1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: I Am all In again. 2 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 2: Oh, I guess you. 3 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 1: I Smell Pop Culture with Eastern Allen and iHeart Radio podcast. 4 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: Hey everybody, it's Easton Allen. 5 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 3: This is I Smell pop Culture under the I Am 6 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 3: all In umbrella. Thank you Scott Patterson for leaving me 7 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 3: the keys to the podcast. I promise I'll bring it 8 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 3: back with a full tank. Here's what we do here, everybody, 9 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 3: if you're just getting on the ride for the first time. 10 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:42,240 Speaker 3: Gilmore Girls has pop culture references. It's overflowing with them. 11 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 3: It's every other line is a pop culture reference. We 12 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 3: are going to take one. We're going to expand upon it. 13 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:48,519 Speaker 3: We're going to zoom in. We're going to pinch to 14 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 3: zoom and we're going to talk to the people behind 15 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 3: these pop culture references. The movie stars, the musicians, the artists, 16 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 3: the creators, the dreamers that make these things pop culture. 17 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 3: We're going to he learned all about it. We're going 18 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:04,039 Speaker 3: to go deep. We're going to go behind the scenes. 19 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 3: And that's what we're doing. 20 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: Now. This is a show. 21 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 3: This week, we're going to highlight a television show from 22 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:13,039 Speaker 3: the nineteen seventies. You may not be familiar with this. 23 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 3: A little show called The Waltons. Have you heard of 24 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 3: the Waltons? Do you love the Waltons. If you don't, 25 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 3: you should. The Waltons is incredible. It's such a good show. 26 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 3: Before I tell you the connection to Gilmour Girls, I'm 27 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 3: going to explain a little bit about the Waltons. It 28 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 3: was a historical drama set in a Great Depression, the 29 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:35,119 Speaker 3: Great Depression era the nineteen thirties, in the Appalachian Mountains 30 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:38,680 Speaker 3: Blue Ridge Mountains region of Virginia. It first premiered on 31 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 3: CBS in nineteen seventy two. This show won thirteen Emmys, 32 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 3: including Best Drama in nineteen seventy three. Paved the way 33 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 3: for A Little House on the Prairie. We've talked to 34 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 3: people from a Little House on the Prairie before that 35 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 3: premire just a few years later. It was a kind 36 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 3: of a throwbacky show to a simpler time in America, 37 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 3: a difficult time for many people. But this show was 38 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 3: full of so much warmth and love of the Walton family. 39 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 3: If you haven't seen the show, you've probably seen the 40 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 3: way they say goodnight. Every episode ended with them saying 41 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 3: good night, John Boy, good night Mary Elle, and just 42 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:13,920 Speaker 3: going through the house ping ponging back and forth saying 43 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:17,079 Speaker 3: good night. What a fun thing to do. I come myself. 44 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 3: I come from a family of fours, me and my 45 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 3: sister and my parents, and we lived in a small 46 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 3: cabin in the mountains. And you know, if we did that, 47 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 3: it would be very short. It would just be good night, Kimberly, 48 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 3: good night Easton. But the Walton's six kids in the 49 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 3: Walton family, they when they say good night, it's a 50 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 3: lot of fun. And every episode ends that way. But 51 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 3: check this out. Here's the pop culture reference we're exploring 52 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:43,080 Speaker 3: this week. We're going back to season one, episode six, 53 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 3: Rory's Birthday Parties. We're celebrating Rory's birthday. You probably remember 54 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 3: this this season one nugget, Loreli is recounting the magic 55 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 3: of pregnancy, the miracle childbirth. She's laying in Rory's bed, 56 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 3: it's early. 57 00:02:58,000 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: In the morning. 58 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 3: She's trying to like paint a picture of what it 59 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:03,359 Speaker 3: was like to be pregnant with Rory and to give 60 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 3: birth to her. She's telling this in vivid detail, and 61 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 3: she says, and while some have called it the most 62 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 3: meaningful experience of your life, to me, it was something 63 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 3: more akin to doing the splits on a creative dynamite 64 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 3: and Rory says, I wonder if the Waltons ever did this. 65 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 3: Here's the okay. So that's a question that Rory wonders. 66 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 3: We're going to get the answer to that because today 67 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,919 Speaker 3: we are talking to Judy Norton. Judy played Mary Ellen 68 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 3: Walton on The Waltons. She was the oldest daughter and 69 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 3: she was in every episode. She was in the movies. 70 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 3: She is a hardcore member of the Waltons and we're 71 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 3: going to talk to her today because the Waltons has 72 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 3: another connection to Gilmore Girls that is very, very exciting, 73 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 3: and we are going to get into this right away 74 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 3: because I cannot wait. We are going to talk to 75 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 3: Judy Orton right now. She is in the waiting room. 76 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 3: Let's bring her in. Judy, it's I smell pop culture. 77 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 3: Thank you so much for doing this. It is so 78 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 3: nice to meet you. 79 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 2: Oh, thank you, thank you for having me. 80 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:00,640 Speaker 1: So there's so much to get into. 81 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 3: There is so much in the world of Walton's, the 82 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 3: world of television at large. But first we got to 83 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 3: clear something up. This is a Gilmore Girls podcast where 84 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 3: Gilmore Girls uh focused here. As much as I want 85 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 3: this to just be entirely Walton's uh so much in 86 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,839 Speaker 3: common with Gilmore Girls that blew my mind kind of. 87 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:23,679 Speaker 3: I mean, uh, set in a small town with quirky 88 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 3: townsfolk Walton's Mountain Virginia for the Waltons and starts Hallow, 89 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 3: Connecticut for Gilmore Girls. John Boy, Your Maine, your protagonist 90 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 3: went away to a university and became a journalist, just 91 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 3: like Rory Gilmore did. And of course both of these 92 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 3: shows filmed on the Warner back lot. We were talking 93 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 3: about this before we started The Walton House which people 94 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 3: can't see this, but behind me is the is the 95 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 3: house and in my zoom window that became the dragon 96 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 3: fly in. 97 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:54,720 Speaker 4: Uh? 98 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:55,360 Speaker 1: Is that? 99 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 4: Like? 100 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 3: Do you ever go to the because the dragon fly 101 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,159 Speaker 3: in I'm saying this in quotes is at the Warner 102 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 3: back lot? Still, would you ever go after the show 103 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 3: wrapped or would you ever go back to the Warner 104 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 3: back lot and kind of like relive those sets? 105 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:09,919 Speaker 1: Did you ever do that? 106 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 4: I didn't because you can't just get on the lot. 107 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, you know. 108 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 4: You have to passes. You have to somebody has to 109 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 4: send a pass. You can't just drive up and go Hi. 110 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 4: I used to work here you let me in, They're like, 111 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 4: who are you? That was a million years ago? I 112 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 4: mean it was literally forty years ago that I was 113 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 4: on that lot. So and sadly that back lot that 114 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 4: doesn't exist anymore. That section of the back lot of 115 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 4: Warner Brothers was torn down to put up progress buildings 116 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 4: and parking lots. They still have sections of Warner Brothers 117 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 4: Midwest Street where we use where we did some of 118 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 4: our other shots, and I'm sure Gilmore Girls used that 119 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 4: as well. In fact, I think I've seen certain things. 120 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:02,360 Speaker 4: Midwest Street gets used all the time. That's where the 121 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 4: central park is with the gazebo that they used. You 122 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 4: know what that gazebo was in what famous movie? I 123 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 4: mean a lot of. 124 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:12,600 Speaker 2: Movies, but tell me the music Man. 125 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 4: Yes, that was river City that was marching around and 126 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 4: when they went by the whole seventy six Trombones went 127 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 4: right by there, and so iconic locations, iconic houses that 128 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 4: get reset decorated for other shows. 129 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,600 Speaker 3: Was that so fun when you were filming the Waltons? 130 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 3: Was it cool being on like a lot like that? 131 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: Did you enjoy that? 132 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:36,359 Speaker 2: I did? 133 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:37,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. 134 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 4: I love studios, I love back lots, and it does 135 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:45,919 Speaker 4: make me sad when I hear that so many of 136 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:50,719 Speaker 4: the studios, their back lots have been let fall to 137 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 4: weeds and ruin, and sets are falling down because it 138 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 4: is so anybody on Gilmour Girls who doesn't want to 139 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:01,280 Speaker 4: know something about that house, plug your ears right now, 140 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:05,039 Speaker 4: because this is a spoiler. Okay, if you ready. That 141 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:09,280 Speaker 4: is a facade. There's nothing inside that house. I mean 142 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 4: it goes around the sides and then it's just got 143 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 4: sort of you can it's got I think some piece 144 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 4: of plywood in the back or whatever inside on the ware. 145 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 4: For us, and I don't know if that was entirely 146 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 4: true for the Gilmore Girls. I didn't study their house 147 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 4: as much. There was a back porch entrance, and for 148 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 4: the Waltons, we came in the back porch and that 149 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 4: went into the kitchen area. On that set, you came 150 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 4: into a little sort of holding area and then you 151 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 4: went around a corner and there was sort of a 152 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 4: rough walled room that we used for our makeup room 153 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 4: when we were on the back lot filming, so that 154 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 4: was where our makeup and hair people would set up 155 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 4: in there. You could go in the front door, but 156 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 4: it didn't go very far and then there was a 157 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:55,520 Speaker 4: wall there and you could see little stairs heading up, 158 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 4: but again they went up two or three steps, and 159 00:07:57,240 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 4: then they turned a corner and there was nothing there 160 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 4: to I think, climb a ladder to get up to 161 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 4: those to make use of those windows. And there was 162 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 4: like a platform up there in the upper section of 163 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:11,680 Speaker 4: the house where if somebody was talking up you know, 164 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 4: shouting and you could tell it was an exterior shot, 165 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:17,120 Speaker 4: then you could get up onto there and stick your 166 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 4: head in the window and talk. But beyond that there 167 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 4: really weren't any rooms in there. 168 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: What a trip, you know. 169 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 3: I was thinking about like little house in the Prairie 170 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 3: kind of had this too, like like when you when 171 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 3: you watch these shows where like they have a town 172 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 3: and there's like streets and feel it feels very very 173 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:34,920 Speaker 3: lived in. 174 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: And with the Waltons, it's the same thing. 175 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 3: But the thing that blows my mind is you guys 176 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:43,679 Speaker 3: are so good it like like I would have believed 177 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 3: those are full homes, like like furnished homes that you 178 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:48,840 Speaker 3: could like just move into. And thinking about how like 179 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 3: the walls just stop after the front door. It's so 180 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:53,480 Speaker 3: crazy to me, but that's acting. 181 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 4: I have a sort of a podcast, a YouTube channel 182 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:00,439 Speaker 4: that's about behind the scenes of the Waltons, so kind 183 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:02,320 Speaker 4: of like this, and I do it about the Waltons, 184 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:06,400 Speaker 4: and I do sometimes have other people on. So maybe 185 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 4: I'll have to grab some Gilmore girls people and we'll. 186 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 2: Call your notes. 187 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, oh my god, you absolutely should. 188 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:14,679 Speaker 4: We'll have to talk and you're at who might want 189 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 4: to come do a crossover episode? 190 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 3: Oh my god, the fan Let me tell you, the 191 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:20,960 Speaker 3: fans would love that. And if you guys aren't following 192 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 3: Judy on Instagram Official Judy Norton, she drops trivia there 193 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:27,720 Speaker 3: all the time and plays plays trivia from the Waltons. 194 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 3: It's so fun. So one of the thing I I 195 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 3: wanted to ask this, this is a question from the 196 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:36,839 Speaker 3: world of Gilmore, and I want to see if I 197 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 3: can clear this up as a member of the Walton family. 198 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:44,440 Speaker 3: So in one of the episodes, Rory the daughter and 199 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:48,679 Speaker 3: Laural the mom celebrating Rory's birthday, and this is in 200 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 3: the first season, and Laura is laying in the bed 201 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:55,360 Speaker 3: and she's kind of like retelling the night of her 202 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:57,560 Speaker 3: other night she gave birth, like how it felt to 203 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 3: be pregnant, and she says she's something like. Some have 204 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:04,560 Speaker 3: called it the most meaningful experience of your life, but 205 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 3: to me, it was more kin to doing the splits 206 00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 3: on a creative dynamite. And then Rory says, I wonder 207 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 3: if the Waltons ever did this, would they ever say, 208 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 3: have a conversation like that? 209 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 2: Not like that? 210 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 5: No, No, but my character did have a child, and 211 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 5: I remember, yeah, shooting that scene, and I wanted to 212 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 5: I wanted to have the baby at home, and my husband, 213 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 5: who was a doctor, wanted me to have it at 214 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 5: the hospital because of the safety aspects of the equipment 215 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:41,320 Speaker 5: if there's emergencies, things like that. 216 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 4: But for whatever reason, I went into labor and it 217 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 4: was so fast and so advanced that they didn't have 218 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:49,600 Speaker 4: time to get me to the hospital. It's amazing how 219 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:53,319 Speaker 4: fast we give birth on TV. Three pushes, and it's 220 00:10:53,360 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 4: out if life were only like that. But we did 221 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:06,199 Speaker 4: not comment on We didn't get to have that kind 222 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 4: of a quirky sense of humor because of the time period. 223 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 4: We had a lot of other cute things that we 224 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 4: would say, but at that point we were still just 225 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 4: barely into the nineteen forties. 226 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 3: So yeah, limitations and if people listening, if you haven't 227 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 3: watched The Waltons. It's first of all, it's so good. 228 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 3: It's great, it's you can watch it on Peacock now. 229 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:31,000 Speaker 3: It's such a good show, and it captures this moment 230 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:35,320 Speaker 3: in history that you don't get to watch television shows like, 231 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 3: there's not many great depression shows on right now, and that. 232 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 4: Sounds like an oxymoron. Great depression show. Yeah, but you 233 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:46,400 Speaker 4: won't be depressed watching it. No, it's Kleenex, but you. 234 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:49,440 Speaker 3: Know, yeah, it's It's something I wanted to ask you. 235 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:50,959 Speaker 3: I was talking to a lot of people that are 236 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 3: fans of The Waltons, and something I kept hearing over 237 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 3: and over again is like it made me want to 238 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 3: live in the Depression. It made the Depression look so fun. 239 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 3: You guys have such that the family is, there's so 240 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,720 Speaker 3: much love there, there's so much warmth, and you forget 241 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 3: about this is like the Depression going into World War 242 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:10,840 Speaker 3: Two like a very a difficult, a dark time in 243 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 3: American history, but you guys made it look so fun. 244 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:17,760 Speaker 3: And is that something you've heard from people A lot. 245 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:19,960 Speaker 4: Yes, a lot of people say they would like to 246 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 4: go back and live in that period. Now. We did 247 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,679 Speaker 4: talk about this on the show in episodes about how 248 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 4: fortunate the Walton family was, and for Earl Hamner, who 249 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 4: created the show and based it on his actual childhood 250 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:41,560 Speaker 4: in growing up in Virginia, that it was tougher for 251 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 4: people in the city than in the country because in 252 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 4: the country we could grow our own vegetables, they could 253 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 4: go hunting. So it wasn't oh, my goodness, can we get. 254 00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 2: Food this week? 255 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 4: We might not be able to have everything we wanted 256 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:00,440 Speaker 4: because things were and then into the world or things 257 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 4: were rations, so money was tight. But it just showed 258 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:08,440 Speaker 4: it was a simpler time and so people were already 259 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:13,839 Speaker 4: used to creating their own entertainment in simple ways. If 260 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 4: we went out in the front yard after dinner and 261 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 4: caught lightning bugs, or we played There were seven of us, 262 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 4: so we always had someone to play with. So there 263 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 4: was there was always that, and there were chores, and 264 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:29,760 Speaker 4: so I think it was it was great from that 265 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 4: standpoint of everybody had to contribute to that family and 266 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 4: they're being food on the table and the chores getting done, 267 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:41,280 Speaker 4: so there was responsibility for everybody. 268 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 2: Uh. 269 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:47,080 Speaker 4: And and there weren't eight million electronics. We got a radio, 270 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:50,840 Speaker 4: but we didn't we'd never had a TV because TVs 271 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 4: weren't around yet. We finally got a telephone at one point, 272 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 4: but it isn't as if we sat and talked on 273 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 4: the telephone to our friends. 274 00:13:57,400 --> 00:13:59,280 Speaker 2: Of course, a very different era, and I. 275 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 4: Think that there is a charm to that for a 276 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 4: lot of people who feel potentially overwhelmed and stressed by 277 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:09,760 Speaker 4: today's society. And I was going to say when you 278 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:15,680 Speaker 4: were talking about Laurali and Rory that I think you 279 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:19,120 Speaker 4: could have fast forward if you put Mary Ellen into 280 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:22,080 Speaker 4: that time period. She could have been Laura Lai. 281 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 1: Yes, she I. 282 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 4: Could see her being that type of independent you know, 283 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 4: she made a mistake, you know, she was too young, 284 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 4: but she said, by goodness, I'm going to raise this 285 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 4: child and I'm going to be the best mother. And 286 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 4: I mean I could I totally. She had similar characteristics 287 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:41,680 Speaker 4: of independence and and you can't tell me what I 288 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:45,080 Speaker 4: can't do. And that was very much like my character 289 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 4: of Mary Ellen. 290 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:51,680 Speaker 3: I just earlier today, I watched the season six finale 291 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 3: when Grandma comes home. You know a lot of people 292 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 3: say it's like it's one of the best Walton's episodes, 293 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:01,520 Speaker 3: and we can get into the details of why it's 294 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 3: such an important episode. But there's a part where Grandma Esther, 295 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:07,480 Speaker 3: and Grandma Esther in the show has a stroke and 296 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 3: it mirrors the real life stroke of the actress Ellen Corby, 297 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 3: and this is our first show back right after having 298 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:16,520 Speaker 3: that stroke. There's a part where you come out to 299 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 3: introduce your child to Grandma Esther, and it's so it's 300 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 3: such a special moment and you're so proud of your 301 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 3: child and you're so happy to be reunited, and it 302 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 3: was like it was such an emotional moment and I 303 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 3: was like, oh my god, Mary Ellen, filming, that was 304 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 3: that a heavy moment for you to film that particular scene? 305 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 3: Do you think of it often? 306 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 4: Well, the interesting thing with filming is that you've read 307 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 4: the script, you're doing multiple takes, you've rehearsed it. And 308 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:55,560 Speaker 4: that wasn't my first reintroduction to Ellen on the set, yes, 309 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 4: because we shoot out a sequence, so I believe we 310 00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:05,520 Speaker 4: start did on interior scenes on the sound stage. So 311 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 4: it wasn't as if that moment stood out like this 312 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 4: is for real when I'm finally seeing my grandmother back home. 313 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:15,640 Speaker 4: And also because I was a nurse I was involved 314 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 4: in I saw her theoretically regularly as a character at 315 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 4: the hospital. Yes, so I wouldn't say that that was 316 00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 4: specific in terms of that moment. But anytime you did 317 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:33,360 Speaker 4: a scene with Ellen when I mean, she was always 318 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:38,280 Speaker 4: so present and so engaged in the scene and so 319 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 4: committed that any scene you did you felt that from her. 320 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:47,560 Speaker 4: And after her stroke, I just was so in awe 321 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:54,560 Speaker 4: of watching her work and admiring how she did so 322 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 4: much with no words that you know, a look and 323 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 4: a because she literally people think that they were pretend 324 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 4: she was pretending she couldn't talk them. That was she 325 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:09,399 Speaker 4: struggled to get those few words out. She had to 326 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 4: work it and practice it, and she'd get somebody in 327 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:13,920 Speaker 4: front of me, she go say it again, Sadie, and 328 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:17,160 Speaker 4: she'd try and watch your mouth say those words as 329 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:19,199 Speaker 4: she tried to form them. I mean, it was just 330 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:21,680 Speaker 4: it was amazing. 331 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:26,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, tremendous. Uh yeah, it really. 332 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:28,320 Speaker 3: I mean again, if you're if you haven't seen The Waltons, 333 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:30,399 Speaker 3: you should watch that episode. It's the last one in 334 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:33,880 Speaker 3: season six. I have so many more questions for you. 335 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:36,639 Speaker 3: In the Walton Verse, we're talking to Judy Norton, she 336 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:40,240 Speaker 3: played Mary Ellen Walton. We are hanging out here in 337 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 3: Walton's Mountain. It's I Smell pop Culture. We'll be back 338 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:54,400 Speaker 3: in a second. These are some fun commercials. Everybody, It's 339 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:56,480 Speaker 3: I Smell pop Culture. My name's Eastern Allen. I'm hanging 340 00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:58,800 Speaker 3: out here with Judy Norton. She played Mary Ellen on 341 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:03,720 Speaker 3: The Waltons Waltons, which ran on CBS starting in nineteen 342 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 3: seventy two. How did you get involved with because it 343 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 3: was a movie first, right, it was like a TV 344 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:10,879 Speaker 3: movie before it was the show. 345 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: So how'd you get involved in this? 346 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 4: I had been acting since I was about six or seven, 347 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:20,640 Speaker 4: and so it was, you know, you go a new 348 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 4: audition and I lost more jobs than I got, but 349 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 4: you know that can be the nature of it. And 350 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 4: so I was brought into audition for the Homecoming, which was, 351 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:36,159 Speaker 4: as you said, it was a TV CBS TV movie 352 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 4: for the holidays. It was it was going to be 353 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 4: like shown around Thanksgiving time or the beginning of December 354 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:49,040 Speaker 4: and family of seven children, and so they were basically 355 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:52,440 Speaker 4: seeing me bring in the usual cast of suspects, and 356 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:55,879 Speaker 4: everybody came in and auditioned, and so I auditioned for 357 00:18:55,920 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 4: that role, and there was just something about me and 358 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:03,120 Speaker 4: the way I kind of came in and cut off 359 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 4: shorts and my hair and pigtails and barefoot and whatever, 360 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:09,200 Speaker 4: and we read a scene from the Homecoming of people 361 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 4: are familiar with it when the whole fan all the 362 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:15,680 Speaker 4: kids are cracking walnuts in the barn for Mama's apple 363 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 4: sauce cake because she's going to make that. Daddy is 364 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 4: we're waiting for him to come home for Christmas. It's 365 00:19:21,119 --> 00:19:25,239 Speaker 4: like Christmas Eve, and then he's late and she's going 366 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:29,280 Speaker 4: to make this apple sauce cake. So we're cracking walnuts 367 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:30,880 Speaker 4: and it was Mary Allen had a bit. 368 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:31,440 Speaker 2: Of a meltdown. 369 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 4: So it was a great scene because I could really 370 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 4: get my teeth into something, which helped because the whole 371 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 4: one of the story points in that was that all 372 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 4: the children had red hair, and I was one of 373 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:49,960 Speaker 4: three of the actors who were cast that didn't have 374 00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:55,720 Speaker 4: red hair, so interesting obviously they saw redheads for the role, 375 00:19:55,960 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 4: and so I, you know, you never know how much 376 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:04,919 Speaker 4: that's going to come into play, of course, so fortunately 377 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 4: Earl Hamner said at one point in an article, he said, 378 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:14,480 Speaker 4: Judy walked in and that's that's her. So something about me. 379 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:18,320 Speaker 4: I had a good day and the character fit me well. 380 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:21,720 Speaker 4: I was a tomboy in real life. I was really 381 00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:23,879 Speaker 4: comfortable with that. I could have an I could I 382 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:28,040 Speaker 4: could have an attitude big time, you know. So I 383 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:29,040 Speaker 4: mean it was fun to do. 384 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:30,639 Speaker 2: I always say it was. 385 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:32,879 Speaker 4: I was nowhere near as rebellious as Mary Ellen, but 386 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:34,719 Speaker 4: I wanted to be. But I didn't have the nerve too, 387 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:36,439 Speaker 4: because I didn't like to get in trouble. So the 388 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:39,080 Speaker 4: great thing about playing that kind of a character, it's 389 00:20:39,119 --> 00:20:41,439 Speaker 4: guy like playing a villain or a bad guy. You 390 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 4: can do all of that and there's no consequences. 391 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:46,280 Speaker 1: In real life, doesn't agree. 392 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:51,639 Speaker 4: It's wonderful. So I got I got cast, you know, 393 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 4: and then we shot that, and then when they went 394 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,600 Speaker 4: to do the series, they invited us all to come 395 00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 4: do the series. 396 00:20:57,560 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 3: So that yeah, I mean, like, so I'm curious, how 397 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,040 Speaker 3: when you make the movie and then what's the time 398 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:10,200 Speaker 3: frame between making that and doing the series, Like how 399 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 3: big of a because you didn't know it was going 400 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:13,480 Speaker 3: to be a series, right, you thought it was just 401 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:14,200 Speaker 3: a one time thing. 402 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, over two hundred episodes of your life. 403 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, I don't know what it would have been if 404 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:25,120 Speaker 4: it was an audition for the series, because I never 405 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:28,320 Speaker 4: none of us. We didn't go to network. You hear 406 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:30,320 Speaker 4: about people having to go audition for the network. We 407 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:34,000 Speaker 4: didn't because we were just being doing this TV movie. 408 00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:36,680 Speaker 4: So and then since they invited us back in our 409 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 4: having done the Homecoming was like our screen test, which 410 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 4: was great because it was really directed. So when we 411 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 4: are last week of filming was the first week of 412 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:54,040 Speaker 4: October in Jackson Hall, Wyoming, because we there was a 413 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 4: lot of snow sequences. So the rest of what we 414 00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 4: shot CBS Studios Studio City, Radford. I don't know if 415 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 4: you're familiar with where that is, yes, yeah, So that's 416 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:06,720 Speaker 4: where we shot all our interiors. And then we went 417 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,600 Speaker 4: to Jackson Hallwayoming and we spent a week there shooting 418 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:14,199 Speaker 4: all the exteriors. And while we were there, in the 419 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:18,359 Speaker 4: last few days, started hearing rumors about a series that 420 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 4: they wanted to turn it into a series. Wow, just 421 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:26,119 Speaker 4: rumor around you know, around the set. And so that 422 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 4: was beginning of October. I think around the beginning of January. 423 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:34,000 Speaker 4: They put us on hold, like they put us kind 424 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 4: of under contract on hold, so that if it went 425 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:43,199 Speaker 4: to series, we were committed and we started filming. I 426 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:45,119 Speaker 4: remember I was I was in ninth grade. I was 427 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 4: just graduating junior high school. So I remember going to 428 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 4: my junior high school graduation, which was about mid June, 429 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:56,160 Speaker 4: back when school ended in June, and we started filming 430 00:22:56,240 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 4: almost immediately after that. 431 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:00,080 Speaker 2: Wow, yeah, that's it's. 432 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,160 Speaker 4: So it was not super super quick, but they had 433 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 4: not sold it to the network yet. They had not, 434 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 4: so Earl Hamner and Lee Rich you know, they had 435 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 4: to go to New York and pitch it and do 436 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 4: a sales and you know, put everything in place then. 437 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:16,680 Speaker 4: So it was so it was fairly quick, but not 438 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 4: not like, you. 439 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:19,560 Speaker 1: Know, a couple of months, and it's fascinating. 440 00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:22,320 Speaker 3: I assumed it was like you make the movie, you 441 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:24,119 Speaker 3: show the movie, it's a big hit, and then they're like, oh, 442 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:27,040 Speaker 3: let's let's make this a series. But like, even before 443 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:29,760 Speaker 3: the movie aired, they were believing in it. 444 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:32,639 Speaker 4: I think the producers had that sense. I don't know 445 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 4: if network did yet, but I mean the other factor 446 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:39,959 Speaker 4: that came into play was this was early because we 447 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:43,639 Speaker 4: did The Homecoming in nineteen seventy one, so there was 448 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:46,800 Speaker 4: a lot of pressure coming down from some of the 449 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:50,359 Speaker 4: sort of moral majority groups that were complaining about the 450 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 4: amount of sex and violence on TV, that there wasn't 451 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:58,159 Speaker 4: enough good family programming, and so that was part of 452 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 4: I heard the reason why said yeah sure. It was 453 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:03,440 Speaker 4: kind of like, all right, we're getting all this pressure. 454 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:07,760 Speaker 4: We'll take this nice, wholesome, little corny show. Put it 455 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:11,480 Speaker 4: on in an impossible time slot. We started out against 456 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:14,679 Speaker 4: Flip Wilson and Mod Squad, which were two very popular shows. 457 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:18,400 Speaker 4: Thursday night, eight o'clock, it'll die and then we can 458 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 4: go see nobody wants to watch family programming and they 459 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:26,120 Speaker 4: just go back business as usual. We did when we 460 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 4: started airing. Our first show was like way down at 461 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:34,200 Speaker 4: the bottom of the ratings, but they had given us 462 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 4: a commitment for twenty five or twenty six episodes for 463 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:43,200 Speaker 4: season one, all right, so we had that time, thank goodness. 464 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:47,200 Speaker 4: And our producers went out and they did a whole 465 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 4: grassroots campaign. They took out ads and stuff in newspapers, magazines, 466 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:56,879 Speaker 4: whatever in the heartland and the parts of America, the 467 00:24:56,960 --> 00:24:59,679 Speaker 4: rural parts of America, the smaller areas where they felt 468 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:03,919 Speaker 4: was really our fan base, and just said, hey, this 469 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:05,919 Speaker 4: is this is such a beautiful show. Please don't let 470 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:09,320 Speaker 4: it die, you know, please support it. And people did 471 00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:11,880 Speaker 4: and it started climbing and climbing in very soon. We 472 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:15,400 Speaker 4: were like, number one, it's not incredible. 473 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:17,359 Speaker 3: And then I mean, you guys paved the way for 474 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:18,919 Speaker 3: like A Little House on a Prairie, which comes out 475 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:20,840 Speaker 3: a couple of years later. And then and if America 476 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 3: has rural Fever at that point and we can't get 477 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:26,159 Speaker 3: enough with this? Do you something about the Waltons that 478 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,919 Speaker 3: stands out to a lot of people At the end 479 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:30,720 Speaker 3: of the episodes when everyone says good night? 480 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:31,480 Speaker 1: Can I John Boy? 481 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:31,959 Speaker 4: Uh? 482 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:33,440 Speaker 3: Like, like my parents said that to me and I 483 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 3: had no idea what that was. You know, that was 484 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 3: my for introduction to the Waltons. Is it when you're like, 485 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:41,080 Speaker 3: when you meet fans, do you find people wanting to 486 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 3: say good night to you? 487 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:44,080 Speaker 1: Is that something that happens but they want. 488 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 2: Us to say it? 489 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 4: A lot of times if we do interviews or we 490 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:51,879 Speaker 4: do panel discussions and stuff like that, it comes up 491 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,120 Speaker 4: or at the end of it, will all collectively say 492 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:55,880 Speaker 4: say good night, And. 493 00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:59,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, was that something that like what was the impetus 494 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:02,560 Speaker 3: of Like was that something that came from from the 495 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:05,480 Speaker 3: creator or was that something is that. 496 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:06,160 Speaker 1: From his real life? 497 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 4: That was his real life? 498 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:08,119 Speaker 5: Wow? 499 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:10,480 Speaker 4: That he said that they did. And the house that 500 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:13,840 Speaker 4: he grew up in is much smaller than the one 501 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:19,320 Speaker 4: behind you. I've been to it. It's in Skylar, Virginia. 502 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 2: It's a two. 503 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:23,480 Speaker 4: Story house, but there were not that many bedrooms and 504 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,560 Speaker 4: there was one bathroom. I'm not sure when that one 505 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 4: bathroom was put in. That was downstairs. I think there 506 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 4: were two maybe three bedrooms upstairs. There might have only 507 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 4: been two, and then I think a bedroom downstairs. So 508 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 4: I think all the kids shared two bedrooms upstairs and 509 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:44,920 Speaker 4: the parents were downstairs. The grandparents did not live with them, okay, 510 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 4: and then just sort of a fairly small living room 511 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:52,840 Speaker 4: area and then a pretty good sized kitchen and the 512 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:55,400 Speaker 4: table was in the kitchen. So that's by the time 513 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:59,720 Speaker 4: I saw it, which was not until like early nineteen 514 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 4: because we never went back there. But so yes, so 515 00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:06,080 Speaker 4: he said, because it was a small house, you could 516 00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:09,320 Speaker 4: hear all of the house, and so I guess they 517 00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:11,440 Speaker 4: really did do that. 518 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 1: It's so fun though really quick. 519 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:26,680 Speaker 3: I was fascinated by this. You are a superstar of 520 00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:31,000 Speaker 3: Battle of the Network star a super Oh my something 521 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:33,600 Speaker 3: I A phrase I kept seeing in my research was 522 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:37,040 Speaker 3: the greatest athlete to ever compete on Vala Network. 523 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:38,960 Speaker 1: Starts femail athlete. 524 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 3: I'm saying athlete, Wow, no qualifiers here, greatest athlete. I mean, 525 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:49,639 Speaker 3: where does that athleticism come from? Like we always athletically inclined. 526 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:52,480 Speaker 3: Did you play in in school? Like, where does that 527 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:52,920 Speaker 3: come from? 528 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:56,359 Speaker 4: I always say that I am I'm a little better 529 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:58,800 Speaker 4: than average at a lot of things, but not great 530 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:02,240 Speaker 4: at anything. I was never good enough that I could 531 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:07,200 Speaker 4: have pursued anything professionally or you know, to high competition level. 532 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:09,720 Speaker 4: But I just always did a lot of sports, and 533 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:13,680 Speaker 4: I was always very coordinated. I had dance classes when 534 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:16,920 Speaker 4: I was little, so that I think helps with coordination, 535 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:19,520 Speaker 4: and then just a lot of sports and I just 536 00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:21,719 Speaker 4: it was stuff I enjoyed. Those were my hobbies. They 537 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 4: still are. I mean I still jump horses and compete 538 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:30,320 Speaker 4: and you know, so yeah, and so those sports and 539 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:36,160 Speaker 4: age wise, I was only like in my early twenties 540 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:38,920 Speaker 4: when I was doing that, And that helps too. So 541 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:41,720 Speaker 4: a lot of the other athletes, a lot of the 542 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 4: other stars who were celebrities who were competing were playing 543 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:49,320 Speaker 4: the grown ups in the shows, not the kids in 544 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:51,520 Speaker 4: the shows. And I have to say, I would have 545 00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:56,000 Speaker 4: to debate it because I competed against Christy McNicol at 546 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:59,520 Speaker 4: least a couple of times, and to me, I think, 547 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:02,120 Speaker 4: I think she's the best of the women who competed 548 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:05,400 Speaker 4: because I could never beat her in the obstacle course. So, 549 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:08,800 Speaker 4: you know, she was like a monkey. I mean I 550 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:12,440 Speaker 4: mean that in a very respectful way. She was just 551 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:14,920 Speaker 4: so fast and so agile, and she just dove under 552 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:15,920 Speaker 4: this like you know thing. 553 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:16,560 Speaker 2: She had to crawl. 554 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:20,160 Speaker 4: I'm like, and she's hand over hand. I'm like, what 555 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:25,560 Speaker 4: are you doing? You know. So, but it was nice 556 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 4: and I enjoyed it, and I took it very seriously 557 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 4: because you know, sports, to me, I didn't want to 558 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:30,960 Speaker 4: look stupid. 559 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:33,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I was. 560 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:36,400 Speaker 4: I mean, I'd done almost everything, but I never worked 561 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:38,880 Speaker 4: with a football, and so I literally I took a 562 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:43,000 Speaker 4: football to work set, and I said, I don't have 563 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:44,280 Speaker 4: to be able to throw it, but I have to 564 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:45,760 Speaker 4: be able to catch it. So I had guys on 565 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 4: the crew, you know, just throwing me a football and 566 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:50,560 Speaker 4: you know, and helping me learn how to catch football. 567 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:51,880 Speaker 4: And I did sort of learn to throw it. I 568 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:53,800 Speaker 4: don't have a lot of distance, but I can throw 569 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 4: a spiral, all right. Yeah. And I used to the 570 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:00,240 Speaker 4: Walton's had a softball team and I used to play 571 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:03,520 Speaker 4: on that, as did most of the cast. And then 572 00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:06,080 Speaker 4: I also played for radio station for a number of years. 573 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:08,640 Speaker 4: I played on UH on their softball team. 574 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 1: Which radio station? 575 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:12,880 Speaker 4: It was some Kiss. 576 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:17,080 Speaker 1: Kiss I work at KISSFM. Now that was, yes, that 577 00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:17,400 Speaker 1: I was. 578 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 3: I was hoping it was one of two point seven 579 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 3: KISSFM for everyone listening to the Los Angeles area. 580 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:22,800 Speaker 1: When you were on the. 581 00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 3: Waltons softball team, who would you play against? Did you 582 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:27,320 Speaker 3: play against other shows or like just amongst each other? 583 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:29,760 Speaker 4: We did the Waltons, I mean we I remember playing 584 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:35,840 Speaker 4: against Star Trek Happy Days. I remember we played against 585 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:39,240 Speaker 4: some team that was must have been a mash up 586 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:42,200 Speaker 4: team of of like rock stars, because I remember playing 587 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 4: that Alice Cooper I met him because you know he 588 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:50,400 Speaker 4: was he was playing. Or I think we played against 589 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:54,720 Speaker 4: guys from sean Anah, Oh my god, oh it was. 590 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:56,800 Speaker 4: It was kind of random. I don't remember all of 591 00:30:56,840 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 4: who we played against, and and Kiss that radio station 592 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:04,520 Speaker 4: would play against a variety of different things. I got 593 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:08,000 Speaker 4: to play like they usually had a Hollywood All Star 594 00:31:08,120 --> 00:31:12,239 Speaker 4: game at like before a Dodger game, but it was 595 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:15,800 Speaker 4: I don't remember if it was softball, and they didn't 596 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 4: let the girls play. The girls were just like cheerleaders. 597 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:19,560 Speaker 1: Of course. 598 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:23,360 Speaker 4: But when I played for Kiss, we did a couple 599 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:28,520 Speaker 4: of games before Dodger games and I did get to play, 600 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:31,240 Speaker 4: so I did get to play at Dodger Stadium. 601 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:38,840 Speaker 3: Wow, that is incredible, Judie Norton a star of the 602 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:42,320 Speaker 3: screen and a star athlete as well. I mean, what 603 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:44,960 Speaker 3: an incredible career. Thank you so much for hanging out 604 00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:48,719 Speaker 3: with us today. This has been so much fun. How 605 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:51,080 Speaker 3: can people find your YouTube channel? Because I want to 606 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:52,480 Speaker 3: hang out with you all day along and I know 607 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:54,240 Speaker 3: everyone else is going to new as well. 608 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:55,760 Speaker 1: Where can we find you on YouTube? 609 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:58,800 Speaker 4: Well, if you just search my name Judy Norton YouTube 610 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:00,640 Speaker 4: channel or behind the Scenes. 611 00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:02,200 Speaker 2: Of the Walt And I think if you just pull 612 00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:03,520 Speaker 2: up my name and you. 613 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:07,120 Speaker 4: Scroll down a little bit, you'll start seeing various different 614 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:10,400 Speaker 4: of the of the segments that I've done. I think 615 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:13,400 Speaker 4: I have over four hundred or something like that now. 616 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:16,440 Speaker 4: I started it during COVID as a way to sort 617 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:18,640 Speaker 4: of reach out to people when we were all shut in, 618 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:21,560 Speaker 4: and of course so and everything else I was supposed 619 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:27,160 Speaker 4: to be doing was canceled, so it was just a 620 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:30,920 Speaker 4: way to kind of do something creative and keep in. 621 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 2: Touch with people. 622 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:33,479 Speaker 4: So and it's it's sort of group people seem to 623 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 4: like it, and so I have continued it, so I think, yeah, 624 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:38,920 Speaker 4: you can kind of just find it there and then 625 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:42,360 Speaker 4: dig around. And I've spoken to most of the cast, 626 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:44,520 Speaker 4: so if you want, you can when you get on 627 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:47,160 Speaker 4: my channel if you want to see you know, when 628 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:49,920 Speaker 4: I'm talking with Richard Thomas or Michael learn It or 629 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:51,680 Speaker 4: you know, any of the cast. And then I've been 630 00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:55,840 Speaker 4: starting to interview people who did an episode or a 631 00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:58,320 Speaker 4: couple episodes or did a recurring people I can find. 632 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:01,280 Speaker 4: You know, it's hard to after all these years find people. 633 00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:01,760 Speaker 2: It's nice. 634 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:04,520 Speaker 4: I'll reach out and never hear back from somebody. So 635 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:06,479 Speaker 4: I'm like, well, either they don't want to do it 636 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:10,200 Speaker 4: or I didn't really reach them. You know. 637 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 2: The agent will go, oh, I passed that along. 638 00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:14,280 Speaker 4: It's like, okay, maybe they did, maybe they didn't, and. 639 00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 1: It's amazing. 640 00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:19,520 Speaker 3: Okay, so everybody go check that out. And then I 641 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:21,640 Speaker 3: have one final question for you. This it's kind of weird, 642 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:23,600 Speaker 3: and I apologize, but I just have to ask it. 643 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:27,959 Speaker 3: What does pop culture smell like to you? Like, the 644 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:30,440 Speaker 3: concept of pop culture. If you if it had an odor, 645 00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:31,080 Speaker 3: what would it be? 646 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:35,880 Speaker 4: Wow, Well, the first thing I thought was popcorn, yeah, 647 00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:39,640 Speaker 4: which is probably nothing related to it other than the word. 648 00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:42,280 Speaker 2: I think. 649 00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:48,200 Speaker 4: I don't know, maybe like I think of summer picnics, 650 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:53,880 Speaker 4: you know, at points in time when like during what 651 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:56,880 Speaker 4: we see at happy days or what we see on 652 00:33:57,160 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 4: things from the fifties and sixties, when people are out 653 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:03,880 Speaker 4: side and doing things and there's the smells of you know, 654 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:08,680 Speaker 4: things grilling and and maybe fresh grass or you know 655 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:09,880 Speaker 4: grass ground. 656 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:15,040 Speaker 1: I love it, and so things like that. Yeah, I 657 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:18,399 Speaker 1: love it so much. That great here, Yes, I want 658 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:20,080 Speaker 1: to inhale that now. Oh my goodness. 659 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:23,200 Speaker 3: Thanks again, Julia nor And this has been so much fun. 660 00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:25,640 Speaker 3: You're the coolest person in the world. I hope you 661 00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:26,920 Speaker 3: have a great rest of your day. 662 00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:46,400 Speaker 2: Thank you 663 00:34:56,600 --> 00:35:00,120 Speaker 3: Everybody, and don't forget Follow us on Instagram at I 664 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:04,239 Speaker 3: Am all In podcast and email us at Gilmore at 665 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:16,040 Speaker 3: iHeartRadio dot com.