(no subject)

[ceebeegee]

So I've been watching various Little House on the Prairie DVDs from different seasons. I didn't watch that show religiously or anything when I was a kid, but I did watch it, although since I never read the books as a kid, the whole prairie girl fad (including Holly Hobbie, although I did have some HH merchandise) missed me. (I did however read Caddie Woodlawn in the 7th grade and LOVED it--I loved her tomboyish ways and her sassy red hair.) Anyway so I remembered this one episode--something about Christmas and a blizzard and the kids getting caught in it--the image that stuck with me was that someone had dropped their Christmas presents on the snow as they trudged through the blizzard. I looked it up and got the DVD through Netflix and watched it this weekend. WOW. I think Little House has something of a rep for saccharine TV but that episodes on that disc are genuinely powerful. The first episode is called "The Bully Boys"--it's about this family of three brothers who move to Walnut Grove and they throw their weight around by threatening and swindling the townsfolk. The youngest brother is still in school--there are no older boys because it's still planting season, so he is able to get away with a lot. The most shocking moment was when, during a dodgeball game, he grabs the ball and nails this little kid. Mary steps up to reprove him and he hauls off and hits her. I mean, he really slugs her, right in the face. I can't even imagine a scene like that happening in a show today without it being considered abuse, whereas Mary deals with it on her own (she never tells her parents and seems more chagrined than terrified). And then later the two older brothers actually grab Mrs. Ingalls and maul her. Michael Landon has a terrific scene when he demands that she tell him what they did--"did they put their hands on you?" and then he storms off to beat the crap out of them. Go Charles, with your oh-so-'70s hair! The weirdest scene is when the kids finally stand up to the youngest boy--they all rush him, knock him down, and pile on, kicking and punching. It's staged at this rather light-hearted scene, with a pan back showing all the kids punching the bully, and Laura dancing around punching the air. Weird! Yeah, he's a shit and deserves it, but it's not a lark. It's kind of sad when kids are pushed to that kind of violence.

The "Blizzard" episode is even more powerful. Nobody, apparently, is aware that a blizzard is forecast and when it starts snowing flurries Miss Beadle dismisses all the kids early since it's Christmas Eve. The kids all get caught in this blizzard, the mothers all come to the schoolhouse expecting to find their kids--and then they wait with Doc Baker, hoping the kids will find their way back. Miss Beadle is horrified and guilt-stricken--there's an incredibly sweet moment when Willie Oleson (who reminds Bart and me SO MUCH of our cousin Skip, it's scary--they look so much alike) sees how terrible she feels and tells her "it wasn't your fault." The single best moment in the episode, though, is when one man, a father, comes in with a couple of kids. One of the mothers goes over to him and says quietly "where's my husband? They said he was with you." The guy looks at her and says exhaustedly "after we found Joey and Alicia he went off on his own, to look for Henry." She gives him a long look and finally says "but Henry's here." It is an amazingly powerful moment--you know the man is going to die. And then when they actually show him dying--he stumbling around calling for his son and he says "Henry!! My God, boy, where are you?" and his voice breaks. And they actually show him dying, on network TV. I had to turn away, it was so depressing. Very strong TV.

And then when Mr. Edwards comes in with his two kids--all the kids have been found and are recovering and everyone is hugging Mr. Edwards and it seems the people are all rejoicing--until the camera pulls back to show the afore-mentioned woman, now a widow, watching with her son. They are not part of the celebration.

With all that, and God love her but Melissa Sue Gilbert was not a terribly strong child actor (nor, it must be said, was Allson Arngrim, although they never gave her much to do but be a brat). Anyway MSG did the spunky thing fine but she could be a little shrill sometimes.

Comments

[carasol.livejournal.com]

Sounds like the Schoolhouse Blizzard, a very real event that killed more than 200 people. According to my friend Kevin, who recently read a (very depressing) book about it, the weather that morning had been in the 70's, so everyone was outside in shirtsleeves. And then, very suddenly, the temperature plummeted and the snow hit, and people couldn't find their way home (very low visibility-- some were found mere yards from their houses), and weren't wearing appropriate clothing, so they froze to death.

Very sad.

[ceebeegee.livejournal.com]

I was thinking of that blizzard all through the episode--I looked up the Little House books to see if the Ingalls Family experienced the Schoolhouse Blizzard, but it seems more likely the episode was inspired by one of the books in the series, The Long Winter.

What was the book your friend read? I've been interested in the Schoolhouse Blizzard for some time. Famously bad weather fascinates me. Read about the Year Without a Summer sometime--fascinating!

[mollyx.livejournal.com]

Are you talking about Melissa Gilbert or Melissa Sue Anderson?
I was a fan of the show when I was a kid.

[ceebeegee.livejournal.com]

Oh whoops--Melissa Gilbert. Melissa Sue Anderson does a decent job. She actually got an Emmy nomination for the show--I think it was the season when she turned blind.

[minstrel70.livejournal.com]

Gee, thanks. Now I have the LHotP theme song stuck in my head.

I grew up just a few miles from where that was supposed to have taken place. And I grew up watching LHotP. Good television, for its day.

I've been meaning to call you. My mother would like to to talk with you about the genealogy stuff again.