The Waltons
''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural mountainous Western Virginia of the Appalachian Mountains / Allegheny Mountains / Blue Ridge Mountains chain, during the economic hardships and mass unemployment of the era of the Great Depression of the 1930s and the subsequent United States home front during World War II of the 1940s. It was created by screenwriter / author Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book ''Spencer's Mountain''. ''The Waltons'' aired from 1972 to 1981, but relocated to the fictional Walton's Mountain, Virginia, in the Depression era 1930s and wartime (World War II) 1940s. The television film, TV film special ''The Homecoming: A Christmas Story'' was broadcast on December 19, 1971. Based on its high ratings and critical responses success, the CBS network ordered the first season of episodes (to be based on the same characters, with some changes in the casting) which became known as the television series ''The Walto ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Merie Earle
Merie Earle (born Goldie Merie Ireland; May 13, 1889 – November 4, 1984) was an American actress. She was best known for playing Maude Gormley on the television series ''The Waltons'' (1972–1979). Early years After Earle's father retired, her parents relocated to La Crescenta, California, to be closer to their daughter. She was discovered by an agent while performing in a play at a Methodist church. Career Beginning her professional career late in life, Earle's first jobs included ads for ''Polaroid''. In 1967 she made her feature film debut in ''Fitzwilly'' starring Dick Van Dyke. Her screen credits included ''Gaily, Gaily'' (1969); ''In Name Only''; ''Dr. Max'' (1974); ''Crazy Mama'' (1975); ''Fatso'' (1980); and ''Going Ape'' (1981). She was a regular on the TV series ''The Jerry Reed When You're Hot You're Hot Hour'' in 1972 and ''The Waltons'' from 1972 to 1979 as Maude Gormley. Earle also appeared in the made-for-TV movie ''The Last of the Good Guys'' in 1978. Sch ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Historical Drama
A historical drama (also period drama, period piece or just period) is a dramatic work set in the past, usually used in the context of film and television, which presents history, historical events and characters with varying degrees of fiction such as artistic license, creative dialogue or scenes which compress separate events. The biographical film is a type of historical drama which generally focuses on a single individual or well-defined group. Historical dramas can include romance film, romances, adventure films, and swashbucklers. Historical drama can be differentiated from historical fiction, which generally present fictional characters and events against a backdrop of historical events. A period piece may be set in a vague or general era such as the Middle Ages, or a specific period such as the Roaring Twenties, or the recent past. Scholarship In different eras different subgenres have risen to popularity, such as the westerns and sword and sandal films that dominated Nor ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Helen Kleeb
Helen Kleeb (January 6, 1907 – December 28, 2003) was an American film and television actress. In a career covering nearly 50 years, she may be best known for her role from 1972 to 1981 as Miss Mamie Baldwin on the family drama ''The Waltons''. Early life and career Kleeb began acting on stage in Portland, Oregon, late in the 1920s, where she attended the Ellison-White Conservatory of Music. She also gained her first radio experience in Portland. From 1949 to 1951, she performed voices for the radio program '' Candy Matson''. In 1956–1957, Kleeb guest-starred on '' Hey, Jeannie!,'' starring Jeannie Carson. In the 1960–1961 television season, Kleeb appeared as Miss Claridge, a legal secretary, on the sitcom '' Harrigan and Son''. She appeared in episodes of '' Dennis the Menace'', ''I Love Lucy'', ''Pete and Gladys'', '' Hennesey'', ''Death Valley Days'', ''The Virginian'' (Season 7, Episode 13, The Big Tiny), ''Get Smart'', ''The Andy Griffith Show'', ''Green Acres ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Lee Rich
Lee Rich (December 19, 1918 – May 24, 2012) was an American film and television producer, who won the 1973 Outstanding Drama Series Emmy award for ''The Waltons'' as the producer. He is also known as the co-founder and former chairman of Lorimar Television. Among the five Emmy nominated programs Rich produced were the series ''Dallas'' and '' Knots Landing''. Early life and education Rich was born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 19, 1918. His parents were Morris Richtaller and Anna Neminsky, both Jewish. His mother was born in Tetiev, Ukraine. He earned a marketing degree from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Career Rich began his career in advertising and ultimately became an industry executive. He served in the Navy as a lieutenant in World War II, and then returned to advertising in New York, where he rose to senior vice president and a member of the board of Benton & Bowles. As the ad agency middleman between product company sponsors and television producers, h ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Robert L
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, praise, renown, godlike" and ''berht'' "bright, light, shining"). It is the second most frequently used given name of ancient Germanic origin.Reaney & Wilson, 1997. ''Dictionary of English Surnames''. Oxford University Press. It is also in use as a surname. Another commonly used form of the name is Rupert. After becoming widely used in Continental Europe, the name entered England in its Old French form ''Robert'', where an Old English cognate form (''Hrēodbēorht'', ''Hrodberht'', ''Hrēodbēorð'', ''Hrœdbœrð'', ''Hrœdberð'', ''Hrōðberχtŕ'') had existed before the Norman Conquest. The feminine version is Roberta. The Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish form is Roberto. Robert is also a common name in many Germanic languages, including En ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous states border Canada to the north and Mexico to the south, with the semi-exclave of Alaska in the northwest and the archipelago of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The United States asserts sovereignty over five Territories of the United States, major island territories and United States Minor Outlying Islands, various uninhabited islands in Oceania and the Caribbean. It is a megadiverse country, with the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, third-largest land area and List of countries and dependencies by population, third-largest population, exceeding 340 million. Its three Metropolitan statistical areas by population, largest metropolitan areas are New York metropolitan area, New York, Greater Los Angeles, Los Angel ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Andrew Duggan
Andrew Duggan (December 28, 1923 – May 15, 1988) was an American character actor. His work includes 185 screen credits between 1949 and 1987 for roles in both film and television, as well a number more on stage. Background Duggan was born in Franklin, Indiana, Franklin, Johnson County, Indiana. During World War II, he served in the United States Army 40th Special Services (entertainment), Special Services Company, led by actor Melvyn Douglas in the China Burma India Theater of World War II. His contact with Douglas later led to his performing with Lucille Ball in the play ''Dreamgirl''. Duggan developed a friendship with Broadway director Daniel Mann on a troop ship when returning from the war. Duggan appeared on Broadway in ''The Rose Tattoo'', ''Gently Does It'','' Anniversary Waltz'', ''Fragile Fox'', and ''The Third Best Sport''. Duggan appeared in some 70 films and in more than 140 television programs between 1949 and 1987. In film he appeared in Westerns, war pictures, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Edgar Bergen
Edgar John Bergen (né Berggren; February 16, 1903 – September 30, 1978) was an American ventriloquist, comedian, actor, vaudevillian and radio performer. He was best known for his characters Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd. Bergen pioneered modern-day ventriloquism and has been described by puppetry organization UNIMA as the “quintessential ventriloquist of the 20th century”. He was the father of actress Candice Bergen. Early life Bergen was born in Chicago, one of five children and the younger of two sons of Swedish immigrants Nilla Svensdotter (née Osberg) and Johan Henriksson Berggren. He lived on a farm near Decatur, Michigan until he was four, when his family returned to Sweden, where he learned the language. After his family had returned to Chicago, when he was eleven, he taught himself ventriloquism from a pamphlet called "The Wizard's Manual". He attended Lake View High School. After his father died, when Edgar was 16, he went out to work as an ap ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Patricia Neal
Patricia Neal (born Patsy Louise Neal; January 20, 1926 – August 8, 2010) was an American actress of stage and screen. She is well known for, among other roles, playing World WarII widow Helen Benson in ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' (1951), radio journalist Marcia Jeffries in '' A Face in the Crowd'' (1957), wealthy matron Emily Eustace Failenson in '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (1961), and the worn-out housekeeper Alma Brown in '' Hud'' (1963) (for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress). She also featured as the matriarch in the television film ''The Homecoming: A Christmas Story'' (1971); her role as Olivia Walton was re-cast for the series it inspired, ''The Waltons''. A major star of the 1950s and 1960s, she was the recipient of an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and two British Academy Film Awards, and was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards. Early life and education Neal was born in Packard, Whitley County, Kentucky, to William Bur ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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John Ritter
Johnathan Southworth Ritter (September 17, 1948 – September 11, 2003) was an American comedian and actor. He was a son of the singing cowboy star Tex Ritter and the father of actors Jason Ritter, Jason and Tyler Ritter. He is best known for playing Jack Tripper on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC sitcom ''Three's Company'' (1977–1984), and received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy, Golden Globe Award for the role in 1984. Ritter briefly reprised the role on the spin-off ''Three's a Crowd'', which aired for one season, producing 22 episodes before its cancellation in 1985. He appeared in over 100 films and television series combined and performed on Broadway theatre, Broadway, with roles including adult Ben Hanscom in ''It (miniseries), It'' (1990), ''Problem Child (film), Problem Child'' (1990), ''Problem Child 2'' (1991), a dramati ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Robert Donner
Robert Donner (April 27, 1931 – June 8, 2006) was an American television and film actor. Early life Donner was born in New York City on April 27, 1931. He was raised in New Jersey, Michigan and Texas. He spent four years in the United States Navy and was stationed in California. After he completed his military service, he settled in the Los Angeles area. Career Donner's first role was an uncredited part in the 1959 John Wayne Western '' Rio Bravo''; he also appeared in the sequels (which formed a loose trilogy), ''El Dorado'' and ''Rio Lobo''. He also appeared in '' Chisum'', '' The Undefeated'', and '' The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance''. His best-known television roles were as the ex-convict/informant T.J. on ''Adam-12'', Yancy Tucker on ''The Waltons'' and Exidor on ''Mork & Mindy''. As Exidor, Donner's comic performance opposite Robin Williams's Mork made him an audience favorite. Personal life Donner married producer/writer Jill Sherman in 1982. He died June 8, 2006 of a h ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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John Crawford (actor)
John Crawford (born Cleve Allen Richardson; September 13, 1920 – September 21, 2010) was an American actor. He appeared in a 1961 episode of ''The Twilight Zone'', called " A Hundred Yards Over the Rim", and in several ''Gunsmoke'' episodes. He had a key role in the 1975 film '' Night Moves'', a crime thriller starring Gene Hackman. He also played the mayor of San Francisco in 1976's '' The Enforcer'', the third ''Dirty Harry'' film featuring Clint Eastwood, as well as the Chief Engineer in Irwin Allen's classic 1972 box-office smash and disaster-film epic '' The Poseidon Adventure''. Life and career Crawford was born in Colfax, Washington, and studied at the School of Drama at the University of Washington. In films from the 1940s, Crawford appeared in bit parts for many years before playing leads in several films in the United Kingdom in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 1960 in the UK, he appeared in ''Danger Man'' in the episode entitled "The Girl in the Pink Pajamas" a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |