Movie and TV sets are some of the most secretive places on the planet, especially in a time when everyone has a camera in their pocket. But even in years past, only certain outsiders were allowed behind the scenes and cameras were strictly forbidden, except in rare cases.

One of those special occasions happened on the set of The Waltons in the 1970s. Judy Norton, who played the oldest Walton daughter, Mary Ellen, revealed in a recent Youtube video that her mom filmed the set when she visited with Judy's aunt and grandma.

The footage starts with shots of a beach in Malibu, an area which actually was utilized occasionally in The Waltons whenever characters visited the coast. The video goes on to show the Warner Bros. backlot with all the hustle and bustle expected on a busy filming day.

One of the best moments captured on video is when Judy and Eric Scott, who played Ben Walton, walk arm in arm up to the "Waltons Mountain School." The school was really just the trailer where the cast did their onset learning but it demonstrates the camaraderie and fun that happened behind the scenes which undoubtedly shows up onscreen.

Judy Norton / YoutubeRichard Thomas and Michael Learned hang out on set.

Other highlights from the home video footage include Richard Thomas and Michael Learned hanging out before going on camera, the Walton house surrounded by filming equipment and part of the Western street on the Warner Bros. lot that was "modernized" to work as a 1930s town for The Waltons but was, of course, mostly used for Western shows and movies.

It’s not every day we get a glimpse into what it was like to actually be on the set making The Waltons but the images in these home videos put us right there.

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