End credits with Laura

When I was a child watching the show I always thought it funny that Laura was pretending to be an airplane as she was running down the hill. Only later did I realize that she wasn't a prescient future-seer but just a kid pretending to be a bird.
Anyone else think that or is this just more confirmation that I'm a loon?

No, other people thought that too. I think Melissa Gilbert actually addressed that at some point because enough people mentioned it. I honestly didn't give it any thought. See how observant I am. LOL!

Wasn't there a story that Michael Landon, or someone, sat down with Melissa after filming that opening sequence and asked her exactly WHAT she was trying to imitate? And when she said a bird, they decided to keep the opening as it was.

Oh, maybe. I really don't remember, I just know that it's come up before.

I believe they wanted to reshoot because they thought Melissa was imitating an airplane. Michael asked her if she was a bird or an airplane, and she said bird since she wanted to be done because there were a lot of bees around.

Oh that's right! I remember Melissa saying something about bees.

silent-partner wrote:

When I was a child watching the show I always thought it funny that Laura was pretending to be an airplane as she was running down the hill. Only later did I realize that she wasn't a prescient future-seer but just a kid pretending to be a bird.
Anyone else think that or is this just more confirmation that I'm a loon?

You're not alone...I definitely thought "airplane" when she did that and not "bird". LOL!

I never thought of that she was trying to be a Air Plane i heard on Melissa Gilbert Say Something about it on her Interview but before that i never thought of it

JW wrote:

I never thought of that she was trying to be a Air Plane i heard on Melissa Gilbert Say Something about it on her Interview but before that i never thought of it

I'm glad it's not just me then. We can be unobservant together, Jacob.

It would have helped if she would have flapped here "wings" a little

I guess I never thought about it either. I just thought she was running down the hill being goofy. I didn't think airplane or bird.

Savannah wrote:

bethandmanly wrote:

JW wrote:

I never thought of that she was trying to be a Air Plane i heard on Melissa Gilbert Say Something about it on her Interview but before that i never thought of it

I'm glad it's not just me then. We can be unobservant together, Jacob.

I didn't think that she was trying to be anything. I just thought that she was running downhill with her arms stretched out. So I guess I join the "Not Observant Club", too.

Add me to the list!!!!

When I was a kid, I just thought she was being silly and clowning around and didn't really think of her trying to be either a bird or an airplane. But I do remember reading here or elsewhere what others have already mentioned. Another thing I remember reading somewhere is that they had to reshoot it several times because Melissa kept running too fast and running past the camera. I also seem to remember reading somewhere that the leap at the end was a kind of celebration, like, "Yeah! I finally did it right!" I guess running down that hill was more difficult than it looked. I guess that's evident from watching the opening credits with Carrie falling flat on her face. I believe it was Sidney Greenbush who took the tumble, BTW.

Just joined this board (rejoined the group after a long absence) so coming in late, but you are not alone. As a kid I made the selfsame remark and was surprised they had used the footage, until my mom pointed out that "birds have always been around." Mom can be pretty sharp sometimes. Melissa/Laura was obviously imitating a soaring/gliding bird more than a flapping one, and there are plenty such to be seen on the prairie.

I believe Melissa was being an airplane and full of it when she said "bird". She just didn't want to do it again. Simple as that.