Feeling "put out to pasture," John Walton seeks adventure by taking a job at a shipyard in Norfolk.Feeling "put out to pasture," John Walton seeks adventure by taking a job at a shipyard in Norfolk.Feeling "put out to pasture," John Walton seeks adventure by taking a job at a shipyard in Norfolk.
Photos
Michael Learned
- Olivia Walton
- (as Miss Michael Learned)
Mary Beth McDonough
- Erin Walton
- (as Mary Elizabeth McDonough)
Earl Hamner Jr.
- The Narrator
- (voice)
- (as Earl Hamner)
Panos Christi
- Stavros Cristopoulis
- (as Panos A. Christi)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe family references three radio shows during the episode's action, which unfolds in the autumn of 1934. They are: Erin and Mary Ellen's pick, Guy Lombardo (briefly heard: a cover of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips"); Ben and Jason's choice, The Lone Ranger (then a new national hit over the new Mutual Radio Network); and an apparent family favorite, Lux Radio Theatre (CBS), which debuted in October, 1934.
- GoofsJohn says that Norfolk is only 90 miles away; if Waltons Mountain is supposed to be in the vicinity of Schuyler, that distance is actually about 175 miles.
- Quotes
Narrator: [narration as John 'John Boy' Walton, Jr. reading from his journal] By the Fall of 1934, people were beginning to hope that the worst of the Depression was over. Some jobs were opening up and there was an urgency in the country to get up and get going again. There was a restless feeling to life, we all felt it, and my father was no exception. The fall of that year brought him the first real discontent we ever knew him to have.
Featured review
The Mid-Life Itch!
I give this episode 10 stars because it addresses two struggles I can relate to: realizing one is getting older, and that depressed times call for drastic measures.
With an 18-year-old son, the Walton parents are most likely in their late 30s or early 40s; so, being in my early 40s without kids, when Mr. Walton talks about feeling restless I started to imagine what it must be like to have an 18-year-old in college, along with six other kids, and taking on parental responsibilities for so long that every day just blends to the next without any sense of adventure or excitement. Now that's a load to carry, and Ralph Waite expresses this well in his role.
Along with feeling the itch of mid-life restlessness is the never-ending problem of not having enough money in the Walton household; so it makes sense, to me, that Mr. Walton takes a drastic measure to bring in more money while at the same time satisfying his restless itch by finding work elsewhere.
I appreciate the dialogue/argument between the Walton parents because each side has valid points when it comes to the pros and cons of the departure to a bigger city to get more work; such a situation cannot be easy, but such is life, and even though the stories are fictitious I enjoy seeing how the characters work through their problems in episodes like this.
I also appreciate watching something where money isn't plentiful in a home, jobs are scarce in a rural area, and the adults in the home aren't in their 20s. It may not be the 1930s any more, or even the 1970s when the show was made, yet the same situations exist in 2021 and I find it comforting to watch a show that in some ways is more realistic than reality TV.
Thanks to the INSP Channel for making The Waltons part of their weekday lineup!
With an 18-year-old son, the Walton parents are most likely in their late 30s or early 40s; so, being in my early 40s without kids, when Mr. Walton talks about feeling restless I started to imagine what it must be like to have an 18-year-old in college, along with six other kids, and taking on parental responsibilities for so long that every day just blends to the next without any sense of adventure or excitement. Now that's a load to carry, and Ralph Waite expresses this well in his role.
Along with feeling the itch of mid-life restlessness is the never-ending problem of not having enough money in the Walton household; so it makes sense, to me, that Mr. Walton takes a drastic measure to bring in more money while at the same time satisfying his restless itch by finding work elsewhere.
I appreciate the dialogue/argument between the Walton parents because each side has valid points when it comes to the pros and cons of the departure to a bigger city to get more work; such a situation cannot be easy, but such is life, and even though the stories are fictitious I enjoy seeing how the characters work through their problems in episodes like this.
I also appreciate watching something where money isn't plentiful in a home, jobs are scarce in a rural area, and the adults in the home aren't in their 20s. It may not be the 1930s any more, or even the 1970s when the show was made, yet the same situations exist in 2021 and I find it comforting to watch a show that in some ways is more realistic than reality TV.
Thanks to the INSP Channel for making The Waltons part of their weekday lineup!
helpful•82
- JenExxifer
- Oct 28, 2021
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content