The Ingalls family left rural America at the end of the 19th century for the Rock. This Saturday June 15, the protagonists of The Little House On The Prairie, Karen Grassle (Caroline Ingalls), Melissa Sue Anderson (Mary Ingalls), Alison Arngrim (Nellie Oleson), Matthew Laborteaux (Albert Ingalls), Wendi Lou Lee (Grace Ingalls) and Leslie Landon (schoolteacher Etta Plum in the final season and daughter of Michael Landon), gathered at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the cult series. The nostalgia was there.
On March 30, 1974, NBC broadcast the first images of the television series created by Michael Landon. Even today, the program continues to make viewers’ hearts beat. “It’s impressive to see that 50 years later people are still watching the series from all over the world. We didn’t expect such success,” said Alison Arngrim (aka Nellie Oleson). Melissa Sue Anderson confided that she took a “getting old” with this anniversary, but recognizes that it is a great opportunity to reunite the cast.
In front of the blue carpet of the famous Festival, fans of the series crowded around while the actors were amazed at the still intact success of their characters. Arngrim Alison remembered fans who recently got autograph tattoos: “Some fans asked me for autographs and then went to the tattoo artist to get them tattooed”. “And I remember seeing a big guy, very robust with a huge tattoo of Charles Ingalls on his arm. It was funny to see a man with such a stature wearing a tattoo The Little House On The Prairie” added Landon Leslie. One thing is certain, the series is unlikely to be forgotten.
Melissa Sue Anderson opens up about the atmosphere of filming
When they turned The Little House On The Prairie, they were just children. Did the filming look like a playground? “No !” replied cash Melissa Sue Anderson who played Mary Ingalls. “The atmosphere of the shoot was great, but we expected a lot from the children, even more than from the adults” she revealed. Before adding: “If we hire a kid for an episode and they come in nervous and forget their lines, it’s like, ‘Oh my god, what are we going to do?’ an adult we tell ourselves that it happens”. The actress spoke of the pressure to do well. “You have to behave well, take everything seriously, know your lines, respect directions, don’t argue, don’t respond. We respected the more experienced, older actors too much to get agitated” she concluded.
The cast in mourning 30 years after the death of Michael Landon
The producer of the series, Michael Landon, who also played Charles Ingalls, died at the age of 54 on July 1, 1991. Even today, the cast of the series remains in mourning. “Michael was a sunny and protective person, most of the kids said he was the funniest, that he made jokes all the time, I was too young to see him but he was like a father on shooting.” said Wendi Lou Lee (Grace Ingalls). Before continuing with humor: “I looked at him as my father even if he didn’t come home with me for dinner”. “I remember his laugh, his way of speaking, I can still hear him laughing in my ears” said Alison Arngrim.
Melissa Sue Anderson and Leslie Landon couldn’t hold back their tears. “For me a remake of The Little House On The Prairie wouldn’t work because Michael isn’t here anymore. The Little House On The Prairie worked on television thanks to him” said the woman who played Mary Ingalls, her eyes filling with tears. “I think he would be proud of us” added Landon Leslie, the late actor’s daughter.
Photo credits: Sarah Pereira