “The Waltons.” “When we first did 'The Homecoming', the sequence was John-Boy was the oldest, then Jason, then Mary Ellen, I was the oldest daughter.

Typically an Orange Squeeze is made with rum, ice, and fresh squeezed oranges in a blender. First acknowledgement of Grandma's "illness," which was introduced into the storyline after Ellen Corby suffered a major stroke in November 1976. She would not return to the show until March 1978.

She felt that she could not continue with the show. Learned also reportedly added that she felt she was simply sitting around on the set for as long as 14 hours saying "More coffee John?" She also said that this might have been because she was bored.

She told Fox News at one point the actors who played Ma and Pa Walton actually developed strong romantic feelings for one another. "We had a deep love for each other that we would have ruined if we had taken that extra step, and we didn't," Learned said. "We never did. We thought about it, but we didn't.

While the television series took place on a fictional "Walton's Mountain," in Virginia, and the book on "Spencer's Mountain" in Wyoming, both are actually based on Hamner's hometown of Schuyler, VA. Consequently, it should come as no surprise that the Walton's Mountain Museum is located right here in Schuyler, VA.

“We've also had to make some modern conveniences — the Waltons only had one bathroom,” Johnson said, noting each room in the bed-and-breakfast will have a bathroom. In the Depression-era, wood was the exterior of the Hamner house and the home depicted on “The Waltons.”

While filmed on location in California, the fictional Walton family would have been at home in the tiny town of about 300 residents 40 minutes southwest of Charlottesville, Va., in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Waltons appealed to the Middle American audience, which was not being served at the time. People from the midwest could identify with the situations and characters. It eventually was cancelled because many of the actors had moved on to other projects and the writing wasn't quite as good.

But later in the series, it's revealed that Olivia is being treated for tuberculosis at a sanatorium in Arizona. Michael went on to co-star in four of the six reunion movies — confirming that Olivia does survive her illness — but the Emmy winner was MIA for all of Season 9.

Although three of the older family members — Grandma Walton (Ellen Corby), Grandpa Walton (Will Geer) and dad John (Ralph Waite) — have passed away in real life, the seven Walton children are alive and well, and even grandparents themselves!

How many bedrooms did The Waltons house have? ›

Measuring about 1,600 square feet, this white clapboard building has just one bathroom, and as many as four of the famous family's eight children would share one of the three bedrooms.

Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, Marlowe was an actress best known for her role from 1973 to 1977 as boardinghouse owner/operator Flossie Brimmer in 27 episodes of the drama The Waltons.

"I hope that you'll remember this house as I do," Earl Hamner narrates in the closing moments of the final episode of The Waltons. "The sound of warm voices drifting out upon the night air. A family waiting, and a light in the window."

At the end of almost every episode, as the night descended on Walton's Mountain, the camera panned over the Walton's house to show the lights going out room by room. And the lights dimmed, the family said goodnight to one another and drifted off to sleep. “Good night, John-Boy.

"Good night, and good luck." "Good night, John-Boy."

Scott Hamner

Caroline Hamner

Jon Walmsley and Lisa Harrison ("Toni") met while filming this episode and married shortly after. They remained together for almost 30 years before divorcing in 2008. According to Cousin Zadok Walton, Cousin Zebulon's (Grandpa Walton) mother, Aunt Sula Walton, is the source of "all that red hair" in the Walton family.

Setting. The main story is set in Walton's Mountain, a fictional mountain community in the fictitious Jefferson County, Virginia. The real place upon which the stories are based is the community of Schuyler in Nelson County, Virginia.

While the television series took place on a fictional "Walton's Mountain," in Virginia, and the book on "Spencer's Mountain" in Wyoming, both are actually based on Hamner's hometown of Schuyler, VA. Consequently, it should come as no surprise that the Walton's Mountain Museum is located right here in Schuyler, VA.

Bill Hamner

Clifton Hamner

Paul Hamner

James Hamner

Why did Erin and Paul divorce on The Waltons? ›

During the end voice over , John boy states that Erin's marriage is as strong today as it was when they got married , but in A Walton Thanksgiving reunion , she is divorced and states that it was because she found out Paul was cheating on her .

Jonesy and Mary-Ellen got married in the reunion movie on Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain. “Mary-Ellen married again to Jonesy, played by Richard Gilliland,” Norton says in the video. “And Jonesy became a stepfather to John Curtis. I loved the relationship between these two.”