To Eric's mention of Earl Hamner's works, I would add a television show of Earl's that was ALMOST set in Virginia.  

When he conceived of "Falcon Crest," Earl was thinking about his mother's ancestors, Italian immigrants who settled in Virginia in 1773 to establish a wine and olive industry.  Their employer, Fillippo Mazzei, quickly became caught up in the idea of revolution and left Virginia early in the war to try to raise financial support in Europe for the cause.  He was captured and later released, but never returned to Virginia.  Meanwhile, several of the Italians (including Earl & my shared ancestor, Antonio Giannini and his brother-in-law, Francesco Modena) went to work at Monticello for Mazzei's nearest neighbor.  A captured General rented out the estate and the story goes that within one week his horses had trampled out the work of three years. Still, never one to give up, early the next spring Jefferson sent the Italians back over to the property to see what could be salvaged and transplanted at Monticello!  In recent years, Jefferson Vineyards was established on the site of the Mazzei's original vineyard.

So, Earl Hamner envisioned a drama about a family of modern-day Virginia winemakers.  At the very first Virginia Festival of American Film in Charlottesville, I recall him being asked, by a fan using an incredulous tone, "what happened with 'Falcon Crest'?"  Well, the television executives (apparently not familiar with Virginia wine) moved the setting from Virginia to California. And then they hired Jane Wyman.  Case closed.  "Falcon Crest" turned from family drama to nighttime soap.   

But, it was almost set in Virginia!  

Rosanna Bencoach
Richmond

--------
Date:    Mon, 17 Jul 2006 07:58:37 -0400
From:    "Grundset, Eric" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Novels and Movies set in Virginia

Earl Hamner's "The Homecoming" was a novel and then a television movie,=
 which eventually lead to the television program "The Waltons." His movi=
e "Spencer's Mountain" (starring Henry Fonda, Maureen O'Sullivan, and=
 James MacArthur)ended up being filmed and (I think) set in Wyoming but=
 was based on his Virginia family -- loosely -- at least Earl's paternal=
 grandmother was a Spencer from Buckingham County anyway!

I also remember a science fiction novel set in the Shenandoah Valley aft=
er a nuclear war, but I can't remember the title. It was probably writte=
n in the 1960s. Seems like the word "spring" was in the title somehow.

A search of the Library of Congress' catalog and that of the Library of=
 Virginia and other large libraries will result in many titles (except=
 the one I can't remember in the previous paragraph!).

Eric G. Grundset
Library Director
DAR Library
National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
1776 D St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20006-5303
202-879-3313 (phone)
202-879-3227 (fax)
[log in to unmask]


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