A mannequin instead of a real person
In an episode of the fifth season of The Odyssey, there is a tense moment when an unknown assailant tries to throw Albert off a moving train.
Laura quickly rushes to his aid and pushes the villain off, managing to save Albert. However, right in the middle of this dramatic scene, a rather amusing blooper occurs.
Attentive viewers may notice that a mannequin is thrown from the train, landing awkwardly in the grass. Meanwhile, a fearless stuntman rolls down the slope, creating a comical contrast with the motionless dummy.
Melissa Sue Anderson was described as ‘cold and aloof’
From the first to the seventh series of Little House on the Prairie, Melissa Sue Anderson won over viewers in the role of the beautiful, fair-haired Mary, the eldest daughter of Charles and Caroline Ingalls.
However, her co-stars found it difficult to get close to her. Both Melissa Gilbert and Alison Arngrim wrote in their autobiographies that Melissa Sue Anderson, known on set as ‘Missy’, often seemed cold and kept her distance. Although, looking at photos of the actors together, it is hard to believe there was any distance between them.
Rumours circulated amongst the crew that Missy’s overprotective mother might have been one of the reasons the girl preferred to keep to herself.
But Nelly and Laura became best friends
Alison Arngrim played the real ‘bad girl’ Nelly Oleason — the main rival of the kind-hearted Laura Ingalls, played by Melissa Gilbert. But behind the scenes, it was a completely different story! Alison and Melissa quickly hit it off and became best friends.
When the cameras stopped rolling, they behaved almost like real sisters: they laughed a lot, chatted and created memories that went far beyond the series.
Off set, they were real partners in mischief: they’d have sleepovers at each other’s houses and play pranks on their unsuspecting colleagues. Who would have thought that such a fierce on-screen rivalry would turn into such a fun and close friendship off screen?
The aftermath of grief in the episode ‘My Ellen’
One of the most memorable episodes of Little House on the Prairie is called ‘My Ellen’ and centres on the tragic death of Ellen Taylor, who drowned.
When Laura and Mary go for a swim in the nude with their friend Ellen Taylor, they suddenly find themselves in an awkward situation. Some boys appear nearby, and the girls hide underwater, waiting for them to leave.
Laura and Mary manage to resurface safely, but Ellen tragically gets trapped and drowns. The aftermath proves heart-wrenching: Ellen’s mother, driven mad with grief, blames Laura for what happened.
During Ellen’s funeral, her mother, completely overcome with grief, hurls at Laura: ‘It was you!’ This heavy accusation deeply wounds the girl, especially given that she already feels guilty about what happened. But the adults’ reaction seems particularly strange. Instead of stepping in to defend Laura, they merely exchange anxious glances and leave her alone to face her pain.
It’s quite a baffling moment. With so many adults present, including Reverend Alden and Dr Baker, one might expect someone to at least try to comfort Laura and explain to her that it isn’t her fault. Yet she is left to cope with those cruel words on her own. In My Ellen, the emotional power of the story is undeniable, yet some scenes feel disjointed from a narrative perspective.
Michael Landon used to pop frogs into his mouth
Pranks seem to have been an important part of the atmosphere on set, and it was Michael Landon who was often the main instigator of these funny antics. Rachel Greenbush, who played the youngest of the Ingalls children — Carrie — recounted one such story.
The mischievous duo of Greenbush and her on-screen sister Melissa Gilbert would often dash off to the stream during breaks to catch frogs. The girls would then return to the set with their slippery little ‘prey’ to surprise Landon.
In response, he would unexpectedly grab the unsuspecting frogs and pop them into his mouth, before approaching the actors and crew members. With a mischievous smile, he would open his mouth, letting the frogs jump out, which would provoke laughter, screams and a touch of panic amongst those around him.
Melissa Gilbert’s falling-out with Michael Landon
The actors had such strong chemistry that viewers could easily believe they were watching a real family. And off-screen, too, these colleagues did indeed play an important part in each other’s lives for a long time.
But the relationship between the actors wasn’t always smooth sailing, and one major incident led to a prolonged rift between Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon.
It all began when the young actress learnt some news that would forever change her view of Landon. Whilst married to his second wife, Marjorie Lynn No, Landon began an affair on set with a much younger woman — the series’ make-up artist and stand-in, Cindy Clerico.