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Post by tvlover on Aug 27, 2016 13:43:03 GMT -5
Ever since I started watching the show, Reverend Fordwick has been my favorite minister. Of all the ministers that there were during the show's nine seasons, Reverend Fordwick is my favorite. John Ritter was perfect for that role. He was such a great actor, and he played that role very well. It was as if the role was created specifically for him. And I thought he and Rosemary Hunter made a great couple. And he was such a great friend and confidante to the entire Walton family. They were very lucky to have him on the mountain. Even thought Reverend Fordwick is my favorite, I also liked Reverend Hank Buchanan and Reverend Tom Marshall. I thought both of them were very handsome and good-looking, and each one had his moments. Tom Marshall gave a good sermon in The Beginning, and Hank Buchanan gave some good sermons, the best one being in The Grandchild. But Matthew Fordwick will always be my favorite minister on Walton's Mountain.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2016 18:26:02 GMT -5
You won't get any argument from me! I think John Ritter was good in everything he did. In fact it was not brought to my attention that John Ritter was even on The Waltons until long after he died. I remembered Reverend Fordwick but I didn't remember that John Ritter played him until I found this forum. He's one of those people that, if I had the power and the chance to bring back -- I would.
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Post by cinlou on Aug 27, 2016 19:02:06 GMT -5
I agree! John Ritter did a good job as Reverend Fordwick.
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Post by sdw on Aug 29, 2016 12:45:37 GMT -5
I liked all the ministers that were mentioned in this post,they all brought something differents as ministers of the church.
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Post by e knight on Aug 29, 2016 20:13:10 GMT -5
Reluctantly, I have to disagree with the appraisals of the Reverend Fordwick as a positive influence. Not only did he lack humility, he was downright pompous. It’s obvious that his formal education exceeded his intelligence. I can’t recall him giving any advice to the people of Walton’s Mountain that didn’t make matters worse. Now, as the people had to learn to ignore him and find their own resolutions to their problems, he probably left them stronger than he found them. An accidental legacy to be sure, but the people were better off without him. If I’m wrong about this, I’m open to correction. Please show me somewhere he gave good advice! John Ritter was an able (and a charming) performer, and deserves credit. However, I find it difficult to believe that he didn’t intend to play the fool here. I also think that the shows’ writers didn’t regard the character very highly. Now you can throw things at me. Virtual things, please!
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Post by Brenda on Aug 30, 2016 18:31:44 GMT -5
I've always had a hard time taking Rev. Fordwick seriously. I keep seeing Jack Tripper.
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Post by sambda on Sept 1, 2016 4:06:24 GMT -5
Reluctantly, I have to disagree with the appraisals of the Reverend Fordwick as a positive influence. Not only did he lack humility, he was downright pompous. It’s obvious that his formal education exceeded his intelligence. I can’t recall him giving any advice to the people of Walton’s Mountain that didn’t make matters worse. Now, as the people had to learn to ignore him and find their own resolutions to their problems, he probably left them stronger than he found them. An accidental legacy to be sure, but the people were better off without him. If I’m wrong about this, I’m open to correction. Please show me somewhere he gave good advice! John Ritter was an able (and a charming) performer, and deserves credit. However, I find it difficult to believe that he didn’t intend to play the fool here. I also think that the shows’ writers didn’t regard the character very highly. Now you can throw things at me. Virtual things, please! The problem with Fordwick is that his first episode made him out to be a way-out bible-thumping hell-and-dɑmnation type of guy (John has a right go at him for scaring the family!) and then, suddenly, the next time we see him, he's much more level-headed person... it's like two different characters completely. Like Cindy, later - there were also two of her, who were different characters. And Aimee too. I thought Rev. Alden in LHOTP was actually better than any of the Walton preachers. They developed his character a bit, but, then again, he was in many more episodes. I think Waltons had 5 preachers (that we saw)??
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Post by cinlou on Sept 1, 2016 8:59:41 GMT -5
Those were the times for hell-and-damnation preachers. Even Earl wrote about them in one of his books. Now they wouldn't do so well.
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Post by Brenda on Sept 1, 2016 10:30:53 GMT -5
The problem with Fordwick is that his first episode made him out to be a way-out bible-thumping hell-and-dɑmnation type of guy (John has a right go at him for scaring the family!) and then, suddenly, the next time we see him, he's much more level-headed person... it's like two different characters completely. Like Cindy, later - there were also two of her, who were different characters. And Aimee too. I thought Rev. Alden in LHOTP was actually better than any of the Walton preachers. They developed his character a bit, but, then again, he was in many more episodes. I think Waltons had 5 preachers (that we saw)?? I always thought Rev. Fordwick was trying to make a good impression on that "Miss Prissom" who traveled with him to Waltons Mountain in that first episode. I don't think it was in his nature to be a "way-out bible-thumping hell-and-dɑmnation" type of preacher, but he was young and inexperienced, just out of divinity school, and was trying (unsuccessfully) to make a good first impression. He thought that type of preaching was what the community expected of him. After that first episode, he was free to be the more level-headed preacher that suited his nature. I always liked Dabbs Greer as Rev. Alden too. If I'm not mistaken, he also played the minister who performed the marriage of Mike and Carol Brady on the first episode of The Brady Bunch.
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Post by jeffersoncntycutie on Sept 3, 2016 9:53:43 GMT -5
While I liked John Ritter as an actor, I thought his character was obnoxious to John Boy and was actually jealous of his friendship with Rosemary. That is just my opinion. I liked the minister who appeared in the episodes about the Baldwin dog and Toni's problems.
I also the young future nun that Jim-Boy fell in love with by the way. Jim Bob himself made a good preacher in that one episode.
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Post by willie on Sept 4, 2016 22:24:40 GMT -5
Jack Tripper forever..
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2016 22:39:53 GMT -5
I realize this is not Walton related however, willie has inspired me to post this video based on his photo above. Enjoy! The fun starts at 8 minutes.
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Post by willie on Sept 4, 2016 22:45:45 GMT -5
I personally think John Ritter shines in The Best Christmas. There are many scenes with him in this episode, and I have always regarded this one as one of his best.
He is also brilliant in the movie Sling Blade with Billy Bob.
Just saying that he was a true talent.
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Post by Kathy Lee on Sept 5, 2016 0:08:19 GMT -5
My favorite minister is Hawthorne Dooley. He was always so perfect in The Christmas Story. "Now, now, now Miz Walton. A man has gots to eat!" "They don't know it's whiskey. They call it Papa's recipe."
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Post by zebulonfan on Dec 12, 2020 15:51:38 GMT -5
Hawthorne Dooley only appears in one episode aside from "The Homecoming", I think. That's an early one in which John Boy shoots a bear instead of a turkey. But I'd forgotten about him, and I would have to say he's also my favorite among the various ministers we encounter in "The Waltons". Among the white ministers my favorite is Hank Buchanan, hands down. He doesn't try to be "holier than thou". Too bad he came along after the insufferable Fordwick, who has to be my least favorite of the various ministers. He (Buchanan) would have been a much better match for Miss Hunter, who I think felt forced to settle for Fordwick or risk being an "old maid." Since Hawthorne Dooley was already in place and presumably had a church, one wonders why it was necessary to build one for the black boxer who was also a preacher. He's another favorite of mine. But put it down to just another inconsistency in the story line of the series as a whole.
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