In another episode, Eddie "slugs" Wally in the school corridor when he believes Wally is moving in on his girl, and in another episode, Wally is caught by the coach throwing towels around the locker room. Leave It to Beaver: The Complete Series - IMDb Mathers recalled that it took nearly 5 days to find the frightened kitty. Leave it to Beaver Trivia Thatll Change How You See the Show, COPYRIGHT 2020 By TheLifeandTimesofHollywood.com, Stories From The Life and Times of Hollywood. Jerry Mathers wanted to take a break from acting in order to focus on going to high school. 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. One of the most curious things about the final seasons of the show is that the Cleavers car very distinctly had no back windshield. 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. 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. 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. Movies. Trailer for Leave It to Beaver: The Complete Series. June Cleaver: Ward, can you see any possible use for Franklin Milk bottle caps? It's a Small World (Leave It to Beaver) - Wikipedia | Source: Wikimedia Commons. 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. Instead, Mathers decided to join the United Air Force Reserve. Trending. Unfortunately, Billingsley was typecast for her sweet demeanor as June, however, she managed a role in "Airplane." Sullivan would have been a household name for years to come. Showcase yourself on IMDbPro Add to list More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Known for Leave It to Beaver 7.6 TV Series Wally Cleaver 1957 1 ep Official Detective 8.0 TV Series Tommy Harrison 1957 1 ep Studio 57 7.9 TV Series Wally Cleaver Hugh Beaumont wasnt content to simply act on the show. He later abandoned screentime to work as a radio broadcaster. Even after the show ended, fans hadn't had enough of the Cleaver family. Ward was originally portrayed by Max Showalter in the pilot episode, while Wally was played by Paul Sullivan. Unlike most TV shows today, the pilot that was shot forLeave It To Beaver featured several different actors than the ones who would later become famous for the show. While many people seek side jobs in order to support their acting dreams, Beaumont got into acting for the paycheck. If you thought Eddie Haskell was a huge brat, dont worry, youre not alone. From Quiz: 'Leave It To Beaver'- The Pilot Episode! Ken Osmond, Eddie Haskell on 'Leave It to Beaver,' dies - CNBC Even though Mary Ellen was Wally's principal romantic interest, Wally dated several other girls during his high school years. Some consider Mayfield to be in Wisconsin, because the town of Madison, as well as the Green Bay Packers, were mentioned. It stars Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers ("as The Beaver", as the opening credits put it). Dow explained,[I]f any line got too much of a laugh, theyd take it out. But for Pens & Patron is a travel site dedicated to wandering spirits. When the war broke out in Vietnam, Jerry Mathers, who played Beaver, wanted to enlist in the Marines. Tony Dow - Biography - IMDb Ward was originally portrayed by Max Showalter in the pilot episode, while Wally was played by Paul Sullivan. Oh, who are we kidding, we don't need to summon you guys! Leave It To Beaver had a curious effect on fashion trends of the era. Mathers didnt end up pursuing a music career in the end. It also helped him hide his sneaky ways. The season four episode shows Beaver stuck inside a giant bowl of soup on a billboard after he went to see if there was real soup in there. It was the first series to have a true finale. Our condolences. Wally serves as a bridge between Ward, June and Beaver. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. When the show aired its final episode,Leave It To Beaverbecame the first American program to have its own series finale! He ended up managing several cast members investments. A growth spurt. He also included their friends in the friends of both Beaver and Wally. Jerry Mathers wanted to take a break from acting in order to focus on going to high school. If you were to go on a tour of the Universal lot, theres still a chance you too could visit the Cleaver house. Americans have been in love with the idealistic Cleaver family for generations since. In the originalLeave it to Beaverpilot, Wally was played by actorPaul Sullivan. The star himself was cast as Theodore (Beaver) Cleaver at just eight years old. Richard Lewis produced the episode. Theres more to the tale of the toilet onLeave It To Beaver than simply being censored for wanting to show a toilet. Despite the rumors, Mathers became the star ofBeaverspin off movies and TV shows in the 1980s, which was originally titled,Still The Beaver. 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 ministry to which he was assigned happened to be extremely poor, so he needed to find another source of income. [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. Debra Winger Still Saves White Dress from 1st Wedding as It Felt 'Electrifying' Wearing It for Her 2nd Husband, Mick Jagger Seduced His Kids' Nanny & Cheated with Her on His Wife Who Was in the Next Room, Erin Murphy AKA Tabitha from 'Bewitched' Is Now a Mom of 6 Inside Her Life 50 Years after the Show, Barbara Hale Was Close with Raymond Burr's Partner after Star's Death - He Kept Their Relationship a Secret for 35 Years, Michael Weatherly's 'Difficult' Divorce from 1st Wife Made Him a Better Man despite Its Impact on His Son, Ron Howard Was Most Concerned about His Kids' Values Inside His Decision to Protect Them, Mila Kunis & Ashton Kutcher Designed Farmhouse with 'Future of Their Family' in Mind Inside Their Home, Tyler Perry Was Broke Living in His Car - He Recalls in Tears That He Was Only 'Praying & Believing. 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. 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. In 1983, CBS aired the reunion telemovie Still the Beaver starring Jerry Mathers. In Still the Beaver and The New Leave It to Beaver, Wally is married to high school-sweetheart Mary Ellen and is an attorney engaged in private practice. Menu. Paul Sullivan is known for Leave It to Beaver (1957), Official Detective (1957) and Studio 57 (1954). She wraps Wally around her little finger, and even has him going to the library to fetch a copy of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm for her. He sometimes clears the dinner table for his mother (i.e., he carries a few dirty dishes to the kitchen), and in one episode is seen drying dishes. Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver ( Jerry Mathers) is the younger son of Ward and June and the brother of Wally. Osmond passed away in May 2020. Here's What Happened to the Cast of 'Father Knows Best'. In June 1963, the series came to a close at milestones in the lives of Wally and Beaver: high school grad Wally preparing for State college and Beaver looking forward to entering Mayfield High. 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). 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. Fans recognize Tony Dow for his role as Wally Cleaver on the sitcom Leave it to Beaver. For six years, fans fell in love with the Cleaver family every time they tuned it to watch an episode. When the show first began, Beaver was only in second grade, making him around 7 years old. Hugh Beaumont turned to acting for very different reasons that most performers. When the production for the show moved from the Republic Studios to Universal, they built a new version of the original house. When the war broke out in Vietnam, Jerry Mathers, who played Beaver, wanted to enlist in the Marines. Stevens' acting work mostly stuck to the era surrounding "Leave It to Beaver." He appeared in guest . And Im grateful for it and I enjoy it. [3] It was televised again in October 2007 as part of TV Land's 50th anniversary celebration of Leave It to Beaver. He would wear his Cub Scouts uniform to the several rounds of audition and tell everyone that he was anxious to get to his den. 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.". The episode was ranked #42 on TV Guides 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time! Leave It to Beaver was actor Tony Dow's first dramatic experience. 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. Jerry Mathers (who was cast as Theodore Beaver Cleaver) in 2007. There was a very specific reason producers found the young Jerry Mathers endearing when he showed up to audition for Beaver. When asked about any on set mishaps in his Fox News interview, Mathers had one very particular story that wasnt well known otherwise. He's kind of goofy-looking but he wasn't as bad as I would have guess after I first saw him. By the time those pesky Alice Cooper rumors spread, Ken Osmond had been a police officer for over 18 years! We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Jerry Mathers as Beaver Cleaver from the television program "Leave It to Beaver." Ken Osmond at The Paley Center for Media on June 21, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California | Photo: Getty Images. During one 2014 interview, Mathers appeared onFox News to discuss his favorite recollections from the show. He carves the roast at dinner and monitors Beaver's behavior. In another episode, however, Beaver mentions being only 30 miles from the beach. In the 1997 film adaptation of the original series, Leave It to Beaver, Wally is portrayed by Erik von Detten. WhenLeave It To Beaver first debuted on CBS, strict censorship laws governed what could and couldnt be shown on TV. 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. 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. Though Wally sometimes warns Beaver he will suffer some sort of physical punishment from Ward ("Dad's gonna clobber you! The house was constructed when the show moved its filming operations over to Universal, and the studio decided not to knock it down. Wally arrives home and finds his mother preparing dinner; he regales her with teenspeak banter about the day's events at school. 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. To that end, executives attempted to make a pop star out of Jerry Mathers in addition to being a TV star. In another episode, he falls for a tennis playing "older woman" who uses him to make her estranged boyfriend jealous. Actor Paul Sullivan played Wally Cleaver in the show's pilot. About: Wally Cleaver - DBpedia The rumor spread like wildfire. The show was canceled after the first season. For the main series, producers cast Tony Dow to take Paul Sullivans place as Wally. 'Leave It to Beaver' Facts That Fans Might Not Know about the - AmoMama However, Barbara Billingsley didnt wear heels at the start of the show. He often showed off his personal flare by coming up with constant nicknames for the other characters, most of which were improvised by Ken Osmondon the spot. It was Tonys luck, however, that whenLeave It To Beaver realized they needed to recast Wally, they remembered him and gave him a call. Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver (Jerry Mathers) is the younger son of Ward and June Cleaver and Wally's brother. But where are the cast members now? Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. 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. At the age of five, Wally gave a newborn Beaver his nickname while trying to pronounce his given name of Theodore. I'm happy to see it has survived television, child psychology and the inroads of progressive education. The pilot (originally proposed as Wally and The Beaver) was first televised April 23, 1957, on the syndicated anthology series, Studio 57, without a laugh track nor the series' well known theme song, "The Toy Parade". June Cleaver had a different longer hairstyle and looked actually prettier with it. These days, he enjoys sculpting every day. 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. Museum of Broadcasting Seminar Series, The: "Leave It to Beaver 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. His usual routine was to drive with his wife, son, and mother-in-law from Minnesota, but didnt have the time. Ward was originally portrayed by Max Showalter in the pilot episode, while Wally was played by Paul Sullivan. Wally is portrayed in the series by Tony Dow. He was 77. Even before Dow was cast, the producers were looking for someone athletic to fill the role, so Dow was a perfect fit. He was played by Tony Dow, who went from being an Olympics diving champion to one of the most unforgettable faces on tv. The network cancelled the show, butBeavers cancellation was short lived, as it was quickly picked up again by ABC. Wally is rarely seen doing regular chores around the house. On a whim, Tony decided to audition alongside his friend, and they filmed a pilot together, which never got off the ground. 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. Neither song got very much air time, which was fortunate, because they werent considered to be that good. Beaumont didn't remain the show business after "Leave It to Beaver." He is best known by the public for his role as Wallace "Wally" Cleaver on Leave It to Beaver (1957). The last episode was a retrospective one called "Family Scrapbook" and has claimed its place in TV history as the first prime time sitcom episode specifically written as a series finale. 'Leave It to Beaver' star Tony Dow now dead, son confirms, after He had been a Junior Olympian swimmer before he began acting. The sum would amount to over $400,000 today. That day, the world could have lost a great actor. However, its Everybody has a different definition of a perfect vacation. The boys collect the bottle caps, but, in attempting to redeem them, learn they've been duped. The first episode of the main series revolved around Wally and Beaver buying an alligator, which they needed to put in water. Theres more to the tale of the toilet onLeave It To Beaver than simply being censored for wanting to show a toilet. [1] The series made its CBS debut several months later on October 4, 1957, with the episode, "Beaver Gets 'Spelled". A follow-up series called "The New Leave It To Beaver" followed in 1983 which featured the original characters as the older generation. [2] Following its April 1957 telecast, the episode was subsequently misplaced and was feared lost until a copy was found in a film vault in Illinois. The pearls would hide the scar from viewers, which made Billingsley more confident about her appearance. Beaver may not have been reliant on pop culture for its storylines, but it certainly made mention of the Sputnik launch during several episodes. 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. June Cleaver, portrayed by Billingsley, notably wore pearl necklaces in every single episode. In 1986, Mary Ellen gives birth to their second child, Kevin (who was age advanced to 4 years old in the fall of 1987 and played by Troy Davidson). david kent actor leave it to beaver - lineartdrawingsnature In one episode, were shown footage of a town. He has two children and a wife. In a play taken straight from Beavers life, Mathers was shooting an episode where Beaver cares for a neighbors cat. If you were to go on a tour of the Universal lot, theres still a chance you too could visit the Cleaver house. 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. In this web exclusive, actor and artist Tony Dow, who beginning at age 12 starred as Wally Cleaver in the classic sitcom "Leave It to Beaver," explains to co. What Cooper had meant was that he behaved a lot like the character of Haskell as a child, not that he portrayed him. Paul Sullivan Jr. - IMDb This was because Paul Sullivan had grown too tall in between pilot and series. Sullivan appeared on the shows pilot titled, Its A Small World.. Wally is the thirteen-year-old son of archetypal 1950s suburban parents, Ward and June Cleaver and the older brother of the seven-year-old ("almost eight") title character, Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver. The Yucatan peninsula is a perennial favorite when it comes to travelers visiting Mexico. The show ends with Beaver and Wally playing with a wind-up toy and laughing like children. The Cleaver house that was shown on screen for most of the series is still standing in the Universal backlot. Trending. 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. Its just stock footage they paid to use. Sadly, he passed away in 1982 from a heart attack at just 79 years old. 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 time, no show had ever shown a bathroom, and the censorship authorities wanted to do more than just remove the scene from the show. TV Shows. The series premiered on a notable day in history, though it had nothing to do with the show that would become an icon in its own right later on. Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher wrote the teleplay with Jerry Hopper directing the episode. Bullies have always seemed to be around, and Frank Bank was the perfectly horrible bully on the show named "Lumpy." Here's What Happened to the 'Leave It to Beaver' Cast - Closer Weekly 40 Leave It To Beaver Trivia Questions, Answers, and Fun Facts Leave It To Beaver had a curious effect on fashion trends of the era. Paul Sullivan - IMDb Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories. 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. 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. You're flying in the face of Dr Brady. Leave It to Beaver - Wikipedia So instead of letting the jokes roll, they cut any line that garnered too many laughs. Brewster and Deacon would find roles in the series as Miss Canfield, Beaver's second grade teacher, and Fred Rutherford, Ward's co-worker and father of "Lumpy," Eddie Haskell's easily duped henchman/bully. Though there are four bedrooms in the Cleaver house, Wally and Beaver share a bedroom. He was 77. Mathers genuinely had a cub scout meeting to go to after his audition, which he was anxious to get too. Because of that scene, the show was almost banned from the airwaves entirely. It would go on to enjoy a total of six seasons before it wrapped. Instead, Mathers decided to join the United Air Force Reserve. It would go on to enjoy a total of six seasons before it wrapped. Although it was his look of the innocent that got him the part, Matthers would go on to play the role of a troublesome boy quite well. The day the series began running was October 4, 1957, which was the same day that the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the very first satellite into space. WhenLeave It To Beaver first debuted on CBS, strict censorship laws governed what could and couldnt be shown on TV. 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. For the main series, producers cast Tony Dow to take Paul Sullivan's place as Wally. Wally's age permitted the writers to place him in dating situations with his school friends. Paul Sullivan - IMDb In my day, the collecting instinct was strong in every American boy worth his salt. They've been collecting them all week. Ward Cleaver: It's nothing to be alarmed about. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. 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. As of September 2012 he was living and working in Topanga Canyon, CA, as a sculptor. Given the character he portrayed, its hard to image Lumpy as anything akin to suave. They make Eddie Haskell appear likable. Child actor Paul Sullivan, however, portrays the character in the series pilot, "It's a Small World", which aired in April 1957. Actor Paul Sullivan appeared only in the pilot as Wally Cleaver. The characters grew older along with the actors. Wally also acts as a foil to the shenanigans of Eddie and Lumpy, but sometimes reluctantly goes along with them. He was otherwise an ordained minister with a degree in theology from University of Southern California. 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. Tony Dow appeared in the series proper as Wally for all the episodes. Both her pearls and her heels are one of the most cited examples of what it meant to be a housewife in the 1950s. This just proves that Beaumont was a man of many talents. In one episode, Wally runs for class president but loses the election. Unfortunately for Paul, he grew too much in the six month break before the show went to series. Tony Dow, Barbara Billingsley and Jerry Mathers in a scene from "Leave it to Beaver." Meanwhile, what a shock to see some of the show's regulars as other people on this episode. | Source: Wikimedia Commons. CBS first broadcast the show on October 4, 1957, but dropped it after one season. She got married three times, and remained with her last husband, Dr. William S. Mortensen, until his death. Paul Sullivan - IMDb By the end of the show, however, Beaver was set to begin high school, while Wally was graduating, meaning the gap had reduced to only a four year difference. After the show, Ken Osmond left the acting business in order to become a police officer for the Los Angeles Police Department. Other members of the original series cast, including Dow, reprised their roles. 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. Both her pearls and her heels are one of the most cited examples of what it meant to be a housewife in the 1950s. The writers didnt want the show to be too comedic. 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. 9. "Leave It to Beaver" might be a hit series of its time, but initially it was canceled by CBS after the first season ended in 1958. At other times, he clues the parents in on Beaver's activities, plans and feelings. I don't say he could have done as good a job as Hugh Beaumont, but he was acceptable. Wally is a good student, who, unlike his brother Beaver, rarely gives his parents or teachers cause for concern. The humor of the character rests in Wally's teenage perspective. Instead they retitled itIts a Small World. He had been a Junior Olympian swimmer before he began acting. ", Actress Barbara Billingsley attends the opening of "Radio City Christmas Spectaculor" on December 11, 1998 at the Universal Ampitheater in Universal City, California | Photo: Getty Images. Many associate June Cleavers classic pearls as the quintessential look for a 1950s housewife, but the truth is, that wasnt necessarily every mothers uniform. Keep . Release Calendar Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie . Gerald Patrick Mathers (born June 2, 1948) is an American actor best known for his role in the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver, originally broadcast from 1957 to 1963. Actor: The Natural. The Only Actors Still Alive From The Cast Of Leave It To Beaver "Tony was a beautiful soul kind, compassionate, funny and humble," they said. ). 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. That means that Eddie Haskell was the original cool kid. "Leave It to Beaver" It's a Small World (TV Episode 1957) - IMDb Wally, on the other hand was in 8th grade, meaning there was a six year gap between the boys. June Cleaver: The boys have got a whole dishpan of them upstairs. 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. By 1963, no TV show had ever had a proper series finale, butBeaver found itself in a bit of a pickle. Fans can enjoy a tour of the iconic place even today. 15 What was Miss Landers' first name? Wally spends his time in the bedroom at a small desk doing school assignments, the boys entertain their friends in the bedroom, and the room is often the scene of Ward's disciplinary lectures.