LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE Stars Celebrate Show’s 50th Anniversary
By Movieguide® Contributor
LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE stars Melissa Gilbert, Karen Grassle and Alison Arngrim are reuniting to celebrate the show’s 50th anniversary.
“When we did the show, we went, ‘Yeah, this is a really good show, Oh, it seems to be a hit, that’s nice.’ But the idea that 50 years later, people would still be excited about it, it’s absolutely mind-blowing,” Arngrim, who played Nellie Oleson, shared.
Grassle (who played Laura’s mother, Caroline) added, “People are finding values, comfort and a message that they long for, and I think, you know, it’s just simple human decency.”
Gilbert, who starred as Laura, called the anniversary “overwhelming,” as “so much of my childhood and so many wonderful experiences and emotional experiences attached to all of these people.”
The trio also remembered their co-star, the late Michael Landon. He passed away in 1991 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
“He was magnetic,” Gilbert shared. “He drew me in, but he also played with me right away. And our relationship immediately became parental in that way, but he treated us when he worked with us like contemporaries, not like kids.”
In honor of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE’s anniversary, Landon’s family is raising funds for pancreatic cancer research through the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s upcoming PurpleStride event, where they will raise money for Team Little House.
“When Michael was diagnosed, research on the disease was scarce,” the team’s webpage reads. “There were only a handful of researchers in the field; the survival rate was less than 4%; resources for patients were nonexistent; the public knew next to nothing about the disease and there was little hope.”
They continued, “Michael brought pancreatic cancer to the forefront. And since his passing, progress against the disease has been made. The five-year survival rate has more than tripled to 13%, the research landscape is stronger, and patients have places like PanCAN to turn to for resources and support.”
Gilbert, Grassle, Arngrim and many of their other castmates reunited again at the LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE 50th Anniversary Cast Reunion & Festival, which took place March 22 to March 24.
“There is only one place and one time that this historic event can take place,” said Kathi Van Etten, the president and CEO of the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce, where the festival occured. “We wanted to do this for the fans, the cast members and for Simi Valley. This festival is not just a celebration of a television show, it’s a tribute to a legacy that has touched hearts for half a century.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Gilbert’s life post-child stardom:
LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE star Melissa Gilbert shared details about her new book, “Back to the Prairie” and her appreciation for a simpler life.
The actress and her husband, actor and director Timothy Busfield, made a home in the Catskills, leaving Hollywood behind and embracing nature.
“I grew up on a set that was a farm,” Gilbert laughed. “I got to play it out quite a bit and then go to our nice home in Encino at the end of the cul-de-sac with all of our modern conveniences. But I’ve always loved being in the outdoors. I’ve always loved being around animals. I think this was who I always was at my core. I just happened to grow up in urban cities.
“Once we got up here, once we got our land and started to look at all the things we could do with it, and then when lockdown happened, it unleashed all of this stuff inside me,” she continued. “There was a person who was dying to have this [new life]. I still can’t believe this is what my life is like now. It’s heaven. I’m just so blessed.”
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
