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Post by rochelle on Mar 31, 2018 14:32:18 GMT -5
Ever since I laughed at Grandpa squeezing the tomato in little Jim Bob's face while they were in his storm-damaged garden, I've been watching for more of Grandpa's (likely) unscripted actions.
One was when he put his foot on Jim Bob's back, who was seated on the living room floor in front of him, in a playful gesture. Another was when he and Livvy were shucking corn at the table and he tossed corn silk in her face, which made her laugh and throw some back at him. (He seems to favor the time just before the camera closes on a scene, as this was when all three occurred.)
Can anyone else name such actions of Grandpa's which were impromptu? He really does seem to have had a good-hearted and full of fun nature, which must have crept into his tv character.
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Post by cinlou on Mar 31, 2018 14:42:53 GMT -5
I think he knew how to work the camera. He was always doing something.
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Post by patriciaanne on Mar 31, 2018 16:18:26 GMT -5
When he was dancing with Grandma at their anniversary party and he fell down--that was definitely unscripted and not intentional. Also whenever he said "A-men and A-women." And I believe several, if not all, trailing arbutus references were unscripted. It adds some fun to the episodes but I bet Ellen Corby didn't always appreciate it because she had been a script supervisor and she knew everyone's lines--including her own.
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Post by pabby6060 on Mar 31, 2018 16:53:19 GMT -5
I think the mock choke-hold he placed on Ben in "The Fox" while recounting his tale of charging up San Juan Hill with Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders in Cuba was ad-libbed ... at least, I believe some of the dialogue between Grandpa and Ben was. Eric Scott has said many times that Will Geer was always improvising during scenes, and the other actors sometimes didn't know where he might be going with his ad libs ... they often had to wait for him to pause for a breath so that they could interject their scripted lines, and sometimes they had a little fun improvising right along with him!
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Post by JeriJet on Mar 31, 2018 22:08:27 GMT -5
There are many, many things I love about Will Geer....
First became aware of him when he played at the American Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford CT, which I attended several times on school field trips in the 50's/60's... it was there that I learned of his botany background -- he was responsible for the Shakespeare Garden there. For those who didn't know -- he has a Masters in botany.
Also discovered his involvement in folk music when it was my passion in the early to mid 60's, loved knowing of his friendships with both Guthrie and Seeger....
Then, I saw him in The Fantastiks off-Broadway circa 1967, started really "following" him at that time, and was thrilled when he showed up on the Waltons. Have always enjoyed the way he worked some of his botany knowledge into Walton scripts....
Oh, man, that smile and easy laugh/chuckle, and that twinkle in his eye -- what's not to love ?!
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Post by goldfinch1 on Apr 1, 2018 16:01:57 GMT -5
There are many, many things I love about Will Geer.... First became aware of him when he played at the American Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford CT, which I attended several times on school field trips in the 50's/60's... it was there that I learned of his botany background -- he was responsible for the Shakespeare Garden there. For those who didn't know -- he has a Masters in botany. Also discovered his involvement in folk music when it was my passion in the early to mid 60's, loved knowing of his friendships with both Guthrie and Seeger.... Then, I saw him in The Fantastiks off-Broadway circa 1967, started really "following" him at that time, and was thrilled when he showed up on the Waltons. Have always enjoyed the way he worked some of his botany knowledge into Walton scripts.... Oh, man, that smile and easy laugh/chuckle, and that twinkle in his eye -- what's not to love ?! Amen Jeri Amen! 😊🌸
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Post by nedandres on Apr 2, 2018 9:44:02 GMT -5
Hey Jeri! Do you remember what part Will played in”The Fantasticks”? I played the Girl’s Father in a college production.
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Post by JeriJet on Apr 2, 2018 10:26:32 GMT -5
Hey Jeri! Do you remember what part Will played in”The Fantasticks”? I played the Girl’s Father in a college production. Oh, my failing brain !! -- You and I talked about this once before.... and I think that Will also played the girl's father.... but now I wonder if he was that crazy old Indian who ran out into the audience and "tomahawked" me ??!!
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Post by nedandres on Apr 2, 2018 21:53:26 GMT -5
Hi dear, the show we talked about was "110 in the Shade" in which he played Lizzy's father. That show was written by the same composers of "The Fantasticks." I checked online today and could not find any reference to Geer in "The Fantasticks," which doesn't necessarily mean that he did not appear in it. I have the CDs of the origina "110" with Geer and the revival with Audra McDonald, which I saw and enjoyed very much in 2006. I met McDonald, who was absolutely gracious to all of us who waited to meet her. What a talented lady! (Geer is delightful on the CD. I am a bit envious that you saw him in the show!!!)
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Post by nedandres on Apr 2, 2018 21:54:32 GMT -5
I also saw "The Fantasticks" at the famous Sullivan Street Playhouse years before it closed as the longest-running musical ever! Wonderful to see it live!
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Post by JeriJet on Apr 3, 2018 8:21:25 GMT -5
Hi dear, the show we talked about was "110 in the Shade" in which he played Lizzy's father. That show was written by the same composers of "The Fantasticks." I checked online today and could not find any reference to Geer in "The Fantasticks," which doesn't necessarily mean that he did not appear in it. I have the CDs of the origina "110" with Geer and the revival with Audra McDonald, which I saw and enjoyed very much in 2006. I met McDonald, who was absolutely gracious to all of us who waited to meet her. What a talented lady! (Geer is delightful on the CD. I am a bit envious that you saw him in the show!!!) Always known for an excellent memory (and resented by my sisters!), I'm now quite afraid that those days are perhaps over... sadly, can't remember "110" at all at the moment, and perhaps I'm wrong about Geer in "The Fantastiks" (spelled that way on my Playbill, I think)... The Sullivan Street Playhouse is a great memory, too!! Believe I saw a documentary about it a few years ago... but maybe it was The Cherry Lane ?! Hope I'm at least correct that I saw Fantastiks "in the round" -- must have, or the actors surely wouldn't have so easily come out into the audience ?? Another long-time show off-Bway was "The Drunkard" ... Fun audience participation -- Boo, Hiss !!
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Post by patriciaanne on Apr 3, 2018 15:04:17 GMT -5
I thought of another one. It was the episode where John-Boy brings the genius home from college. Mary Ellen ends up hosing him down in the garden and Grandpa says "She's trying to baptize him into the human race." There's a lot of laughter between him and John-Boy. That has always seemed like an ad-lib to me, but I do love it.
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Post by rochelle on Apr 4, 2018 10:08:02 GMT -5
I thought of another one. It was the episode where John-Boy brings the genius home from college. Mary Ellen ends up hosing him down in the garden and Grandpa says "She's trying to baptize him into the human race." There's a lot of laughter between him and John-Boy. That has always seemed like an ad-lib to me, but I do love it. "seemed" like an ad-lib. Excellent point, particiaanne! We really don't know, do we? ;-) I wonder, does anyone on this board actually own a copy of an episode script of The Waltons and if so, have they done a comparison between what's actually said and acted out with what is scripted?
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Post by cinlou on Apr 4, 2018 14:17:57 GMT -5
Good idea!
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Post by patriciaanne on Apr 4, 2018 15:50:40 GMT -5
I thought of another one. It was the episode where John-Boy brings the genius home from college. Mary Ellen ends up hosing him down in the garden and Grandpa says "She's trying to baptize him into the human race." There's a lot of laughter between him and John-Boy. That has always seemed like an ad-lib to me, but I do love it. "seemed" like an ad-lib. Excellent point, particiaanne! We really don't know, do we? ;-) I wonder, does anyone on this board actually own a copy of an episode script of The Waltons and if so, have they done a comparison between what's actually said and acted out with what is scripted? I have The Calf somewhere, but I haven't done a line-by-line comparison. But that's a great idea to do that one day!
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