Earl Hamner Jr.

Earl Hamner Jr.
CBS Television · Public domain · source
Name	Earl Hamner Jr.
Birth date	July 10, 1923
Birth place	Schuyler, Virginia
Death date	March 24, 2016
Death place	Los Angeles, California
Occupation	Writer, producer
Nationality	American
Notableworks	The Waltons, Falcon Crest

Earl Hamner Jr. was a renowned American writer and producer, best known for creating the popular CBS television series The Waltons, which was loosely based on his own childhood experiences growing up in Schuyler, Virginia, near the Blue Ridge Mountains, with his family, including his parents, Dorothy Hamner and Earl Hamner Sr., and his siblings, including James Hamner and Paula Hamner. His work often explored themes of family values, community, and the human condition, as seen in the works of William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, and John Steinbeck. Hamner's writing was influenced by his love of literature, particularly the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens. He was also inspired by the American folklore and Appalachian culture of his native Virginia, which is reflected in the music of Hank Williams and the writings of Jesse Stuart.

● Early Life and Education

Earl Hamner Jr. was born on July 10, 1923, in Schuyler, Virginia, to Dorothy Hamner and Earl Hamner Sr., and grew up in a coal mining community, where he developed a strong sense of community values and social responsibility, similar to the themes explored in the works of Theodore Dreiser and Upton Sinclair. He attended Schuyler Elementary School and later Buckingham County High School, where he developed a passion for writing and storytelling, inspired by the works of Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hamner's early life was also influenced by his love of nature and the outdoors, which is reflected in the works of Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, and Aldo Leopold. He went on to study at University of Richmond and later at Columbia University, where he honed his writing skills and developed a keen interest in literary fiction, particularly the works of James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and T.S. Eliot.

● Career

Hamner's writing career spanned several decades and included work in television, film, and literary fiction, with influences from Hollywood and Broadway, as well as the works of Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, and Eugene O'Neill. He began his career as a writer for radio and television, working on shows such as The Twilight Zone, created by Rod Serling, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. Hamner's work on these shows earned him multiple Emmy Award nominations and wins, as well as recognition from the Writers Guild of America, which also honored writers like Paddy Chayefsky and Reginald Rose. He later created and produced the popular CBS series The Waltons, which ran from 1972 to 1981 and starred Richard Thomas, Ralph Waite, and Michael Learned. The show was a critical and commercial success, earning numerous Emmy Award nominations and wins, as well as a Peabody Award, and was praised by critics like Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert.

● Notable Works

Hamner's notable works include the CBS series The Waltons, which was loosely based on his own childhood experiences growing up in Schuyler, Virginia, and the NBC series Falcon Crest, which he created and produced in the 1980s, starring Jane Wyman and Robert Foxworth. He also wrote several novels and short story collections, including Spencer's Mountain, which was adapted into a film starring Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara, and You Can't Get There from Here, which explored themes of family and community, similar to the works of John Cheever and Raymond Carver. Hamner's writing often explored themes of social justice, morality, and the human condition, as seen in the works of Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, and John Grisham, and was influenced by his love of literature and history, particularly the works of Shakespeare, Tolstoy, and Dostoevsky.

● Personal Life

Hamner was married to Jane Hamner and had two children, Scott Hamner and Carrie Hamner, and was a longtime resident of Los Angeles, California, where he was involved in various philanthropic and community organizations, including the Writers Guild of America and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He was also a member of the Screenwriters Guild and the Producers Guild of America, and was recognized for his contributions to the television industry with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, alongside other notable figures like Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles, and Alfred Hitchcock. Hamner's personal life was also influenced by his love of nature and the outdoors, which is reflected in his writing and his involvement in environmental and conservation efforts, similar to the work of Sierra Club and the Nature Conservancy.

● Legacy

Earl Hamner Jr.'s legacy as a writer and producer is profound, with his work continuing to inspire and influence new generations of writers, producers, and filmmakers, including Aaron Sorkin, David Chase, and J.J. Abrams. His creation of The Waltons is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time, and his influence can be seen in shows such as Little House on the Prairie, created by Michael Landon, and Gilmore Girls, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino. Hamner's commitment to social justice and community values is also reflected in his philanthropic work and his involvement in various charitable organizations, including the American Red Cross and the United Way, and his legacy continues to be celebrated through the Earl Hamner Jr. Memorial Scholarship, which supports emerging writers and filmmakers at University of Richmond and Columbia University. Category:American writers