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. Barbara Billingsley chose pearls as part of her regular costume because she had a small scar on her neck that she deemed unsightly for the cameras. 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. Leave It To Beaver had a curious effect on fashion trends of the era. Unfortunately for Paul, he grew too much in the six month break before the show went to series. Even before Dow was cast, the producers were looking for someone athletic to fill the role, so Dow was a perfect fit. 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 the best friend of Wally, Eddie Haskell was tasked with using his smooth-talking to help the Cleaver brothers out. 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. 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. Wally, on the other hand was in 8th grade, meaning there was a six year gap between the boys. Then, as Wally leaves the room with a parting bon mot and the canned laughter kicks in, the camera catches June's bewildered, dazed, or amused facial expression. Some of that stems from the fact that Tony Dow himself was an accomplished athlete, even before he made it onto the show. Some consider Mayfield to be in Wisconsin, because the town of Madison, as well as the Green Bay Packers, were mentioned. 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. Actress Barbara Billingsley was insecure about a dent in her neck, so she wore a pearl necklace to disguise it. 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. Tony Dow almost didnt make it into the acting business, but rather decided to tag along with a friend of his who was a lifeguard at one of the pools he swam in. He didnt just act as Ward Cleaver, he also wrote a couple episodes. The series was so popular that a television movie "Still the Beaver" was made in 1983. 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. Jimmy Hawkins - Wikipedia 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. Tony Dow, , 77, juvenile TV actor (Leave It to Beaver,'( - Google Groups During an interview with MeTV, Jerry Mathers, revealed the reason directors decided to find a new Wally. 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. 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. Before the show, he worked as a Junior Olympics diver. 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 . 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. He was otherwise an ordained minister with a degree in theology from University of Southern California. That was four years before "Leave It to Beaver" aired. 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. Beaumonts mother-in-law was killed in the crash. Its just stock footage they paid to use. | Source: Wikimedia Commons. 10. It stars Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers ("as The Beaver", as the opening credits put it). Fox News reports that Osmond became a Los Angeles Police Department officer for 18 years before becoming a celebrity spokesman. 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. Sullivan would have been a household name for years to come. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. After the show, Ken Osmond left the acting business in order to become a police officer for the Los Angeles Police Department. "Leave It to Beaver" Beaver Gets 'Spelled' (TV Episode 1957) - IMDb From Quiz: 'Leave It To Beaver'- The Pilot Episode! 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. Mathers recalled that it took nearly 5 days to find the frightened kitty. Yes, after filming the pilot, Sullivan was growing and, well, grew out of the role. After the show, Ken Osmond left the acting business in order to become a police officer for the Los Angeles Police Department. Jerry Mathers was around 8-years-old at the time he auditioned for the role. As for the heels, she wore them to appear taller than the boys as they grew up. 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. Ward was originally portrayed by Max Showalter in the pilot episode, while Wally was played by Paul Sullivan. As of September 2012 he was living and working in Topanga Canyon, CA, as a sculptor. Frankie Bennett, a mischievous boy, tells them new bikes can be had at a local dairy in exchange for 1,000 bottle caps from the company's products. 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. Instead, it became the house that was used for a number of other shows as well. He is an athlete with track, basketball and baseball being his three favorite sports; and, he excels at all. 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 Cleaver family from the television program "Leave it to Beaver." Wally - this was the weirdest and worst aspect of the pilot. It was Tonys luck, however, that whenLeave It To Beaver realized they needed to recast Wally, they remembered him and gave him a call. In one episode, were shown footage of a town. Originally, the pilot for the show was titled "It's a Small World." When considering the most iconic 1950s cool guy, most people think of Fonzy fromHappy Days before rememberingLeave It To Beaver. When the purebred show cat was put in the tree for the scene, however, it was spooked by its surroundings and ran away. 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). Fans can enjoy a tour of the iconic place even today. So instead of letting the jokes roll, they cut any line that garnered too many laughs. 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. Movies. They didnt want a big laugh; they wanted chuckles. You may have wondered why the humor of the show was styled as such, so its nice that Dow provided the answer. 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. "Tony was a beautiful soul kind, compassionate, funny and humble," they said. Oh, who are we kidding, we don't need to summon you guys! At the beginning episodes of the show, Barbara Billingsley wore flat shoes. And Im grateful for it and I enjoy 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. Luckily for Osmond, he was wearing a bullet proof vest, which ultimately saved his life. Her hobbies included cake decorating and needlepoint. Paul Sullivan is known for Leave It to Beaver (1957), Official Detective (1957) and Studio 57 (1954). In another episode, however, Beaver mentions being only 30 miles from the beach. Sadly, he passed away in 1982 from a heart attack at just 79 years old. One episode ofLeave it to Beaverwas actually censored by the Federal Communications Commission when it showed a toilet on screen. However, he did so well . By the time those pesky Alice Cooper rumors spread, Ken Osmond had been a police officer for over 18 years! However, when she kissed Casey on the lips right off the bat, I felt she was cheating on Beaumont! That means that Eddie Haskell was the original cool kid. 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. Toilet scenes were not shown on television back then, but "Leave It to Beaver" became the first although it was just the tank. Luckily for Osmond, he was wearing a bullet proof vest, which ultimately saved his life. Even though Mary Ellen was Wally's principal romantic interest, Wally dated several other girls during his high school years. Thankfully, his bullet-proof vest saved his life. Of course, the show would not have become what it is without the beloved cast members who made up the "All-American Family." 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. Like any other show,Leave it to Beaverhad to stop running. 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. 'Leave It to Beaver' star Ken Osmond's cause of death - Fox News | Source: Wikimedia Commons. They make Eddie Haskell appear likable. By 1963, no TV show had ever had a proper series finale, butBeaver found itself in a bit of a pickle. The series pilot episode was originally filmed and casted by Max Showalter, and he played Ward Cleaver. Leave It to Beaver is an iconic [1] American television situation comedy about an American family of the 1950s and early 1960s. The producers wanted someone who would look younger, so they cast Tony Dow as Wally instead. During one 2014 interview, Mathers appeared onFox News to discuss his favorite recollections from the show. 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. He carves the roast at dinner and monitors Beaver's behavior. Ward was originally portrayed by Max Showalter in the pilot episode, while Wally was played by Paul Sullivan. Paul Sullivan, who initially portrayed Wally, was replaced by Tony Dow after going through a growth spurt following the filming of the pilot episode. June Cleaver: I think I'm going to ask them why they're collecting those things. | Source: Wikimedia Commons. Let's take a look at 15 "Leave It to Beaver" facts that fans might not know. 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 . Our condolences. In his later years, he became a stockbroker, after finding it hard to break allusions that he really was Lumpy. 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). The character Wally was portrayed by Paul Sullivan in the pilot episode. The Cleaver house that was shown on screen for most of the series is still standing in the Universal backlot. To that end, executives attempted to make a pop star out of Jerry Mathers in addition to being a TV star. Given the character he portrayed, its hard to image Lumpy as anything akin to suave. Sullivan appeared on the shows pilot titled, Its A Small World.. Leave It To Beaver had a curious effect on fashion trends of the era. Tony Dow had grown into an attractive, athletic young man and was often featured in "heartthrob"-type magazines aimed principally at teen girls. The only actor who didnt return was Hugh Beaumont, who had died several years prior. The network cancelled the show, butBeavers cancellation was short lived, as it was quickly picked up again by ABC. In one episode, Wally grows a moustache over the summer, thinking Julie will be enchanted with his debonair look, and then the poor boy is humiliated when she laughs at it when he arrives back to school. The ministry to which he was assigned happened to be extremely poor, so he needed to find another source of income. When the war broke out in Vietnam, Jerry Mathers, who played Beaver, wanted to enlist in the Marines. Though there are four bedrooms in the Cleaver house, Wally and Beaver share a bedroom. Hugh Beaumonts character, Ward Cleaver, was the character who was always setting good moral examples for his kids to follow. Fearing bad publicity should a well-loved child star be killed in action, he was told he wouldnt be deployed. Explore, taste, and write about the world. Dow won the role of Wally in spite of his . 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. It is during the course of the last episode the viewer learns how Beaver got his nickname. He was so adorable that he landed the role immediately. Menu. Ken Osmond at The Paley Center for Media on June 21, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California | Photo: Getty Images. Miss Simms ( Diane Brewster) is a secretary/receptionist at the Franklin Milk Company. Talk about an impressive case of problem-solving! Beaver may not have been reliant on pop culture for its storylines, but it certainly made mention of the Sputnik launch during several episodes. The Gold Coast in Australia, situated 62 miles southeast of Brisbane, has traditionally gotten a Pens & Patron is a travel site dedicated to wandering spirits. Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow, Barbara Billingsley, and Jerry Mathers in an episode of "Leave it to Beaver." Current "New Leave It to Beaver" cast member Janice Kent, who is also in the audience, discusses becoming a part of the family in the new series. 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. The writers didnt want the show to be too comedic. Did you grow up watching the show? 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. Beaumont blamed himself and his work on the show for her death, because he wasnt there to drive the car instead of Hunter. Mathers didnt end up pursuing a music career in the end. In the 1980s, Osmond was shot three times while he was on duty during a chase with a criminal. Ward Cleaver: Yeah. It was the beginning and end of Jerry Mathers music career. Beaver was relegated to the background. There was a very specific reason producers found the young Jerry Mathers endearing when he showed up to audition for Beaver. The pilot episode aired on April 23, 1957, but never aired as an episode within the series. Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver ( Jerry Mathers) is the younger son of Ward and June and the brother of Wally. When the purebred show cat was put in the tree for the scene, however, it was spooked by its surroundings and ran away. "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. Ken Osmond, Eddie Haskell on 'Leave It to Beaver,' dies - CNBC 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. Even after the show ended, fans hadn't had enough of the Cleaver family. He left behind wife Kathryn Adam and their three children, Mark, Kristy, and Hunter. 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. Beaumont was always professional and friendly on set, but he was severely depressed while working on it. The romance ends when Beaver sends Penny a toad in a nicely wrapped box. 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. After rediscovery, it was aired as the third-season premiere for the 1980s TBS revival series The New Leave It to Beaver on October 4, 1987, exactly 30 years after the original series officially premiered on CBS. Ward Cleaver: It's nothing to be alarmed about. Not all passports are created equally. About: Wally Cleaver - DBpedia The boys were often shown in the bathroom. Wallace "Wally" Cleaver is a fictional character in the iconic American television sitcom Leave It to Beaver. 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. The rumor spread like wildfire. The pearls would hide the scar from viewers, which made Billingsley more confident about her appearance. It would go on to enjoy a total of six seasons before it wrapped. The movie was developed into a new series titledThe New Leave It To Beaver. 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. Mathers genuinely had a cub scout meeting to go to after his audition, which he was anxious to get too. Apparently it was so bad, that nobody listened to it. 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. 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. The pilot episode of the series was originally titledWally and the Beaver. ", 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. Tony Dow appeared in the series proper as Wally for all the episodes. After he was cast as Ward Cleaver, he had to get himself to California pronto, which meant flying. Trailer for Leave It to Beaver: The Complete Series. Mathers genuinely had a cub scout meeting to go to after his audition, which he was anxious to get too. The pilot had no "canned" laughter in the background. Paul Sullivan is known for The Book of Life (2014), Megamind (2010) and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019). Ward was originally portrayed by Max Showalter in the pilot episode, while Wally was played by Paul Sullivan. TV Shows. The original Wally Mathers is referring to is Paul Sullivan. Son of actor Lyle Talbot Stephen was born on February 28 1949 in California. The ministry to which he was assigned happened to be extremely poor, so he needed to find another source of income. "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. Mathers recalled that it took nearly 5 days to find the frightened kitty. 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. He is an intelligent, polite teenager, who is trusted by his parents, popular with his peers, and liked by his teachers. | Source: Wikimedia Commons. The windshield created glare on film, so the crew removed it to avoid that issue. This was because Paul Sullivan had grown too tall in between pilot and series. 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. But he was in high school and I was in grade school, so we had separate teachers. June Cleaver: All right, but we respected it last summer and they set fire to the attic! He later abandoned screentime to work as a radio broadcaster. After the show, Ken Osmond went on to become a Los Angeles Police Officer. Paul Sullivan - IMDb It would go on to enjoy a total of six seasons before it wrapped. Instead, Mathers decided to join the United Air Force Reserve. "Leave It to Beaver" It's a Small World (TV Episode 1957) - IMDb
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