The Bicycle (1 Mar. 1973)

John-Boy's meddling in a long-distance romance backfires.

Director:

Alf Kjellin

Writers:

Earl Hamner Jr. (creator), Nigel McKeand

Stars:

Richard Thomas, Ralph Waite, Michael Learned

Cast

Episode credited cast:
Richard Thomas	...	John-Boy Walton
Ralph Waite	...	John Walton, Sr.
Michael Learned	...	Olivia Walton (as Miss Michael Learned)
Ellen Corby	...	Esther Walton
Will Geer	...	The Grandfather
Judy Norton	...	Mary Ellen Walton
Jon Walmsley	...	Jason Walton
Mary Beth McDonough	...	Erin Walton (as Mary Elizabeth McDonough)
Eric Scott	...	Ben Walton
David W. Harper	...	Jim-Bob Walton (as David Harper)
Kami Cotler	...	Elizabeth Walton
Joe Conley	...	Ike Godsey
Earl Hamner Jr.	...	Narrator
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ned Beatty	...	Curtis Norton
David Doremus	...	George William 'G.W.' Haines

Storyline

When neighbor Curtis meets a woman in Richmond named Ann, he is smitten, and asks John-Boy to help him write letters to her. The letters convince Ann to move from New York to Walton's Mountain, to marry Curtis. Meanwhile, Olivia is particularly exasperated by her mounting duties and sees a second hand bicycle as a ticket out of the home a few times a week for choir practice. When Ann meets Curtis she discovers he is not as articulate as "his" letters, and has second thoughts about marrying him. And when Olivia gets a taste of the gossipy nature of her choir meetings, she has second thoughts about the worth of her homely tasks.

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Genres:

Drama | Family | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 1973 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 20, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lorimar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

While it is possible that 1934's The Gay Divorcee could have been seen at this time by the Waltons, it would be a stretch to think that 1936's Rose-Marie, mentioned in Ann Harris' letter, had been released since it would mean that three years have passed in two episodes. Character Yancy Tucker reminds John Boy in episode 1.20 "The Deed" that it is 1933.

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Quotes

Narrator: [narration as John 'John Boy' Walton, Jr. reading from his journal] Times were hard when I was growing up in the 1930's and many people tried to escape those times by living in other worlds created for them by glossy magazines and the movies. My own family was so close and we were so involved with our everyday lives that we didn't seem to need those dream worlds. So, it came as a surprise when, one day, we discovered that our mother had a dream world of her own.

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Connections

References The Gay Divorcee (1934)

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Soundtracks

"Amazing Grace"
Words by John Newton
Non-traditional melody
Sung by cast in church choir

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