'Waltons' creator Earl Hamner dies at 92
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An American storyteller, the creator of the hit 1970s family television series The Waltons, Earl Hamner died Thursday at the age of 92. Hawes Spencer has this report.
Growing up in the tiny Nelson County town of Schuyler, Earl Hamner mined his childhood for tales for one of the most popular shows in television history: The Waltons.
A documentary on Hamner's life was released last year by Ray Castro.
"Earl was a true Southern gentleman. He was an American treasure,' says Castro.
Hamner's career went beyond John Boy and his adaptations of Heidi and Where the Lillies Bloom. He made a cut-throat soap opera called Falcon Crest-- plus several episodes of The Twilight Zone.
Hamner's legacy continues through the old family home and a museum in Schuyler as well as a Central Virginia-based theater company.
For WCVE News, Hawes Spencer in Charlottesville.
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PHOTO: One of eight children, Hamner recently visited his boyhood bedroom. (photo by "Earl Hamner Storyteller")
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