I liked the guy...from Bonanza to Highway to Heaven. I think Touched by an Angel was such a rip off from Highway to Heaven.
What a way for the poor guy to go. I think he was skiing here in salt lake when he got sick and saw a doctor here before he was told it was more serious and to follow up in LA!
Last edited by Danny62; 10-30-2007 at 04:08 PM.
his last wife was from price, ut.
I loved Michael Landon and I still watch Little House On The Prarie everyday....the movie that was made about him with John Schneider playing him was pretty interesting.
No doubt the man was a genuis when it came to tugging on the heart strings....some of the things I`ve read though, make him seem less than "perfect "....such is human nature.....I did dig him in Highway to Heaven, and yes, I agree, Touched by an Angel was a huge rip-off
I liked him best as Little Joe in Bonanza.
Back in the late 70's I remember some TV special that Michael Landon appeared on. I think it was Marlo Thomas ( could have been some other female ) who asked what what his thoughts were on the then-current TV scene where Landon replied that the only show his kids were allowed to watch was Little House and if they were caught watching anything else he would beat them.
I SWEAR I remember this !!
Interesting that the biggest foes of TV/Radio and music are those who actually work in the business. I heard once that Madonna won't allow her kids to even listen to her old music, nor are they allowed to be near a TV or a radio. Odd !!!!
My roomie owned a small cafe in Los Angeles and Michael's Mother, "Peggy" O'Neill, was a frequest customer and subsequently, a friend. Peggy was very sad about Michael as he forbade her any access to his family. Peggy worked as a dispatcher for Yellow Cab in Los Angeles and was not given any financial assistance from Landon. His sister was given small parts in some of his projects.
I remember watching this on TV about a year or so after he died, put together by his family and friends. Somebody uploaded it on YouTube last month. A nice summary of his life and work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI6osFbTVVk
Renowned Death Hag
From what I read, his parents were pretty cruel to him growing up. So I guess that is why he didn't have much to do with his Mom.Originally Posted by poppie
Renowned Death Hag
He had some animus toward his mother. Recall that show he did (that was semi autobiographical) about a track and field athlete. It was a story about a young boy that whizzed in his bed which was something that Landon suffered from. Both in the story -and in real life- his mother would hang the sheets out on the balcony every day for all the school friends to see so he would race home every freakin day from school to beat his friends home and not be ashamed. Heartbreaking.
Renowned Death Hag
Ah IMDB, what a good friend you are....
Show is called The Lonliest Runner and starred Landon as the adult character reliving his childhood before a track meet.
"A fourteen year old bed wetter runs home from school every day to retrieve the wet sheet his mother has hung from his bedroom window to punish him. He races to get there before any of his friends pass the house. This enforced training prepares him to become a competitive runner. The script, by Michael Landon, is autobiographical."
How sad. It's parents like that who shouldn't have kids. For me what pains me the most of Michael is seeing his last days on the Johnny Carson show. I still can't get him out of my mind. How he was able to go on the show knowing he was about to die.
Renowned Death Hag
He had a great quote. He said not to feel sorry for him as he had 'a pretty good lick at life.'How sad. It's parents like that who shouldn't have kids. For me what pains me the most of Michael is seeing his last days on the Johnny Carson show. I still can't get him out of my mind. How he was able to go on the show knowing he was about to die.
He really put it in perspective.
I loved Michael in the Little House On The Prairie..That was my favourite show when I was kid. I wish they'd show the re-runs again on UK Gold.
I have heard that Mr. Landon was not a nice guy in Real life.
I had heard the same thing..my dad meet him while he was hospitilized
with Pnememia back in the day. While my dad was trying to pray with him he said the phone rang off the hook with girls calling.
Renowned Death Hag
Well, he did trade in his older wife for a younger model.
And let's not forget a kid him and his wife adopted, was given back.
Last edited by Aries65; 10-28-2007 at 11:29 AM.
I forgot about the adoption thing.....seriously not cool...
I really liked his acting, from Bonanza to Highway to Heaven....
If you watch the YouTube documentary on his life which I mentioned earlier in this thread he talks at length about 'The Lonliest Runner' and the bed wetting thing. There was also a similar TV movie called 'Sam's Son', which had autobiographical elements to it as well.
There are also some classic clips of his legendary guest slots with Johnny Carson amongst all the Bonanza, Little House and Highway pieces.
I liked him on all his shows, especially Little House. His youngest daughter, Jennifer I think is her name, stars on the soap As The World Turns and is a very good actress and singer
seriously? not nice at all.
I like him too, but her drove my mother crazy. She would say, "why does he have to cry all the time?" (say that in a grumpy voice) lol
My ex-step dad used to manage the production at a TV station in the 70s and did annual telethons, it was an NBC affiliate (then, Little House on the Prairie was on, and on NBC). Most of the cast would come every year to the telethon. He told me repeatedly that Michael Landon was, bar none, the nastiest, most stuck-up, a-hole celebrity he had every run across, ever. Just vile and horrible to everyone. No Michael Landon on our TV!!
Renowned Death Hag
Sounds as as if success, money and having women all over him went to his head. What an actor - putting on his "Pa" face for Little House, and his "do-goody-good" "Jonathon" face for that Angel show...
Oh no! That totally shatters my whole image of him.I never missed an episode of "Little House.." and (I realize this is solely based on his character on TV) he didn't seem to ever have an arrogant or mean bone in his body. So naturally, I think of him as TOTAL GOODNESS. LOL....
I saw where he fired Victor French (Mr. Edwards) from LHOTP because he was offered to star in a sitcom called Carter Country (eventually cancelled). Michael was pissed and up and let him go, and they didn't speak for a time. Of course, the rift was forgotten eventually, and "Mr. Edwards" came back to Walnut Grove. Lest we forget the Highway to Heaven thing.
I don't know if he was as much of a family man as he would have had us believe. He was a families man, I'm sure at least one of his ex wives would agree.
Apparently, though, he must have been somewhat kind because most of his castmates just loved him. Who knows.
We still watch him on Bonanza on TV Land. Bonanza and LHOTP are classics. Not really because of him but just the content of the show itself.
Man now when I see Little Joe I'm going to wonder if he was really a nice guy or a big A Hole.
I think Adam Cartwright was the cutest though.
On a different note, Melissa Sue Anderson was nice and so was Half-Pint, but Half-Pint had a controlling bitch of a mother who made everyone's life miserable. One had a hang-up about wearing white gloves, but I can't remember which one. Ma was pleasant but real dumb.
If my family called me "Little Joe" I would be an A**hole too. (j/k)
I wanted to agree with you.... Adam was definitely the cutest.
I do not know this story! Details?????
Renowned Death Hag
He hooked with his young make-up artist on the set of Little House, dumped his wife and married her and they had a bunch of kids. She was his last wife when he died.
Senior Death Hag
I remember reading that he didn't like Michael Landon, at all. It was something to do with his salary, I believe.
Can anyone elaborate?
-K.
His daugther Jennifer Landon plays on As the World Turns.
If anyone has any details on how he could/would give back an adopted kid. I'd be very interested in reading this too.
Was the child adopted just before he got sick?
Renowned Death Hag
Him and his first wife adopted the kid. When they split up, they decided to send the kid back, since they didn't want to put the newly adopted kid thru a divorce!
he wasn't on gunsmoke lol.(Bonanza)
he wasn't on gunsmoke lol.
DUH ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just fixed it.
Thanks for keeping me honest!!!
I always liked him in Highway to heaven. I think I did read he was kind of mean. I thought he was in a movie about someone where like sampson his hair was his weakness does anyone know?
Back in 1984 I worked at the Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center in Downey, CA. For several days an episode of Highway to Heaven was filmed on the grounds. Several employees I knew went on their lunch time to watch the filming and reported back that Landon was rude to everyone between scenes.
Now, thats awful.
Renowned Death Hag
I heard or read SOMEWHERE that he kept his LHOTP staff on salary through the hiatus so they would have money year round.
Adam was the coolest of all of the Ponderosa dudes. Hoss was a good guy, too.
I wanted to agree with you.... Adam was definitely the cutest.
I used to watch Bonanza and then little house (which I was cynical about) with my dear polish dad, who liked him and died many yrs before Michael landon of hidious pancreatic cancer! Thats why I even add to this post! These men died before their time and maybe michael landon could have addressed his behaviour if he had time! They dont get anytime its a swift killer and we need to find a detection method and early cure! Not condoneing Landons behaviour tho, I didnt like him after "little jo" his ego came out badly in those TV shows I thought!
Last edited by cherryghost; 11-16-2007 at 03:19 AM.
I knew he traded in his wife for a younger Lynn (his last wife) ahd she was actually rather homely.
I had no idea about the adoption thing. That is shitty.
I thought I read that Lynn, the last wife would not let his older kids see him before he died, or was giving them trouble about the will? I will have to read up on that.
I heard he was not a nice person in real lilfe, dunno if it is true or not, I know he and Melissa Gilbert (laura) had a close relationship. She is a shitty person though too. She gave up one of her kids to the Dad so she could marry someone else (Bruce Boxleighter, I believe) She looks like shit run over twice nowadays.
Same here! And in all the interviews I have ever seen of him, he comes across as a really nice person. And if you ever hear Melissa Gilbert talk about him, she has nothing but good things to say. I felt really sorry for him in the press conference where he announced his cancer.Oh no! That totally shatters my whole image of him.
I heard he was a control freak. He and his first wife adopted a boy and then gave him back after he met this 2nd wife and left his first for her.
This boy was old enough to remember that they had given him back and contacted Ml and he would have nothing to do with him,
They treated his kids from the firstmarriage like shit andI think they got zilch from his estate too
Thanks Nov. I thought I remembered it that way.
i just hope thats not true....shit, to have idols as a kid and then learning things like this crap...
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