Helen Kleeb Movies

In the conclusion of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single two-hour episode), the Waltons have no sooner adjusted to the news that Mary Ellen (Judy Norton-Taylor) has become engaged to wealthy medical intern David Spencer (Robert Merritt Woods) than the entire community must adjust to arrival of new doctor Curt Willard (Tom Bower, in his first series appearance). Living up to his first name, Dr. Willard tends to be brusque and no-nonsense with his patients, and they definitely disapprove of his bedside manner. The only person who seem to be happy that Curt has arrived is Mary Ellen...who, despite the fact that her marriage is only a few days away, is quite attracted to the young physician! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Grandma (Ellen Corby) blows her top when Grandpa (Will Geer) comes home with a statue that he's won in a raffle. The statue bears a startling resemblance to one of Grandpa's old girlfriends, which of course is why he insists upon keeping it...and never mind the consequences! Elsewhere, Emily Baldwin (Mary Jackson) is outraged when John-Boy (Richard Thomas) weaves her romantic fantasies into one of his short stories. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

John-Boy (Richard Thomas) is assigned to escort reporter Porter Sims (Richard McKenzie), who has come to the Mountain looking for material to include a Virginia travel guide. After visiting the Baldwin sisters, Sims uncovers some disturbing information about the ladies' esteemed father, the late Judge Baldwin. The evidence suggests that during the Civil War, the Judge had "betrayed" the noble Confederate cause to those Damn Yankees! Of course, there's much more to the story than that, and it is John-Boy who helps put the pieces together to save the Baldwins' good name. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

No sooner has Olivia (Michael Learned) taken a job as a door-to-door salesman to help make ends meet in the Walton home than she discovers she is pregnant...again. As John (Ralph Waite) wonders if the family can afford another child, his youngest daughter Elizabeth (Kami Cotler) makes no secret of her disappointment over being supplanted as the "baby" of the family. Ultimately, the family comes to accept what seems to be The Inevitable--and then an unexpected plot twist puts the situation in a whole new light. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Walton family spends a great deal of money to purchase a new suit of clothes for John-Boy's high school graduation. But when their cow suddenly dies, the Waltons desperately need ready cash to replace the bovine. Will John-Boy (Richard Thomas) stubbornly hold on to his graduation suit, or will he do the Right Thing and sell it back? Without revealing the ending, it can be noted that Grandpa Walton (Will Geer) comes to the rescue. Featured in the supporting cast is child actor Jeff Cotler, the brother of series regular Kami Cotler (Elizabeth). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first half of The Waltons' two-part Season One finale (originally telecast as a single two-hour episode), Mary Ellen (Judy Norton-Taylor) nervously looks forward to her first Easter dance. But her anticpation of this momentous event is eclipsed by a potential tragedy in the Walton household: Olivia (Michael Learned) has been stricken with polio. Though Dr. Vance grimly predicts that Olivia will never walk again, John-Boy (Richard Thomas) refuses to give up hope, and embarks upon a curious odyssey in desperate search of a miracle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The plot of this episode is sparked (no pun intended) by an overdue electric bill. In his efforts to raise the necessary funds, Grandpa Walton (Will Geer) becomes enmeshed in a situation that incurs the wrath of Grandma (Ellen Corby). This minor and rather silly misunderstanding escalates into a bitter quarrel--whereupon Grandpa and Grandma, too stubborn to admit their mistakes and reconcile their differences, may well be on the verge of a permanent split-up! This episode is based on a story by series regular Ellen Corby). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Walton's Mountain turns into a battleground over the teaching of Evolution. Lutie Bascomb (Richard Bradford), a hard-luck farmer whose violent temper has gotten worse since the breakup of his marriage, storms into the classroom of Miss Hunter (Mariclare Costello) and accuses her of "blasphemy" for explaining Darwin's theory to Lutie's daughter Lois Mae (Laurie Prange). The war of words reaches an ominous climax when Lutie threatens to kill Miss Hunter--and not long afterward, the schoolhouse is engulfed in flames! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This time Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) is on the trail of armed robbers Beau Parker (Andrew Prine and Cass Linden (Melissa Murphy), a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde. Tagging along for the ride is Cass's baby-faced kid sister Mary Linden (Jo Ann Harris), who not only gets a thrill out of being an outlaw, but in her own way may be even more dangerous than her older sibling. Mary Ann is especially adept at taunting and tormenting her victims--and though she hasn't killed anyone yet, give her time! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of The Waltons' two-part Season One finale (originally telecast as a single two-hour episode), the outlook is bleak for Olivia Walton (Michael Learned), who has been stricken with polio and may never walk again. Refusing to accept this prognosis, John-Boy (Richard Thomas) puts his faith in a radical new medical procedure created by the legendary Sister Kenny. Meanwhile, Mary Ellen (Judy Norton-Taylor) tries to teach G.W. Haines (David Doremus) to dance in time for their Easter date; and Jason (Jon Walmsley) enters an amateur song contest with his own composition, "The Ironing Board Blues". "An Easter Story" was later released theatrically in Australia as the feature film A Walton Crisis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The fourteenth and final season of Bonanza began on September 12, 1972 with a special two-hour episode. As originally written by series star Michael Landon (who also directed), "Forever" was supposed to have focused on the ill-starred marriage between Hoss Cartwright (Dan Blocker) and Alice Harper (Bonnie Bedelia). The tragic death of Dan Blocker forced Landon to rewrite the story as vehicle for his own character, Joe Cartwright-and the result was one of the series' most heartbreakingly poignant episodes, not so much because of what was seen on camera, but because of the emotional baggage brought to the set by surviving Bonanza regulars Landon and Lorne Greene (Ben Cartwright). In the final version of "Forever," the happiness of the union between Joe and Alice is clouded by the fact that the girl is pregnant by another man-and by the criminal activities of her ne'er-do-well brother John Harper (Andy Robinson). Exquisitely photographed on location in the High Sierras, the episode was enhanced by David Rose's haunting musical score, elements of which were later heard in Landon's subsequent starring series Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven. This episode also marked the return of Rose's original Bonanza main theme, after a two-season absence. The ending of "Forever", in which both Joe and Ben quietly weep over their respective losses, is guaranteed to move even the most jaded viewer to tears. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Virtually everyone on Walton's Mountain is profoundly affected when a meteorite falls through the Baldwin sisters' roof. Grandpa (Will Geer) in particular regards the falling star as a grim omen, perhaps of his own imminent demise. Meanwhile, the Baldwins' disreputable cousin Polonius (Iggie Wolfington) tries to capitalize on the astronomical phenomenon by insisting that the meteorite has been sent as warning to the ladies to stop brewing their special moonshine...and to hand their famous "recipe" over to him. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide