The Waltons (TV Series) The Theft (1973) User Reviews

The value of trusting people, even when they act suspiciously

[FlushingCaps · 8/10 · 20 February 2014]

In "The Theft" we see John repairing a refrigerator belonging to a wealthy family named Claybourne, which consists of a woman, her adult son and a high-school-aged daughter, who live in a fancy house with pillars, and have a butler/servant. After John spends a lot of time getting the machine repaired, the son, Stuart Lee (never simply called "Stuart") offers to drive him home.

At supper that night, John tells about how Stuart Lee paid him just like his daddy had always done long ago—in a sealed envelope. Only this night, they are disappointed to learn the envelope only contains one dollar.

This is troublesome because John has many customers who are behind in their bills and his truck badly needs new tires. Obviously, if he can't deliver wood in his truck, he's out of business.

A day or two later, after finishing more repair work at the Claybourne house, we see John buying two tires for his truck. When he comes home, he refuses to explain to Livvy where he got the money, but instead gives her a present.

Soon enough, we see the Claybourne matriarch all upset because two valuable Paul Revere goblets are missing. Because nobody who isn't family has been to the house since she last saw them, she reluctantly thinks it must have been John.

The crux of the story is about how the Waltons all were sure that John didn't take any goblets, but couldn't understand why he refused to explain where he went for a few hours that day, or where he got the money for the tires and the gift. We viewers had a good clue, but did not know for sure what happened.

John-Boy in particular is upset at his father for not trusting him enough to let him know, and John gets sore at John-Boy for not letting him decide for himself when the time is right to talk about it.

Everyone is on edge as the accusation of theft causes trouble at home, and for the children at school. It finally gets resolved, partly because of some shrewd observations Ben makes, one of which he credits to remembering a similar observation in a Charlie Chan movie.

I thought all the actions of the characters, including the guest stars seemed logical and understandable. It is easy to see how people can lose faith in someone they trust and it was good to see the way the Walton family reacted when John was at the center of the accusation of being a thief and refused to explain his actions. A good, solid episode, making it an 8 in my book.

Getting Better

[garyldibert · 5/10 · 23 February 2014]

TITLE: THE THEFT Original Airdate: October 4, 1973 Writer: Robert Malcolm Young Director: Harry Harris

PROLOGUE: "Looking back across the span of 40 years the sharp edges of the great Depression have worn away, in memory the period seems a happy time. Yet when we lived them they were trying years, and I remember a time when our family's pride, and our integrity were challenged in a manner that was new and shattering to all of us."

SYNOPSIS: John Walton has been doing some handy work at the Claybourne's. They are a well-to-do family but maybe not is all that it appears to be since the father of the family has passed away. John is concerned about whether they have enough to get by. He has 11 unpaid customers in the past month, Stuart Claybourne had only paid him a dollar for a day's work, and the Walton's truck has paper-thin tires that won't last. John admits to John-Boy that this is the hardest patch of financial trouble that the family has gone through. John returns to the Claybourne's to finish the repair on their fridge. Mrs. Claybourne requests that he join her for coffee in her drawing room. When they are done, she leaves John unattended in the room with all her fine silverware. Later Mrs. Claybourne and Dewey, her servant search for her missing silver goblets. She believes that John was the only one who had the opportunity to take the items and she asks her son Stuart Lee to call the Sheriff. Meanwhile John has made his way to Charlottesville to buy some new tires for his truck. He also buys Olivia some new material for her to make a new dress. She asks him where he got the money but John is unwilling to answer. Sheriff Bridges visits the Walton's to question John's whereabouts after he left the Claybourne's. John refuses to answer then he lashes out at John-Boy for not obeying his word. Olivia thinks that maybe John was off playing poker and that is where the money came from. The children on the other hand have allowed the issue to affect their feelings as well. At the dinner table, John inquires why the family is so quiet and Mary Ellen tells him that John-Boy was in a fight at school trying to protect their father's good name. John tries to apologize and reason with John-Boy but he is mad that his father won't concede to the same rules that he expects from his family. Later that evening John tells Olivia that he is not ready to explain his actions just yet. John then runs into Dodge Evanhauer and Sheriff Ep Bridges at Ike's store. He tries to collect money that Dodge owes for firewood, which results in a heated exchange. The Sheriff then gets a phone call confirming that John was in Charlottesville after being at the Claybourne's but John still won't account for his actions. John-Boy and Ben devise a plan to gather some information about the Claybourne's. Ben knocks on their door to offer a magazine subscription but in reality, he is looking for signs that may reveal the truth about the situation. He notices that their shoes are all worn out. John-Boy then begins to look into the Claybournes and begins to figure that not all is as it

QUESTIONS: who confronted Stuart Lee? Who was Stuart Lee? Why did Mrs. Claybourne go to the Waltons house? What did John confess to Oliva?

EPILOGUE: "The Depression lingered on, and there were other bad spells, but we lived through them too. However, as each year ended it was difficult to recall the hard times we'd come through. Looking back, I realize now that the real bounty placed before us each day was the love we had for each other. It shaped our lives, fed our souls, and crowned our happiness."

"Rosey glasses"

[jilljohnson-80359 · 5/10 · 2 May 2024]

Not my favorite episode 😢 the acting was okay. It starts out john fixing an exhausted refrigerator and receives only a dollar. In those days most people got a dollar a day at the time I thought southern aristocrats can't do better? The show goes on about the aristocrats accusing john of theft. The mothers silver set. John comes back with some items dis questioned about where he got it even evades his wife. I like the way eb the sheriff tells off those neighbors about not paying john money they owe for wood deliveries haha! That son was such a weak wimp, to stand by and have a man accused of what he did. The mother comes over demanding the silver. She understands desperation, john tells her he's innocent. Finally john tells all. Weakling sneak son finally tells all. Telling his mother he was taking care of her the way his father did , she just needed to keep being the fine lady she was and be pretty...pretty. Finally she apologizes and makes her exit the son does apologizes to john and family and is told that don't cut it. Kid states he's ashamed john accepts that. Stuart Claiborne asks john boy to look after Amelia the girl who was destined to be another mrs. Claybourne as to she's part of the public school system now. No college. Anyway it was johns right not to tell where he got the money, it would be hard panning a wedding ring. I think waiting so long only worsened it at least tell his misses. That son was a pain. The brothers did great as slueths!!