There was a very specific reason producers found the young Jerry Mathers endearing when he showed up to audition for Beaver. Low-key humor was the show's priority and the jokes were intended not to get big laughs. At other times, he clues the parents in on Beaver's activities, plans and feelings. Even though Mary Ellen was Wally's principal romantic interest, Wally dated several other girls during his high school years. For the main series, producers cast Tony Dow to take Paul Sullivans place as Wally. 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. 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. When considering the most iconic 1950s cool guy, most people think of Fonzy fromHappy Days before rememberingLeave It To Beaver. 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 (19851989). However, Tony Dow wasnt always a member of the fictional family. In one episode, he declines a vacation trip with his family to stay at home near his current flame, then discovers she has left town with her parents for a vacation trip. "Leave It to Beaver" never made it to Nielsen's list of the top 30 shows of the time since there were a plethora of classic shows running at the time. Some of that stems from the fact that Tony Dow himself was an accomplished athlete, even before he made it onto the show. Instead of showing up, reading some lines, and then hoping for the part, Mathers arrived in his Cub Scout uniform and informed the casting directors that he had to hurry because he had a meeting to attend. The episode was ranked #42 on TV Guides 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time! However, Barbara Billingsley didnt wear heels at the start of the show. Sadly, he passed away in 1982 from a heart attack at just 79 years old. Ken Osmond at The Paley Center for Media on June 21, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California | Photo: Getty Images. Other cast members include Russ Thorson as Man with Milk Bottles, Leonard Bremen as Milk Bar Operator, Tim Graham as Doc, and Virginia Carroll as Nurse. Osmond's part as the two-faced teenage scoundrel, Haskell, was only supposed to be a one-off guest appearance. That episode was aired as the pilot episode almost 6 months before the main series debuted, but the main series was re-cast, and Showalter was replaced by Beaumont. Oops? 15 What was Miss Landers' first name? So, expect to chuckle, but not too much. Traveling with kids can seem like a daunting prospect if youve never done it before. 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. Fearing bad publicity should a well-loved child star be killed in action, he was told he wouldnt be deployed. The rumor spread like wildfire. UnlikeBeaver,Happy Days was filmed during the 1970s, even though it took place in the 1950s. Movies. In one episode, Wally runs for class president but loses the election. If you thought Eddie Haskell was a huge brat, dont worry, youre not alone. Wallace "Wally" Cleaver is a fictional character in the iconic American television sitcom Leave It to Beaver. He has played the same character (Wally Cleaver) on three different series: Leave It to Beaver (1957), The Love Boat (1977) and The New Leave It to Beaver (1983). Unfortunately for Paul, he grew too much in the six month break before the show went to series. Hugh Beaumont wasnt content to simply act on the show. It just so happened that playing Ward Cleaver was the best way to do so. Left without their main star, the production team agreed the show would not be the same without him, so they decided to wrap it up. Dow died Tuesday morning, his reps Frank Bilotta and Renee James said in a statement. Actress Barbara Billingsley was insecure about a dent in her neck, so she wore a pearl necklace to disguise it. It would go on to enjoy a total of six seasons before it wrapped. It wasnt uncommon for stars of the 1950s to cross over into other artistic genres, not unlike many stars today. "It's a Small World" was filmed with a single camera, in full screen black-and-white at Republic Studios and the Universal Studios backlot. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. 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. The writers didnt want the show to be too comedic. June Cleaver had a different longer hairstyle and looked actually prettier with it. One would have imagined that booking such a popular show likeLeave It To Beaver would have been an exciting event, however, for Hugh Beaumont, it led to tragedy. Barbara's June wore formal attire along with pearls and heels during the show, but it wasn't all about style. The wise father of two boys would often advise Beaver and Wally in hopes that something might stick. Both her pearls and her heels are one of the most cited examples of what it meant to be a housewife in the 1950s. It also helped him hide his sneaky ways. After school time is spent practicing sports, and, once home, Wally spends most of his time doing schoolwork in his bedroom. Explore, taste, and write about the world. Menu. Hugh Beaumonts character, Ward Cleaver, was the character who was always setting good moral examples for his kids to follow. 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. Wally is based on Connelly's son, Jay. Ward Cleaver: Yeah. | Source: Wikimedia Commons. Neither song got very much air time, which was fortunate, because they werent considered to be that good. Apparently it was so bad, that nobody listened to it. The actor who played Larry, Robert "Rusty" Stevens, was born in 1948 and is still alive today. Although it is not specified what Wally's exact specialties are, he did agree to be Beaver's attorney to fight for custody of his kids, but the plans changed when Beaver's ex-wife asked him to take the boys because the only vet school that will take her is in Italy. In 1983, CBS aired the reunion telemovie Still the Beaver starring Jerry Mathers. 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. He also included their friends in the friends of both Beaver and Wally. A portrait of Jerry Mathers circa 1959. Jerry Mathers, the main star, resigned to focus on his high school education. Jerry got a cut of the revenue from all those products, becoming the first child during the time to have had such an opportunity. ). June Cleaver: All right, but we respected it last summer and they set fire to the attic! Family matriarch June Cleaver was played by the gorgeous Barbara Billingsley. During one 2014 interview, Mathers appeared onFox News to discuss his favorite recollections from the show. It was the first series to have a true finale. 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. As for the heels, she wore them to appear taller than the boys as they grew up. Mathers recalled that it took nearly 5 days to find the frightened kitty. Trending. Miss Simms ( Diane Brewster) is a secretary/receptionist at the Franklin Milk Company. | Source: Wikimedia Commons. Leave It to Beaver is an iconic [1] American television situation comedy about an American family of the 1950s and early 1960s. In another episode, however, Beaver mentions being only 30 miles from the beach. 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. He sometimes humorously regards his parents as clueless squares. Mathers genuinely had a cub scout meeting to go to after his audition, which he was anxious to get too. Today, many of the show's cast members including Hugh Beaumont (Ward Cleaver), Barbara Billingsley (June Cleaver), and Frank Dank (Lumpy Rutherford), are no longer alive, but the memories of them are still fresh. It was the first series to have a true finale. | Source: Wikimedia Commons. Child actor Paul Sullivan, however, portrays the character in the series pilot, "It's a Small World", which aired in April 1957. 1961-1962 Leave It to Beaver TV Series Bill Scott Scott. His son announced the news, revealing that loved ones surrounded the actor as he went and adding, "he was loved and will be very missed." The name "Leave It to Beaver" went from being a '50s classic to a household phrase and one of the most popular references in sitcom history. 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. Before he was a Beaver, actor Jerry Mathers was Little Ricky on the show "I Love Lucy" for one scene. Here's the scoop about the young actress Jeri Weil who played Judy Hensler during the first three seasons of the classic TV series, Leave It To Beaver.Check . Highlights of the original and previously unaired pilot for Leave it to Beaver, called "It's a Small World" and featuring different actors in roles of Ward a. He had been a Junior Olympian swimmer before he began acting. Originally, the pilot for the show was titled "It's a Small World." [1] The series made its CBS debut several months later on October 4, 1957, with the episode, "Beaver Gets 'Spelled". This just proves that Beaumont was a man of many talents. Ward takes pity on the boys and buys them a bicycle. He had been a Junior Olympian swimmer before he began acting. His usual routine was to drive with his wife, son, and mother-in-law from Minnesota, but didnt have the time. 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. Americans have been in love with the idealistic Cleaver family for generations since. While many people seek side jobs in order to support their acting dreams, Beaumont got into acting for the paycheck. 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. One would have imagined that booking such a popular show likeLeave It To Beaver would have been an exciting event, however, for Hugh Beaumont, it led to tragedy. Fearing bad publicity should a well-loved child star be killed in action, he was told he wouldnt be deployed. Wally Was Re-Cast, Too. It took producers a significant amount of negotiation in order to show even that much, but eventually the executives on the Production Code Association, who were responsible for policing film and television decided to relent, so long as the scene wasnt too crude. Off-screen, the actress enjoyed being a mom to two boys just like in the show. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [4][pageneeded], Last edited on 11 December 2022, at 20:53, "Leave it to DVDs to give us the best of the Beav", "Museums; Weekend Chat; A TV Tribute With No Middle", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=It%27s_a_Small_World_(Leave_It_to_Beaver)&oldid=1126896586, This page was last edited on 11 December 2022, at 20:53. They were never seen in the series - another smart move. He was 77. It took producers a significant amount of negotiation in order to show even that much, but eventually the executives on the Production Code Association, who were responsible for policing film and television decided to relent, so long as the scene wasnt too crude. In another episode, he falls for a tennis playing "older woman" who uses him to make her estranged boyfriend jealous. "Tony was a beautiful soul kind, compassionate, funny and humble," they said. The producers werent able to figure out a way for the show to go on without him, so they decided it would be best forLeave It To Beaver to go off the air. Back home, his son, Hunter, drove his mom and grandmother to work one day and lost control of the car. This wasnt because cars lacked the technology for them, but rather because the glass of the windshield created a glare when filmed by the cameras. Even before Dow was cast, the producers were looking for someone athletic to fill the role, so Dow was a perfect fit. Neither song got very much air time, which was fortunate, because they werent considered to be that good. Instead, it became the house that was used for a number of other shows as well. The Cleaver house that was shown on screen for most of the series is still standing in the Universal backlot. Barbara Billingsley and Hugh Beaumont as June and Ward Cleaver from the television program "Leave it to Beaver." And Im grateful for it and I enjoy it. Then: Tony Dow Dow played Wally Cleaver in every episode of the show except for the pilot, when Paul Sullivan played the Beaver's polite older brother. He ended up managing several cast members investments. Paul Sullivan, Actor: Over the Top. But where are the cast members now? Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wally_Cleaver&oldid=1129258944, Articles that may contain original research from April 2022, All articles that may contain original research, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, student; various after school jobs including newspaper carrier, drug store soda jerk, and ice cream vendor, This page was last edited on 24 December 2022, at 10:31. In the 1980s, Osmond was shot three times while he was on duty during a chase with a criminal. By 1963, no TV show had ever had a proper series finale, butBeaver found itself in a bit of a pickle. In fact, there was someone else who played little Beaver before Dow. From Quiz: 'Leave It To Beaver'- The Pilot Episode! It was released to DVD in 2005. Given the character he portrayed, its hard to image Lumpy as anything akin to suave. He has two children and a wife. 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. By the time those pesky Alice Cooper rumors spread, Ken Osmond had been a police officer for over 18 years! Luckily, ABC aired the rest of the five seasons later on. Not all passports are created equally. Billingsley followed up her run with a role in the sequel, "The New Leave it to Beaver," which aired in the '80s. The humor of the character rests in Wally's teenage perspective. 01:23 Tony Dow, the wholesome actor who portrayed "the perfect big brother" Wally Cleaver on the everlasting TV comedy Leave It to Beaver and its 1980s sequel, has died, his reps announced. 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). June Cleaver: Ward, can you see any possible use for Franklin Milk bottle caps? Leave It to Beaver is a 1997 American comedy film based on the television series of the same name. At the time, no show had ever shown a bathroom, and the censorship authorities wanted to do more than just remove the scene from the show. In one episode, however, Ward is out of town and Wally is asked to play the man of the house. They make Eddie Haskell appear likable. There was a very specific reason producers found the young Jerry Mathers endearing when he showed up to audition for Beaver. Wally serves as a bridge between Ward, June and Beaver. Both her pearls and her heels are one of the most cited examples of what it meant to be a housewife in the 1950s. In another episode, Wally takes cha-cha lessons to enter a dance contest with Mary Ellen. 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. Jerry Mathers was a huge star during his time, and the network wanted to make extra money, so they had him record a music single, titled Dont Cha Cry. Beaver's big brother, Wally, was often involved in his younger brother's mischief. In another episode, however, Beaver mentions being only 30 miles from the beach. That day, the world could have lost a great actor. In order to be able to see the boys sitting in the back seat of the car, the glass was therefore removed, which solved the problem of glare. 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. Jerry Mathers wanted to take a break from acting in order to focus on going to high school. When the purebred show cat was put in the tree for the scene, however, it was spooked by its surroundings and ran away. His usual routine was to drive with his wife, son, and mother-in-law from Minnesota, but didnt have the time. In the later seasons, Wally has a few after school jobs and buys a used car. Under their guidance, Jerry recorded two singles, Dontcha Cry and Wind Up Top. Mathers didnt end up pursuing a music career in the end. You can thankLeave It To Beaver. Due to particular relationships around the world, some Accio Potterheads! In his later years, he became a stockbroker, after finding it hard to break allusions that he really was Lumpy. It's been over five decades since the show "Leave It to Beaver" aired its last episode in 1963. Tony Dow appeared in the series proper as Wally for all the episodes. One of the most curious things about the final seasons of the show is that the Cleavers car very distinctly had no back windshield. 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. Wally - this was the weirdest and worst aspect of the pilot. There was good reason the boys lives were so relatable to viewers. Instead, his son drove the family, but ended up in an accident on the way, which Hughs mother-in-law didnt survive. The series lasted one season on the Disney Channel before being picked up by TBS in 1986 and renamed The New Leave It to Beaver. The episode cost a whopping $50,000 to film at the time. Under their guidance, Jerry recorded two singles, Dontcha Cry and Wind Up Top. This wasnt because cars lacked the technology for them, but rather because the glass of the windshield created a glare when filmed by the cameras.

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