David's Little House Star Profiles and Trivia

Don Starr was born on September 20, 1917 in Riverside, California, USA as Donald Starr. He was an actor, known for Dallas (1978), Bird (1988) and The Onion Field (1979). His career in cinema began in 1968 with an appearance in High Chaparral. He worked in television as well as the big screen.

Movie appearances included The Life and Times of Judge Rot Bean, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, The Onion Field, and Bird.
Television appearances included, 88 episodes of Dallas as Jordan Lee, L.A. Law, Hill Street Blues, The Greatest American Hero, Rockford Files, Incredible Hulk, Family, Charlie’s Angels and the TV movie Relentless.

Serious-looking character actor with stage experience and extensive credits in television. Close friend of both Marlon Brando and Wally Cox.

In 1984 he appeared on Highway To Heaven as Dr. Bender in the episode To Touch The Moon.

He died at 78 years of age on July 11, 1995 in Tucson, Arizona, USA.


One Appearance on Little House
The Rivals – As Zucker – 1978
The Freight Agent Who Inspected Charles and Jonathon’s Delivery

Ivy Jones is an actress, known for City Island (2009), Two Family House (2000) and Audrey Rose (1977). She began her television career in 1973 with an appearance on Gunsmoke. Shortly thereafter she appeared in The Waltons in 1973 and 1974.
Other performances included Police Woman, Jake and the Fatman, Highway To Heaven, Dragnet and The West Wing.

She was on one Little House Episode
Injun Kid – 1977 – Amelia Stokes
Mother of Indian Joseph Stokes / Spotted Eagle


On a side note, Ivy appeared in “The Fulfillment”, an episode of The Waltons with Victor French and Tiger Williams, two soon to be Little House Actors. Pictured below. Tiger appeared in “Family Tree” as  Simon. The boy who called Albert the "B" word.


Visit Dave's site about the Waltons. Great site with lots of info including many Little House Guest Stars that appeared on the show!
http://www.allaboutthewaltons.com/cast/visitors-s2.html

Harvey Vernon (30 June 1927 - 9 October 1996) was an American actor from Flint, Michigan. His birth name was Chet Smith.

Perhaps his most famous role was Jasper DeWitt in the television series Carter Country. He also appeared in motion pictures as diverse as MacArthur, Teen Wolf and Someone to Watch Over Me.

Vernon's earliest guest starring roles include appearances in The Rockford Files, The Dukes of Hazzard, Cagney & Lacey and Touched by an Angel.

He later guest starred in Highway to Heaven, The Golden Girls, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (in the episode "Equilibrium") and in the The Larry Sanders Show.

One Appearance On Little House
TV Movie “Bless All The Dear Children”
As Mr. Baker – Storekeeper

Lew Brown was born on March 18, 1925 in Goltry, Oklahoma, USA. He is an actor, known for Airport (1970), Topaz (1969) and Days of Our Lives (1965).

Brown was a very prolific actor beginning in 1959 with an appearance on Playhouse 90. The vast majority of his career was in television with several appearances on the big screen. Most notably in “Airport” in 1970.

Other appearances included Maverick, Have Gun – Will Travel, Ben Casey, Combat, Lassie, The Fugitive, Perry Mason, Death Valley Days, 6 episodes of Dragnet, 12 episodes of The Virginian, 17 episodes of The F.B.I., Columbo, 21 episodes of Gunsmoke, 7 episodes of Emergency, 4 episodes of The Waltons, Konts Landing and Dallas. He was also in 2 episodes of Bonanza.

118 credits in all, with his last appearance occurring in 1992 in Raven as the Warden.

Update: Lew Brown passed away in California on July 27th, 2014. He was 89 years old.

Patty Elder was born on November 5, 1936 in Los Angeles County, California, USA as Patricia Ruth Elder. She is known for her work on What's Up, Doc? (1972), Resurrection (1980) and Ice Castles (1978).

In a career that began in 1963, Patty performed stunts in a variety of movies which included Resurrection, Ice Castles, Hooper, Earthquake, Diamonds Are Forever and Paint Your Wagon to name a few. She had six credits as an actor which included Mannix and Earthquake.

She died on December 2, 1984 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California. She was 48 years old.

All of you remember the scene in "School Mom" when Miss Beadle took a fall from a carriage and hurt her arm. For years I had wondered if she had performed that stunt because of the uncanny likeness of the person flying off that carriage to Charlotte Stewart. I spoke with Miss Stewart yesterday and she provided the answer.............

"I know it looked like me but that was my stunt double Patty Elder. She was good wasn't she?"

Many thanks to Charlotte for taking the time to speak with me. She is a wonderful lady!

The sequence is shown below. Notice the likeness..............

That is so cool, and yes, she really does look like Charlotte! I'm sorry to hear she passed away at such a young age.   

Wow. She looks like Charlotte.

Ed Friendly was born in New York on 8 April 1922 and spent the summers of his youth in Idaho where he participated in rodeos. After Pearl Harbor he joined the United States Army as a private and emerged as an infantry captain. Friendly served in various parts of the Pacific Theater during World War II.

After the war, Friendly joined the advertising agency Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborne (BBD&O) where he apprenticed as a director for radio and television. After succeeding, he moved on to ABC where he was the Director of Advertising Sales. Later he became a contract producer with CBS and then he went to NBC where he was the Vice President of Special Programs.

In 1967 Friendly relocated to Los Angeles where he launched his own production company, Ed Friendly Productions Inc. Together with George Schlatter he produced the groundbreaking sketch comedy series "Laugh-In" which went on to win several Emmys and popularized the phrase "Sock it to me." One of his other major credits was as producer on "Little House On The Prairie".

In partner with his close friend Lorne Greene, Friendly purchased his first race horse in 1970 at the Del Mar yearling sale. Together with his first wife Natalie they owned on average over 60 horses. Among their winning horses were Friendly Michelle, Vivid Angel, Goldigger's Dream, Gray Slewpy and Purely Cozzene. In 1993 Friendly founded the Throughbred Owners of California. He served as president of the California's Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and was a founding member of the National Thoroughbred Association (now known as the National Thoroughbred Racing Association).

Ed Friendly passed away in Rancho Santa Fe, California in June of 2007 at the age of 85.  
His son, Trip Friendly is currently working on a re-make of Little House On The Prairie. (2014)

Bill Vint was born on November 22, 1942 in Wichita, Kansas, USA as William Vint. He is an actor, known for The Other Side of the Mountain (1975), Amelia Earhart (1976) and Marilyn: The Untold Story (1980).

He is the brother of Jesse Vint and Alan Vint, both actors….



Bill Vint today........

Born in December of 1915 in Ohio, Blanche Hanalis was a veteran TV writer known for warm-hearted family fare, biopics of great women and tales of remarkable little girls.

Hanalis's greatest success was in developing the long-running TV series "Little House on the Prairie", which made former "Bonanza" star Michael Landon into a TV writer/director of renown.

Her first major job in the industry was as staff writer on the fondly remembered 1960s fantasy spoof, "My Favorite Martian", starring Ray Walston and Bill Bixby. Much of Hanalis's subsequent work involved literary adaptations, usually in period settings. Other TV movie credits include "Christmas Eve" (1986), "Big Bend Country" (1981), "Portrait of a Rebel: Margaret Sanger" (1980), "Little Lord Fauntleroy" (1980), "My Africa" (1988), "Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story" (1978) and "Young Pioneers" (1976).

She died in in July of 1992 in Los Angeles. She was 76.

Intro to "The Stranger"

The Adopted Grandson of Rose Wilder

Roger Lea MacBride (August 6, 1929 – March 5, 1995) was an American lawyer, political figure, writer and television producer. He was the presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party in the 1976 election. MacBride became the first presidential elector in U.S. history to cast a vote for a woman when, in the presidential election of 1972, he voted for the Libertarian Party candidates John Hospers for president and Theodora "Tonie" Nathan for vice president.

MacBride was born in New Rochelle, New York in 1929. He called himself "the adopted grandson" of a family friend, writer and political theorist Rose Wilder Lane, whom he met for the first time when he was 14 years of age. Lane — the daughter of writer Laura Ingalls Wilder, who was noted for writing the Little House series of books – designated MacBride as a "political disciple", as well as her executor and sole heir.

MacBride was a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School.
MacBride inherited Lane's estate including rights to the substantial Ingalls-Wilder literary estate, including the "Little House on the Prairie" franchise.  He is the author of record of three additional "Little House" books, and began the "Rocky Ridge Years" series of children's novels, describing Lane's Ozark childhood.  He published two books on constitutional law – The American Electoral College and Treaties versus the Constitution, as well as a Libertarian Party manifesto – A New Dawn for America: The Libertarian Challenge.

In the 1970s, MacBride co-created the television series Little House on the Prairie and served as a co-producer for the show.


MacBride died of heart failure on March 5, 1995. A controversy ensued upon his death when the local library in Mansfield, Missouri, contended that Wilder's original will gave her daughter ownership of the literary estate for her lifetime only, and that all rights were to revert to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Library after her death.  The ensuing court case was settled in an undisclosed manner, but MacBride's heirs retained the rights.


Rose Wilder (Lane)


Roger Lea MacBride

Dave, I was watching my wonderful new dvd's and saw something interesting. In the credits of To See The World, John Hawkins is listed as playing a speaking character, one of the poker friends of Mr. Edwards I am assuming. He is also a member of the crew throughout the series. I was wondering if you could find a picture of him in this episode. I couldn't figure out which one he was.
Thanks,

John Hawkins was born on April 2, 1910 in Custer, Montana, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for Bonanza (1959), Little House on the Prairie (1974) and Crime Wave (1954). He was married to Helen K. Hawkins. He died in October 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the age of 68.
85 Episodes of Bonanza as Associate Producer. Producer on 72 epsiodes of Little House On The Prairie. Acted in one episode….

His Brother Ward, also a writer, collaborated with him on Little House and Bonanza.

To See The World – 1975 – John Hawkins as Fat John (left)   Bob Hoy pictured right....

Thanks man, you're awesome.

Alvin Hammer was born on January 2, 1915 in New York City, New York, USA as Irving Dratler. He was an actor, known for Scrooged (1988), Who's That Girl (1987) and A Walk in the Sun (1945). He died on October 31, 1993 in Hollywood, California, at the age of 78.

Alvin Hammer was a partner of Judy Holliday, Betty Comden and Adolf Green in the entertainment troupe The Revuers in the early 1940s, and his name came up in her testimony before the House on Un-American Activities committee.  Hammer had moved into feature films in often uncredited roles that nevertheless made his face a familiar one.  He was named in Red Channels and went through a long lull that eventually found him coming back full force in many television roles from the late 1960s almost up until his death in 1993.

His acting career spanned some 48 years. Mostly played sneaky wormy type characters. Some of his appearances included Kojak, Trapper John M.D., Rhoda, Planet of The Apes, Julia, Adam 12, and Gomer Pyle:USMC, to name a few.

He Appeared in One Little House Episode
To See The World – 1975 – As Mr. Quint
He Bought The Saloon Girl’s Second Hat

Interesting question Rob......

In the film and television industries, a development executive is in charge of finding and developing new creative material for motion-picture productions. Development executives conduct creative research by reading treatments, scripts and source material such as books or comics to come up with a working pool of ideas for production. This research can also include searching the Internet or watching television to "discover" new talent or ideas that other companies have not yet cornered. After scripts or proposals have been accepted, development executives work with creative teams to oversee revisions and create final drafts for production.

Dave wrote:

Development executives conduct creative research by reading treatments, scripts and source material such as books or comics to come up with a working pool of ideas for production. This research can also include searching the Internet or watching television

Wow, I'm a development executive and didn't even know it. Somebody must owe me a fortune.   

Thanks for the info, Dave.

Dave, how on earth did you kow that his name is Mr. Quint? He is not given any lines and Mimi is just seen walking down the road with him. You are amazing.

LOTS OF RELATIVES VISITED THE PRAIRIE!

Al Eisenmann was born on May 27, 1965 in Houston, Texas, USA as Albert Able Eisenmann II. He is known for his work on Criminal Minds (2005), L.A. Confidential (1997) and The Last Samurai (2003). He is married to Zadrina Eisenmann. They have two children.

Al has basically worked behind the scenes as property master and in the  art department since 1985. He has also acted in various productions that include Bosom Buddies, Arrested Development, Godzilla TV Series, ABC Weekend Specials and ABC Afternoon Specials.

He is the Father of actress Hannah Eisenmann and Stone Eisenmann, both child actors. See Below.

His Older Brother, Ike, appeared in two Little House Episodes. Harriet’s Happenings and Centennial. Also had an un-credited role in the TV movie "Bless All The Dear Children".

Al appeared in one Little House Episode
Dance With Me – 1979 – As Ned (Center)  


Publicity Shot of Al, Ike and His Mother in the 1970's

Tell us about the man in The Gift who came to the Ingalls house and told Caroline that his family was hungry.  She fell for it and gave him some food.  Charles came home and laughed because  she had fallen for his story.  Laura and Mary learned how to "collect" for Rev Alden's gift from this man, or so they thought. I just checked out hsi name, it was David Byrd who played Faubas. Also there was a lady in the credits with the same last name, is that his wife?
there you go, 2 characters to check out.

LIWnut wrote:

Tell us about the man in The Gift who came to the Ingalls house and told Caroline that his family was hungry.  She fell for it and gave him some food.  Charles came home and laughed because  she had fallen for his story.  Laura and Mary learned how to "collect" for Rev Alden's gift from this man, or so they thought.  I just checked out hsi name, it was David Byrd who played Faubas.  Also there was a lady in the credits with the same last name, is that his wife?
there you go, 2 characters to check out.

Marilyn, you will find both of their profiles on page 33. Yes, she was his wife.....

OOOO, this might be tricky. I'll keep looking for someone for you.

How about the man who played the teacher who monitored the exam in The Pride of WG