Leave It To Beaver

[Janet0312]

MeTV has been running Leave it to Beaver on weekday mornings. What's not to love about this show? The first season, although not my favorite, is endearing. Kids are very young and begin to learn the hard knocks of life. Hugh Beaumont is quite attractive in the first couple of seasons. I love his smile.
My favorite episodes are those that feature Larry Mondello as Beaver's best friend. One of the episodes this morning, "Beaver's Dance" has the boys cutting dance class and meeting up with a "kid" on horseback. They're offered a ride and come home to Beaver's house with their suits all filthy and smelling of horses.
The "kid" on horseback returns later on as Penny in the series, most of her classmates, especially Beaver, not liking her. In an episode where the class is putting on a play, Penny is cast as the old crone. One of the kids asks, "What's a crone?" I think it's Gilbert who replies, "A crone is like a witch, only UGLIER!" You gotta love it.

I am also quite partial to the episodes where Wally is in high school. Eddy is the ultimate rat who gets Wally into no end of trouble. My favorite episode in this era is when the older boys invite the Beave to go to an amusement park with them. Beaver is afraid to ride the roller coaster. A brief trip for advice from Gus the fireman who tells Beaver the story of his first jump into a net, seems to convince Beaver that he'll be okay. Natch Eddy needles the Beaver about the ride and how scary it is. Beaver ends up loving the ride while Eddy is screaming and clutching Lumpy for dear life. LOL!!!

[darkblue]

What's not to love about this show? 

 

My very first favorite show of all time - and still right up there on that list!

 

I was 7 years old in 1957 when the Beav came into my life on a weekly basis, and I never missed an episode for the entire run of the show. In many ways, I was the Beaver - falling for many of the same foibles as he.

 

To say I related to him is a sizeable understatement.

 

I don't know how anybody can not like this show.

[speedracer5]

I liked the episode when Wally got the bad "jelly-roll" hairstyle.  The music that played every time they showed his hair was hilarious.

 

I also liked the episode when Wally goes out with the older girl from the movie theater and she turns out to be a bit of a wild girl who smokes cigarettes and drinks beer and if I remember right, she puts the moves on Wally on their date.  I'm sure he said something like "golly, gee whiz" or something and hightailed it out of there.  He better stick with Julie Foster!

 

The one thing I didn't like about the show, which I'm sure is reflective of the time period, but I didn't like how June wouldn't dole out her own discipline.  It was always "wait until your father gets home." 

[Janet0312]

The one thing I didn't like about the show, which I'm sure is reflective of the time period, but I didn't like how June wouldn't dole out her own discipline.  It was always "wait until your father gets home."

At lease she had some input like, "Don't be too hard on the Beaver".

[Janet0312]

I liked the episode when Wally got the bad "jelly-roll" hairstyle.  The music that played every time they showed his hair was hilarious.

 

I also liked the episode when Wally goes out with the older girl from the movie theater and she turns out to be a bit of a wild girl who smokes cigarettes and drinks beer and if I remember right, she puts the moves on Wally on their date.  I'm sure he said something like "golly, gee whiz" or something and hightailed it out of there.  He better stick with Julie Foster!

 

The one thing I didn't like about the show, which I'm sure is reflective of the time period, but I didn't like how June wouldn't dole out her own discipline.  It was always "wait until your father gets home."

As a matter of fact, June is the one who doles out the discipline in the jelly roll episode.

[Janet0312]

Have you noticed how when they come back to begin a new season, Wally has quite the tan?

[shutoo]

Have you noticed how when they come back to begin a new season, Wally has quite the tan?

Haha..true! Maybe that's why they made him a lifeguard in one episode..to explain the tan.

If you get the chance, watch the pilot episode--different Wally and Ward (you'll be glad they re-cast)

[Janet0312]

Haha..true! Maybe that's why they made him a lifeguard in one episode..to explain the tan.

If you get the chance, watch the pilot episode--different Wally and Ward (you'll be glad they re-cast)

I've seen stills from the pilot, but never the pilot itself. I'm already glad they recast.

[speedracer5]

Have you noticed how when they come back to begin a new season, Wally has quite the tan?

Have you noticed in the first season that Wally appears to have blond hair?

 

I always thought that along with Ricky Nelson, Wally Cleaver was one of the more attractive teenagers of 1950s/1960s era television--even if his personality is a little too "golly gee whiz" for my tastes.  He's definitely more attractive than any of the sons on My Three Sons.  

[Princess of Tap]

Have you noticed in the first season that Wally appears to have blond hair?

 

I always thought that along with Ricky Nelson, Wally Cleaver was one of the more attractive teenagers of 1950s/1960s era television--even if his personality is a little too "golly gee whiz" for my tastes. He's definitely more attractive than any of the sons on My Three Sons.

 

Not if you were the same age as Chip AKA Stanley Livingston when the show first aired.

 

I thought Chip was simply groovy!

[speedracer5]

Not if you were the same age as Chip AKA Stanley Livingston when the show first aired.

 

I thought Chip was simply groovy!

Lol.  I guess of the "Sons," Chip is definitely the best one.  Ernie is a definite no and I didn't like Robbie's chin.  

 

I'm a child of the 80s/90s and there is just no teen idols from then that are even up to par with the 60s/70s teen idols.

[papyrusbeetle]

CRUCIAL question for LEAVE IT TO BEAVER experts.

In a recent episode (on the re-run channel), Beaver mentioned that EDDIE HASKELL had the Mumps and couldn't come to some event.

Was this true? Did he really get the Mumps?

(Eddie Haskell experts, chime in!)

 

Because if he DID get the Mumps as a teen or adult, he would be STERILE and unable to father children.

 

(One of the poignant moments in ACE IN THE HOLE is when the "victim" admits to Kirk Douglas that he caught the Mumps in Italy during WW2. He had no children with his fickle wife, Jan Sterling, who is eager to desert him, and the audience can figure out why.)

[DownGoesFrazier]

CRUCIAL question for LEAVE IT TO BEAVER experts.

In a recent episode (on the re-run channel), Beaver mentioned that EDDIE HASKELL had the Mumps and couldn't come to some event.

Was this true? Did he really get the Mumps?

(Eddie Haskell experts, chime in!)

 

Because if he DID get the Mumps as a teen or adult, he would be STERILE and unable to father children.

 

(One of the poignant moments in ACE IN THE HOLE is when the "victim" admits to Kirk Douglas that he caught the Mumps in Italy during WW2. He had no children with his fickle wife, Jan Sterling, who is eager to desert him, and the audience can figure out why.)

Any male that has had the mumps is unable to father children?

[darkblue]

Any male that has had the mumps is unable to father children?

 

Normal children, yes.

 

If you don't mind having a child with a tail, though, then the mumps debilitation isn't so terrible.

[Vautrin]

Robbie was better looking than Wally IMHO. No contest. Wally

must have scored a lot in high school, if the competition all

looked like Eddie and Lumpy. No further offspring for Eddie

Haskell. That's a good thing.

 

Wanna play ball?

[Janet0312]

Best episode ever was on this morning. Beaver falls into a bowl of soup.