Little House On The Prairie: 10 Weird Facts!

Mrs. Olsen, I'm here! I want milk. Nellie, your mother wants you. You're such a good friend, Nellie! It's a miracle! Little House on the Prairie began airing in 1974, drawing inspiration from Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved children's books. Set in the late 1800s, the series depicted the everyday lives of a pioneer family and the townspeople of Walnut Grove, Minnesota. However, behind the scenes was a whole other story. Here are 10 weird facts you might not know. But, you may be a Little House fan, and know them all. In either case, I hope you enjoy the video. Be sure to stay to the end for a bonus fact. You don't want to miss it. It's a good one. Number 1. Michael Landon, best known as Charles Ingalls, had a well-built physique and wasn't shy about showing it off on screen, just as he had on Bonanza. Any time his character was injured, it was almost always a broken rib rather than an arm or leg, conveniently giving him a reason to go shirtless. Rumor has it that Landon went raw under his prairie pants. Man, that's got to itch. And those signature curls? They weren't entirely natural. Landon started going gray in his 20s and maintained his rich locks with Clairol medium ash brown hair dye. At first, he handled the touch-ups himself. But after his do-it-yourself efforts started turning an odd violet hue under bright sunlight, he eventually enlisted a professional colorist. Number 2. Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon shared a bond as close as half-pint and paw. Melissa once said, He was very much like a second father to me. My own father passed away when I was 11. So, without really officially announcing it, Michael really stepped in. However, their relationship shifted when Michael separated from his wife, Lynn, after falling for Cindy Clerico, the on-set makeup artist who was 20 years younger and whom he later married. Having grown close to Michael's family, Melissa stopped socializing with him outside of work after the fallout. There's a rock right there. And there's no way you can see it. And I got lucky. But someone else could hurt themselves. And a small cut is a death sentence in these times. Number 3. Melissa Sue Anderson, who portrayed Mary Ingalls, stood apart from the rest of the close-knit cast and never developed strong friendships with her co-stars. In fact, Melissa Gilbert and Alison Arngrim bonded over their mutual distaste for the aloof Anderson and for the admittedly juvenile delinquent behavior that earned them Anderson's ire, Landon's affection, and made their time on set a ton of fun. Monkey business. Then why'd you hit her? Because I felt like it. The character Mrs. Olsen didn't get along with most people, including her husband Nels. But the actress Catherine McGregor had some tension with Michael Landon, too. He was a bit of a control freak who served as writer, director, and producer on the series. McGregor had her own ideas and often liked to do things differently, so they frequently clashed. You know who he reminds me of? His future father. Although Alison Arngrim played Laura's rival Nellie on screen, she and Melissa Gilbert were good friends in real life. Later in the series, Nellie married Percival, played by Steve Tracy. Despite Steve being gay, he and Alison intentionally exaggerated their on-screen kisses to tease the more innocent Melissa Gilbert. My mother will feel better knowing we were married by a doctor. Let's go. If you're enjoying this video, please don't disappoint Half-Pint. Hit the like button. Thanks so much. Now back to the countdown. John! You wanna fight? Number six. In the late 1970s, the production moved from a Paramount soundstage to MGM. The crew began dismantling old sets to create space for the new production. While working on one of the renovations, a crew member pulled up some flooring and discovered the Yellow Brick Road from the Wizard of Oz film production, way back in 1939, still perfectly preserved. Melissa Gilbert and the other kids were thrilled when they realized what it was. Follow the Yellow Brick Road. Number seven. The outdoor scenes were shot at the sprawling 10,000-acre Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley, California, where even the cooler days hovered around the low 90s. More often than not, temperatures soared well into the triple digits. Despite the blistering heat, the young actresses were dressed in full period attire, layered stockings, petticoats, and bonnets. The extreme conditions took their toll immediately. On the very first day of filming, both Alison Arngrim and an assistant director succumbed to heat exhaustion and fainted. This evening's first Bible feature, one of Walnut Grove's leading citizens, Mr. Nails Olsen. Now, gentlemen, are you ready? If you will, sir. Nails! Number eight. Persistence pays off. Alison Arngrim first auditioned for the role of Laura, but she didn't get the part. Undeterred, she then tried out for Laura's older sister, Mary, and was turned down again. However, when she read for the part of the villainous and toxic Nelly, she nailed it. But remember, she comes from a show business family. Alison's father managed the world-famous and flamboyant entertainer, Liberace, and her mother was the voice of Casper the Friendly Ghost and Sweet Polly Purebred from the underdog cartoon series. Come on, Casper! We gotta go out and scare people! Gee, I don't want to scare people. I want to be friendly. Number nine. Off-screen, Melissa Gilbert was nothing like her sweet, braided, buck-toothed character. As she got older, she embraced a rebellious side and dated several big-name Hollywood stars. She was once engaged to Rob Lowe, and she later revealed that she suffered a miscarriage after their relationship ended. Over the years, she was also romantically linked to Tom Cruise, Scott Baio, and Michael Landon Jr. She even had a stint with punk rock legend Billy Idol. Gilbert eventually tied the knot three times, marrying actors Bo Brinkman, Bruce Box Lightner, and her current husband, Timothy Busfield. On a humorous note, Busfield played Poindexter in Revenge of the Nerds. Number ten. The dramatic finale of the series saw the residents of Walnut Grove destroying their entire town to prevent a ruthless land baron from taking control. However, this explosive ending wasn't just for storytelling. It had practical reasons, too. Michael Landon had leased the land where the set was built and was obligated to return it to its original state after filming. Blowing up the set reduced the cleanup effort and, as Landon put it, made for a fittingly bold pioneer ending. Now, for a bonus fact. The Ingalls family seemed to live off the land, dining on anything from rabbit to possum. However, the reality on set was far less rustic. Those hearty meals were actually dinty moor beef stew. And those instances when Laura was seen pulling a drumstick out of her tin lunch pail at school? Well, those came not from the Ingalls' chicken coop, but from Kentucky Fried Chicken. Thanks for watching. I hope you enjoyed it and hope to see you again very soon.