Questions for Michael Learned and Cissy Wellman

[Deleted]

Nov 5, 2014 20:08:43 GMT -5 patriciaanne said:

Nov 5, 2014 18:13:17 GMT -5 ForeverWaltons said:

Duh! I could pop myself upside the head!!  It just dawned on me that I had a question for Michael that I really wanted answered. It was:

In the episode about grandma and grandpa's anniversary, when they are celebrating it in the front yard, grandpa is dancing on what looks like a piece of plywood on the ground. He gets so carried away that he falls down and grandma helps him up, then they start dancing together. Was Will Geer's falling down in the script or did he really fall and they just continued filming and left it in?

Maybe I can remember it and ask another one of the Walton cast at the next reunion if I get to go.

My guess is that it was NOT scripted. At Will Geer's age, I doubt they would have intentionally told him to fall down.

That makes sense, I'd have to agree with that.

[JeriJet]

Oh, I don't think it was scripted..... but, knowing Geer as we do, it wouldn't surprise me if he did it on purpose !!

and I bet Michael would know !

[nedandres]

Thank you, ForeverWaltons, for asking Michael the Emmy question for me. You are a sweetheart. Did anyone get to talk to Cissy Wellman about what working with Robert Donner was like and/or why her character did not last long on the show? Thanks.

[ForeverWaltons]

Nov 5, 2014 21:26:59 GMT -5 nedandres said:

Thank you, ForeverWaltons, for asking Michael the Emmy question for me. You are a sweetheart. Did anyone get to talk to Cissy Wellman about what working with Robert Donner was like and/or why her character did not last long on the show? Thanks.

You are welcome nedandres. Did you know that Cissy Wellman (Mrs. Yancy Tucker) and Robert Donner (Yancy Tucker) were married for 17 years in real life? From 1965 to 1982. So they were really married to each other when they played those roles on The Waltons.

[nedandres]

Wow, ForeverWaltons, I had no idea. That is wild, almost crazy that I did not know that, and I spent a fair amount of time with Robert Donner at past Waltons events. He was such a nice guy and ALWAYS made me laugh. His wife at that time was always nice, too.

[ForeverWaltons]

Nov 5, 2014 21:48:52 GMT -5 nedandres said:

Wow, ForeverWaltons, I had no idea. That is wild, almost crazy that I did not know that, and I spent a fair amount of time with Robert Donner at past Waltons events. He was such a nice guy and ALWAYS made me laugh. His wife at that time was always nice, too.

Robert's last time on the Walton's was in 1978. He also started playing the character Exidor in Mork and Mindy in 1978 and stayed on it the entire run of the series - till 1982. So I would assume that Cissy Wellman 'lost' her job on the Walton's because Robert left to be on Mork and Mindy.

[ForeverWaltons]

Question I asked Michael Learned:

Do you know why Olivia's family was rarely mentioned, visited or featured on the Waltons? Her answer: "That's just the way some families are. Just like today not all families stay in touch."

[JeriJet]

Nov 6, 2014 16:45:20 GMT -5 ForeverWaltons said:

Question I asked Michael Learned:

Do you know why Olivia's family was rarely mentioned, visited or featured on the Waltons? Her answer: "That's just the way some families are. Just like today not all families stay in touch."

I completely understand Michael's response.... in my own family, we were always much closer to my dad's side, largely because they lived close-by, whereas mom's side was 300 miles away.... and, although we spent most summers with mom's side, it just wasn't the same....

Also, I was always much closer to my own parents than my two sisters were.... I stayed reasonably close (miles) to them, but both sisters moved, one to Florida, and one to upstate NY 200 miles away.... So, I was part of my parents' daily life, while for my sisters, it was mostly Thanksgiving or Christmas visits.... even phone calls didn't happen very often, except on birthdays and Mothers/Fathers Days.... but I was on the phone to them almost daily.... I think I also had a much stronger feeling toward family ties than my sisters.... Why?? -- I'll never know.