Behind the success of Little House on the Prairiewe found Michael Landon. Creator, screenwriter, director and lead actor, he has held numerous roles behind the scenes and in front of the camera. His daughter, Leslie Landon, shared a moving memory of that time.
Fifty years after the broadcast of the very first episode of Little House on the Prairiethe ardor of fans of the cult series does not weaken! They came in large numbers to celebrate last June the arrival of a large part of the cast of the series at the Monte Carlo Television Festival. Tele-Leisure was present and was able to gather confidences from the actors, in particular from Matthew Labyorteaux who played Alfred and spoke about Michael Landon. The actor, who died in 1991 from pancreatic cancer, was the driving force behind the cult fiction, available in part on M6+. In addition to being the creator, Michael Landon starred in the series, wrote the scripts and directed the episodes. At a fan meet-and-greet at the Monte Carlo Television Festival, his daughter Leslie Landon who played Etta Plum in Little House on the Prairie remembered her father’s hard work.
Little House on the Prairie : Leslie Landon reveals how her father Michael Landon prepared the episodes of the series
Invited to celebrate 50 years of Little House on the Prairie alongside Karen Grassle, Melissa Sue Anderson and Alison Arngrim, Leslie Landon shared a memory of her father from the time of the series, revealing how he prepared the scripts for the cult series. Very early work, explains the one who played Etta Plum in the series. “He got up very early and so did I because I really liked studying in the morning. I was in the kitchen and I could hear him talking to himself.” she confided in front of won over fans. Michael Landon indeed had a particular technique for finding the perfect dialogues. “He played the characters in the scene out loud. And then he had notepads and he wrote everything by hand, he didn’t use a typewriter. Then, his secretary who followed him for years and who was brilliant would clean up the episodes. No one but her could read his handwriting.” recalled Leslie Landon who added: “He loved what he did, writing was one of his greatest passions. Writing and directing were things he learned very quickly. It was great to watch him create stories.”.
Michael Landon: how many children did the star of Little House on the Prairie ?
During his life, Michael Landon was married three times and had nine children, including six biological children. His first son, Mark, whom he adopted following his marriage to Dodie Levy-Fraser, died in 2009. Michel Landon and Dodie also adopted Josh two years before their divorce, in 1960. Michael Landon then married Lynn Noe with who he had five children: Cheryl (Lynn’s biological daughter adopted by the actor), Leslie, Michael Jr, Shawna and Christopher. Finally, Michael Landon had two children (Jennifer and Sean) with Cindy Clerico whom he married in 1983 and with whom he was in a relationship until her death. Leslie Landon is not the only one to have followed in her famous father’s footsteps. His sons Michael Jr and Christopher became producers and screenwriters. The first created and directed episodes of the series The heart has its reasonswhile the second directed the films Happy Birthdead et We Have a Ghost. As for Jennifer Landon, she is still an actress today, notably in the series Yellowstone. Leslie Landon left acting to become a psychologist.
