"Little House on the Prairie"
May I Have This Dance (1983)

Director:

Victor French

Writers:

Chris Abbott (writer)
Laura Ingalls Wilder (novels)

TV Series:

"Little House on the Prairie" (1974)

Original Air Date:

14 March 1983 (Season 9, Episode 21)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Romance | Western

Plot:

When Willie announces his plans to marry sweetheart Rachel Brown and manage the hotel-restaurant bearing his sister's name...

Plot Keywords:

Wheat Field | Americana | House | Parenthood | Prairie

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Aug. 4

3:00 PM

HALMRK

May I Have This Dance?

#9.21

Cast

Melissa Gilbert	...	Laura Ingalls Wilder
Dean Butler	...	Almanzo James Wilder
Scottie MacGregor	...	Harriet Oleson (as Katherine MacGregor)
Richard Bull	...	Nels Oleson
Kevin Hagen	...	Dr. Hiram Baker
Dabbs Greer	...	Reverend Robert Alden
Jonathan Gilbert	...	Willie Oleson
Allison Balson	...	Nancy Oleson
Stan Ivar	...	John Carter
Pamela Roylance	...	Sarah Reed Carter
Lindsay Kennedy	...	Jeb Carter
David Friedman	...	Jason Carter
Shannen Doherty	...	Jenny Wilder
Leslie Landon	...	Etta Plum
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ruth Foster	...	Melinda Foster
Jack Ging	...	Mr. Brown
Sherri Stoner	...	Rachel Brown Oleson
Barbara Townsend	...	Mrs. Mae Flannery

Runtime:

USA:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Ed Friendly Productions

Mrs Oleson's farewell

It's the last episode where Mrs Oleson (McGregor) plays a prominent part.She briefly appears in "Hello and Goodbye" and is absent from the three final episodes.But what makes this "May I have this dance ? " so endearing is that ,for the first time in nine years,Mr and Mrs Oleson show romanticism.That makes this episode the most unexpected one.

Willie is at the crossing of the roads:shall he go to college or shall he marry Rachel?For his proud mother,this girl who wants to steal his clever son from her is not worth any king's shilling.But Willie,like Nellie before him has become more mature and he has understood that the only way to become a true man is to leave his stifling milieu.

I must say that the Olesonless episodes -with a few exceptions-fail to excite me.