Little House: The Last Farewell (1984) (TV)

Director:

Michael Landon

Writers:

Michael Landon (written by)
Laura Ingalls Wilder (novels)

Release Date:

6 February 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Plot:

Final episode in which the town of Walnut Grove is destroyed.

Plot Keywords:

Swindler | Series Finale | Dynamite | Small Town | Demolition

Cast

Melissa Gilbert	...	Laura Ingalls Wilder
Dean Butler	...	Almanzo Wilder
Richard Bull	...	Nels Oleson
Scottie MacGregor	...	Harriet Oleson (scenes deleted)
Victor French	...	Isaiah Edwards
Kevin Hagen	...	Dr. Hiram Baker
Dabbs Greer	...	Rev. Robert Alden
Jonathan Gilbert	...	Willie Oleson
Allison Balson	...	Nancy Oleson
Stan Ivar	...	John Carter
Pamela Roylance	...	Sarah Carter
Lindsay Kennedy	...	Jeb Carter
David Friedman	...	Jason Carter
Shannen Doherty	...	Jenny Wilder
Leslie Landon	...	Etta Plum

Runtime:

USA:100 min | Germany:45 min (2 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Simi Valley, California, USA

Company:

National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Trivia:

This was the third of three "Little House" telemovie sequels, and the last story to be filmed, but not the last to be broadcast (it debuted during Easter of 1984, while the film made before it, _Little House: Bless All the Dear Children (1984) (TV)_, would air eight months later, in December of that same year).

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The Mesabi Iron Range (which Mr. Lassiter supposedly purchased and contained the town of Walnut Grove) is actually in northeastern Minnesota. Walnut Grove is in southwestern Minnesota.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Weekend Today: (2007-05-20)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Onward, Christian Soldiers

For die-hard "Little House" fans only

The main problem with this TV-movie finale of the "Little House on the Prairie" series is that it features the cast of the show's final season, by which time many of the better characters had been replaced by blander carbon-copies. So, you get the Carters instead of the Ingalls (with a few exceptions), Nancy Oleson instead of Nellie, Miss Plum instead of Miss Beadle, etc. The return of original series stars Michael Landon and Karen Grassle helps, but where's Mary, Adam, Albert, and Carrie? And, worst of all, Katherine MacGregor, who played town villianness Harriet Oleson, is nowhere to been seen. The Oleson family was the saving grace of "Little House", helping to cut through all the treacle, and the two most important Olesons, Harriet and Nellie, aren't in this movie. The story doesn't help, either. Couldn't they come up with a more uplifting plot than the destruction of the entire town?

Unless you're a die-hard fan, skip this one (as well as the other two sequel TV movies), and seek out the original pilot movie instead.