I was privileged to see a screening of the "Earl Hamner Storyteller" documentary film at a Waltons fan convention in Lynchburg, VA in February 2015. This film, directed by Ray Castro, and co-produced by Michael McGreevey and Tim McAbee, was riveting! The time spent traveling and obtaining the interviews and photo shoots was no doubt a labor of love for these three gentlemen who I had the pleasure of meeting. Perhaps best known for "The Waltons," many did not realize the vast career Earl Hamner has had with other television shows including "Falcon Crest" and "The Twilight Zone." Among a myriad of writing credits, Mr. Hamner wrote the film adaptation of "Charlotte's Web." Growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Earl Hamner is a true southern gentleman, humble, and nurturing of writers. This film will make you laugh and cry, but most importantly, will leave a warm spot in your heart that you will not soon forget.
11 Reviews
A heartfelt and well deserved tribute to Mr. Hamner.
randyhighsmith4 September 2015
I just watched Earl Hamner Storyteller and wanted to share my impressions and reactions. I am not eloquent or artful with words but let me give this a try. As a long time Waltons fan and a fan of Earl Hamner I was eagerly awaiting this documentary's release. It was every bit as good as I had heard. To see Earl Hamner walk the area where he grew up and visit his childhood home was wonderful. To hear all the actors, family members and others who have worked with Mr. Hamner over these many years share their memories and impressions was moving and heartwarming.
Earl Hamner has given us much entertainment over these many years. He not only gave us The Waltons but he brought us Falcon Crest, several episodes of The Twilight Zone, Gentle Ben and Nanny and the Professor. He also brought us the animated adaption of Charlotte's Web (1973 film). He produced great Novels like; Fifty Roads to Town (1953), Spencer's Mountain (1961), You Can't Get There From Here (1965), The Homecoming: A Novel About Spencer's Mountain (1970), and Generous Women: An Appreciation (2006). He also gave us great TV movies like; Heidi (1969), Appalachian Autumn (1969), Aesop's Fables (1971), The Homecoming (for CBS, 1971), Where the Lilies Bloom (1972), The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story (1983) and more!
I have read how and why this documentary was made. In October 2013, Producer Ray Castro viewed a Waltons reunion on Good Morning America and noticed that Mr. Hamner was placed in the back, behind all of the actors. I read that Ray said, "I thought it was very disrespectful," and "They didn't mention his name or even talk to him and, knowing Earl, that must have hurt. Without him, we wouldn't have The Waltons. And it bothered me when I was watching it." A few days later, Castro met with producer and writer Michael McGreevey, who also was passionate about Hamner's work, the two along with producer Tim McAbee decided to start the project.
I think this documentary pays a heartfelt and well deserved tribute to Mr. Hamner.
Earl Hamner has given us much entertainment over these many years. He not only gave us The Waltons but he brought us Falcon Crest, several episodes of The Twilight Zone, Gentle Ben and Nanny and the Professor. He also brought us the animated adaption of Charlotte's Web (1973 film). He produced great Novels like; Fifty Roads to Town (1953), Spencer's Mountain (1961), You Can't Get There From Here (1965), The Homecoming: A Novel About Spencer's Mountain (1970), and Generous Women: An Appreciation (2006). He also gave us great TV movies like; Heidi (1969), Appalachian Autumn (1969), Aesop's Fables (1971), The Homecoming (for CBS, 1971), Where the Lilies Bloom (1972), The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story (1983) and more!
I have read how and why this documentary was made. In October 2013, Producer Ray Castro viewed a Waltons reunion on Good Morning America and noticed that Mr. Hamner was placed in the back, behind all of the actors. I read that Ray said, "I thought it was very disrespectful," and "They didn't mention his name or even talk to him and, knowing Earl, that must have hurt. Without him, we wouldn't have The Waltons. And it bothered me when I was watching it." A few days later, Castro met with producer and writer Michael McGreevey, who also was passionate about Hamner's work, the two along with producer Tim McAbee decided to start the project.
I think this documentary pays a heartfelt and well deserved tribute to Mr. Hamner.
This documentary is a priceless treasure!!
cojan19 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I had the good fortune to see this documentary before the public while attending The Homecoming 2015 Walton Weekend in Lynchburg, Virginia, February 27-March 1, 2015. A fan convention for over 450 joyful, enthusiastic people, celebrating just one of Earl Hamner's accomplishments, The Waltons. Produced by Tim McAbee, Michael McGreevey and directed by Ray Castro, this documentary is a must see for all of Earl Hamner's fans, admirers, friends and colleagues!! It brings to the viewer the collection of Earl's projects covering television, movies, books, writings and more. I won't list his accomplishments here, better to see it for yourself when you watch this documentary. I am a church pastor in central Virginia, I live about 45 minutes from where Earl grew up in Schuyler, Va. I was at the opening of The Walton's Mountain Museum in 1992 and took some photos of the cast in attendance that day which led to a face book fan page that I operate with over 600 members who eat, drink and sleep The Waltons, 43 years after the show debuted on CBS. This is an amazing documentary that I encourage everyone to see at the theater, on TV or purchase the DVD! You will laugh, you will cry, but most of all, you will be thankful for all that Earl has done.
Memorable reflection on an unforgettable career
barbi-3800714 May 2015
I wanted to send you a message saying what a wonderful job actually, it was an amazing job you did in putting together The Storyteller. Honoring that wonderful man had to have been such an amazing feeling. Even though I could not see what was happening on the screen, because it was told in such detail I had absolutely no problem following along. Learning more about that special man is such a gift to me. I am sure that you all have heard such amazing and wonderful stories about what this man and his creativeness has meant to others. I could sit and listen to that man speak forever. I was not sure if I could stand up and tell you all what the Waltons meant to me until, I watched that documentary. When Mr. Hamner said not to put off tomorrow what you could do today because tomorrow might be too late, I knew without a doubt I had to somehow let you all know about my vision and what it meant watching the Waltons for me. Once I got the courage to do so, it made me feel so much better.
Awesome Documentary
pegbur717 September 2015
Having grown up in Schuyler (Earl Hamner's hometown) just a few doors down from his parents, I've always been "aware" of him and his talents but never knew the full scope of his talent and vision until now. The documentary taught me a lot that I never realized and enhanced some things I thought I knew but apparently only had a glimpse of.
I so enjoyed learning more about Earl and his career and finding out how much more talented he was than I ever realized. I also really enjoyed seeing places I am familiar with and seeing Doris (his mom) on film and hearing her voice again was priceless.
If you are a Walton's fan, you will immensely enjoy this documentary and even if you aren't it is a fascinating watch. Buy it and watch it. You won't be disappointed.
I so enjoyed learning more about Earl and his career and finding out how much more talented he was than I ever realized. I also really enjoyed seeing places I am familiar with and seeing Doris (his mom) on film and hearing her voice again was priceless.
If you are a Walton's fan, you will immensely enjoy this documentary and even if you aren't it is a fascinating watch. Buy it and watch it. You won't be disappointed.
A great tribute
barbarataylor-8285315 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I received my autographed copy and was first really pleased that I got not one cover but two one signed by Earl the second not signed, so I could frame the signed copy or just keep it safe which I didn't know when I bought it that they were doing it nice unexpected touch. On to the DVD, it was so well done I thought I knew all about Earl Hammer's work but this was so enlightening there really is so much more he has done that I had no idea he did. Hope I can find some of it on Amazon because I would love to see it. Between the clips of shows and the mentioning of books he wrote along with all the people who paid tribute to him by being in this you can't help feeling closer to him and admiring him even more. This is a 10 for sure. I almost rated it a 9 but that is because I would of love to hear more from Earl there are plenty of parts with him but I will never get enough hearing him talk about his life. Great job to all who had a part in this and thank you to all who made it happen he really deserves this tribute.
Even Better Than Expected
riggs4-119 September 2015
What a treasure this documentary is -backed by supporters via online crowdsourcing, "Earl Hamner Storyteller" was recently released for home viewing. As the title suggests, this feature-length documentary lays out the story of one of America's greatest storytellers, Mr. Hamner himself. It was refreshing to see many people who worked with him giving interviews and they all had kind things to say. The film covers everything from "The Waltons" to "The Twilight Zone" and his other work in television and film. The portions highlighting "The Waltons" even got me a bit teary-eyed. As mentioned in the header, I had no idea what to expect, but I figured this would be a good documentary. I was wrong - it is tremendous.
A loving portrait of a Hollywood writer who created the Waltons, as told in his own words and by a number of celebrities who portrayed his characters.
dave-23-38030829 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Earl Hamner Storyteller (EHS) is the story of a genteel Virginian writer who made it big in Hollywood. Earl Hamner grew up during the Depression, served during the 2nd World War and then pursued a career of writing that took him from writing novels and radio to TV and film.
In establishing Earl's desire to write, EHS weaves footage from his creations Spencer's Mountain (1963), The Homecoming (1971) and The Waltons (1972-80) to illustrate his journey to become a writer. This technique continues to be employed to further illustrate details about Earl's upbringing, family and home. How amazing to tell the tale of a writer's life story by combining fictional footage from various dramas that biographically illustrate which such accurate precision since all of that footage was semi-autobiographical to begin with. Has there ever been such a situation before where a Hollywood legend creates a successful body of work that would then one day act as archive footage to support their own biography?
While Earl speaks for himself and takes the viewer on a journey through his life and career, the story is achieved mainly by connecting soundbites from more than 55 interviews with the actors, friends and family who Earl's influence touched throughout their life and career. The filmmakers take us back to Earl's childhood home in Schuyler, Virginia, a small community that Earl immortalized in his fictional tales of growing up on The Waltons. Actor/Producer Michael McGreevey acts as a conduit, "the ear of the audience" so to speak to help frame the story as Earl shares his memories of growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountain region of Virginia. Yet with so much career to reveal and so many interviews from other celebrities to tell the tale, little time is spent "porch sitting" before we are whisked off on a quickly paced journey of Earl's career in Hollywood. We don't really get a behind-the-scenes-tell- all-tale because Earl is too much of a gentleman for that. What we do get though is a relatively thorough look at the achievements of a man who sought to tell stories about family, honor, love, perseverance, grace and dignity who did it so successfully in a town that is not especially known for those qualities.
The film spends a significant amount of time illustrating Earl's break into Hollywood and television writing his first scripts for a handful of Twilight Zone episodes. We learn an interesting insight in that the characters of the old man and his wife portrayed in "The Hunt" serve as prototypes for Grandma and Grandpa Walton.
By far Earl's greatest achievement is the long running series The Waltons. EHS spends almost a third of its run time focusing on this production. In the kitchen of his childhood home in Virginia Earl sits with 3 of his surviving siblings and explains that he wrote about each of them as he saw them. Through a series of clips Earl reveals each of the "Walton" actors who portrayed his siblings.
Earl is the voice of a mature John-Boy who looks back on his memories of growing up on Walton's Mountain. Richard Thomas admits his disappointment when he was not chosen to read the opening and closing monologue for each episode. We learn about the issues explored, the history told and how Earl worked to keep real, honest moments in the show. The film then moves on to Earl's other creations like Apples Way and Falcon Crest.
Country recording artist and Virginia native, Jimmy Fortune bookends the film with his song "Virginia Dreams" and pianist/composer Paul Cardall provides the various themes throughout the film.
The documentary doesn't lose sight of its topic. With so many legendary interviewees, productions and clips to sort through it could have been a daunting task for most but the filmmakers expertly craft a story that stays on track and never veers far from the topic which, is always Earl himself. EHS does a commendable job stepping us through an insightful journey of Earl's career especially insightful for those who know little of his varied body of work.
EHS excels at not being bogged down by the weight of its own subject matter. The quick pace keeps things moving and the volume of interviews never allows the viewer to tire from overuse of any of the personalities in particular. More often than not it leaves one to wonder what other stories were left on the editing room floor. In telling the tale of a Hollywood legend it's fitting to see so many recognizable personalities who came together to share their insight and memories of a writer who gave them the words and character to perform. While this film is the story of a writer, it is more revealing at times for "who" speaks than for what they say. Many of these interviews are celebrities who in many cases we haven't seen in the limelight for some time and it's a joy to see their familiar faces again yet for the most part all too briefly.
In the end, Earl Hamner Storyteller is a charming tribute. The filmmakers achieved their goal in telling the story of modest writer's journey from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia to the Hills of Hollywood. There are too few portraits that honor the works of creative individuals such as this Virginian, no, American treasure. A Hollywood storyteller who strived to reveal the best in ourselves, who navigated a business known for spite, greed and deceit and used his skill and talent to create a body of work that reveals our best qualities and gave audiences something decent that the whole family could enjoy, be entertained by and learn something along the way. - 8/10
In establishing Earl's desire to write, EHS weaves footage from his creations Spencer's Mountain (1963), The Homecoming (1971) and The Waltons (1972-80) to illustrate his journey to become a writer. This technique continues to be employed to further illustrate details about Earl's upbringing, family and home. How amazing to tell the tale of a writer's life story by combining fictional footage from various dramas that biographically illustrate which such accurate precision since all of that footage was semi-autobiographical to begin with. Has there ever been such a situation before where a Hollywood legend creates a successful body of work that would then one day act as archive footage to support their own biography?
While Earl speaks for himself and takes the viewer on a journey through his life and career, the story is achieved mainly by connecting soundbites from more than 55 interviews with the actors, friends and family who Earl's influence touched throughout their life and career. The filmmakers take us back to Earl's childhood home in Schuyler, Virginia, a small community that Earl immortalized in his fictional tales of growing up on The Waltons. Actor/Producer Michael McGreevey acts as a conduit, "the ear of the audience" so to speak to help frame the story as Earl shares his memories of growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountain region of Virginia. Yet with so much career to reveal and so many interviews from other celebrities to tell the tale, little time is spent "porch sitting" before we are whisked off on a quickly paced journey of Earl's career in Hollywood. We don't really get a behind-the-scenes-tell- all-tale because Earl is too much of a gentleman for that. What we do get though is a relatively thorough look at the achievements of a man who sought to tell stories about family, honor, love, perseverance, grace and dignity who did it so successfully in a town that is not especially known for those qualities.
The film spends a significant amount of time illustrating Earl's break into Hollywood and television writing his first scripts for a handful of Twilight Zone episodes. We learn an interesting insight in that the characters of the old man and his wife portrayed in "The Hunt" serve as prototypes for Grandma and Grandpa Walton.
By far Earl's greatest achievement is the long running series The Waltons. EHS spends almost a third of its run time focusing on this production. In the kitchen of his childhood home in Virginia Earl sits with 3 of his surviving siblings and explains that he wrote about each of them as he saw them. Through a series of clips Earl reveals each of the "Walton" actors who portrayed his siblings.
Earl is the voice of a mature John-Boy who looks back on his memories of growing up on Walton's Mountain. Richard Thomas admits his disappointment when he was not chosen to read the opening and closing monologue for each episode. We learn about the issues explored, the history told and how Earl worked to keep real, honest moments in the show. The film then moves on to Earl's other creations like Apples Way and Falcon Crest.
Country recording artist and Virginia native, Jimmy Fortune bookends the film with his song "Virginia Dreams" and pianist/composer Paul Cardall provides the various themes throughout the film.
The documentary doesn't lose sight of its topic. With so many legendary interviewees, productions and clips to sort through it could have been a daunting task for most but the filmmakers expertly craft a story that stays on track and never veers far from the topic which, is always Earl himself. EHS does a commendable job stepping us through an insightful journey of Earl's career especially insightful for those who know little of his varied body of work.
EHS excels at not being bogged down by the weight of its own subject matter. The quick pace keeps things moving and the volume of interviews never allows the viewer to tire from overuse of any of the personalities in particular. More often than not it leaves one to wonder what other stories were left on the editing room floor. In telling the tale of a Hollywood legend it's fitting to see so many recognizable personalities who came together to share their insight and memories of a writer who gave them the words and character to perform. While this film is the story of a writer, it is more revealing at times for "who" speaks than for what they say. Many of these interviews are celebrities who in many cases we haven't seen in the limelight for some time and it's a joy to see their familiar faces again yet for the most part all too briefly.
In the end, Earl Hamner Storyteller is a charming tribute. The filmmakers achieved their goal in telling the story of modest writer's journey from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia to the Hills of Hollywood. There are too few portraits that honor the works of creative individuals such as this Virginian, no, American treasure. A Hollywood storyteller who strived to reveal the best in ourselves, who navigated a business known for spite, greed and deceit and used his skill and talent to create a body of work that reveals our best qualities and gave audiences something decent that the whole family could enjoy, be entertained by and learn something along the way. - 8/10
Heartwarming tribute to Mr. Earl Hamner done beautifully - a real treasure!
taronda-6594421 September 2015
I have looked so forward to this awesome documentary being completed. It was everything I thought it would be and more! A beautiful tribute to a wonderful man that is loved and admired so much. I have lost track of how many times I have watched it since receiving it, and enjoy it more each time. My world has been made richer because of Mr. Hamner and his accomplishments, and I appreciate those that made it possible to tell his story. Rarely do documentaries manage to capture the true essence of a person. That is definitely not the case with "Earl Hamner Storyteller". It gives us a true sense of who Earl Hamner is. And we are able to see how this man who came from a small town in Virginia, found his way into the hearts of millions all over the world. What an absolute treasure!!
Portrayal of an intimate writer.
tlennan-113 September 2015
It seems that film and television are most frequently referred to as a "director's medium" or as "star vehicles". The foundation of any successful film or television show is excellent writing. This portrayal of Earl Hamner Jr. gives credit where it is due to the writer who has given the American public the warm intimate portrayals of family life that we love and identify with or wish we could identify with.
This film portrays Mr. Hammers great passion for writing and will strike deep chords with those who admire the power and eloquence of the written word.
TAL
This film portrays Mr. Hammers great passion for writing and will strike deep chords with those who admire the power and eloquence of the written word.
TAL
Great Documentary!
mary-464803 November 2015
This is a fabulous documentary of the life and work of Earl Hamner. I have always been a fan of Earl's voice and his work on the Walton's. I did not realize how many other TV shows and movies that Earl has been a part of! However, knowing of his other works, the Walton's is still my favorite. Watching that show and hearing Earl's voice makes one long for the simpler times in life. Every child should be so fortunate as to grow up in a household such as Earl's! I truly enjoyed seeing the other actors and hearing their voices again too! This film is an excellent portrayal of Earl's extraordinary life and work. The producers of this film have done an excellent job of showcasing Earl's life and most importantly his talent! Job well done!
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