The Voice of Tinker Jones (4 Dec. 1974)

A deaf-mute traveling tinker may have the only solution after Rev. Alden's request for a new church bell starts the Kennedys and Olesons feuding over who will donate the bell and who will take the credit.

Director:

Leo Penn

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:
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
Scottie MacGregor	...	Harriet Oleson (as Katherine MacGregor)
Charlotte Stewart	...	Eva Beadle
Karl Swenson	...	Lars Hanson
Chuck McCann	...	Tinker Jones
Wayne Heffley	...	Mr. Kennedy
James Jeter	...	Hans Dorfler (as Jim Jeter)
Alison Arngrim	...	Nellie Oleson

Storyline

A deaf-mute traveling tinker may have the only solution after Rev. Alden's request for a new church bell starts the Kennedys and Olesons feuding over who will donate the bell and who will take the credit.

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Genres:

Drama | Family | Romance | Western

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 December 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?

Trivia

First TV project for Sean Penn.

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Goofs

The bell that is made and installed in the church by Tinker Jones in the episode "The Voice of Tinker Jones" is missing from all town scenes in the future 2-part episode "The Lord is My Shepherd".

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Quotes

Mr. Kennedy: Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but... I feel this is God's house. And we built it with our own hands. I don't think the Lord's gonna like it much if we put somebody else's name on it.

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Soundtracks

"Ring the Bells of Heaven"
(1866)
Words by William O. Cushing
Music by George F. Root

User Reviews

Out of the mouth of Babes

This episode is an excellent example of how a church can split in half over the silliest things. In my church, it was chairs vs. pews. In this one, it was who provides the bell. One thing leads to another, and soon there's an all-out war. Unfortunately there is only one church in the town of Walnut grove. So, either you go to that church or you don't go at all.

Eventually, the Ingalls family were the only ones who still came. The children even started fighting among themselves. Then help came from a very unexpected source.

This is the only episode we ever see Tinker Bell in, which is unfortunate because I think his character was a great asset. He cannot say a word, yet his heart causes everyone he sees to like him. Sometimes, the only way to fix a problem is to just do it. How many times do we learn that the hard way?

The children, even Nellie and Willie, help Tinker to make the bell. They are all excited, anticipating having their families back together. Not only do they help Tinker Bell, but they give him their own toys so they can bring peace in their town once more.

The ending is heart-warming. My heart swells every time I watch it. Gone is the anger and hurt feelings. You can't help but to be moved at what the children did. The subject of this episode makes this one of my favorites in Season 1.