(First USA transmission 21 Sep 1972)
Writer: Nigel McKeand.
Director: Alf Kjellin.
Music:
Arthur Moreton.
The Carnival
"Few strangers ever
came to Waltons Mountain. We got our news of the outside world from the radio
or from an occasional copy of a magazine. But I remember when I was about 17
four visitors arrived and gave me my first unexpected glimpse of the other
world beyond our mountain".
John-Boy and Elizabeth count the money to
find out if the children have enough to go to the carnival. With two dollars
twenty-two cents, they will be able to see all the attractions and to share a
cotton candy. The kids run upstairs to get ready while Grandma cleans the
supper table. But Olivia has placed Grandma’s glasses where Grandma can’t see
them, resulting in her breaking them. Olivia says they can pay for new ones
with the two dollars from the emergency money. Grandma reminds her that the
money was already spent on Jason’s shoes. John-Boy tells the children what
happened, and convinces them to donate their money to fix Grandma’s glasses,
even though it will mean that they will miss the carnival.
At Ike’s store Jim Bob and Elizabeth begin to
tell Ike why they didn’t go to the carnival, but Mary Ellen quickly asks for a
two-dollar money order. Ike says that with postage it totals two dollars eleven
cents. Inside the store Martha Rose Coverdale tells the children how wonderful
a time she had at the carnival.
At the house Sheriff Bridges drives up to see
John. But with him and Grandpa in Rockfish delivering railroad ties, Ep warns
Olivia to lock everything up. He says that the carnival manager ran off with
the snake charmer’s wife, leaving four carnival people behind. That night
John-Boy reads Jim Bob and Elizabeth a scary bedtime story ("Little Orphan Annie (and the Goblins)"). After tucking them
into bed, John-Boy writes in his journal. As Jim Bob and Elizabeth drift off to
sleep Jim Bob sees a monkey at the window, and awakens his sister. John-Boy writes, “It’s eight o’clock. The train is just going
over the trestle at Rockfish. It makes a lonesome sound and far out there in
the night it fills me with a restless feeling I don’t rightly understand.”
John-Boy hears the two kids open their window. He enters their room, but
doesn’t see the monkey. Jim Bob and Elizabeth tell him what they saw, but
John-Boy says to go back to sleep. Outside a man calls to the monkey.
The next morning John-Boy, Jason, Jim Bob,
and Elizabeth follow the monkey into the barn where they discover that the four
carnival people have taken up residence. Pete Harris, their leader, introduces
Marco, Tommy, and his wife Belle. Inside the house John-Boy and Jason tell the
rest of the family about what they saw. Olivia wonders if they have cigarettes
and whiskey, unable to tolerate the two. Suddenly the foursome is seen walking
up to the house. Olivia demands that they not be allowed into her house. John
reminds her that they have never turned anyone away from the house based on how
they look or what they do. John invites them inside, then Olivia wonders if
they have had supper. Over a meal the carnival people tell their adventures
performing across the country and riding the train to the grand cities.
John-Boy is mesmerized by the talk of traveling. Olivia becomes uneasy at her
eldest son being exposed to the outside world; hating the idea of some day he
will leave them. Their next job is at the Chicago World’s Fair, hoping to
travel there by the Rockfish freight train. John agrees to talk with Sam
Holden, the night clerk. Afterwards Olivia admits that she saw for the first
time how John-Boy reacted to news of the world. John reassures her as John-Boy
lies in bed, listening to the train whistle blow off in the distance.
Mary Ellen, Erin, and Elizabeth bring
leftovers to the carnival people. Belle gives Mary Ellen one of her old
costumes, after the children admit they weren’t able to see the carnival. Jason
and Ben look over Pete’s one-man band instrument as Tommy looks on.
In the morning, Olivia finds Ben
juggling her supper plates. When he breaks one, he is sent to his room. Mary Ellen climbs onto the peak of the barn
roof in order to perform her tightrope act. Olivia and Grandpa look on in
horror as John drives up. For her punishment Olivia makes her memorize ten
Bible verses. Later John and Grandpa drive to the railroad depot. Sam Holden
agrees to let the carnival people ride the train that night. When Sam tells
them that his boss, Homer Ferguson is very strict, Grandpa indicates that
lately Homer is more dedicated to himself than to the railroad. John-Boy tells
Tommy that they will take them to the station at eight-thirty tonight. When
John-Boy admits that he feels life is passing him by (like in the book Moby-Dick),
Tommy responds by saying that he will visit those distant places he dreams
about.
As the family prays before supper
a letter is slipped under the door. John-Boy reads the invitation, “To all
the Waltons, we most humbly request the pleasure of your company in the barn at
seven-thirty”. The family
arrives to find Marco at the doorway announcing, “Welcome and Good Evening”.
The carnival people perform, first Tommy welcomes everyone, and then Pete plays
his one-man band. Later Marco performs his magic act and Belle walks her
tightrope. Pete and Tommy then clown around together. At the end of the show
the carnival people and the Waltons hold hands in a circle and sing Auld
Lang Syne. At the depot Homer surprises Sam, telling him to go home because
his wife is about to give birth. As the performers pack Olivia admits to Belle
that she wrongly judged her. Belle gives her a needlepoint of flowers, asking
Olivia want it is like to stay in one place. Olivia tells her that it is the
only life she’s ever known.
At the train depot Homer refuses to allow the
carnival people onto his train, threatening to call the sheriff. He finally
agrees when Grandpa tells him that he knows about the six cases of bootleg
whiskey that is brought on board Thursday nights behind his back. As the train
departs with the carnival people riding in one of the cars, Tommy gives
John-Boy his copy of the book Moby-Dick or The White Whale. John asks
his son if he is okay. John-Boy is troubled but all right.
"And so the carnival
people left Waltons Mountain. The postcard we received from them said they'd
arrived safely in Chicago and were working at the World's Fair. Some years
later, when I left to go to college, the book which Tommy gave me was one of
the possessions I took with me. Now, whenever I open it I remember those four
people who gave a 17 year old boy his first glimpse of the outside world".
Elizabeth:
John-Boy?
John-Boy:
What is it?
Elizabeth:
You think they'll ever come back?
John-Boy:
I don't know, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth:
I wish I could see that lady walk along the rope again.
John-Boy:
One day maybe.
Elizabeth:
Hope so, goodnight, John-Boy.
John-Boy:
Goodnight, Elizabeth.
Notes:
The carnival people consist of “Panhandle” Pete Harris (the Hobo Clown,
and player of the One-Man Band instrument), “Beautiful” Belle Brown (the Aerial
and Tightrope Artist), Tommy Trendel (Clown and descendent of Colonel Tom
Thumb), and Marco the Magnificent (the Magician). Pete mentions that he and Belle became
engaged on top of the Empire State Building.
The year is 1933 because the Chicago’s World Fair
was held in 1933. The fair open May 27, 1933, so the episode probably occurred
sometime in April or May. See the web site: http://www.chipublib.org/004chicago/timeline/centuryprog.html.
Billy Barty died December 23, 2000 at the age of
76For more information on Mr. Barty, go to: http://www.billybarty.com/.
The scary bedtime story is "Little Orphan Annie (and the Goblins)." John-Boy reads this excerpt: "And they seeked him in the rafter room, and cubby hole and press,
And seeked him up the chimney flue, and everywheres, I guess;
But all they ever found was just his pants and round about!
And the Gobble-uns'll git you if you don't watch out!" (http://www.jameswhitcombriley.com/litorphannie.htm)
.
John-Boy is about seventeen years old.
The license plates on John’s truck are 35-178 Virginia.
Sam Holden, the night clerk at the railroad, and his wife have four
children, with a fifth on the way.
The train leaves the Rockfish Crossing train depot at nine-thirty p.m.
Homer Ferguson, the boss to Sam Holden, has been with the railroad for
about twenty-five years.
Tommy
gives John-Boy his copy of the book Moby-Dick, a novel by Herman
Melville. More information about the book can be found at: http://www.melville.org/hmmoby.htm.
The song Auld Lang Syne,
by Robert Burns, is recognized across the English-speaking world as a song of
friendship and salutation. The song’s lyrics can be
found at: http://wilstar.com/xmas/auldlangsyne.htm.
Also appearing:
Ike Godsey (Joe Conley), Sheriff Ep Bridges (John Crawford), Martha Rose Coverdale (Cindy Eilbacher), Homer Ferguson (Arthur Peterson), Sam Holden (Jay Ripley), Pete Harris (Gino Conforti), Tommy Trindall (Billy Barty), Belle Brown (Barbara Davis), Marco (John Harper).
(synopsis written by William Atkins and edited by Arthur Dungate)