The Waltons (1971–1981): Season 4, Episode 11 - The Abdication - full transcript

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

JOHN-BOY: A different sound,
an unfamiliar shape or shadow

instantly alerts the
creatures of the wild.

Growing up on Walton's Mountain,

seldom traveling far from
the place we were born,

we came to share this
immediate awareness

of something different,
something new.

It seems now, in recollection,

that one of the milestone
events of my 19th year

followed the appearance
in our community

of something
decidedly different.



Something none of us
had ever seen before.

Would you mind
holding my mule, please?

(DOOR CHIMES JINGLING)

Hey, Ike, any mail?

No mail today, John-Boy.

What's all this? I'm making
lunches for the movie company.

You heard about the movie
that's being made, didn't you?

What movie?

You didn't know they're
making a movie here?

They're making a
movie on the mountain?

Is that what that truck
was, out there? Yeah.

Well, I didn't know about it.

Well, there's a real movie company
down here from New York, and

and... and they got lights and
fancy motion picture cameras,



and today's the
first day of shooting.

They're shooting
down by the river.

They got any movie
stars down there?

Sylvia Marsh and Gordon Farrell.

Sylvia Marsh and Gordon
Farrell are on Walton's Mountain?

Right. I cannot believe it.

Excuse me, Mr. Godsey, I was
asked to relay a message to you.

Well, of course. Uh, Mr. AJ
Covington sends his regards.

BOTH: AJ Covington? Yes.

The writer? Yes.

You mean, our AJ?

Well, h-how do you know AJ
Covington? IKE: How is he?

Well, I should say he's doing
rather well at the moment.

He wrote this picture. You mean, he
wrote the play that's gonna be the movie?

That's right. Is he here?

No, uh, he's coming
in from New York.

I'm scheduled to pick him up in
Charlottesville about 9:00 in the morning.

Oh, I'd... I'd like to pick him
up, if that's all right with you.

Oh, thank you, no.
But uh, shuffling people

and things about is my
job with the company.

Oh. oh, when you see him, would
you please tell him that John Walton Jr.,

John-Boy Walton, says hello?

John Walton. Yes, he asked
to be remembered to you.

He did, huh? How
about that? Yes.

Well, tell him that we'd like
him to come over to the house

and see the family
and... I certainly will, yes.

Excuse me, I've gotta run.

Uh, would you put this on
the company bill, Mr. Godsey?

Oh, sure. Uh, oh, I'm Todd
Clarke, Long Island Studios.

How do you do? Nice to meet you.

(DOOR CHIMES JINGLING) AJ.

You know, he certainly
is a nice sort of boy.

Uh, but he talks a little funny.

Got a foreign accent, I think.

Yeah, that's English.

English?

English?

(BLEATING)

You sure aren't too
good of a cowboy.

You make tracks
or I'll rope you.

You and who else?

Me and Myrtle, that's who. Hey!

Lone Ranger, how are you
doing? Where is everybody?

Inside the house
listening to the radio.

What are they listening
to this time of the day?

Some dumb thing
about a king. Yeah?

How's your roping going?

Well, I wish I had
a steer. Yeah?

Well, why don't you start
out by watering my mule?

I'll see what we
can do about it.

Bye, Myrtle.

(BLEATING)

Hey, everybody, you're
never gonna guess the news!

The greatest news...

MAN ON RADIO: And now from
the Transoceanic News Service,

this bulletin from London.

It was reported today that
Edward VIII, King of England,

was once again seen in the
company of Wallis Simpson,

the once-divorced and presently
married American lady from Baltimore.

OLIVIA: An American lady? Mama.

Press is going out of its way

to ignore the romance between
the King and the commoner.

However, reliable sources say

the relationship between
Edward and Wallis

is the talk of the
House of Commons

and the scandal of
the House of Lords.

Sounds like our Baltimore gal is
really upsetting their apple cart.

Anyone's guess. Grandpa. Shh.

And here on the home front,
Hollywood sources say that Marlene...

I don't get it. Just
because he's a king,

why can't he do what he wants?

'Cause a king can't go traipsing
around with a divorced woman.

Don't you all realize? This
is the love affair of all time!

I mean, the throne of England.
He'll have to give up the throne.

Who cares?

Millions of people, that's who.

Oh, Ben, you don't
know anything about love.

What would happen if our
president chased after a woman

and forgot about his
duties to this country?

Now, Livie, after all, she didn't
go after any old earl or count.

She made her way
slam bang to the top.

Sounds like a real
barnburner to me.

GRANDMA: A what?

Barnburner is a red-hot cookie
with a... Well, don't tell me.

Well, whatever she is,
it's an awfully big story.

Whatever that king decides, people
are gonna be talking about this for years.

Well, I'd have to be mighty
hard up for conversation.

Hmm, you don't like gossip?

Oh, I don't mind a little
gossip if it's homegrown,

but I sure wouldn't go clear
across the... the ocean for it.

I've heard just about enough of
loose living kings and fancy women.

BEN: Mama, what's a fancy woman?

OLIVIA: Ben.
You tell him, Livie.

I'm giving you all fair warning.

MARY ELLEN: Oh, we never get
to talk about anything interesting.

Well, I had something
interesting to say,

but nobody wanted
to talk about it.

What? What was it?

It's not important. It
doesn't make any difference.

Come on, John-Boy. No, no.

I wanted to hear
you the whole time.

Just somebody's coming to town.

Who? Who?

You're not interested in
this... We want to hear!

We turned off the
radio. AJ Covington.

ALL: AJ. AJ.

AJ Covington's that writer fellow,
was here a couple years back.

Mmm-hmm. What's he doing here?

Oh, nothing, nothing, it's not
important at all. Don't worry about it.

Come on. Just tell us.

Something about a movie. A
movie? What kind of movie?

Absolutely... What do
you care about it? Tell me.

John-Boy! BEN: We want to hear.

JOHN-BOY: He wrote
some story for a movie,

and they're filming
it around here.

ALL: Around here? Here?

I don't know. They
were, they were shooting

the other day down
at the Rockfish River

and uh, they're gonna be up at
the Tabor place for a couple days.

Well, who's the
actor? The other day...

Just a couple of actors...

MARY ELLEN: Who?
BEN: Who is this?

Who were they?

Someone named Sylvia Marsh...

Sylvia Marsh! ALL: Sylvia Marsh!

(ALL CLAMORING)

The world's closing in on us.

Kings traipsing around
with divorced women

and painted actresses
all over the place!

I tell you, the
world's gone crazy.

And aren't we lucky to
be going along for the ride?

(SHOUTING) JIM-BOY: We sure are!

Let go of my milk
or you'll spill it!

What are you doing?

MARY ELLEN: Star gazing.

Is it fun? Mmm-hmm.

Sky's just filled
with stars tonight.

Grandpa says there's
stories in the stars.

He's right.

Is that what you're doing?
Reading a story in the stars?

In a way.

Tell me the story.

Well, once upon a time,
there was a little girl.

She used to dream all the time.

And she dreamed that one day she'd
grow up and become a famous actress.

And she dreamed that she'd
get married to a rich man

and have lots of diamonds.

For a while she even dreamed that
she'd join a big league baseball team.

What happened
to the little girl?

(CHUCKLING)

Oh, she grew up and
decided to become a nurse.

You're talking about yourself,
aren't you? Mmm-hmm.

Is it sad to be a grown-up?

Um, it's not sad.

It's just that, well,
all of a sudden

you have to start
choosing between things

and wondering if you've
made the right choice.

I mean, like, here I am
about to enter nursing school,

and I don't know
if I've lived yet.

Well, if you haven't been living all
this time, what have you been doing?

Waiting, I guess.

For what?

I don't know.

A prince, maybe.

Well, you're gonna have
to wait an awful long time.

JOHN: Go to bed, you
girls. It's getting late.

All right, Daddy.

John-Boy's still up.

Oh, he's always up.

JOHN-BOY: I look forward
to seeing AJ Covington again.

I guess he's finally found the big
story he was always looking for.

My feeling, of course, always was
that AJ himself was the big story.

Perhaps he's made
that discovery for himself.

Many people have
influenced my writing,

but it was AJ Covington
who first taught me

to write about what is memorable

and significant in the
lives of ordinary people.

(LAUGHING) Hey,
hey, that's AJ Covington.

(ENGINE IDLING)

(LAUGHING) Hi, AJ.

Good to see you.

Oh, look at you,
John-Boy. Look at you.

Well, look at you. You're
wearing them spiffy clothes there.

Garments of the trade.
It's good to see you.

John, good to see
you looking so well.

AJ, how you doing? Better
than I have a right to expect.

All the family well?

Oh, the pink of condition, and
just waiting to hear your story.

Oh, I'd like you to meet Todd
Clarke of the Long Island Studios.

This is my father and my
grandfather. How do you do, sir?

Very nice to meet you.
Nice to know you, young man.

JOHN-BOY: And these are
my sisters, Mary Ellen and Erin.

Well, this is a very
pleasant surprise.

I'm delighted to meet you, Erin,

and you, Mary Ellen.

AJ: John, our... our
company needs uh, lumber

for constructing platforms
and various odds and ends.

(CHUCKLING) And, well,
we told, uh, Mr. Clarke, here,

that John Walton could
provide the very best there is.

We'll sure try, AJ.

If you'd like to talk about it,

I have a list of our
requirements, Mr. Walton.

Come over to the mill.
I'll show you what we got.

We'll be meeting again, I trust.

AJ, why don't you
come on into the house

and say hello to ma...
Grandma and my mama.

We wanna hear what
you've been doing.

(LAUGHING) Well, it's a
tale stranger than fiction.

AJ: Thank you.

I was creating no great
stir in the literary world,

until a few months ago, when
suddenly, the big break of my life.

They bought my story and
decided to make a movie out of it.

Well, what's the
story about? Well...

It's called The
Long Journey Home,

and it's the story
of a young man

who wants to live
in the mountains

in a strange kind
of quaint old house,

but instead goes
roaming around the world,

(CHUCKLING) looking
for a perfect paradise.

His search fails, of course,

and at the end he returns
to his home in the mountains.

Sounds to me like that quaint
old house you're talking about

is really the Tabor place.

The picture of that house
has never been out of my mind.

That place is still for sale.

You could probably get it for back
taxes alone. How much, Grandpa?

Next to nothing, I imagine.

No one seems to want to
live in that dear old place.

Everything's gotta be
new and shiny nowadays.

It was my description
of that old house

that sold the story
in the first place.

MARY ELLEN: Are they
filming up there now?

Not yet. Yesterday and today
they were down by the river

working on the action sequences.

Tomorrow the actual
real filming begins.

And I'd like you all to
be there as my guests.

Hot dog, how do you
like that for an invitation?

Hey, fine.

Make way for the guests of AJ
Covington, famous picture writer.

(LAUGHING)

Are Gordon Farrell and Sylvia
Marsh gonna be there tomorrow?

AJ: In all their shining glory.

Well, in that case, I
know a couple of girls

(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
who'll be up before the sun rises.

Come in.

Whenever you're ready
to leave, Mr. Covington.

Where you planning
on staying, AJ?

I came straight here
from the rail station.

I haven't arranged
for lodgings yet.

GRANDPA: Well, why don't you
stay here with us, just like you used to?

AJ: Thank you, Mr. Walton,
and I appreciate your offer.

But this strange business
is so unpredictable,

I have no idea of the
hours that I'll be working,

and I think it would
be best if I arrange

for some public accommodations.

Uh, Mrs. Brimmer is sure to have
a room. She's probably the nearest.

Oh, if you could give
me the directions.

I can show you where it
is. There's no need of that.

I'll just drive you down there and
introduce you to Mrs. Brimmer personally.

If that's all right with you.

I think Mrs. Brimmer's establishment
would be entirely satisfactory.

Uh, Todd, you may be off
to wherever suits your fancy.

Right. Shooting call is
for 8:00 in the morning.

All right. Thank you.

Thanks for your
offer of directions.

MARY ELLEN: Well, it's kind of hard to
find your way around here when you're new.

TODD: I have to come back
later tonight to speak to your father.

Will you be at home?

As far as I know.

Well, uh, goodbye.

Bye.

(SIGHING)

Close the door.

Oh.

Isn't he just the handsomest
man you ever saw?

Oh, yeah. And I think
he likes you, too. Oh.

From the first minute I saw
him and the first words he spoke

he reminded me of somebody,
somebody who's just absolutely gorgeous.

Who?

(SIGHING)

King Edward VIII.

This is the best room in
the house, Mr. Covington.

Reserved for
notables, you might say.

The fish and game
inspector always takes this

when he comes to the mountains.

Calls it his home
away from home.

You've convinced me beyond the
shadow of a doubt, Mrs. Brimmer.

I'll move in this afternoon.

Uh, there's a radio
downstairs in the living room,

in case you're
following the news.

Thank you very
much, Mrs. Brimmer.

Now, John-Boy, since
you've driven me this far,

may I impose on you
for one more side trip?

Do you have any
place special in mind?

I'd like to see the
old Tabor place

before the lights and cameras
move in and make a shambles of it.

I had a feeling you'd
want to go up there.

This is still the most peaceful
place in the whole world.

Remember the first
time you showed it to me?

Oh, I remember it well.

(SIGHING) Remember this?

"Whenever I go to
Suffern along the Erie track

"I go by the poor old farmhouse

"with its shingles
broken and black.

"I suppose I've passed
it a hundred times

"but I always stay for a minute

"And look at the
house, the tragic house

"the house with nobody in it"

"And uh...

"It needs some... New
paint... "New paint."

BOTH: "And shingles."

"And the vine should be trimmed
and tied, "Trimmed and tied."

"but what it needs the most of
all is some people living inside."

(LAUGHING)

You're a big, successful writer
now, AJ. Why don't you buy it?

There's a time for
everything, John-Boy,

and that time has passed.

I've been to New York.

I've... I've tasted it, I have a
fine apartment, I drive in cabs,

(LAUGHING) I dine
in the best restaurants.

But, you know, somewhere
in the back of my head, I...

I think I really could have
been happy in that house.

Well, you still
could, couldn't you?

No, it's a lost love, John-Boy.

Well, why should
it be? It's still here.

It's the same. It
hasn't changed.

No, but I have. For better,
for worse, who knows?

Come on.

JOHN-BOY: Hello. I'm
sorry I'm late, Mama.

Where have you been?
Well, you know how it is,

AJ and I got to walking and
talking around the old Tabor place.

That's just like old times
with you two? Yeah.

You're not gonna believe
how much money he makes.

When he told me, I
didn't believe it myself.

He makes $150 a week.

Aw, he must've
been pulling your leg.

Nope. $150 a week.

Boy, that's as much money as
the president of our country makes.

Why, that's $600 a
month. Mmm-hmm.

For that kind of money,
I'd crawl bare naked,

through a rattle snake farm.

(KNOCKING) TODD: Hello?

Come in.

GRANDPA: Why, Todd
Clarke, the movie man.

Good evening.

What can we do for you?

Well, we'll need more lumber
than we thought, Mr. Walton.

Floor plankings for our tents,

camera platforms,
that sort of thing.

Could we have
the order tomorrow?

Well, that'll be kind of rough,
but I guess we can manage.

Now, for the second
reason I came by tonight.

Would you object, Mr. Walton, if
I asked Mary Ellen to go with me

to Mr. Godsey's
store for a soda?

Isn't it kind of late?

Well, uh,

I guess it's all right with us.

It's kind of up to Mary Ellen.

I suppose I could.

All right. I'll be right down.

Just don't be late.

I... I saw a goat outside.

Uh, could we use
it in the movie?

You use the... The
goat in a movie?

Yes. I... I think we'd like
to use it for set dressing.

He asked you to go down to Ike's
with him. Well, it's practically a date.

Can I wear your
pearl beads? Sure.

Um, oh, yeah,
they're right here.

JOHN-BOY: You wanna put
the goat in the movie? Yes.

A goat? You're only
interested in a goat,

with all the good-looking
men in this family available?

Well, we'll pay you.

Oh!

Well, we... we should
talk about that. Yeah. Yeah.

Don't you just love
his English accent?

Would he be a commoner?

(CHUCKLING) He's
not very common to me.

I suppose you're gonna
fall in love with him.

Erin, I am trying not to.

I am really trying to be sensible
and level-headed about this.

But my word, isn't he cute?
You're gonna break your leg

before you get halfway down
to Ike's wearing those shoes.

Good. He can carry
me the rest of the way.

Okay. Will you
get that thing on?

It's on! Hurry up. We got
to do this hair. Come here.

Okay. Well, brush
it first. Right here.

Give me that thing. Watch
you don't burn yourself.

Guess you expect a lot of
folks over at the Tabor place.

Yes. It isn't every day

we see a movie company
on Walton's Mountain.

Well, we are planning
on a considerable number.

Of... of course, we'll make
provisions for special guests.

You mean us? Yes.

AJ said we could go
up there and take a look.

Oh, when you're friends of
AJ Covington, you go first class.

You'll be able to see
all the action from here.

Are you sure it's all right?
It was all arranged by AJ.

JIM-BOB: Sure got
us front row seats.

ERIN: Is there anything
special we should do?

You should be quiet.

Well, how come we have
to be quiet and they can talk?

TODD: Just listen to the
director. Which one's the director?

He's the fellow
with the megaphone.

What do we have
here? Only four Waltons?

Well, Mama and
Grandma stayed home,

and the men are delivering
the order of lumber.

I was hoping John-Boy
would be along.

Oh, he'll be here. It's all
he's been talking about.

Oh, that'll be fine.

Uh, you can unload right
by the tent, Mr. Walton.

They started yet?

It's perfect. We're just
getting into rehearsal.

JOHN: This is only
part of the order.

We gotta go back
and unload some more.

Where's my crew? Pa! Ben!
Jason! Come on, let's go!

Quiet back there!

You're a hard man, John.

Aren't you gonna let us get
a peek at the proceedings?

How are we gonna unload
this without upsetting that uh,

that... that "quiet"
man over there?

Don't take his, uh,
barking too seriously.

We're just in rehearsal. Uh, there'll
be no problem if you unload it gently.

All right. Well, let's go.

Could you spare John-Boy? I'd like
him to see what's going on back there.

Sure, go ahead. Thank you.

Well, that's what we get
for being common folks.

(SHUSHING) Quiet.
Quiet back there.

We'll have no muttering
amongst the peons.

Quiet.

(SHUSHING)

Livie?

Livie? Right here, Grandma.

Livie. What are you doing?

Nothing.

There are a dozen
things I should be doing,

but I'm just sitting out
here and enjoying myself.

You're not coming down
with something, are you?

No.

The men and the children
are away, and it's a nice day,

and I just thought I'd
sit here and do nothing.

So that's what I'm doing.

(CHUCKLING)

I think I'll join you.

(CHUCKLING)

Yup.

Hope nobody from
the church comes by.

(VEHICLE APPROACHING)

Oh, good Lord.

Esther. Olivia.
OLIVIA: Morning, Ike.

GRANDMA: (CLEARING
THROAT) Good morning.

I just thought I'd bring
by the mail and the paper.

Much obliged to you.

You're just taking a little
air? OLIVIA: That's right.

Well, it certainly
is a lovely day for it.

That's right.

Well.

Toodley-doo.

Imagine being married to a
man that says, "Toodley-doo."

Nope.

As much as I appreciate Ike
bringing this... this day-old paper,

I sure agree with Zeb. On what?

You know, he says
one of the first things

he's gonna do after
the Depression is over

is to go out and buy
himself a new paper.

Must be a luxury opening a
paper nobody else has read.

Or clipped out.

You know, I always wonder
what's been in those holes.

What's on the front page?

Oh, more trash about the
king and that Baltimore woman.

What are they up to now?

He says he loves her
and he wants to marry her.

I thought she was
already married. Oh, she is.

I don't know what
they're gonna do,

but it'll be awful,
I can tell you that.

He's gonna have
to give up the throne.

"Abdicate," that's
the word they use.

You know, one of us
leave, we... we just move.

But a king? He abdicates.

Mary Ellen's gonna be upset.

She'll be away from
the radio all day.

Yeah. That movie company
might serve some good after all.

I feel that way, too,
about the scene.

The main thing is that

you know that these
two people are in love.

They spend a lot of time
talking over the scene

before they actually
begin rehearsal.

(SIGHING) Isn't
Sylvia Marsh beautiful?

They tell me she's a bit
difficult to get along with.

I just love Gordon Farrell. Oh,
you and about five million other girls.

It sure takes them a long
time to do something, doesn't it?

Well, as far as movie scenes
go, this is a very important one.

In it, Luke is telling
his new wife Nancy

why he wants to stay in
his mountain home. Uh-huh.

All right now. Action.

Nancy, darling,

you ain't of a mind
to swap all this

for a palace in
some foreign land.

Luke, honey, I know how
you cotton to this house,

but there's a heap more
of the world to be seen.

Can't be nowhere as
good as this, Nancy.

Why, I got my roots down here.

My pa and my grandpappy

whittled this old patch
out of the piney wood.

(GIGGLING)

MARSH: But this is no place to
fritter out our lives. We're young, Luke.

We got us a whole
lifetime ahead of us.

A lifetime here, Nancy,
is what I most hanker for.

I can't see us sashaying
around the world,

jumping from one place to
another like a pair of hoppy toads.

(LAUGHING) MARSH: Is
you thinking of me, honey?

Is you thinking
about my feelings?

Hold it! Cut!

AJ.

Excuse me, John.

What seems to be the trouble?
I mean, this is a dramatic scene.

Those people are snickering.

I... I don't know. Have you
any idea, any suggestion, AJ?

No, I don't know what
they're laughing at? Uh...

John-Boy, you know these
people. Uh, can... can you explain it?

Uh, is this supposed to
be a serious scene? Yeah.

I'm a little
surprised at you, AJ.

I mean, you came and
spent some time with us,

and you ought to know
we don't talk like that.

I mean, using words like, "hoppy
toads," and "hankering" and all.

Excuse me, gentlemen, but if
you're discussing the picture,

I feel that I, as director,
should be included in, don't you?

Excuse me, Martin.
This is John-Boy Walton.

J-John. A friend.

John, how are you? A
very good friend of mine.

Now he's lived with
these people all his life

and has ambitions
of becoming a writer.

And, uh, John, you, uh, feel
that you have some solution

for our snickering problem here?

No, AJ was just
asking why he thought...

I thought they were
laughing, and... and it just...

I mean, it just... 'Cause some of the
words that... that they're using aren't,

aren't the way they...
These people talk.

You know, I mean, they
might use words like that

if they were joking, but...

So, you are saying that, uh,

my actors do not sound like
the mountain people, is that it?

Well, it's a good story. I mean,
it's... it's a good... Parts to it.

But, yeah, they're not... It doesn't
sound too much like the way they talk.

Well, what do you
think they would say?

(LAUGHING) Well, I
don't know. I'm, uh...

I don't remember
the parts of it.

Well, come on, here.
Here's the script.

Here, tell me what
you think. All right.

Come on. Why don't
you just take a look, John?

Well...

(CHUCKLING) I don't have
my glasses or anything. Uh...

Well, it's... it's all good. Got some good
parts in it. It's just... just uh, like...

Well, for instance, uh,

"My pa and my
grandpappy before him

"whittled this old patch out of
the piney woods." I mean that...

They wouldn't, they wouldn't
say that, unless they were joking.

Why don't you uh, try
and figure it out, John?

Um, well, it's
just... It's just...

Well, just say it a
little simpler, you know,

like, "My daddy and my grandpa

"cut this little farm out of the Blue
Ridge timber with their bare hands,"

or something. I don't know.

How does that sound to you, AJ?

That's terrific. It's wonderful.

Well, ahem, let's take this
whole thing scene by scene.

Come on over here a minute.

You know, your brother appears to be
hitting off rather well with our director.

Well, old John-Boy,
he does a lot of writing.

Does he? Yeah, he really
wants to make it as a writer.

It's just, probably,
the thrill of his life.

Looks like he's going
to have his chance.

Here. Here's a pencil.

Well, I... See what you can do.

What do you want me,
to just change the words?

Try it.

Hmm.

Do they, do they do a lot of
sitting around during the day?

Well, they have
to learn their lines,

but they're not
really doing it now.

I bet Miss Marsh will
be out in a minute.

Here.

Um...

Take a look at it. Tell
me what you think.

This makes all the difference.

Really? You think so? Yeah.

Uh, Listen, if you don't
mind, I'm sorry, AJ,

but we just lost so much time.

Mr. Walters, I didn't
do too much to it.

I just changed a couple of lines

here and there and... and
a couple of the word parts.

We're gonna shoot it.

Clarke, if I'm not interfering
with your social life,

I wonder if you'd take these new
lines over to Miss Marsh and Gordon.

Rehearse them in it.
This is what we shoot.

Yes, sir. Very good. Excuse me.

I've got some changes for you.

All right. Yes. uh,
it's right in here.

Mmm-hmm.

WALTERS: Lights.

John, come over here.

All right, now.

Let's have it quiet.
Going for a take.

Camera.

Speed.

Marker!

Action.

Nancy, darling,

would you really trade this for the
grandest palace anywhere in the world?

Luke, I know you love the Blue
Ridge, but there are other things,

other places in the world.

There's so much to see.

But my life is here, Nancy.

My roots are here.

My daddy and my grandpa

cut this little farm out of the Blue
Ridge timber with their bare hands.

MARSH: We're young,
Luke. Let's not waste our lives

locked up here, knowing
nothing about the world.

FARRELL: But this
is the world, Nancy,

and it's about
everything I want from life.

I can't see us traveling
all over the world,

always looking for
a greener pasture.

Do you love me, Luke?

I do, Nancy. You know I do.

Then listen to me.

Think of my feelings.

I wanna see the whole world.

I wanna know what's out there.

(SIGHING) But I
want it for both of us.

Don't say no, Luke. Please.

If it's what you
really want, Nancy.

Cut and print and marvelous!

Ah, all the difference in
the world! All the difference!

(LAUGHING)

AJ.

You did a remarkable job of
rewriting that scene. Congratulations.

Oh, I'd like to take
credit for it, Gordon,

but all the honors go
to John Walton, here.

A local writer. It's a
pleasure to meet you, sir.

You did a remarkable job.
JOHN-BOY: Thank you.

You caught my patterns
of speech perfectly.

You must have seen my plays.

Oh, well, actually, I've
never even been to New York.

Oh, well, if you ever
get there, look me up.

Keep an eye on him, Walters. Oh.

I think you just made history.

He's never said anything nice
about anyone except himself.

Hey, pull up the
box and sit down.

Now,

there's no question about it.
The script needs some rewriting.

Let me show you what we're
gonna shoot tomorrow morning,

and I wanna know if
you can do the same thing

to tomorrow's work

that you did to that
scene we just shot.

Um, I... I don't know.
That's very flattering.

I don't wanna mess up AJ's play.

Well, the words are
less than immortal, John.

WALTERS: We need all of
this by tomorrow morning, John.

Can you do it?

I don't know. I'll try. I'd like
to try. Is that all right with you?

I want you to know that what you
did in rewriting that scene for me

was simply delightful.

Thank you. It was very exciting
all the way around for me.

I never tried it before.

Even Gordon, who knows
nothing about writing or acting,

said what you had
done was truly brilliant.

You caught me perfectly.

You must have seen my
play, Flames Of Winter.

Well, no, I... I haven't. I...
I... I would like to. I wish I had.

Well, you must come to New York.

Harry, darling, I
have got to talk to you.

Okay. Now that all the
hot air is over, come on.

I gotta give you a
few basic pointers.

WALTERS: Just use a pencil and
write in the margin the way you did today.

Just keep it loose and easy, simple,
natural. That's the secret, John.

JOHN-BOY: So this is, this is
what you're gonna do tomorrow?

I hope to be a director
someday, like Martin Walters.

Well, you're learning.

I mean, just the chance to work
with someone like Mr. Walters.

You know, I say to myself
a dozen times a day,

when he's doing things that
are bright and imaginative,

"Todd, you must remember that."

I go home at night
and I write things down.

Well, someday
I'll go to the movies

and your name will
be on the screen.

Directed by Todd Clarke.

And I'll wreck my
imported Bentley convertible

and be sent to the hospital,

and who'll be my nurse?

Mary Ellen Walton. I'll
smile through my bandages.

And I'll say, "I'm sure
I've seen him someplace."

You really do want to
be a nurse, don't you?

More than anything else.

I don't care how much I have to
study or train or how long it takes.

I'm going to be a nurse,
no matter what. Well,

if you should come to New
York, will you look me up?

(HORN HONKING)

Mary, you want to hear something
that'll make your head spin?

The director liked the stuff
I did on the play so well,

he wants me to rewrite some
more scenes for tomorrow morning.

You mean you'll do them over?
Yeah, just the dialogue part.

You know, what the actors say
to each other. Isn't that great?

What about AJ Covington?

I thought he was the writer.

John-Boy, supper's...
Mama, I'm rolling.

I'll fix you a sandwich.

What's going on in there?

He's rolling.

Good for him.

(LAUGHING) You're
bending your knees!

You're getting fat, Ben.

I bet you couldn't even touch
the floor with your fingers.

(LAUGHING) Sure can!

Stand. Come on, stupid.

You don't believe me?
Don't bend your knees.

All right, let's see it.

(LAUGHING)

Oh, wonderful. I can
do it with my whole hand.

Sure.

(LAUGHING) She can do it.

OLIVIA: Wish we could afford
to give her dancing lessons.

Why? So she can put
her hands on the floor? Oh.

(LAUGHING) Dancing!

JASON: Let's see you touch the
backs of your hands on the floor.

ERIN: Why don't you, fatty? Oh,
not me. I just lie here and watch.

GRANDPA: I'd show you
how to do it if I had a mind to.

But you can't.

(GROANS)

I don't have a mind to.

(LAUGHING)

ELIZABETH: Grandpa's a faker!

(LAUGHING) ALL:
Grandpa's a faker!

None of you could
do a trick like that.

JASON: Whoa. OLIVIA:
Very good, Grandma.

(CHEERING)

Hey! Hey, what's going
on down here, anyway?

Uh-oh. Fun's over.

Well, I'm trying
to work up there...

Never mind. JASON:
We'll try to hold it down.

Why is John-Boy doing
AJ's writing for him?

Would somebody please tell me?

John-Boy couldn't
help it. It wasn't his idea.

It was the director, Martin
Walters. He just latched on to him.

There was nothing
John-Boy could do about it.

Well, the whole
thing's a mystery to me.

Ah, you're so busy
showing off, you didn't listen.

Well, why is John-Boy doing
it? What's he getting out of it?

Gets a chance to show
what he can do, I guess.

Well, if he shows
them, then what?

What do writers do
when they're discovered?

They don't stay on
Walton's Mountain.

You'll have to
excuse the scribbling.

We don't pay writers
for penmanship, John.

Thoughts, ideas
are what we want,

and this is fine.
It's absolutely fine.

You've, you've
turned Luke and Nancy

from cartoon cutouts
into real human beings.

Thank you, I didn't do too much.

I just changed
some of the words.

I'd like to show it
to AJ. Where is he?

Uh, I don't know. I haven't
seen him around this morning.

I'll try to find him. I'd like
to show it to him. All right?

John, sit down for a
minute, will you please?

Sure.

How would you like
to work for me, John?

I've asked you a question, John.

You mean, write? Yes, I
think you do it very well.

I'd like you to
continue on this script.

I'd like to.

Good, then you'll come back to
New York with us. Who knows?

New York?

That means steady
work and a good salary.

What's wrong with that?

Nothing at all.
That's a big decision.

I don't think I could... could
give you an answer right away.

I'd have to talk to
my family about it.

I see. And how long do
you think that might take?

Oh, not long. I... It's...
I'd have to talk to them.

All right. I'll drop by
your place this afternoon.

Harry, I think we ought to try
another angle on this setup.

I... I want to get in
more background.

You know what we need? What?

A new coil. What we
need is a new mechanic.

(CAR APPROACHING)

Hey, you wanna
give us a hand here?

No, thank you very much, Jason.

(SCRAPPING)

Uh, John-Boy, what did those
picture people think about your writing?

Oh, he liked it.

Uh, I may be going to New York.

What? New York?

Uh-huh. Maybe, maybe.

He wouldn't be safe
for a minute up there

with all that sin and traffic.

Oh, get off my floor.

JOHN-BOY: He
just offered it to me.

Just up and said I could
have the job if I wanted it.

You know, I'd just, uh, finish
working on this play for him.

Go back to New York with it.

I'd be getting good money.

Once I got to New
York, who knows?

Sounds like a big
offer. You gonna take it?

I don't know. I haven't
thought about it.

I haven't had time
to think about it.

Mama, what do you think?

I don't trust my
judgment on this.

You know how I feel
about you leaving home.

Few years ago, I might
have tried to advise you,

but afraid now
you're on your own.

Why don't you go
talk to your daddy?

Of course, I'll be making
some money right away.

That'd be good for the
family. I could send some back.

I'd get a chance to
see New York City.

And after this picture's over,

maybe I could, uh, do some
more jobs for Mr. Walters.

Might even become
famous some day.

Whatever I do, it'd probably
help me to get my book published,

if I ever finish it.

Aren't you gonna have
to give up something, son?

School. I'm not
sure I want to do that.

'Course I'd have
to leave home, too.

I'm not sure I
want to do that yet.

John-Boy,

it's kind of hard for me to take
this movie business seriously.

I'd just hate to see
you give up school,

go chasing after
a life like that.

Well, I asked you.

Yes, you did.

Thanks.

(KNOCKING AT DOOR)

AJ, I didn't wake you up,
did I? You weren't asleep?

No. Come on in,
John-Boy. Come on in.

Walter said he hadn't seen
you, and I wanted to talk to you.

Everything all right?
I'm fine. Sit down.

I gotta ask you some advice.

You got the experience
and you're my friend.

This morning when I brought
those scenes to Mr. Walters,

he liked them so much, that
he asked me to go work for him.

Now, uh, that's a
big step for me, AJ,

and I want to know
what you think about it.

It's an opportunity to
set the pulses pounding.

It means in one giant step you'll be on
the upper plateau of the movie business,

if that is what you want.
But only you can answer that.

Well, one good thing, I thought,
was that we'd be working together.

And... and I'm... Not as a
team or anything, of course,

but I could be your assistant
or something like that.

I'm afraid that won't be possible.
Uh, this morning I was fired.

What?

Came as no great surprise.

As Martin Walters
is fond of saying,

"Motion pictures is a business,

"and in business, a better
man comes along, you're out."

Better man? I can't believe it.

Well, it's a thoroughly
sensible decision for Martin.

Uh, you took bad scenes
and made them good ones.

Don't feel guilty about it. I don't feel
guilty about it, I feel terrible about it.

It's a terrible mistake,
AJ. A better man?

Oh, he's crazy. That
was a good script.

It was a good story
and good characters,

and all I did was just
change a few words, that's all.

Honest, AJ, I just thought I
was gonna be your assistant,

but this is a terrible mistake.

(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
What's done is done.

No, AJ. AJ. Come in.

Mr... Excuse me, Mrs. Brimmer.

AJ, please don't do anything,
don't go anyplace until I talk to you.

I've gotta try to do something
about this. Excuse me.

I-it's happened, Mr. Covington.
I just heard it on the radio.

Edward has abdicated.

He gave up the throne of
England to marry that woman.

He's coming on
the air anytime now.

There's a good word to
be said for unemployment.

I have something in
common with the king.

This is a moment in history.

Indeed it is.

(BELL TOLLING)

MAN ON RADIO:
This is Windsor Castle.

His Royal Highness,
Prince Edward.

At long last

I am able to say a
few words of my own.

I have never wanted
to withhold anything,

but until now

it has not been constitutionally
possible for me to speak.

A few hours ago,

I discharged my last
duty as king and emperor.

And now

that I have been succeeded
by my brother, the Duke of York,

my first words

must be to declare
my allegiance to him.

This I do with all my heart.

You all know the reasons

which have impelled me
to renounce the throne.

But I want you to understand

that in making up my mind

I did not forget the
country or the empire

which, as Prince of
Wales and lately as king,

I have for 25
years tried to serve.

But you must believe
me when I tell you

that I have found it impossible

to carry the heavy
burden of responsibility

and to discharge
my duties as king

as I would wish to do

without the help and
support of the woman I love.

And now we all have a new king.

I wish him, and you, his people,

happiness and prosperity
with all my heart.

God bless you all.

God save the king.

Mr. Walters, AJ
is a good writer.

This is a good story.
You said so yourself.

The only problem he had

was that he just hasn't spent enough
time up here among these people.

Enough of AJ.
Let's talk about you.

Well, I don't want to
talk about it, I'm sorry.

If I'd known I'd be
taking AJ's place,

I wouldn't even
have thought about it.

You're letting sentiment
interfere with your career.

Now this is a business, and I
think you're a valuable commodity.

No disrespect intended, sir,

but I don't like to think
of myself as a commodity.

To you or anyone else.

You know what you're giving up?

I got a pretty good idea.

Hope you won't regret it.

Hope not.

Well, thanks for the help.

I'll send you a check when I get
to New York. Come on, Clarke.

By the way uh, I guess
I still need a writer.

AJ wasn't at the boarding house.

Do you know where
I might find him?

No. Wait a minute. Yes, I think I
do know where you might find him.

Is it okay if I take you there?

Sure, hop in.

Goodbye, Mary Ellen.

(CAR APPROACHING)

AJ.

I couldn't go back
with him, not like this.

Are you thinking of staying?

I'm just saying
goodbye to a lost love.

Uh, it's been a pleasure
meeting you gentlemen.

(ENGINE STARTS)

JOHN-BOY: Twice AJ Covington
came into our lives on Walton's Mountain

and twice he wandered on.

The visit of the movie company
made almost as much history

in our small community

as the abdication of Edward
VIII made on the world.

Unlike Edward, my abdication from
writing for the screen was a temporary one.

JOHN-BOY: Good night, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH: Good night, John-Boy.
I'm glad you're not going away.

So am I. Good night, Mary Ellen.

MARY ELLEN: Good night, Duke of
Windsor. Too bad about your throne.

GRANDPA: That Wallis
Simpson must be some cutie.

GRANDMA: I hear
she dyes her hair.

That gossip is not homegrown.

JOHN: A little quiet, please.
OLIVIA: Good night, everybody.