The pilot episode of the series was originally titledWally and the Beaver. Some consider Mayfield to be in Wisconsin, because the town of Madison, as well as the Green Bay Packers, were mentioned. There were tons of brands ranging from board games to comic books that were featured during the show. Production was shifted to a different backlot, and other than their air time changing, the show otherwise remained the same. It was the first series to have a true finale. Because of that scene, the show was almost banned from the airwaves entirely. Wally - this was the weirdest and worst aspect of the pilot. Billingsley passed away due to Polymyalgia at age 94 in 2010. A follow-up series called "The New Leave It To Beaver" followed in 1983 which featured the original characters as the older generation. Their bedroom is a principal setting on the show. Here's What Happened to the Cast of 'Father Knows Best'. In another episode, however, Beaver mentions being only 30 miles from the beach. So instead of letting the jokes roll, they cut any line that garnered too many laughs. 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. There was good reason the boys lives were so relatable to viewers. In one episode, Wally runs for class president but loses the election. | Source: Wikimedia Commons. Oops? Based on the success of the show and the character of Wally, the decision appeared to be the correct one. Fox News reports that Osmond became a Los Angeles Police Department officer for 18 years before becoming a celebrity spokesman. 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. Ward was originally portrayed by Max Showalter in the pilot episode, while Wally was played by Paul Sullivan. Paul Sullivan, Actor: Over the Top. She also did her best to keep her boys out of trouble. 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. Wally arrives home and finds his mother preparing dinner; he regales her with teenspeak banter about the day's events at school. Theres more to the tale of the toilet onLeave It To Beaver than simply being censored for wanting to show a toilet. 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. On a whim, Tony decided to audition alongside his friend, and they filmed a pilot together, which never got off the ground. 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. 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. Before acting onLeave it to Beaver,Hugh Beaumont was a Methodist minister. Fans can enjoy a tour of the iconic place even today. On a whim, Tony decided to audition alongside his friend, and they filmed a pilot together, which never got off the ground. Trailer for Leave It to Beaver: The Complete Series. Movies. 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 original Wally Mathers is referring to is Paul Sullivan. A growth spurt. When the war broke out in Vietnam, Jerry Mathers, who played Beaver, wanted to enlist in the Marines. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. "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. 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. For the main series, producers cast Tony Dow to take Paul Sullivans place as Wally. The pearls would hide the scar from viewers, which made Billingsley more confident about her appearance. The series ends with Wally a high-school graduate preparing for State college and Beaver looking forward to entering Mayfield High. After he was cast as Ward Cleaver, he had to get himself to California pronto, which meant flying. Apparently it was so bad, that nobody listened to it. The show was canceled after the first season. It would go on to enjoy a total of six seasons before it wrapped. Jerry Mathers wanted to take a break from acting in order to focus on going to high school. 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. 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. Tony Dow had grown into an attractive, athletic young man and was often featured in "heartthrob"-type magazines aimed principally at teen girls. The movie was developed into a new series titledThe New Leave It To Beaver. While most of the shows back in the 1960s ended abruptly, "Leave It to Beaver" bid farewell with a look back to its previous episodes in "Family Scrapbook.". I don't say he could have done as good a job as Hugh Beaumont, but he was acceptable. In the original Leave it to Beaver pilot, Wally was played by actor Paul Sullivan. 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. The Yucatan peninsula is a perennial favorite when it comes to travelers visiting Mexico. When the show first began, Beaver was only in second grade, making him around 7 years old. Throughout the series, fans debated where the show was set. Beaver may not have been reliant on pop culture for its storylines, but it certainly made mention of the Sputnik launch during several episodes. He spends school nights at home glued to his textbooks and scratching out essays in his composition tablet. Ward was originally portrayed by Max Showalter in the pilot episode, while Wally was played by Paul Sullivan. He didnt become a rockstar like his character wanted. One of the most curious things about the final seasons of the show is that the Cleavers car very distinctly had no back windshield. One of the most noticeable goofs on the show was the changing age gap between Wally and Beaver. Ward Cleaver: Oh, no, June, don't you dare think of such a thing. Dow explained,[I]f any line got too much of a laugh, theyd take it out. Miss Simms ( Diane Brewster) is a secretary/receptionist at the Franklin Milk Company. Did you grow up watching the show? Beaumonts mother-in-law was killed in the crash. He later abandoned screentime to work as a radio broadcaster. James F. Hawkins is an American former actor, producer and writer. Yet another episode made it seem like Mayfield was in Ohio, because Wally supposedly went to a school near Shaker Heights. Stevens' acting work mostly stuck to the era surrounding "Leave It to Beaver." He appeared in guest . This just proves that Beaumont was a man of many talents. "It's a Small World" is the pilot episode from the iconic American television series Leave It to Beaver (19571963). 1961-1962 Leave It to Beaver TV Series Bill Scott Scott. Id work with him all day, then wed go home to our families. If you were to go on a tour of the Universal lot, theres still a chance you too could visit the Cleaver house. He didnt just act as Ward Cleaver, he also wrote a couple episodes. He was 77. Beaumont blamed himself and his work on the show for her death, because he wasnt there to drive the car instead of Hunter. Other members of the original series cast, including Dow, reprised their roles. The first episode of the main series revolved around Wally and Beaver buying an alligator, which they needed to put in water. Some consider Mayfield to be in Wisconsin, because the town of Madison, as well as the Green Bay Packers, were mentioned. Still, that didn't happen. Paul Sullivan, who played Wally in the pilot and who sits in the audience, discusses his career after the pilot. What Cooper had meant was that he behaved a lot like the character of Haskell as a child, not that he portrayed him. A portrait of Jerry Mathers circa 1959. Yes, after filming the pilot, Sullivan was growing and, well, grew out of the role. Though show may have been more internally consistent than most TV programs in history, but the fictional Mayfields general location seemed to be in flux. Many audience members reminisce about how June Cleaver was always pristine, even while engaging in all sorts of housework. [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. Explore, taste, and write about the world. At the beginning episodes of the show, Barbara Billingsley wore flat shoes. Wally and Beaver may have been the center of the show, but the story certainly wouldnt have been the same without having Eddie Haskell in the mix. Sullivan would have been a household name for years to come. 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. Mathers didnt end up pursuing a music career in the end. The original Wally was, like, 5 7 when we did the pilot, but he grew to about 65, and he was almost as big as Hugh, and thats when they went back and found Tony, Mathers said. He carves the roast at dinner and monitors Beaver's behavior. When the show opens, Beaver is seven years old ("almost . 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 wise father of two boys would often advise Beaver and Wally in hopes that something might stick. 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. A number of actors who appeared in supporting roles in the pilot were later cast in recurring roles in the series. Even before Dow was cast, the producers were looking for someone athletic to fill the role, so Dow was a perfect fit. 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. Osmond's part as the two-faced teenage scoundrel, Haskell, was only supposed to be a one-off guest appearance. Before shows likeLeave it to Beaver, it wasnt couth to show bodily functions on screen, or even imply them. Instead, his son drove the family, but ended up in an accident on the way, which Hughs mother-in-law didnt survive. Luckily for Osmond, he was wearing a bullet proof vest, which ultimately saved his life. The house was constructed when the show moved its filming operations over to Universal, and the studio decided not to knock it down. But he was in high school and I was in grade school, so we had separate teachers. One of the most curious things about the final seasons of the show is that the Cleavers car very distinctly had no back windshield. Its just stock footage they paid to use. That means that Eddie Haskell was the original cool kid. Barbara's June wore formal attire along with pearls and heels during the show, but it wasn't all about style. 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. 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. When considering the most iconic 1950s cool guy, most people think of Fonzy fromHappy Days before rememberingLeave It To Beaver. Mathers recalled that it took nearly 5 days to find the frightened kitty. 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. It wasnt uncommon for stars of the 1950s to cross over into other artistic genres, not unlike many stars today. Ken Osmond at The Paley Center for Media on June 21, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California | Photo: Getty Images. 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. 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. 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. 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. When the war broke out in Vietnam, Jerry Mathers, who played Beaver, wanted to enlist in the Marines. 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. 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. Beaumont was always professional and friendly on set, but he was severely depressed while working on it. The pilot episode aired on April 23, 1957, but never aired as an episode within the series. It's been over five decades since the show "Leave It to Beaver" aired its last episode in 1963. 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. Sadly, he passed away in 1982 from a heart attack at just 79 years old. Beaver's big brother, Wally, was often involved in his younger brother's mischief. 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. He is an athlete with track, basketball and baseball being his three favorite sports; and, he excels at all. At the age of five, Wally gave a newborn Beaver his nickname while trying to pronounce his given name of Theodore. 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). It's been over five decades since the hit show "Leave It to Beaver" ended, but fans still remember the adventures of little Theodore who breathed life into the series. Due to particular relationships around the world, some Accio Potterheads! Apparently, a bunch of the other people did, too. Wallace "Wally" Cleaver is a fictional character in the iconic American television sitcom Leave It to Beaver. Following that, she starred in the 1997 "Leave it to Beaver Film. During an interview with MeTV, Jerry Mathers, revealed the reason directors decided to find a new Wally. Back home, his son, Hunter, drove his mom and grandmother to work one day and lost control of the car. 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. Neither song got very much air time, which was fortunate, because they werent considered to be that good. However, Barbara Billingsley didnt wear heels at the start of the show. And to celebrate our own enjoyment of the show, we're taking a look at the lives and careers of Hugh, Barbara, Tony and Jerry. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Answer: Alice When Miss Landers (Sue Randall) decided to get married, the newspaper carried a story about it wherein her name, Alice, was given. That was four years before "Leave It to Beaver" aired. He is an intelligent, polite teenager, who is trusted by his parents, popular with his peers, and liked by his teachers. But the typical chores of a teen boy (mowing the lawn, carrying out the trash, washing windows), apparently are not his. You're flying in the face of Dr Brady. Her hobbies included cake decorating and needlepoint. 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. After the show, Ken Osmond went on to become a Los Angeles Police Officer. Sadly, he passed away in 1982 from a heart attack at just 79 years old. In fact, there was someone else who played little Beaver before Dow. Paul Sullivan did not have much of an acting career outside of this pilot. Unfortunately for Paul, he grew too much in the six month break before the show went to series. From Quiz: 'Leave It To Beaver'- The Pilot Episode! Paul Sullivan is known for The Book of Life (2014), Megamind (2010) and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019). He is more astute and experienced than his brother and often puts parental communications in simpler terms for Beaver's comprehension. He had to leave his family in Minnesota to work on the show. We actually became much closer as adults, because in the 80s we toured together for 18 months in a play called So Long, Stanley and spent a lot more quality time together.. What happened to take him out of the spotlight? The producers wanted someone who would look younger, so they cast Tony Dow as Wally instead. He was played by Tony Dow, who went from being an Olympics diving champion to one of the most unforgettable faces on tv. Luckily for Osmond, he was wearing a bullet proof vest, which ultimately saved his life. 15 What was Miss Landers' first name? 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. 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. After his run as Haskell, Ken Osmond disappeared seemingly for a while, and rumors abounded. Leave It To Beaver had a curious effect on fashion trends of the era. Hugh Beaumont wasnt content to simply act on the show. The writers didnt want the show to be too comedic. 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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. Mathers recalled that it took nearly 5 days to find the frightened kitty. Hugh Beaumont might have hated the show, but he did a lot for it anyway. | Source: Wikimedia Commons. The first episode of the main series revolved around Wally and Beaver buying an alligator, which they needed to put in water. He has two children and a wife. Wally's age permitted the writers to place him in dating situations with his school friends. Many audience members reminisce about how June Cleaver was always pristine, even while engaging in all sorts of housework. To that end, executives attempted to make a pop star out of Jerry Mathers in addition to being a TV star. Barbara Billingsley and Hugh Beaumont as June and Ward Cleaver from the television program "Leave it to Beaver." 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 and Wally, and Harry Shearer as an Eddie Haskell-type smart-aleck, and Richard Deacon (Mr. Rutherford) and Diane Brewster (Miss Canfield) as different characters, was teased on Entertainment Tonight and then shown for the first time as the first episode of the 1987 season of The New Leave it to Beaver on TBS Superstation October 4th, with an introduction by Jerry Mathers, Tony Dow, Barbara Billinglsey, and Kipp Marcus (Beaver, Wally, June, and Kipp Cleaver). Jerry Mathers, the main star, resigned to focus on his high school education. The Cleaver house that was shown on screen for most of the series is still standing in the Universal backlot. Tony Dow, Barbara Billingsley and Jerry Mathers in a scene from "Leave it to Beaver." | Source: Wikimedia Commons. Under their guidance, Jerry recorded two singles, Dontcha Cry and Wind Up Top. Its clear from his profession as a minister, as well as the fact that he had gotten a Masters degree, he was interested in more serious pursuits. 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. Neither song got very much air time, which was fortunate, because they werent considered to be that good. Wally, on the other hand was in 8th grade, meaning there was a six year gap between the boys. Beaver may not have been reliant on pop culture for its storylines, but it certainly made mention of the Sputnik launch during several episodes. Matthers returned to television for a reunion, "Still the Beaver" in 1983, and appeared in a few episodes of the famous series, "Lassie."