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Ward Cleaver: Oh, no, June, don't you dare think of such a thing. Though Wally sometimes warns Beaver he will suffer some sort of physical punishment from Ward ("Dad's gonna clobber you! There was a very specific reason producers found the young Jerry Mathers endearing when he showed up to audition for Beaver. The pearls would hide the scar from viewers, which made Billingsley more confident about her appearance. Jerry Mathers wanted to take a break from acting in order to focus on going to high school. 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. Unlike Tony Dow's character, this kid (Paul Sullivan) wasn't as nice as Dow, calling Beaver "stupid" right off the bat and not having the wholesome appealing personality of Dow, although he did treat the Beaver better as the episode went on. He also included their friends in the friends of both Beaver and Wally. He also included their friends in the friends of both Beaver and Wally. Beaumont blamed himself and his work on the show for her death, because he wasnt there to drive the car instead of Hunter. It never was.Jeanne Moreau (b. Both her pearls and her heels are one of the most cited examples of what it meant to be a housewife in the 1950s. There was a very specific reason producers found the young Jerry Mathers endearing when he showed up to audition for Beaver. 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. Thankfully, his bullet-proof vest saved his life. He had been a Junior Olympian swimmer before he began acting. He slips into slang occasionally, which upsets his mother. In a play taken straight from Beavers life, Mathers was shooting an episode where Beaver cares for a neighbors cat. Hugh Beaumont wasnt content to simply act on the show. June Cleaver: Ward, can you see any possible use for Franklin Milk bottle caps? Jerry Mathers didnt have a normal audition. 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 . The first episode of the main series revolved around Wally and Beaver buying an alligator, which they needed to put in water. It just so happened that playing Ward Cleaver was the best way to do so. 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. 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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. Theres more to the tale of the toilet onLeave It To Beaver than simply being censored for wanting to show a toilet. But its not the main point of my life. He remained on good terms with his former television family until the end. | Source: Wikimedia Commons. That was four years before "Leave It to Beaver" aired. Paul Sullivan, who played Wally in the pilot and who sits in the audience, discusses his career after the pilot. He didnt even audition forLeave it to Beaveroriginally, but a different show that was cancelled. Matthers returned to television for a reunion, "Still the Beaver" in 1983, and appeared in a few episodes of the famous series, "Lassie." TV Shows. 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. It wasnt uncommon for stars of the 1950s to cross over into other artistic genres, not unlike many stars today. 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. The series was so popular that a television movie "Still the Beaver" was made in 1983. 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. We spent a lot of time together. Wally is based on Connelly's son, Jay. The producers wanted someone who would look younger, so they cast Tony Dow as Wally instead. He ended up managing several cast members investments. Instead, Mathers decided to join the United Air Force Reserve. That means that Eddie Haskell was the original cool kid. 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. So many people, in fact, that TV Guide ranked Eddie Haskell as #2 in their list of TVs 10 Biggest Brats on its March 27, 2005 issue. But where are the cast members now? He ended up managing several cast members investments. 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. 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. The actor starred in "Leave It to Beaver" from 1957 to 1963. 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". Traveling with kids can seem like a daunting prospect if youve never done it before. ", 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. Throughout the series, fans debated where the show was set. To that end, executives attempted to make a pop star out of Jerry Mathers in addition to being a TV star. In the episode, the Cleavers reminisce over old photos in a scrapbook while flashback clips are played from previous episodes. Leave It to Beaver is an iconic [1] American television situation comedy about an American family of the 1950s and early 1960s. 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. Many episodes have a very brief "after school" scene in the kitchen between June and Wally. The episode cost a whopping $50,000 to film at the time. 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. 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 one episode, he infuriates his mother by wearing his hair in a greasy "tango dancer" style and in another episode he irks both his parents when he buys a garish suit in a men's wear store. 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. Americans have been in love with the idealistic Cleaver family for generations since. 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. 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. It was Tonys luck, however, that whenLeave It To Beaver realized they needed to recast Wally, they remembered him and gave him a call. As of September 2012 he was living and working in Topanga Canyon, CA, as a sculptor. Paul Sullivan is known for The Book of Life (2014), Megamind (2010) and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019). One of the most noticeable goofs on the show was the changing age gap between Wally and Beaver. 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 Cleaver house that was shown on screen for most of the series is still standing in the Universal backlot. Meanwhile, what a shock to see some of the show's regulars as other people on this episode. Osmond's part as the two-faced teenage scoundrel, Haskell, was only supposed to be a one-off guest appearance. Hugh Beaumont wasnt content to simply act on the show. 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. The town was Skokie, Illionis, but the footage wasnt taken for the show. It just so happened that playing Ward Cleaver was the best way to do so. "), such punishments never occur. A growth spurt. However, he did so well . Ward was originally portrayed by Max Showalter in the pilot episode, while Wally was played by 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 genuinely had a cub scout meeting to go to after his audition, which he was anxious to get too. Before acting onLeave it to Beaver,Hugh Beaumont was a Methodist minister. Yet another episode made it seem like Mayfield was in Ohio, because Wally supposedly went to a school near Shaker Heights. By the time those pesky Alice Cooper rumors spread, Ken Osmond had been a police officer for over 18 years! Fans got this idea when a college newspaper editor asked Cooper what kind of kid he was, to which he answered, I was obnoxious, disgusting, a real Eddie Haskell. However, the reporter misquoted him and reported that Cooper was the real Haskell. 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. The pilot had no "canned" laughter in the background. Unlike his brother Beaver (who thinks girls are "creepy"), Wally is popular with the girls and has many girlfriends during the course of the series' run. He is an intelligent, polite teenager, who is trusted by his parents, popular with his peers, and liked by his teachers. 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 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 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. He is an athlete with track, basketball and baseball being his three favorite sports; and, he excels at all. You're flying in the face of Dr Brady. 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. Wally is based on Connelly's son, Jay. On a whim, Tony decided to audition alongside his friend, and they filmed a pilot together, which never got off the ground. 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. After the series was picked up by CBS, Hugh Beaumont replaced Casey Adams as Ward Cleaver while the role of Wally went to Tony Dow after Sullivan experienced a growth spurt before the series' production. But after a few episodes, the character began wearing heels in every episode. 9. There were tons of brands ranging from board games to comic books that were featured during the show. I'm happy to see it has survived television, child psychology and the inroads of progressive education. For instance: Ward Cleaver is played by Casey Adams. Osmond passed away in May 2020. 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. June Cleaver: I think I'm going to ask them why they're collecting those things. The Yucatan peninsula is a perennial favorite when it comes to travelers visiting Mexico. Jerry Mathers wanted to take a break from acting in order to focus on going to high school. Tony Dow starred as Wally Beaver in "Leave It to Beaver." The actor died at 77 Wednesday. Beaver - still Jerry Mathers - was a tiny bit smaller than what we saw on the first season, but basically the same kid and character. 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. Many associate June Cleavers classic pearls as the quintessential look for a 1950s housewife, but the truth is, that wasnt necessarily every mothers uniform. Fearing bad publicity should a well-loved child star be killed in action, he was told he wouldnt be deployed. Like any other show,Leave it to Beaverhad to stop running. Movies. In one episode, Wally runs for class president but loses the election. In a play taken straight from Beaver's life, Mathers was shooting an episode where Beaver cares for a neighbor's cat. 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. 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. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Paul Sullivan did not have much of an acting career outside of this pilot. 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. ", Kami Cotler AKA Elizabeth from 'The Waltons' Is Now a Mom of Two 41 Years after the Show Inside Her Life, Tim Allen Left Ex-wife of 15 Years In the Back Seat When He Found Fame Despite Her Support in His Career, Jon Provost, Who Played Little Timmy in 'Lassie', Was 'Lucky' to Escape the Child Star Curse He Is 71 Now, Jenna Bush Hager Proposed to Her Future Husband a Few Months after the Worst First Date - He Said No', Roseanne Barr Blamed Sara Gilbert for Destroying Her Her Family-Oriented Life After the Scandal. The pearls would hide the scar from viewers, which made Billingsley more confident about her appearance. Wally Was Re-Cast, Too. In his later years, he became a stockbroker, after finding it hard to break allusions that he really was Lumpy. 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. "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. Jerry Mathers was around 8-years-old at the time he auditioned for the role. Even though Mary Ellen was Wally's principal romantic interest, Wally dated several other girls during his high school years. 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 . | Source: Wikimedia Commons. The sum would amount to over $400,000 today. Paul Sullivan Jr. is known for The Natural (1984). You can thankLeave It To Beaver. 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. Unfortunately for Paul, he grew too much in the six month break before the show went to series. Leave It To Beaver had a curious effect on fashion trends of the era. 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. When considering the most iconic 1950s cool guy, most people think of Fonzy fromHappy Days before rememberingLeave It To Beaver. Yes, after filming the pilot, Sullivan was growing and, well, grew out of the role. She got married three times, and remained with her last husband, Dr. William S. Mortensen, until his death. Apparently, a bunch of the other people did, too. Before shows likeLeave it to Beaver, it wasnt couth to show bodily functions on screen, or even imply them. Paul Sullivan Wally Cleaver Richard Deacon Mr. Baxter Diane Brewster Miss Simms Joseph Kearns Mr. Fred Crowley (as Joe Kearns) Russell Thorson Man with Milk Bottles (as Russ Thorson) Leonard Bremen Milk Bar Proprietor (as Lennie Bremen) Harry Shearer Frankie Bennett Tommy Randall Frankie's Friend Tim Graham Doc Virginia Carroll Nurse Rory O'Connor