The classic show titled “Little House on the Prairie” never gained an adequate amount of critical acclaim. However, it is undeniably a memorable show with an amazing cast. The show had dramatic storylines, wholesome values, and even had the highest ratings in the world of television. What made the show so memorable for the people? Let’s take a dive into the making of this iconic television show and sneak a peek at the secret “behind the camera” life of the cast of Little House on the Prairie.
Disputes Between Mary And Laura Ingalls
The portrayal of the two sisters on the show was sugar-dripping sweet. However, real-life differed from screen life. Melissa Gilbert who played Laura Ingalls and Melissa Sue Anderson who was Mary Ingalls had their issues while away from the camera. According to Gilbert, the two hardly interacted on the sets. Adding on to this, Gilbert said that Anderson was cold during the filming of the show. The former actress even took a dig at her “sister” in her autobiography, Prairie Tale. Anderson’s autobiography is called The Way I See It.
A Relationship Crisis
After the show ended in 1982, Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon stopped talking to each other. The halt in this relationship was for nine years. Melissa found out about Michael’s extramarital affair with his then makeup artist, Cindy Clerico. Cindy was 20 years junior to the man and they both ended up marrying each other once the show concluded. But the off-screen bond of Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon witnessed another turn after a few years.
One Final Meeting
Landon was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and while he was battling with the disease, Gilbert surprised him by giving an appearance on Johnny Carson Show in 1991. Landon discussed his health on the show and they both spent the afternoon at his Malibu home. A week after that incident he passed away and we are glad they were able to reconcile before he met his end. This wasn’t the end of the heartwarming moments among the cast.
Nellie’s Wig Was One Bloody Wig
Harriet and Nels’ spoiled, cruel, and manipulative daughter, Nellie Olesen is known for her perfect curled blonde hair. During the filming of the whole show, she wore a wig because her hair was too difficult to manage. Her fine hair was not ready to get in order. Hence, they chose to get a wig for her. Shockingly, the hairstylists had to stick her wig so tight that on some occasions her scalp would bleed.
Hitting Puberty
The show was shot over nine years and the show had numerous kids working on it. The kids were relying on their good looks but as they hit the adolescence period, it changed the game for them. The young kids then turned out to be young adults and their bodies started to change. The team implemented some astounding ideas to hide the drastic changes and the trick with Melissa Gilbert can baffle anyone!
Concealing The Figure
Melissa Gilbert had to wear a tight, uncomfortable binding around her chest so that her changing figure could be hidden. It is a known fact that the show was shot in the desert and the temperature would rise above 100 degrees. Now, imagine wearing extra layers amid soaring temperatures – it sounds horrible. When one would want to strip completely due to all that heat, putting additional clothing might have been real torture.
Real Consequences Of The Heat
The show was set in the small ranch town of Walnut Grove. The set of the show was established in Simi Valley, California. The late 19th-century drama needed wide-open space and a rural backdrop to give it a realistic feel. In this setup, there was one major drawback - the burning sun. This led to many medical emergencies during the filming and quite a few stars of the show had to go through tough situations.
Passing Out
The raging hot sun right above their heads made the environment really hot. Due to the heat, actress Alison Arngrim passed out while shooting for the second episode of the series. Nellie had to wear heavy clothing and along with that wig, it was difficult for her to survive the weather. However, she was not the only one who fainted during the schedule of the show. The assistant director fainted as well.
No Shirts For Michael Landon
He’s got the look so, showing it off is the right thing to do, isn’t it? That’s what Michael Landon did throughout the show. He needed no reason to throw his shirt away from the camera. Hence, the weather just motivated him to go shirtless. At any moment, Pa Ingalls would get injured; Landon would remove his shirt and come to her rescue. Moreover, the injuries always required Landon to remove his shirt and carry her. No injury could be solved while wearing a shirt. Well, who’s complaining?
Melissa Gilbert’s First Kiss
15-year-old Melisa Gilbert was married off in the show. She got married to Almanzo Wilder who was eight years older than her. The romance between the two of them was awkward and it got extremely uncomfortable for the actress when she had to kiss him. It was the first kiss of her life. But that wasn’t all – another awkward moment awaited her and a lot happened behind the scenes during that part.
Off-Screen Weirdness
The kiss might have ended with certain discomfort for Melisa Gilbert but another scene was about to test her in all ways as an actress. They had to shoot the wedding night scene and it left Gilbert in a nerve-wracking moment. Dean commended her for her bravery while completing the scene. The actress was definitely nervous but wasn’t as upset as her mother was. Gilbert’s mother sobbed through the shooting of the scene.
On-Screen Intimacy
Unlike Melissa Gilbert and Dean Butler, Alison Arngrim (Nellie) And Steve Tracy (Percival) were quite comfortable with their intimate scenes. They had no uneasiness between them and it reflected on the screen. The makers of the show were so impressed by their professionalism that they asked Melissa and Dean to take inspiration from Alison and Steve. But Alison and Steve played a different game to flaunt their “chemistry.”
PDA
The fact that Steve was gay didn’t hinder their performance. Whenever they had an intimate scene scheduled, they’d show off their over-the-top acts of PDA in front of Gilbert to make her feel uncomfortable. After all the years of working together, people become aware of the ways to make you feel miserable and that’s what happened on the sets of Little House on the Prairie.
Third Time’s A Charm
When we think of the cast of the “Little House”, we don’t think anyone else would have played Nellie better than Alison Arngrim. Maybe that’s why Alison was rejected for the two roles she auditioned for before she landed the role of Nellie. The casting department was sure of the fact that Alison was perfect for Nellie and vice-versa. Alison in real life is extremely sweet and kind. However, her on-screen role is in contrast to her real-life personality. She plays a manipulative and razor-tongued character in the show.
An Insecure Star
When one makes it to “50 Sexiest Stars of All Time”, you cannot believe that they could be insecure about their body and assets. However, Landon proved it wrong. We all have our insecurities and we can’t get over them without validation. He was insecure about his height, which was 5 feet 9 inches. Turns out, he had a full plan to deal with this insecurity on the set.
Checking Every Angle
This insecurity led him to appear on the set in shoes with heels. He rarely appeared in platform boots on set. He wore what made him feel comfortable while he was being filmed. He tried to hide his insecurity with these tricks. He was even particular about his position in the frame just because he wanted to make sure that he looked tall in the scene.
Darkness Overloaded
The show was all about the Ingalls family. The episodes revolved around fairly wholesome issues of the family. They’d show jealousy between siblings and spoiled classmates. Hence, the controversy would always revolve around the show. Some of the episodes would be about poverty, abuse, kidnapping, and all kinds of dark issues. Issues that weren’t shown on television predominantly were now being spoken of. It was a popular choice among the kids of that time. Some of the episodes were so daring that they were considered groundbreaking.
Sibling Relationship
Did you know Johnathan Gilbert (Willie Olesen) is an adopted brother of Melissa Gilbert (Laura Ingalls)? Both of them are adopted kids of Paul and Barbara Gilbert. Melissa Gilbert maintained her place in the industry even after the show ended. She appeared on Dancing with the Stars, voice acting as Batgirl in Batman: The Animated Series, and starring as Ma Ingalls in a Broadway musical rendition of Little House. But her relationship with Jonathan saw a twist.
Changing The Path
Melissa Gilbert may have continued on the road of acting but Jonathan stepped out of the industry after he left the show and became a stockbroker in New York. He never looked back at this world and moved on, even leaving significant relationships of his life behind. Melissa Gilbert’s autobiography suggests that the two haven’t spoken to each other since he moved to New York and the reason is unknown to her.
Michael Landon Dyed His Hair
If you were in love with Pa Ingalls’ luscious brown hair, then we have news for you. His hair started to turn gray in his early 20s, hence, he had to color them to complete his look. The natural hair turned grayer and grayer. The dye available in-store wouldn’t help after a stage. As a result, in-store had to choose an unnatural violet hue. He had to take professional help to make his hair right. For the same reason, his hair looked different in the later seasons.
Dating A-listers
The two actors whose enmity was known to all were also known for a different thing and it was their dating stories. The goody-two-shoes, Melissa Gilbert (Laura) was known for dating the bad boys of the industry. She dated Scott Baio, Tom Cruise, and Michael Landon Jr. She went ahead and got engaged to Rob Lowe, but they broke off. Melissa is currently married to actor Timothy Busfield. But who did her “sister” date all this while?
Love Tales
While love stories of the cast were not made public, the rumors were always making rounds. The older sister, Melissa Sue Anderson (Mary Ingalls) has dated some men as well but no one as famous as her “sister”. Her list includes include Timothy Hutton, Lorenzo Lamas, and Frank Sinatra Jr. She then married Michael Sloan, a television writer and the two have two kids.
A Revenge Explosion?
The season finale was memorable. Lara had the idea to blow up the set as they wanted to take revenge against a greedy developer. The fans think that there could be another reason behind this act. One probability was that Michael Landon was not okay with the fact that the show was canceled after the ratings stooped down. He didn’t want people to choose that particular set for the shows. But a few more reasons came to light later.
Reality Of The Blast
Contrary to the previous reason, another probable story could be that Landon was sick of shooting the show and wanted to eliminate any possibility that could lead to a reunion. Kent McCrary, the producer of the show admitted that they had to leave the set in its initial condition that is totally vacant. So, they thought why not write the explosion of the set in the story itself! The houses blew up and it became convenient for them to empty the entire place.
Nellie And Laura
The enmity between Laura Ingalls and Nellie Oleson on the show was known to all. However, they had a different equation in real life. Nellie played a cruel, manipulative person in the show. She would cut down Laura with her witty remarks. On the other hand, off-screen, they were close friends and to this day, they still remain friends. They still talk to each other regularly. It is their talent that they were able to play enemies with such convincing power.
The Trickster Duo
Laura and Nellie were not as bad with each other as they appeared on the screen. The young girls were mischievous and they took their mischief out on the castmates. They kept pulling pranks on each other and the rest of the cast and crew. Melissa and Alison would always be up to something. The crew remained clueless about who had a plan up their sleeves. Most of the time, the plans were successful and they would end up being the laughing stock of the set.
Sean Penn’s First Shot
Sean Penn’s first shot was on the sets of Little House on the Prairie. If you didn’t notice him on the show, don’t be ashamed, it was a small part. The award-winning actor’s name didn’t even appear in the episode which was aired in 1974. The young actor received this chance because of his old talented dad. Leo Penn had directed a few episodes of Little House and that allowed him to shoot his son in a scene or two. His career finally took off when he acted in the film Taps.
Minor Roles
Do you remember Mrs. Kennedy and Etta Plum? Yes, those two women had one common thread. They were related to high-ranking crew members. Eileen Ryan (Mrs. Kennedy) was married to director Leo Penn. Leslie Landon (Etta Plum) was Michael Landon’s daughter but she later switched to clinical psychology. After her fairly short role, Eileen Ryan managed to be an accomplished actress. She had appeared in dozens of movies and television shows.
Deja Vu
It is difficult to come up with new ideas every time. When the writers of Little House on the Prairie used to form an idea for the episode, they’d pick an old idea from Bonanza, Michael Landon’s previous western show, and paint it in some other way. Such rewrites include episodes like, “A Matter of Circumstance,” “The Silent Cry”, “He Was Only Twelve,” and many other episodes. Even the theme song of the show first appeared in Bonanza and the plot was also quite similar to the previous show.
Wacky Seasons
As things go ahead, writers can’t keep the pace of the show as exciting as it was in the beginning. This is how most shows meet their end. Hence, the writers started coming up with ridiculous plots to take the seasons ahead. The stories of the later episodes ran off the rails real soon. There’s a reason that now shows run up to seven seasons only. However, out of the crap episodes, you get silly content to laugh on. Such episodes are a lot of fun.
Alison Arngrim’s Runaway Wheelchair
Do you remember that specific scene where Laura Ingalls pushes Nellie Oleson’s wheelchair down a hill? Yes, the episode named, “Bunny” where Laura realizes that Nellie has been faking her injuries and wanted to give her the taste of her own medicine. Well, as you must have expected, Nellie’s screams of terror were very real. A crew member had told Alison that the breaks of the wheelchair had been cut out. The purpose of the deed was that they wanted a convincing shot.
Were The Books And The Episodes Related?
Not really! The intention of the show makers was not to create an adaptation. They added scenes and made some alterations to many characters. Certain plots of the show were created from scratch by the writers of the show. Some fans of the books took it the wrong way and started criticizing the makers. While explaining their stand, Michael Landon said, “Have you read the books? There’s a chapter in there about how to make an apple fritter. I can’t film that!” The criticism was never taken to the heart.
There Is A Real Place Called “Walnut Grove”
The author of the Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls-Wilder (the real one) based her stories in Walnut Grove, which is a real place. The town served as the backdrop for the Ingalls family. However, the show was shot in Simi Valley, California. The author has a museum dedicated to herself in Walnut Grove, Minnesota. If you are one of the admirers of the show, you must visit Ingalls’ childhood home, next to Plum Creek. Also, a visit to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum in Walnut Grove, Minnesota can be enlightening!
Melissa Sue Anderson And Radames Pera
In the original script, Mary Ingalls (Melissa Sue Anderson) was supposed to be married to John Sanderson (Radames Pera). The cast and the crew could sense that there is no chemistry between both of them. The writers didn’t want to force the romance on the two of them, hence, they chose to change the storyline and came up with an intriguing plot.
“Soap Opera-ish”
In the new plot, poor Mary Ingalls contracted scarlet fever and went blind. She then lost her one shot at love. It was more of a tragic story for her. She was asked about the same in an interview and she said, “Either I was just there not doing much or going through some tragedy. I couldn’t take it anymore. It became too soap opera-ish.”
The Real Professional
Landon must have been involved in self-destructive habits all his life but he wanted the cast and crew to be professional. Alison said that she gives credit for her work ethic and discipline to Michael Landon. She further said, “He expected his child actors to be professionals. He tolerated no drama. I always like to describe the cast of Little House as ‘No arrests. No convictions.’ And it was because of the discipline instilled by Michael Landon.” He continued to be a father figure to his cast even off-camera.
Not An Admirer
Harriet Oleson (Katherine MacGregor) wasn’t a big fan of Michael. When the camera went off, they both seemed quite unfriendly with each other. Katherine believed that Landon was controlling. Landon was very particular about the scenes and he wouldn’t care about the number of takes for achieving a perfect one. It is tough to live with friction for nine years and both of them did a great job with the friction game. MacGregor passed away at the age of 93 in 2018.
