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Grief’s Aftereffects in “My Ellen”
The tragic drowning of Ellen Taylor is the subject of “My Ellen,” one of the most remembered episodes of Little House on the Prairie.
Laura and Mary find themselves in a difficult predicament when they go skinny bathing with their friend Ellen Taylor. When some boys approach, the girls hide under the water until it’s safe to do so.
Ellen unfortunately gets trapped and drowns, while Laura and Mary are able to safely resurface. In the heartbreaking aftermath, Ellen’s distraught mother accuses Laura of causing the tragedy.
At Ellen’s burial, her distraught mother accuses Laura of causing the disaster, stating, “YOU did this!” Laura is deeply affected by this heartbreaking charge, particularly because she already feels bad about what transpired. What is noteworthy, however, is the response of the adults in their immediate vicinity. They merely exchange anxious looks and allow Laura to endure her suffering in silence rather than intervening to protect her.
It’s a time of confusion. You would think that at least one of the numerous adults in the room, such as Doc Baker and Reverend Alden, would reassure Laura that she is not at fault. They let her deal with the harsh words on her own instead. Although the story’s emotional impact in “My Ellen” is clear, there are several scenes that seem disconnected from the rest of the narrative.
Frogs were put in Michael Landon’s mouth.
Pranks appeared to be a common occurrence in the filming atmosphere, and Michael Landon frequently took the lead with his inventive and humorous actions. Rachel Greenbush, who portrayed Carrie, the youngest of the Ingalls siblings, shared one amusing joke.
During breaks, Greenbush and Melissa Gilbert, her on-screen sister, would sneak down to the creek for some frog-catching excursions. To surprise Landon, they would return to the set with their slimy little companions.
In a lighthearted turn, he would approach other members of the cast and crew after taking the gullible frogs and putting them in his mouth. He would open his lips to let the frogs leap out while grinning cheekily, causing everyone around him to burst out laughing and in a panic.
The disagreement between Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert
Off-screen, the co-stars played a significant role in each other’s life for many years, and the ensemble had such a strong bond that you would assume they were a genuine family.
However, the actors’ relationship wasn’t always easy, and one significant incident led to a long-lasting breach between Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon.
It all began when the young celebrity learned something that would alter her perception of Landon for all time. During his marriage to his second wife, Marjorie Lynn Noe, Landon started an affair with Cindy Clerico, a considerably younger makeup artist and stand-in for Little House, on set.
On set, Gilbert remembers observing how close Landon and Clerico were growing, but he brushed it off, not believing that Landon would cheat on his wife.
She writes in her memoir, “It was nothing untoward; they weren’t in a closed-off room, not that I saw.” “But she was a pretty young thing, wearing stylish tight jeans, leotards, and high-heel boots, and Mike would walk around holding her puppy.”
Gilbert and the rest of the company soon learned of the affair and were horrified by the behavior of the performer they had admired as a father figure.
In her biography, Melissa Sue Anderson subsequently said, “As children, it was a real blow to us.” We never imagined he could cause his real family that much suffering, even though we knew he had shortcomings and could be challenging at times.
I had held him to a higher moral standard in my own opinion. He had truly disappointed me.
The quilt that travels
Another amusing gaffe has been seen by keen-eyed admirers with laser-like vision: the family quilt appears to be acting independently! Throughout the series, this illusive quilt appears on the beds of the Olsens, Charles and Caroline, and even other people.
It’s evident that certain props were repurposed for efficiency because it’s mostly white and has a sweet design that resembles a double wedding ring quilt.
In relation to places, have you observed the Ingalls kids’ perplexing commute to and from school? From one episode to the next, their path appears to shift. They occasionally wander by the sawmill after crossing the bridge, and other times they appear on the road behind it inexplicably.
Dean Butler came dangerously close to suicide.
Dean Butler, who played Laura Ingalls’ husband Almanzo Wilder, was one of the cast members that made an appearance in later seasons.