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The Waltons
S7.E23
All episodesAll
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Founders' Day

  • Episode aired Mar 22, 1979
  • TV-G
  • 1h
IMDb RATING
8.0/10
129
YOUR RATING
Mary Jackson, Helen Kleeb, and Jon Walmsley in The Waltons (1972)
DramaFamilyRomance

The town prepares for a Founder's Day Celebration. Who settled there first? The Baldwins, the Waltons, or the Godseys? Jason has to prepare a piece of music for graduating from the Kleinberg... Read allThe town prepares for a Founder's Day Celebration. Who settled there first? The Baldwins, the Waltons, or the Godseys? Jason has to prepare a piece of music for graduating from the Kleinberg Conservatory.The town prepares for a Founder's Day Celebration. Who settled there first? The Baldwins, the Waltons, or the Godseys? Jason has to prepare a piece of music for graduating from the Kleinberg Conservatory.

  • Director
    • Ralph Waite
  • Writers
    • Earl Hamner Jr.
    • Kathleen Hite
  • Stars
    • Ralph Waite
    • Ellen Corby
    • Jon Walmsley
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.0/10
    129
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Ralph Waite
    • Writers
      • Earl Hamner Jr.
      • Kathleen Hite
    • Stars
      • Ralph Waite
      • Ellen Corby
      • Jon Walmsley
    • 3User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Top cast27

    Edit
    Ralph Waite
    Ralph Waite
    • John Walton, Sr.
    Ellen Corby
    Ellen Corby
    • Esther Walton
    Jon Walmsley
    Jon Walmsley
    • Jason Walton
    Judy Norton
    Judy Norton
    • Mary Ellen Walton
    • (as Judy Norton-Taylor)
    Mary Beth McDonough
    Mary Beth McDonough
    • Erin Walton
    Eric Scott
    Eric Scott
    • Ben Walton
    David W. Harper
    David W. Harper
    • Jim-Bob Walton
    Kami Cotler
    Kami Cotler
    • Elizabeth Walton
    Joe Conley
    Joe Conley
    • Ike Godsey
    Ronnie Claire Edwards
    Ronnie Claire Edwards
    • Corabeth Godsey
    Mary Jackson
    Mary Jackson
    • Emily Baldwin
    Helen Kleeb
    Helen Kleeb
    • Mamie Baldwin
    Dean Jagger
    Dean Jagger
    • Professor Bowen
    Leslie Winston
    Leslie Winston
    • Cindy Brunson Walton
    Michael Reed
    • John Curtis Willard
    Marshall Reed
    • John Curtis Willard
    John Philip Dayton
    John Philip Dayton
    • Music Student
    • (as John Dayton)
    Hank Stohl
    • Radio Announcer
    • (voice)
    • Director
      • Ralph Waite
    • Writers
      • Earl Hamner Jr.
      • Kathleen Hite
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews3

    8.0129
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    Featured reviews

    10kchiefs1

    Should have been the series finale

    This is the episode that should have ended this amazing series.

    The Waltons series was among the greatest of television series. It started in the Great Depression and extended to World War II. This episode wraps up the series in a nice pretty bow. Anything after this was not up to the standard set by the seven years prior. Why they decided to do another two seasons was probably financially based and not creatively based. I'm not going into the episode as much as why it should have ended with this episode. The last five minutes of this episode were among the finest written for the series. It completely sums up the show's seven seasons along with giving us the audience what they wanted.

    I refuse to watch any episodes created after this one since I know the quality is substandard.

    Great series should end with great episodes.

    10/10.
    10walzer-94804

    Fantastic Ending

    This episode has one of the most powerful, and in ways, emotional conclusions of any television program I have seen. I think it was designed as a possible series finale in case the show wasn't renewed. The soliloquy narrated by Earl Hamner was a beautiful expression of family and ties to the earth. It is worth watching just for the last two minutes.
    10pattiejs

    Beautiful ending!

    I did love the soliloquy at the end. It was nice to see each cast member highlighted. It did have the feel of a series finale; so much that I came here to check. I enjoyed the history of the mountain, too. All together one of the best episodes of the show.

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    Romance

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Steadily declining ratings over season 6 and 7 had led the show's producers to fear that this episode would likely be the last. The rather flowery narration that closes this episode was written by creator Earl Hamner Jr. as a way to say farewell to the characters and tie things up neatly for the show's fans. Instead, the show ended up running for another two seasons before being canceled in 1981.
    • Goofs
      When Jason changes the title of his music, erasures and faint pencil marks from previous takes can be seen.
    • Quotes

      Narrator: [narration as John 'John Boy' Walton, Jr. reading from his journal] In our house all of us had that strong and very personal link with other generations, so that past and present sometimes blended with unexpected results. None of us knew from what ancestral source my brother Jason's love of music had sprung, just that it built up in him until it had to be expressed. As he neared graduation, Jason found himself returning to that source for inspiration, and it was nearly to prove disastrous.

    • Soundtracks
      Carry Me Back To Old Virginny
      Written by James Alan Bland

      Played by the violinist at Founders' Day celebration

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 22, 1979 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Hallmark Channel
      • INSP Television Network
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Stage 20, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Lorimar Productions
      • Amanda Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h(60 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1
      • 4:3

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