Can you tell the difference between The Waltons and the 1963 movie it was based on?

Some differences are obvious, but others – not so much!

 

Earl Hamner Jr. is known to many as the creator of beloved television show The Waltons. While perhaps the most famous, the show and subsequent reunion movies were really just the last version of many different accounts based on his life.

The first was a novel called Spencer’s Mountain. It revolved around the large Spencer family living in rural Virginia. Two years later, in 1963, Warner Bros. released a film adaptation starring Henry Fonda.

The movie kept the name of Hamner’s book but changed other details. Here are 15 questions about both The Waltons and the movie Spencer’s Mountain. Be careful, some things apply to both!

Watch The Waltons on MeTV!

Weekdays at 12 PM

*available in most MeTV markets
  1. Which one takes place in the early 1960s?
  2. Which one was narrated by Earl Hamner, Jr.?
  3. Which one centers around Clay and his son, Clayboy?
  4. Which one is about a family with nine children?
  5. Which one starred Richard Thomas?
  6. Which one features a mom named Olivia?
  7. The family has a daughter nicknamed Pattie-Cake in which version?
  8. Which one features a son named Jim-Bob?
  9. Which one is set in the Grand Teton mountains of Wyoming?
  10. Which one was shot entirely in California, instead of where it takes place?
  11. Which one sees the oldest son attend Boatwright University?
  12. The father works at a quarry in which adaptation?
  13. Which one has many scenes that take place in Ike Godsey’s general store?
  14. In which one does the father have eight brothers who help out the family?
  15. Which one features a location named after the family?

Can you tell the difference between The Waltons and the 1963 movie it was based on?

Your Result...

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Pellentesque nec ante ipsum. Mauris viverra, urna et porta sagittis, lorem diam dapibus diam, et lacinia libero quam id risus.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
Close

50 Comments

LynCarceo 43 months ago
11/15. only saw spencer's mountain once, years ago, and I barely remembered it.
joebob 50 months ago
13/15......not bad for someone that never watched spencer's mountain. Now i want watch it....lol
kimmer 54 months ago
13/15...Both versions are a part of my library. Great family values that never age!
L 55 months ago
My mother tells me that this is the first movie I ever saw. Of course I don't remember because I was still a baby.

There are a lot of similarities between The Waltons and my family (parents' generation).
Bob 56 months ago
Grandma and Grandpa were the best part of The Walton's show
dethLSMO89 56 months ago
8 out of 15. Never heard of Spencer's Mountain and didn't watch the Waltons.
McBeeveeHere 56 months ago
Wow, I took that way to quickly... 10 out of 14.. not good enough..gotta do it again..😉
SashaPayneDiaz 57 months ago
8/15 Never watched either.......not too bad for total guesswork.
KirwoodDerby 57 months ago
When the Waltons debuted I truly loved the show but as the years went by I really didn’t care for the kids after they were grown and Zeb died and Esther got sick. It lost its charm after season five or so.
kens58 57 months ago
12 of 15. Not bad for never seeing the movie. Watched the show a few times when it first came on. Hated it!!!!!
Cowgirl 57 months ago
You got 15 out of 15
Did you dance all over this quiz or did you miss a few steps?
It's been a long time since I've seen the movie, but I'm a big fan of The Waltons.
DavidBarker 57 months ago
You got 13 out of 15
Did you dance all over this quiz or did you miss a few steps?
MrBill 57 months ago
11/15; not bad considering I am not much of a fan and have not seen either one for several years.
olddogg 57 months ago
Spensers Mountain was a wonderful movie. Henry Fonds, Maureen O' Hara. James MacArthur, and believe or not Wally Cox. A feel-good movie if there ever was one. Not too corny but a maybe a tad.
Donald 57 months ago
This was hard because I have to admit that I never saw the movie. I watched the early years of The Walton's, but as I grew it became to hard to watch TV with all the thing I was involved with.
TheDavBow3 57 months ago
9/15 not good. Not much on The Waltons. I did like Spencer's Mountain though. A young Danno starred in it. Maybe I should get The Waltons board game to brush up on my knowledge. Sounds like hours of fun 🙄😴
Lillyrose 57 months ago
11 out of 15. I like the T.V. show, but I don't like the movie at all.
leebillyold 57 months ago
not heard of spencer's mountain 11/12
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?