Michael Landon shared a hilarious handyman story with Johnny Carson in 1974

"The glass breaks, but my wife's not up yet. So, I'm not in trouble."

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Most celebrities pay others to keep their houses up to par once they reach a new level of success. They hire private chefs, housekeepers and other things.

Michael Landon, who played "Little Joe" Cartwright on Bonanza, decided to stay true to himself, ensuring his down-to-earth personality always shined no matter how much money he was worth. He undoubtedly hired help in some areas for his career and private life, but he made sure to do some things on his own, too.

Landon didn't have a problem using his hands, even if it meant spending his work-free weekend attempting to be a handyman around his home.

Bonanza's success opened many doors for the actor, which allowed him to make significant purchases. He did just that by buying a home that he said was "too expensive" for him. In an interview with Johnny Carson, Landon shared a hilarious story of how he almost broke down his house.

"The first house I ever bought was too expensive for me. And I told my business manager that I am going to [fix] the yard," the actor said. "Don't worry about a gardener. I'm taking care of all of it. It was a one-and-a-half acre dune. So, I went out and rented a rototiller."

As simple as it might sound, it was harder of a job than he thought. Landon set the rototiller to dig up 18 inches of the ground and ended up digging up the pipes to his house.

"I'm running through my yard thinking, 'No wonder these construction people [don't care].' They throw pipe here, and they throw pipe there. They make a mess," he added. "I'm throwing pipes over the hill. For three and a half hours, I [threw pipes] over the hill. It was my pipes. Four hundred feet of drain pipes."

He continued the story saying he decided to go inside after failing to do the job accurately and ended up with more home improvement misadventures.

"Now I decided to do the important things: clean the ovens. We have automatic ovens, right, and I flip on clean for four ovens. But, I don't put the shields up. Now, I'm sitting there drinking my coffee, and it's like four television sets exploding. The glass breaks, but my wife's not up yet. So, I'm not in trouble."

Landon then decided that he wanted to clean the chandelier, which he ended up unscrewing it from the ceiling, and it fell and broke on his table.

Being a handyman was not for the actor, but being a legend was for sure.

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15 Comments

Mistertelvison 24 months ago
I just finished reading your comments about Michael Landon him a Douchebag Audie 65
For your information that Michael Landon has been Dead a long time ago and he can't see what you wrote about him and
I guess you are a child or a adult with disability and if not then you should be ashamed of yourself and my advice search before you do anything and by the way
Michael Landon Died of CANCER and I hope you feel guilty for what you said
Thank you
Mister television

Runeshaper 24 months ago
HAHAHAHAHAHA Well, at least he tried!
TinaMarieHaddadRhodes 24 months ago
I can’t believe Michael Landon dug up 400 ft of drain pipe. That is hilarious.🤣🤣
bagandwallyfan52 24 months ago
Rest IN PEACE
JOHNNY CARSON
ED MacMAHON
I MISS BOTH JOHNNY AND ED.
THE WORLD IS A SAD PLACE WITHOUT
JOHNNY CARSON AND ED MacMAHON
MAKING US TV VIEWERS LAUGH AT THEIR WONDERFUL JOKES AND COMEDY ROUTINES. ALSO JOHNNY AND ED HAD
WONDERFUL GUESTS.
JOHNNY CARSON WAS A WONDERFUL COMEDIAN AND THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER COMEDIAN AS GREAT AS
JOHNNY CARSON.
I BELEIVE THAT PLUTO TV HAS A
JOHNNY CARSON CHANNEL.
FAREWELL TO JOHNNY AND ED.
Deleted 24 months ago
This comment has been removed.
TinaMarieHaddadRhodes 24 months ago
I will second that for you…
Charlotte 24 months ago
It proves he was a really good actor. He was the best at handy man stuff on Little House on the Prairie.
F5Twitster 24 months ago
"As simple as it might sound, it was harder of a job than he thought."

You mean it was a harder job than he thought [it would be].

Why people like you insert the utterly superfluous word "of" into sentences like the above is a very great mystery.

Even after all of Landon's travails, was STILL a better handyman than the author of the article is a writer.
F5Twitster 24 months ago
This comment has been removed.
JimmyD 24 months ago
What kind of rototiller goes 18 inches. Even cultivator tines on a farm tractor don't go down that far. Never seen a rototiller go more than six inches. Been repairing such equipment for 30+ years.
BuckeyeBeth7 24 months ago
I am starting to think that maybe Michael Landon’s stories were Tim Allen’s inspiration for Tim the tool man Taylor. Sounds like both of them were of the “we don’t need no stinking instructions!!” school of thought.
Can you imagine being his wife after a while? “God no Michael please! Don’t help! Go to work or go see if Dan needs any help at his house!”.
Sally 24 months ago
I used to love watching Johnny Carson. He had some fabulous guests over the years, Michael Landon was one of them!
WandaBaker 24 months ago
I think there could have been a little exaggeration going here.
CaptainDunsel 24 months ago
Hilarious? I guess you had to be there.
Michael 24 months ago
I.misread the title, thought it was about Johnny Cash. I imagined a wacky time of them trying to build a house or something together.
Andybandit 24 months ago
Michael Landon was a good actor. I also liked TJCS. Johnny Carson was very funny.
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