If I Should Wake Before I Die (23 Oct. 1974)

Certain that only her funeral will bring her distant children and grandchildren to Walnut Grove for a long overdue visit, Amy Hearn convinces Doc Baker and the Ingalls to fake her death and... See full summary »

Director:

Victor French

Writers:

Blanche Hanalis (developed for television by), Laura Ingalls Wilder (based upon the series of books "Little House" by),

Stars:

Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, Melissa Gilbert

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Landon	...	Charles Ingalls
Karen Grassle	...	Caroline Ingalls
Melissa Gilbert	...	Laura Ingalls
Melissa Sue Anderson	...	Mary Ingalls
Lindsay Greenbush	...	Carrie Ingalls
Sidney Greenbush	...	Carrie Ingalls
Richard Bull	...	Nels Oleson
Dabbs Greer	...	Reverend Robert Alden
Kevin Hagen	...	Dr. Hiram Baker
Scottie MacGregor	...	Harriet Oleson (as Katherine MacGregor)
Charlotte Stewart	...	Eva Beadle
Karl Swenson	...	Lars Hanson
Josephine Hutchinson	...	Amy O'Hara Hearn
Ruth McDevitt	...	Maddie Elder
Henry Olek	...	Father Gorman

Storyline

Certain that only her funeral will bring her distant children and grandchildren to Walnut Grove for a long overdue visit, Amy Hearn convinces Doc Baker and the Ingalls to fake her death and happily makes plans to celebrate her eightieth birthday ... at her wake!

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Genres:

Drama | Family | Romance | Western

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 October 1974 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Big Sky Ranch - 4927 Bennett Road, Simi Valley, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ed Friendly Productions, National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

While Amy Hearn is trying to convince Charles and the doctor to hold her wake before she dies, the doctor's eyeglasses keep going from his eyes to his hands with each camera change.

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Quotes

Dr. Hiram Baker: Amy, I've never put a woman, much less an eighty year old woman over my knees; but you're coming close to being the first!

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Soundtracks

"The Camptown Races"
Written by Stephen Foster
Played on the autoharp

User Reviews

A bit odd, but it worked...

Some will find this episode a bit odd, but it's yet another episode that makes this show so endearing.

Amy is about to turn eighty years old, and she's grieving the death of her friend who died after learning her children were to busy to show up for her birthday. Amy has every intention of making sure this doesn't happen to her! So, what does she do? She convinces Charles and Dr. Baker in a quite humorous manner to help her fake her death. That way her kids will come to her funeral and she'll be able to see them once more before she dies.

A series of events keep the Ingalls' and Dr. Baker on their toes as they prepare the way. And Amy is probably the only woman to ever show up at her own wake!

Though the story is a light one, there's a pretty emotional scene at the end. All kidding aside, I think this is becoming truer and truer as people are too busy to see their family and soon find themselves at their loved one's funeral saying "I wish I could see him once more..."