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Penny has danced with college boys and thinks Wally dances just as smoothly as they do. | Source: Wikimedia Commons. He was otherwise an ordained minister with a degree in theology from University of Southern California. Dow explained,[I]f any line got too much of a laugh, theyd take it out. Beaver says, "I filled the bathtub so it'd be ready for our alligator." Wally answers, "Beaver, if we keep him in there, we won't be able to take a bath." Beaver finishes the joke with, "Yeah, it's real good having an alligator." Despite the absurdity of this episode, it was the first to show a toilet on television. Son of actor Lyle Talbot Stephen was born on February 28 1949 in California. By the time those pesky Alice Cooper rumors spread, Ken Osmond had been a police officer for over 18 years! The only actor who didnt return was Hugh Beaumont, who had died several years prior. They make Eddie Haskell appear likable. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. Her hobbies included cake decorating and needlepoint. Eddie was played by the actor Ken Osmond, but due to a little mix up in an interview, many viewers believed Eddie Haskell grew up to become Alice Cooper, the rock musician. In celebration of the TV shows 60th anniversary, many of the cast members began doing interviews on many TV networks in order to discuss their time on the show. Actor: The Natural. Hugh Beaumont wasnt content to simply act on the show. Movies. Wally and Beaver may have been the center of the show, but the story certainly wouldnt have been the same without having Eddie Haskell in the mix. Its clear from his profession as a minister, as well as the fact that he had gotten a Masters degree, he was interested in more serious pursuits. Surprisingly, the show ran for a total of four seasons, and included many of the original cast members real children as actors on the show. There was a very specific reason producers found the young Jerry Mathers endearing when he showed up to audition for Beaver. Though Wally sometimes warns Beaver he will suffer some sort of physical punishment from Ward ("Dad's gonna clobber you! Ward Cleaver: Yeah. The ministry to which he was assigned happened to be extremely poor, so he needed to find another source of income. Surprisingly, the show ran for a total of four seasons, and included many of the original cast members real children as actors on the show. Diane Brewster appears as Miss Simms, a secretary, with Richard Deacon as Mr. Baxter, Miss Simms' boss. 1928), No author has created with less emphasis such pathetic characters as Chekhov has.Vladimir Nabokov (18991977), Like a bad doctor who has fallen down sick you are cast down, and cannot find what sort of drugs would cure your ailment.Aeschylus (525456 B.C. The writers didnt want the show to be too comedic. Though show may have been more internally consistent than most TV programs in history, but the fictional Mayfields general location seemed to be in flux. Even before Dow was cast, the producers were looking for someone athletic to fill the role, so Dow was a perfect fit. Its characters were relatable, the show had a good balance of humor, and it felt like a real American family. He is more astute and experienced than his brother and often puts parental communications in simpler terms for Beaver's comprehension. Leave It To Beaver had a curious effect on fashion trends of the era. The original pilot never aired with the mainLeave it to Beaverseries. Many associate June Cleavers classic pearls as the quintessential look for a 1950s housewife, but the truth is, that wasnt necessarily every mothers uniform. Due to particular relationships around the world, some Accio Potterheads! We actually became much closer as adults, because in the 80s we toured together for 18 months in a play called So Long, Stanley and spent a lot more quality time together.. Explore, taste, and write about the world. But after a few episodes, the character began wearing heels in every episode. In the first season of Leave It to Beaver, Wally is a thirteen-year-old in his final year (8th grade) at Grant Avenue Grammar School. At the beginning episodes of the show, Barbara Billingsley wore flat shoes. The rumor spread like wildfire. Heres 22 of them from The History Garage.com. Beaver's big brother, Wally, was often involved in his younger brother's mischief. Before acting onLeave it to Beaver,Hugh Beaumont was a Methodist minister. Both her pearls and her heels are one of the most cited examples of what it meant to be a housewife in the 1950s. WhenLeave It To Beaver first debuted on CBS, strict censorship laws governed what could and couldnt be shown on TV. He was 77. You're flying in the face of Dr Brady. During an interview for the shows 60th anniversary, Tony Dow toldToday that the shows writers didnt wantLeave It To Beaver to be filled with jokes that had audiences rolling on the floor in laughter. The network cancelled the show, butBeavers cancellation was short lived, as it was quickly picked up again by ABC. Wally, on the other hand was in 8th grade, meaning there was a six year gap between the boys. Off-screen, the actress enjoyed being a mom to two boys just like in the show. I don't say he could have done as good a job as Hugh Beaumont, but he was acceptable. Even before Dow was cast, the producers were looking for someone athletic to fill the role, so Dow was a perfect fit. What happened to take him out of the spotlight? [1] It never aired as an episode within the series. 9 of 9 found this interesting | Share this Jerry Mathers didnt have a normal audition. Thankfully, his bullet-proof vest saved his life. And Im grateful for it and I enjoy it. Tony Dow had grown into an attractive, athletic young man and was often featured in "heartthrob"-type magazines aimed principally at teen girls. Unlike most TV shows today, the pilot that was shot for Leave It To Beaver featured several different actors than the ones who would later become famous for the show. Wally - this was the weirdest and worst aspect of the pilot. UnlikeBeaver,Happy Days was filmed during the 1970s, even though it took place in the 1950s. It just so happened that playing Ward Cleaver was the best way to do so. The original Wally Mathers is referring to is Paul Sullivan. Child actor Paul Sullivan, however, portrays the character in the series pilot, "It's a Small World", which aired in April 1957. Mathers didnt end up pursuing a music career in the end. Jerry Mathers, the main star, resigned to focus on his high school education. The sum would amount to over $400,000 today. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! Our condolences. To that end, Beaumont was able to play a part in writing for several episodes ofLeave It To Beaver, as well as to also direct some of the episodes. Tony Dow, Barbara Billingsley and Jerry Mathers in a scene from "Leave it to Beaver." By 1963, no TV show had ever had a proper series finale, butBeaver found itself in a bit of a pickle. Somehow, a myth was begun and perpetuated that Mathers had in fact been killed in Vietnam, which is ironic because the military wouldnt let him serve for that reason. Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Most Popular Video Games Most Popular Music Videos Most Popular Podcasts. Paul Sullivan, who initially portrayed Wally, was replaced by Tony Dow after going through a growth spurt following the filming of the pilot episode. So, expect to chuckle, but not too much. It aired as an installment of "Heinz Studio 57," an anthology series. The first episode of the main series revolved around Wally and Beaver buying an alligator, which they needed to put in water. [1] The series made its CBS debut several months later on October 4, 1957, with the episode, "Beaver Gets 'Spelled". In the later seasons, Wally has a few after school jobs and buys a used car. She only began wearing heels as the two boys began growing, so she could better appear to tower over them, especially when dealing with their many misdeeds. Leave it to Beaver was created by writers Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, who found inspiration among their own children for plot lines and dialogue. Keep . Luckily for Osmond, he was wearing a bullet proof vest, which ultimately saved his life. One of the most curious things about the final seasons of the show is that the Cleavers car very distinctly had no back windshield. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Menu. He also included their friends in the friends of both Beaver and Wally. Mathers recalled that it took nearly 5 days to find the frightened kitty. Wally Cleaver (Paul Sullivan) is the older son of Ward and June and the brother of Beaver. Low-key humor was the show's priority and the jokes were intended not to get big laughs. The series ends with Wally a high-school graduate preparing for State college and Beaver looking forward to entering Mayfield High. As for the heels, she wore them to appear taller than the boys as they grew up. Dow portrays an adult Wally Cleaver in both the reunion telemovie, Still the Beaver (1983), and in the sequel series The New Leave It to Beaver (1985-1989). To that end, Beaumont was able to play a part in writing for several episodes ofLeave It To Beaver, as well as to also direct some of the episodes. Leave it to Beaverremains one of the best-beloved American sitcoms ever to air. Hugh Beaumonts character, Ward Cleaver, was the character who was always setting good moral examples for his kids to follow. "), such punishments never occur. Jerry Mathers as Beaver Cleaver from the television program "Leave It to Beaver." Beaver may not have been reliant on pop culture for its storylines, but it certainly made mention of the Sputnik launch during several episodes. He is best-known for his TV roles in shows like Annie Oakley, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Leave It to Beaver, Petticoat Junction, and The Donna Reed Show; and as Tommy Bailey, son of George Bailey in the 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life . But the typical chores of a teen boy (mowing the lawn, carrying out the trash, washing windows), apparently are not his. Sullivan appeared on the shows pilot titled, Its A Small World.. However, when she kissed Casey on the lips right off the bat, I felt she was cheating on Beaumont! Eddie might have been quite the rascal on the set ofLeave It To Beaver, but Osmonds future profession showed just how different he was from his character. In a play taken straight from Beaver's life, Mathers was shooting an episode where Beaver cares for a neighbor's cat. When the show opens, Beaver is seven years old ("almost . Given the character he portrayed, its hard to image Lumpy as anything akin to suave. June Cleaver, portrayed by Billingsley, notably wore pearl necklaces in every single episode. In the 1980s, Osmond was shot three times while he was on duty during a chase with a criminal. Traveling with kids can seem like a daunting prospect if youve never done it before. Featured in Leave It to Beaver: Family Scrapbook (1963) 4 /10 gattonero975 Details Release date October 4, 1957 (United States) Country of origin United States Language English Filming locations Revue Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA Production company Gomalco Productions See more company credits at IMDbPro Technical specs Edit While most of the shows back in the 1960s ended abruptly, "Leave It to Beaver" bid farewell with a look back to its previous episodes in "Family Scrapbook.". Despite the rumors, Mathers became the star ofBeaverspin off movies and TV shows in the 1980s, which was originally titled,Still The Beaver. What Cooper had meant was that he behaved a lot like the character of Haskell as a child, not that he portrayed him. On the show, Wally was often portrayed as the successful older brother, who not only was smooth with the ladies, but was admired for his athletic prowess. Americans have been in love with the idealistic Cleaver family for generations since. UnlikeBeaver,Happy Days was filmed during the 1970s, even though it took place in the 1950s. On a whim, Tony decided to audition alongside his friend, and they filmed a pilot together, which never got off the ground. Ward was originally portrayed by Max Showalter in the pilot episode, while Wally was played by Paul Sullivan. As Beaver grew into an awkward young teen, he sometimes took a back seat to his older brother Wally, a student in his final years of high school. Beaumont didn't remain the show business after "Leave It to Beaver." He became a Christmas tree farmer in the '60s but was forced to retire due to a stroke in 1972. The star himself was cast as Theodore (Beaver) Cleaver at just eight years old. An epic family comedy that revolved around the lives of a family living in the suburbs, "Leave It to Beaver" captures the essence of being a child during the 1950s by following the adventures of a curious boy named Theodore aka "The Beaver.". After the directors decided to give the role to Dow, he would go on to be a permanent fixture on the show until its end. In the 1997 film adaptation of the original series, Leave It to Beaver, Wally is portrayed by Erik von Detten. Since then, the black and white show has gone down in history as one of the trailblazers for tv and film. For his appearance, he pulled out the old interview uniform, explaining that during the shows run, he and Tony Dow would wear a Mayfield High School letterman sweater for their press appearances. Eddie was played by the actor Ken Osmond, but due to a little mix up in an interview, many viewers believed Eddie Haskell grew up to become Alice Cooper, the rock musician. In another episode, he falls for a tennis playing "older woman" who uses him to make her estranged boyfriend jealous. In the original Leave it to Beaver pilot, Wally was played by actor Paul Sullivan. 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Despite the fact that Beavers friend Lumpy was seen as the ultimate nerd throughout the show, when the actor, Frank Bank wrote his autobiography as a result, he claimed that he was rather gifted when it came to his romantic relationships. It was released to DVD in 2005. More than 60 years after Leave It To Beaver first began airing in 1957, it still maintains its place in the pantheon of great television. Ward was originally portrayed by Max Showalter in the pilot episode, while Wally was played by Paul Sullivan. In another episode, however, Beaver mentions being only 30 miles from the beach. Before the show, he worked as a Junior Olympics diver. Some consider Mayfield to be in Wisconsin, because the town of Madison, as well as the Green Bay Packers, were mentioned. During an interview with MeTV, Jerry Mathers, revealed the reason directors decided to find a new Wally. In the second season, Wally attends Mayfield High School, and remains there for the show's last five seasons, despite the fact that he should have graduated. Actress Barbara Billingsley was insecure about a dent in her neck, so she wore a pearl necklace to disguise it. This is because the actors portraying as her sons hit their growth spurt, and in order to maintain the height gap between the characters, Barbara began wearing heels. For the main series, producers cast Tony Dow to take Paul Sullivans place as Wally. The Cleaver house that was shown on screen for most of the series is still standing in the Universal backlot. The show was canceled after the first season. The pilot episode of the series was originally titledWally and the Beaver. In another episode, however, Beaver mentions being only 30 miles from the beach. Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Most Popular Video Games Most Popular Music Videos Most Popular Podcasts. He left behind wife Kathryn Adam and their three children, Mark, Kristy, and Hunter. The boys were often shown in the bathroom. He didnt become a rockstar like his character wanted. They were never seen in the series - another smart move. The show ends with Beaver and Wally playing with a wind-up toy and laughing like children. He ended up managing several cast members investments. Itd be weird if a show didnt tie up all of its loose ends. When the war broke out in Vietnam, Jerry Mathers, who played Beaver, wanted to enlist in the Marines. Many of the scenarios that Beaver and Wally found themselves in throughout the show often seemed to hit very close to the concerns of other children and teenagers their age. It just so happened that playing Ward Cleaver was the best way to do so. This was because Paul Sullivan had grown too tall in between pilot and series. Wally's age permitted the writers to place him in dating situations with his school friends. Apparently it was so bad, that nobody listened to it. In one episode, Wally runs for class president but loses the election. That day, the world could have lost a great actor. Two of Wally's friends are pictured, and they are greasy-looking punks. Ward Cleaver: Oh, no, June, don't you dare think of such a thing. Originally, the pilot for the show was titled "It's a Small World." So instead of letting the jokes roll, they cut any line that garnered too many laughs. Many audience members reminisce about how June Cleaver was always pristine, even while engaging in all sorts of housework. One of the shows writers, Joe Connelly, based Wally and Beaver off of his own children, whose antics he would scribble down in a notebook on the regular. His friends, Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford and Eddie Haskell, have a knack for getting into trouble and taking Wally along for the ride. Wally's first girlfriend on the show is Penny Jamison, a New York girl he meets during ballroom lessons at Miss Spencer's School of the Dance. She also did her best to keep her boys out of trouble. He also included their friends in the friends of both Beaver and Wally. Movies. He is an intelligent, polite teenager, who is trusted by his parents, popular with his peers, and liked by his teachers. At 69, Jerry Mathers hasnt been acting much lately, but he did surprisingly end up the focus of a tragic rumor during his mid-life years. As of September 2012 he was living and working in Topanga Canyon, CA, as a sculptor. In the 1980s, Wally and Beaver were brought back to screens in a TV movie that featured them as parents, with June around as a loving grandma to their kids. Instead they retitled itIts a Small World. In real life, the actor wasnt much different. Many episodes have a very brief "after school" scene in the kitchen between June and Wally. The pilot was misplaced but was found and aired as the third season premiere for the 1980s revival series The New Leave It to Beaver on October 4, 1987, 30 years after the original series premiered on CBS. In 1997, the feature film Leave It to Beaver was released with young Erik von Detten as Wally. He had been a Junior Olympian swimmer before he began acting. When the show first debuted in 1957, its ratings were only so so, which caused executives at CBS to rethink their commitment to the program. Fans looked for clues in every episode, but soon found out from the writers and producers that the show was set in Mayfield, a fictional town meant to represent the American ideal. It would go on to enjoy a total of six seasons before it wrapped. Matthers returned to television for a reunion, "Still the Beaver" in 1983, and appeared in a few episodes of the famous series, "Lassie." Dow never intended to get into acting, so it's no surprise that after the show ended, he moved behind the scenes and became a director. The pearls would hide the scar from viewers, which made Billingsley more confident about her appearance. He later abandoned screentime to work as a radio broadcaster. The show's four main characters appeared in all 234 episodes of the show, and, in the opening sequence, were introduced in the following order: Read more about this topic: Leave It To Beaver Characters, I could live without acting. Acting is a gift Ive received. The only actor who didnt return was Hugh Beaumont, who had died several years prior. Many associate June Cleavers classic pearls as the quintessential look for a 1950s housewife, but the truth is, that wasnt necessarily every mothers uniform. Osmond's part as the two-faced teenage scoundrel, Haskell, was only supposed to be a one-off guest appearance. You can thankLeave It To Beaver. He didnt even audition forLeave it to Beaveroriginally, but a different show that was cancelled. On a whim, Tony decided to audition alongside his friend, and they filmed a pilot together, which never got off the ground. Most people think it was just part of the characters costume, but thats not why she wore them. The actor starred in "Leave It to Beaver" from 1957 to 1963. However, the actor didn't quite follow through with his early career. Jerry got a cut of the revenue from all those products, becoming the first child during the time to have had such an opportunity. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. The family lives at 213 Pine Street next door to his widowed mother June, Beaver, and Beaver's sons; Ward had died shortly before the events of Still the Beaver take place (series star Hugh Beaumont had died in 1982). The windshield created glare on film, so the crew removed it to avoid that issue. Paul Sullivan did not have much of an acting career outside of this pilot.