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You can take John-Boy (Richard Thomas) out of Walton's Mountain, but you can't take Walton's Mountain out of John-Boy. Still "spinning dreams of the long, long ago" (in the words of Earl Hamner Jr., who created and narrates this autobiographical Depression-era series), The Waltons Season 3 finds the eldest son of the sprawling brood taking his first "faltering" steps from home. Now attending Boatwright University, he is discovering "how little I knew about some things and how well my parents prepared me for others." Lesson 1 is "a sense of pride and accomplishment," which serves him well in "The First Day," as he suffers a series of mishaps with a towed car and missing application forms, indignities at the hands of taunting upperclassmen, and disastrous run-ins with an imperious professor. Later in the year, John-Boy gets a rebuke and a pep talk from his mother, Olivia (Michael Learned), for thinking that he's not good enough to date a girl from a wealthy family in "The Thoroughbred"; and he gets a chance to stand up for a classmate accused of cheating in "The System." Also this season: John (Ralph Waite) and Olivia renew their wedding vows in "The Woman," which features John Ritter in his recurring role as Rev. Matthew Fordwick; the family marks Grandpa's 73rd birthday, a milestone that's marred when he suffers a mild coronary that seems to drain his feisty spirit. Will Geer, who portrays Grandpa, earned an Emmy for this season, as did Ellen Corby, who portrays his devoted wife. The close-knit Waltons, one of the most functional families in television history, prevail over other crises, including the uprooting of kinfolk in the powerful two-part season-opener, "The Conflict," and inspire others to appreciate their own lives (an embittered blind woman in "The Job," for instance). The season finale, "The Venture," crystallizes what made The Waltons one of television's very best family hours, as neighbors rally to help complete John's new mill after he is hospitalized, and Walton and Sons is born. Donald Liebenson

All Movie Guide

Set in Jefferson County, VA, in the year 1935 or thereabouts, season three of The Waltons opens with the two-parter "The Conflict," in which oldest Walton son, John-Boy (Richard Thomas), is shot while trying to protect a relative. Fortunately he survives the ordeal and is packed off to his freshman year at Boatwright College right on schedule. Meanwhile, John-Boy's mother, Olivia (Michael Learned), considers enrolling in art school, and his 15-year-old sister Mary Ellen (Judy Norton Taylor) makes the decision to become a nurse. Of the many individual story strands, there are a few standouts, notably the episode in which Grandpa and Grandma Walton (Will Geer and Ellen Corby) move off the family mountain after an argument with son John (Ralph Waite); and at season's end, John is working himself into pneumonia while trying to keep his lumber mill active and prosperous in the depths of the depression. Also, the Waltons draw even closer together than unusual when Grandpa suffers a heart attack; and Ronnie Claire Edwards becomes a regular in the role of Corabeth Godsey, the alcoholic wife of storekeeper Ike Godsey (Joe Conley).

Product Details

• UPC: 012569768598
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Full Frame
• Editions: Subtitled, Digi-Pak
• Time: 20:25:00
• Sales Rank: 14,369

This set contains DVDs which may be available separately:

• The Waltons: The Conflict, Part 1
• The Waltons: The First Day
• The Waltons: The Thoroughbred
• The Waltons: The Runaway
• The Waltons: The Romance
• The Waltons: The Ring
• The Waltons: The System
• The Waltons: The Spoilers
• The Waltons: The Marathon
• The Waltons: The Book
• The Waltons: The Job
• The Waltons: The Departure
• The Waltons: The Visitor
• The Waltons: The Birthday
• The Waltons: The Lie
• The Waltons: The Matchmakers
• The Waltons: The Beguiled
• The Waltons: The Caretakers
• The Waltons: The Shivaree
• The Waltons: The Choice
• The Waltons: The Statue
• The Waltons: The Song
• The Waltons: The Woman
• The Waltons: The Venture

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