The Waltons (1971–1981): Season 1, Episode 8 - The Boy from the CCC - full transcript

There was beauty
on Walton's Mountain

at any time of the year...

but looking back, the time
I treasure most is spring.

When the days were
growing longer

and the promise
of summer was ahead.

They were the kind of days
made for dreaming.

But being the oldest
of seven children

during the Depression...

didn't leave much
time for daydreams.

I remember a morning
in the 1930s

when I had been
sent to the store...



to oversee the buying
of a pair of shoes

for my youngest sister,Elizabeth.

I never get to do anything.

-How's that, Elizabeth?
-You pick out the shoes...

John-Boy gets to pay for them.
I can't even wear them home.

Because they're for Sunday
school, that's why.

Look there!

-Don't let him hurt it!
-Reckless!

-See the way that coon acted?
-Ran right off into the woods.

First one I ever saw
didn't just scoot up a tree.

Coons are night animals. What's
he doing out in the daytime?

-Think he's hurt or something?
-We'll see.

Go ahead, you crummy farmer.
You've got the knife. Use it.

Just didn't want
you to kill that coon.



Go on, take it.

-Take it easy, will you?
-Leave me alone.

Let me look at it.

Not busted, anyway.

How come you were going
to kill that raccoon?

I was hungry.

What are you doing?

Fixing you something to walk on.

Then, if you're hungry,
we can go get something to eat.

Where?

My house.

Name's John-Boy Walton.

What kind of a name is that?

What's yours?

Gino.

Come on, Gino. Up.

That alright?

That's my sister Mary Ellen.

Hey, Gino.

My little sister Elizabeth
is around here somewhere.

Elizabeth!

Don't get upset, she's
over there behind the bush.

Elizabeth!

What're you doing with
that old coon in your arms?

I think he's sick or something.

Can I take him home?

I reckon it's alright.

I can keep you.
John-Boy said so.

I'm going to name you Pete,

because it'sthe nicest name I know.

-Where are you from, Gino?
-North.

And where you heading
for, young man?

South.

Should we get in
touch with your folks

and tell them you're hurt?

Nobody to get in touch with.
I'm a poor orphan.

You in the Army or something?

Where'd you ever get that idea?

Sort of figured
from your clothes.

These?

It's a Boy Scout uniform.

Oh, yeah?

Old man, Zeb, don't
forget you promised

to pick some
strawberries for dessert.

So I did, I'm going to need somehelp.
Who's going to help me?

I will.

I need a few more volunteers.

You, you, you, and you.

Can I stay and
keep Gino company?

Suit yourself.

Come along, now.

You know anything
about raccoons?

Never saw one until today.

I'll let you play with Pete
when he's well again.

Big deal. Yeah!

-Where you been, Jim-Bob?
-Nowhere.

Yes, you have.

"Who knows what evil lurks
in the hearts of man?

"The Shadow knows."

I'll tell Mama
you been listening

to that scary program on the radio.

I'll tell her
you been going to the Baldwins'.

You followed me!

The Shadow knows.
Want to confess?

No, sir.

-Give you this if you tell.
-What is it?

Genuine Indian arrowhead.

-Where'd you get it?
-Over near the barn.

Grandpa says we had lots
of Indians around here.

-There are any around here now?
-Not many.

Want this? All you
got to do is tell.

No, thanks.

We got company.

-Who are you?
-Al Capone.

That's not his name.
His name is Gino.

He isn't very friendly.

Do you want to see
a genuine Indian arrowhead?

What's that?

He doesn't know anything. Never
saw a coon until he saw mine.

You got one?

-Yep, want to see him?
-Sure do.

-He is concealing something.
-I know.

You asking him to supper?

Can't very well turn him
away with that bad ankle.

You planning on letting
him spend the night?

Where else could he go?

I won't get a wink of sleep.

A shifty boy, a boy we don't
know anything about...

spending the night
under our roof.

Hey, lady.

I wouldn't sleep in
your house if you paid me.

I'm sorry, Gino.

We didn't mean
to hurt your feelings.

It's just that you
are a stranger...

and we haven't had a chance
to get to know you.

That's okay. I'll
sleep in the barn...

that is, if you don't think I'll
stink up the joint too much.

Daddy! How are you? Hello.

Hello, baby, how are you?

Where's your mama? Fixing supper.

Who's this?

Hello, Gino. Where you from?

Up around Big Meadow.

You're a far piece from home.

I've been moving around.

What were you doing
in the woods?

Looking for something to eat.

Time to get washed
up for supper.

Here you go.

Come on, son, have
yourself something to eat.

-Corn looks pretty good.
-Raccoons got most of it.

-I should be a raccoon.
-Okay, here.

Elizabeth, would you
say grace, please?

Thank you for the food we eat.

Thank you forthe world so sweet.

Thank you for
the birds that sing.

Thank you, God, for everything.

Very nice.

Here you go.

You're supposed to wait
for everybody to get theirs.

It's a rule.

I didn't know.

Sometimes we forget the rule
if a man's mighty hungry.

Go ahead, eat up.

-Daddy?
-What, honey?

Will you build a cage for Pete?

Who's Pete?

A little raccoon
she found in the woods.

Gino was about to kill it.

What were you
going to do that for?

I was hungry.
I was going to eat it.

that raccoon's about
the worst eating there is.

Nobody ever told me.

Gino, what do you do up in Big Meadow?

Nothing right now.

It's awful pretty up there.

Last fall, we got
in the truck and went up

just to see
the autumn leaves turning.

Can't decide which
is the prettiest,

the maple or the oaks.

The dogwood's the prettiest,

and the next prettiest
is the persimmons.

Who asked you?

Nobody did. I was just
saying what I remembered.

Somebody start those peas there.
Nobody hungry in this family?

We're kind of busy
this time of year...

but if you need a ride
over to Big Meadow...

I might be able
to in a day or two.

I wouldn't want
you any trouble.

Won't your folks
be anxious about you, son?

I guess not.

You don't like to talk much
about yourself, do you, son?

There's nothing to tell.

Daddy, will you please build
that cage for Pete?

-Sure, honey.
-He's out in a box, outside.

It doesn't help the wild thing,
nor the one that brought it in.

I'll never forget
the first wild thing

I ever brought into my home.

What was that?

You, sweetheart.

Eat your supper.

-How's it coming?
-Alright, I guess.

Will he be alright, Daddy?

If you were going to
get a coon for a pet,

why did you have
to get a sick one?

Because he needed me.

Alright, baby,
off to bed you go.

Just a minute, son,
I want to talk to you.

Tell me what you
know about this Gino.

All I know about him
is he hurt his ankle

and he was awful hungry.

Looks like he's
got part of a uniform on.

Did he tell you about that?

Said he was in the Boy Scouts.

Yeah, well.

Could be he's
a deserter from the army.

He's not going to run
very far on that hurt foot.

Tell you what...

I'll let him sleep in
the barn tonight...

but I want you
to keep an eye on him.

Alright.

You couldn't make it
up here with that ankle.

Who says I can't?

I'll fix you a hay bed.

Nothing better to sleep
on than fresh hay.

-Smells good.
-Yeah.

-Any bugs in this stuff?
-None I know of.

I've slept with
bugs before, anyway.

Here we go. It'll have to do.

Your mama's some cook.

You're some eater.

Thanks. For the bed, I mean.

Don't mention it.

See you in the morning, Gino.

Sleep tight.

The darkness of night
is around us now.

Beyond the safety
of the house

the wild things withtheir shiny eyes...

are moving
through the shadows.

There is something wild, too,

about the boy
sleeping in the barn.

What he's running
from we don't know...

but I think he's
beginning to trust us...

and maybe tomorrow the mystery
will be all cleared up.

-Keep on passing the biscuits.
-Here you go, Grandpa.

Pass them on down to Grandpa.

Jim-Bob, eat slowly.
Don't gulp your food.

-Ben gulps his.
-I do not.

Alright, boys.

I'd speak to
Mary Ellen about that.

Just watch your step, smarty!

Girls.

Where's Gino this morning?

I expect he's still
at the barn, sleeping.

Those city boys sleep late.

Never knew one that didn't.

I've heard of cases
where city folk

slept until 9:00
or 10:00 in the morning.

The day's over by then.

Day's gonna be over
before I get out of here.

-See you all later.
-Bye, Daddy.

Daddy, Gino's not in the barn.

I guess he decided to take off.

-Morning, everybody.-Morning, Gino.

Those hens have sure been busy.

-I'll take those, Gino.
-I found them!

You want to cook them?

Thank you.

I can't stay with you very long,
or Pete will get lonesome.

-What are you doing?
-Talking to this flower.

-Does it talk back?
-Hasn't yet.

I've got a little sister
not much older than you are.

She talk to flowers, too?

No. Why not?

There weren't any flowers where we lived.

Where is she? I don't know.

How come?

She got adopted outof an orphans' home.

What was she doing there?

You ask too many questions, kid.

I'm bothering you, huh?

-It's your house.
-I'll leave you alone, Gino.

I have to check
on Pete, anyway.

Bye, bye.

You don't come from anywhere
near Big Meadow, do you?

-I come from a lot of places.
-Yeah?

-Where do you really come from?
-Hell's Kitchen.

-Come on!
-That's what they call it.

It's in New York City.

Over near the river.

What's it like in New York City?

Crummy.

I'd sure loveto see it, though.

Empire State Building,
Great White Way.

There's a show there right now
by Mr. Eugene O'Neill...

called Ah, Wilderness! I'd give
anything to see that one.

Did you ever see a show
on the Great White Way?

Sure.

The chauffeur drives
me up to Broadway

once or twice a week.

Me in my white tie and tails,

my girlfriend in
a long white mink coat.

Mr. First Nighter,
they call me.

You can't give anybody a
straight answer, can you, boy?

What do you want to know?

I was tired of being hungry.

Jobs hard to find?

Not if you don't mind selling
apples on a street corner.

Why did you head south?

I joined up with the C.C.C.

They put me in
a place called Big Meadow.

I told you I was from there.

I know that camp. They're
making a national park up there.

President Roosevelt's
supposed to come

and dedicate it soon.
Why did you leave?

I couldn't stand it.

It was too much like the army.

A bugle to tell youwhen to get up...

and another one to tell you
when to go to bed at night.

Having to stand
in line for chow.

At least you weren't hungry.

Come on, Gino,
why did you leave?

Some guy took some money and
they tried to pin it on me...

so I just took off.

Did you steal it?

Would I be hanging around here
if I had any money on me?

I guess not.

Where's that old marble?

What is this?

What are you doing?

Found this under here.
It's some kind of ad.

-Give me that.
-Wait a minute.

"Sell Capt. Wylly's
Super Fine Blueing

to all your neighbors
and clean up."

-This is yours, Jim-Bob.
-What if it is?

You're going to get
rich selling blueing

to all your neighbors?

I'll show you if you
promise not to tell.

Okay, what is it?

Twenty cents!

Did you get that
from selling blueing?

Yeah, and nobody's
ever to know about it.

What's so secret about it?

I think it's sinful.

What're you going
to do about it? 341

I'm still struggling
with my conscience.

-Well, I'll be off.
-What's your hurry, son?

I got to get over to
Albemarle County.

I promised Mr. Dennis
Marshall...

I'd put a day training
the new bird dog he bought.

Mr. Dennis Marshall's a rich
man. I hope he pays you.

Five dollars, but he won't
if I don't get there.

Hello, honey.

Daddy? What?

Pete's sick, will you take a look?

Tonight, baby. I'm late for
work already. Goodbye, all.

Goodbye, Daddy. Have a good day.

Hurry up, all of you. Don't
want you to be late for school.

You got to get to school,
and right now.

-Mama, why wouldn't he do it?
-Do what, Elizabeth?

Something to make
Pete feel better.

He hasn't got enough
time this morning.

Daddy's got a big
day ahead of him.

It's important to us all that
he bring back that $5 tonight.

Why? I'd much rather
have Pete than $5.

Come on, sweetheart,
get ready for school.

Come on, pumpkin. Let's see if
I can doctor Pete up for you.

Alright?

Come on, Gino, you come, too.

Let's let this little one go.
I'll get you another.

I don't want another
one. I want Pete.

-He's awful sick, honey.
-Daddy could've doctored him.

I'm afraid he needs
an animal doctor.

Daddy once doctored Chance

the time she ate
too many green apples.

I know.

I'm think this
little coon's trouble

is a lot worse
than that, though.

-Let's let him go.
-No.

You two better get to school.

Gino and I will take care of the raccoon.

Come on, honey.

-Bye, sweetie.
-Bye, Mama, bye, Pete.

That little animal
would be better off dead.

I don't think we could
convince Elizabeth of that.

Hi, Daddy!

-What have you got?
-Ain't this a pretty sight?

What is it?

That is a $5 bill.

Wow! We could
get enough licorice

for a whole year with that.

Daddy, can we afford
to get Dr. Holloway for Pete?

I'll just take that.

It's going into the
shoe fund so you won't

run barefooted this winter.

Shoot!

You should have
seen that dog....

Too much static.

It's time to go to bed, anyway.

I'll go to bed, but
I won't close my eyes

with this storm brewing.

Only woman I ever knew that
could snore with her eyes open.

Goodnight.

Tomorrow's another day.

You go on up, John.
I'll get the kitchen.

Tell John-Boy to turn off
his light and go to sleep.

Alright, honey.

-Goodnight, Gino.
-Goodnight, Mrs. Walton.

Hold it.

It beats me how you can treat this family

that way after we took you in.

I didn't ask you to take me in.

No, we could've left you
in the woods, hungry, lame.

That's not our way.

What are you going to
do with me, mister?

I've sent for
the Sheriff. It's up to him.

What were you going
to do with that money

if I hadn't caught you?

There wasn't much.
It was hardly $20.

I'll tell you, son, it's a lot to us.

My old man used to pay that
much a week in protection money.

What's protection money?

else they'll bust up
your store, and your head even.

You come from a pretty
tough neighborhood.

Place called Hell's Kitchen
in New York City.

Told me all about it.

Is that where
you learned to steal?

That's where I had
to steal to keep alive.

You people don't know
what it's like to be poor.

You get hungry, you can
go out and grow something...

in the garden or you
can shoot it in the forest.

It's not like that in the city.

I had it tough all my life,
so give me a break.

Want to make
it any tougher on me?

No, I don't.

But I don't want to make it
any easier, either.

The way I figure it,
you're at a crossroads.

You can still make of your life
what you want it to be.

You sound just like
my old man used to.

I guess all fathers sound
the same to their sons.

We want so much for them, we
get kind of preachy sometimes.

Do you know your father?

You close to him?Can you talk to him?

No, I can't talk to him.

Maybe you should let him know
what's happening to you.

Listen, stop telling me
how to run my life, will you?

Alright, Gino. It's up to you.

-Morning, Mr. Godsey.
-Jason. What can I do for you?

My daddy sent me to see
if I could find Sheriff Bridges.

He's not here yet.

He usually drops
by every morning

for a bottle of pop, but....

-Something wrong at your place?
-Daddy wants to talk to him.

-Was that all?-Yes, sir. That's the message.

You wanted to
talk to me, Jim-Bob?

I have something to confess.

Alright.

I have 20 cents that
doesn't belong to me.

Want to tell me how
you got the money?

-Blueing.
-What?

This ad said you
could make money

beyond your wildest dreams.

-And then?
-I went to the Baldwin sisters.

You know I don't like
you going over there.

I asked them if they wanted
to buy some, and they did.

-Where'd you get the blueing?
-I didn't. 468

Are you going to send
the money to the company?

I don't know how.

That doesn't seem like
such a problem to me.

I don't even know
what blueing is, anyway.

If you can sell something
without even knowing what it is

you won't have to worry about
money for the rest of your life.

I'll tell you what we'll do.

I'll take the money
and go over to Mr. Godsey's...

and buy the blueing
to give to the Baldwins.

Is 20 cents enough?

I figure there ought to be
at least 5 cents left over.

-That can be your commission.
-To keep?

To keep.

I saw Mr. Godsey, Daddy.

-Did you see the Sheriff?
-No, sir.

But I left word for him.
Should be here pretty soon.

Thank you, son. Now go get
yourself ready for school.

Yes, sir.

Not that I enjoy
getting anyone arrested.

Sometimes I think there might be
a better way to settle problems.

Daddy!

-What is it, little one?
-It's Pete. He's awful bad.

Gino, you might just be right.

I can't tell you
how to live your life.

What did your
old man mean by that?

I think he's giving
you a chance to run away...

if that's what you want to do.

Gino. What?

Remember what he just said about

your being at a crossroads?

What about it?

I reckon I'll be at mine pretty soon.

I just hope everything works out for you.

What do you care?
I really don't get this family.

And you and your father
and everybody trying to...

turn me into
some kind of an angel.

That's not so.

I just hate to see you
have to throw your life away.

What do you care?

Why should my life matter
one way or another...

to a bunch of dirt-poor hicks?

We may be a bunch
of dirt-poor hicks...

but we've got something
a lot of other people miss.

My mother and father
happen to love each other

and they love their children.

what makes this family work.

It's because there's love enough
to go around and some to spare!

When my daddy looks
at you, he sees me

if I'd been born
in Hell's Kitchen.

Guess, maybe we just
care about life...

whether it's a wounded
raccoon or a runaway boy.

Honey, don't touch.

Will he be alright?

Why don't you go get your
books ready for school.

I'll keep an eye on Pete.

They're already together.

How about helping your
sisters make the bed, okay?

I did. I want
to stay here with Pete.

Sure, baby.

You know what might just work?

What?

Sassafras tea and honey.

How could we get
him to drink it?

We could spoon-feed it to him.

Go ask your mama
to brew some up.

Put lots of
honey in, okay?

Are you sure it
will be good for him?

It's worth a try.

I'll be back.

Is there anything
I can do, Mr. Walton?

No, Gino, afraid not.

Sassafras tea and honey?

Are you sure
that's what he said? 546

I've heard of sassafras tea
and honey for a lot of things...

but never for a sick raccoon.

We're going to
spoon-feed it to him.

I guess it won't hurt
the poor little thing.

It just might do
the trick, at that.

Will it take long?

Just as long as it
takes a kettle to boil.

Daddy. Is Pete alright?

I'm afraid he's dead, baby.

Lord God, we are gathered here
to bury this little creature.

We ask your blessing
on this family...

and keep us safe
in your name. Amen.

I've baked a
nice chocolate cake.

You can have the first piece.

Why'd he have to die, anyway?

It were his time to go, child.

It isn't fair.

I'm sorry that it had to come
to you so early in life...

but a part of living is dying.

When a body is wore out,
whether it's a creature or...

a human to let go of
life can be a blessing.

Will that bring him back?

Well, no.

You could've saved
him if you wanted to.

But you were too
busy and didn't care!

My God, Liv, did I do that?

You were busy, John.
You tried to explain it to her.

Just don't know
what to say to her.

Listen, kid.

Little girl.

Elizabeth?

That kind of stuff
never did anybody any good.

Only sissies cry.

I'm no sissy.

I know it.

You're a tough guy, aren't you?

Right now you're
feeling cheated.

I'm never going
to speak to Daddy again.

He could've stopped it.

Sometimes when death
comes, it's welcome.

Sometimes it's
the right thing to happen.

What do you know
about it, anyway?

Plenty.

I saw my old man, my daddy, die.

I had a pretty good family one time.

You know, Mom,
the old man, a little sister.

We didn't live grand,
the way you do here...

with fresh air and good
stuff to eat and everything.

We lived in what they call a tenement.

running up and down the halls...

and garbage all over the place.

It's kind of hard for
you to picture, huh?

First we lost my mom.

And for a while we got by...

my old man and me taking turns
cooking and all that stuff.

Did your sister help?

She wasn't but five,
but she did what she could.

Then one day my old man,
he was working in his store...

and these hoods came in.

Hoods?

You'd call them bad guys, I guess.

they had to have
this protection money.

He told them to get lost.

And there was a fight...

and they shot him.

Your father?

My sister and I, we heard the shots...

and we ran down there and we found him.

He was really hurt bad...

but he was still thinking of us,
as bad off as he was.

I called for some help...

and my sister and I,
we sat down beside him...

and we prayed to God to let him live.

I just stopped praying...

and he died.

I'm sorry, Gino.

You see, it was right for
him to let go of life...

and it was right for
us to let go of him.

What is death?

I think it's just
closing your eyes...

and instead of the darkness,
you see the light.

Never gonna be able to
see him again, are you?

No.

I think I'd like
to find my daddy.

I'm right here, baby.

Daddy, Sheriff Bridges just
drove up. He wants to see you.

Pretty good.

What are you standing there for?
Go on back up.

You're not going to turn me in?

Go on back up.

He's talking to Erin. She going
to blab everything she knows.

You two hold him off
while we stay here.

Just jawing with
your daughter here.

What about?

I was just explaining
about the C.C.C. camps.

How come?

Erin here wanted to know.

He was telling
me about some boy

that ran away from
the C.C.C. camp.

I was asking himwhat a C.C.C. camp was.

What was he telling you?

About how some kids grow
up in the city...

and never get to climb trees

or go fishing or
even play on real grass.

And sometimes when they
grow up they get to be....

Delinquent. Run astray of the law.

Of course, the C.C.C.s like
to get hold of them before then.

That's all we said, Daddy.

Into the house, now.

One of your boys left word with
Ike that you wanted to see me.

Sorry I couldn't come before now.

What did you want to see me about?

Quail season opens Saturday.

Thought maybe you'd want to get

your boys to go up and try your luck.

I'd like that fine.
Where do you want to try them?

Up in the mountain, John-Boy's Meadow.

Nice covey of quail up there.

John, I'm going to see you Saturday.

Bright and early. Bye, Sheriff.

Goodbye, I'll be there.

Grandpa, come on in, it's alright.

Alright, Gino, we're safe. Come along.

Told him we were going quail hunting.

Mr. Walton, Mrs. Walton,
I want to thank you...

-for all you did for me.
-No need for that, Gino.

I mean the way you
fixed my leg and fed me...

and after what I tried to do.

I want you to
know I appreciate it.

-I'll be thinking about you.
-Going somewhere, Gino?

Yeah. Back to the city?

I thought I'd give
the C.C.C. another try.

There maybe something
in this nature junk after all.

Come on in the house,
Gino, and get yourself

a big piece of chocolate cake.

What're you doing, baby?

I've been fixing up Pete. See?

I tell you what.

Why don't I catch you another
raccoon, a healthy one?

No, a healthy one wouldn't
need me the way Pete did.

Besides, Grandma
said wild things

are better off with
their own kind.

Baby, I reckon they are.

For a while after he left,
Gino used to write to us.

where he returned
when the Depression was over.

Today where the C.C.C.
camp once stood

is a national park.

In autumn, when
the leaves are gold

and russet and lemon
yellow and apple red...

people drive for
hundreds of miles...

to refresh their souls
and their spirit with beauty.

John-Boy?

Yes, honey?
Can flowers talk?

I don't know, Elizabeth. Why?

I passed a hollyhock today
and heard something whisper.

I think if we learned to listen

we could hear all kinds of miracles.

Goodnight, John-Boy. Goodnight.

In a moment, some scenes from
the next episode of The Waltons