Earl Henry Hamner Jr. (July 10, 1923 – March 24, 2016) was an American television writer and producer (sometimes credited as Earl Hamner), best known for his work in the 1970s and 1980s as the creator of two long-running series, ''

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 unemp ...

'' and ''

Falcon Crest ''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera created by Earl Hamner Jr. that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Cha ...

''. As a novelist, he is best known for ''Spencer's Mountain'', which was inspired by his own childhood and formed the basis for both the film of the same name and the television series ''The Waltons'', for which he provided

voice-over Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique used in radio, television, filmmaking, theatre, and other media in which a descriptive or expository voice that is not part of the narrative (i.e., non- ...

narration. at the beginning of most episodes to set the scene and provide context and occasionally at the end of the program.

Early life

Hamner was born July 10, 1923, in

Schuyler, Virginia Schuyler ( ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Nelson County, Virginia, (Eastern United States), close to Scottsville and Charlottesville, Virginia. The population as of the 2010 U.S. D inecennial Census was 298. The family of Hamner's mother, the Gianninis, were immigrants who came to the United States from

Lucca Città di Lucca ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its Province of Lucca, province has a population of 383,9 ...

, Italy, in the 1700s. His father's family came to Virginia from

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

to the west of England on the island of Great Britain (modern United Kingdom). Until the early 1900s, the Hamners were tobacco farmers near the

James River The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...

, when they moved further northwest to Schuyler, located in Nelson County at the Shenandoah Valley in the Appalachian Mountains / Allegheny Mountains chain on the eastern slopes of the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the United States, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Highlands range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States and extends 550 miles southwest from southern ...

. Schuyler was a company town where the economy was based in soapstone mining by New Alberene Stone, and the town was hit hard by the economic / financial hardships in the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

of the 1930s when the company and its mines closed. Hamner's father worked in the mines from the time his eldest son was born until the company's closing. After losing his job, Earl Sr. could only find work as a machinist at the DuPont de Nemours Company chemical plant in

Waynesboro, Virginia Waynesboro (; formerly Flack) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. It is a principal city of the Staunton-Waynesboro micropolitan area, Staunton-Waynesboro Metropoli ...

, about 30 miles away further north. Due to the distance between home and work, Earl Sr. lived at a boarding house in Waynesboro during the weekdays and traveled back to Schuyler and his family on the weekends. Taking a bus from Waynesboro to

Charlottesville Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the seat of government of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Quee ...

and another stop along the way, Hamner's father would walk then the six miles further to the family's rural home to complete his weekly journey. His walk on a snowy Christmas Eve in 1933 was the inspiration for Hamner's 1970 novel, ''The Homecoming'', which became a Christmas holiday made-for-TV pilot film special, aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) television network in mid-December 1971. Starring Andrew Duggan and Patricia Neal, it was the inspiration for ''The Waltons'' series, which broadcast its first episode nine months later in September 1972. During Earl's childhood years, the family (all except Earl Sr.) attended a small white wood-frame clapboard church known as Schuyler Baptist Church. In April 2014, the church honored Earl with a special worship service in connection with the filming and release of a film documentary titled ''Earl Hamner, Storyteller''. Hamner was in his sophomore / second year on a scholarship at the

University of Richmond The University of Richmond (UR or U of R) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Richmond, Virginia, United States. It is a primarily undergraduate, residential institution with approxim ...

when he was drafted into the United States Army during World War II (1939/1941-1945). He was first trained to defuse landmines and then transferred to the Quartermaster Corps because he could type. He served in France after the famous

D-day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

invasion of Normandy in June 1944. Following the war, he subsequently attended

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

in Evanston, Illinois (near Chicago) and then graduated from the

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati, informally Cincy) is a public university, public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1819 and had an enrollment of over 53,000 students in 2024, making it the ...

in Cincinnati, Ohio with a degree in broadcast communications.

Career

On January 15, 1953, his short teleplay "The Hound of Heaven" was televised on '' The Kate Smith Hour'' which aired 1950 to 1954 on the National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) television network, the tele-play featured actors James Dean and

John Carradine John Carradine ( ; born Richmond Reed Carradine; February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, considered one of the greatest character actors in American cinema. He was a member of Cecil B. DeMille's stock company and later J ...

. In 1954, Hamner wrote "Hit and Run", an episode of the early

legal drama Legal drama, also called courtroom drama, is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in wh ...

''Justice.'' He reprised the theme a decade later in the 1964 " You Drive" episode of ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...

''. In the early 1960s, Hamner contributed eight more episodes to the highly regarded science fiction series ''The Twilight Zone''. His first script acceptance for the series was his big writing break in Hollywood. He also wrote or co-wrote eight episodes of the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) animal TV series ''

Gentle Ben Gentle Ben is a bear character created by author Walt Morey and first introduced in a 1965 children's novel, ''Gentle Ben''. The original novel told the story of the friendship between a large male bear named Ben and a boy named Mark. The story ...

'' (1967–1969) and four episodes of the sitcom ''

Nanny and the Professor ''Nanny and the Professor'' is an early 1970s American sitcom created by AJ Carothers and Thomas L. Miller for 20th Century-Fox Television that aired on ABC from January 21, 1970 until December 27, 1971. During pre-production, the proposed ...

'' (1970-1971) for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) TV network. He also created two other short-lived television series: ''

Apple's Way ''Apple's Way'' is an American drama television series that aired on CBS from February 10, 1974, to January 12, 1975. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr. (1923-2016). Premise The Apples of Los Angeles—architect George, his wife Barbara, their ...

'' (1974–1975) starring Ronny Cox on CBS, and ''Boone'' (1983–1984) starring Tom Byrd on NBC. Hamner often used distant family names to title his projects: Spencer (''Spencer's Mountain'') is the maiden name of his paternal grandmother Susan Henry Spencer Hamner. ''The Waltons name'' derives from his paternal grandfather Walter Clifton Hamner and great-grandfather Walter Leland Hamner.

Death

Hamner died in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, of

bladder cancer Bladder cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the bladder. These cells can grow to form a tumor, which eventually spreads, damaging the bladder and other organs. Most people with bladder cancer are diagnosed after noticing blood in thei ...

on March 24, 2016, aged 92. On July 8, 2023, a bronze statue of Hamner was unveiled in

Nelson County, Virginia Nelson County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,775. Its county seat is Lovingston. Nelson County is part of the Charlottesville, VA, Metropolitan Statist ...

, two days prior to his centennial birthday.

List of works

Novels * ''Fifty Roads to Town'' (1953) * ''Spencer's Mountain'' (1961) * ''You Can't Get There from Here'' (1965) * ''The Homecoming: A Novel About Spencer's Mountain'' (1970) * ''Lassie: A Christmas Story'' (1997; co-written with Don Sipes, children's picture book story with illustrations by Kevin Burke) * ''Murder in Tinseltown'' (2000; co-written with Don Sipes) Non-fiction * ''The Avocado Drive Zoo'' (a memoir) (1999) * ''Good Night, John Boy'' (2002; reminiscences of making ''The Waltons'' TV series) * ''Generous Women'' (2006; collection of memoirs) Screenplays * ''

Palm Springs Weekend ''Palm Springs Weekend'' is a 1963 Warner Bros. bedroom comedy film directed by Norman Taurog. It has elements of the beach party genre ( AIP's '' Beach Party'' became a smash hit in July, while Warner Bros. was still putting this film together) ...

'' (1963) * ''

Charlotte's Web ''Charlotte's Web'' is a book of children's literature by American author E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams. It was published on October 15, 1952, by Harper & Brothers. It tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his frie ...

'' (1973) Teleplays * ''Highway'' (1954) * Episodes of ''

'': ** " The Hunt" (1962) ** " A Piano in the House" (1962) ** " Jess-Belle" (1963) ** " Ring-a-Ding Girl" (1963) ** " You Drive" (1964) ** " Black Leather Jackets" (1964) ** " Stopover in a Quiet Town" (1964) ** " The Bewitchin' Pool" (1964) * ''

Heidi ''Heidi'' (; ) is a work of children's fiction published between 1880 and 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally published in two parts as ''Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning'' () and ''Heidi: How She Used What She Learned'' ( ...

'' (1968) * '' Appalachian Autumn'' (1969) * ''Aesop's Fables'' (1971) * '' The Homecoming: A Christmas Story'' (December 1971 pilot film; for the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) television network, for future The Waltons subsequent TV series the following year) * '' Where the Lilies Bloom'' (1974) * '' The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story'' (1983)

Awards and recognition

Peabody Awards The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

**1972 Winner,: George Foster Peabody Award for Distinguished Journalism (1972) for ''The Waltons''. (recognizing "

CBS-TV CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

, Earl Hamner, Jr., and all others who have had a part.")"''The Waltons'': CBS-TV"
PeabodyAwards.com, retrieved May 21, 2025 *

Primetime Emmy The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...

: ** 1972 Nominee, Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama - Adaptation: ''The Homecoming: A Christmas Story.''"Earl Hamner Jr.: Awards"
The Television Academy, retrieved May 21, 2025"Earl Hamner Jr.: Awards"
IMDB.com retrieved May 21, 2025 ** 1973 Nominee, Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama, for ''The Waltons'' episode: "The Love Story". * Writers Guild of America, USA **1974 Nominee, WGA Award (TV): Episodic Drama: ''The Waltons'' episode: "An Easter Story" (1973). (Shared with: John McGreevey) **1974 Nominee, WGA Award (TV): Episodic Drama: ''The Waltons'' episode: "The Thanksgiving Story" (1973). (Shared with: Joanna Lee) *

Library of Virginia The Library of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia, is the library agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It serves as the archival agency and the reference library for Virginia's seat of government. The Library is located at 800 East Broad Street, tw ...

Literary Awards Celebration ** Honoree: Literary Lifetime Achievement Award (2011) (Presented to Hamner by actor Richard Thomas, the lead actor in ''The Waltons'' series, who portrayed the character that Hamner based on himself).Stafford, Yvette
"Actor Richard Thomas Presents Lifetime Achievement Award To Nelson’s Earl Hamner"
October 16, 2011, ''Blue Ridge Life'' magazine, retrieved May 21, 2025 Hamner received other awards, including: * TV-Radio Writers Award (1967)"Earl Hamner to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award"
(press release), undated (shortly before October 15, 2011),

, retrieved May 21, 2025 * Virginian of the Year Award from Virginia Press Association (1973) * National Association of Television Executives Man of the Year Award (1974) * Virginia Association of Broadcasters Award (1975) * Frederic Ziv Award from the

for Outstanding Achievement in Telecommunication Hamner's works (particularly ''The Waltons'' and related films and television productions) also received extensive recognition, including an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

for Best Drama Series for ''The Waltons'' (1974), 15

Golden Globes The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...

nominations, and other awards."Earl Hamner Jr., Creator of Golden Globe Winner ‘The Waltons’, 1923-2016"
(obituary), March 28, 2016, The

, retrieved May 21, 2025 The Earl Hamner, Jr. Theater (or simply: The Hamner Theater) -- A community performing arts theater in

(where Hamner grew up) -- is named for him."About"
The Hamner Theater, retrieved May 21, 2025

References

External links

* * *

All About The Waltons
The Hamner Theater
The Hamner Theater in Nelson County, Virginia.

*
The Walton Hamner House
The childhood home of Earl Hamner Jr. (1923–2016), on which he based the TV show "The Waltons" – Schuyler, Nelson County, Virginia {{DEFAULTSORT:Hamner, Earl Jr. 1923 births 2016 deaths American people of Welsh descent American writers of Italian descent American soap opera writers American male screenwriters American male novelists American male television writers American television show creators People from Nelson County, Virginia Military personnel from Virginia United States Army soldiers United States Army personnel of World War II 20th-century American novelists Novelists from Virginia 20th-century American male writers Screenwriters from Virginia Deaths from bladder cancer in California Television producers from Virginia