The career of Earl Hamner 鈥� the former WLW writer who created 鈥淭he Waltons,鈥� and wrote 鈥淐harlotte鈥檚 Web鈥� and more than 100 TV scripts 鈥� will be celebrated with a documentary and discussion Monday, Dec. 7, at the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in Covington.
A new 90-minute documentary, 鈥淓arl Hamner: Storyteller鈥� will be introduced at 7:30 p.m.by actress Mary Beth McDonough, who played Erin on 鈥淭he Waltons,鈥� a CBS family drama (1972-81) based on Hamner鈥檚 childhood in rural Virginia.
鈥淪toryteller鈥� director Ray Castro, producer Tim McAbee and McDonough will answer questions about the film after the screening.
The event benefits , the local nonprofit broadcasting archives which has displays at the Voice of America Museum in West Chester. Tickets ($20-50) are available at (click on purchase tickets) or calling the box office at 859-957-1940. A meet and greet with the producers and McDonough starts at 6:30 p.m. in the Carnegie gallery, 1028 Scott Boulevard.
Hamner, 92, a Los Angeles resident, grew up near Schuyler, Va., listening to programs on WLW-AM鈥檚 500,000-watt signal in the 1930s. He attended Cincinnati鈥檚 College of Music, and started his career as a staff writer at WLW in 1947. Former Cincinnati Post TV critic Mary Wood told me that Hamner loved to tell stories about his colorful relatives in the Virginia mountains, which became the basis for 鈥淭he Waltons鈥� and his 鈥淪pencer鈥檚 Mountain鈥� novel. He was presented an honorary doctorate degree by the University of Cincinnati in 2008.
His include 鈥淔alcon Crest,鈥� eight episodes of 鈥淭he Twilight Zone,鈥� 鈥淎 Walton Thanksgiving Reunion,鈥� 鈥淎 Walton Wedding,鈥� 鈥淭he Wild Thornberrys,鈥� 鈥淕entle Ben,鈥� 鈥淣anny and the Professor,鈥� 鈥淭he Homecoming,鈥� 鈥淗eidi,鈥� 鈥淟assie: A New Beginning,鈥� 鈥淎pple鈥檚 Way,鈥� and 鈥淲agon Train.鈥�
