In real life, the actor wasnt much different. When asked about any on set mishaps in his Fox News interview, Mathers had one very particular story that wasnt well known otherwise. 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 had been a Junior Olympian swimmer before he began acting. It would go on to enjoy a total of six seasons before it wrapped. 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. He sometimes humorously regards his parents as clueless squares. The town was Skokie, Illionis, but the footage wasnt taken for the show. 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. 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. The network cancelled the show, butBeavers cancellation was short lived, as it was quickly picked up again by ABC. He was otherwise an ordained minister with a degree in theology from University of Southern California. While many people seek side jobs in order to support their acting dreams, Beaumont got into acting for the paycheck. The show producers finally came to a compromise with the FCC by showing only the toilet tank, and not the bowl. 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. Theres more to the tale of the toilet onLeave It To Beaver than simply being censored for wanting to show a toilet. Have you noticed while watching the show that the Cleavers car is missing the rear windshield? Following that, she starred in the 1997 "Leave it to Beaver Film. In a play taken straight from Beaver's life, Mathers was shooting an episode where Beaver cares for a neighbor's cat. Actor Paul Sullivan played Wally Cleaver in the show's pilot. When the war broke out in Vietnam, Jerry Mathers, who played Beaver, wanted to enlist in the Marines. It is during the course of the last episode the viewer learns how Beaver got his nickname. Some of that stems from the fact that Tony Dow himself was an accomplished athlete, even before he made it onto the show. Heres 22 of them from The History Garage.com. Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow, Barbara Billingsley, and Jerry Mathers in an episode of "Leave it to Beaver." He later abandoned screentime to work as a radio broadcaster. 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. In the originalLeave it to Beaverpilot, Wally was played by actorPaul Sullivan. Thereafter, he was cast as Clarence Rutherford in 101 episodes of . Beaumont didn't remain the show business after "Leave It to Beaver." Even before Dow was cast, the producers were looking for someone athletic to fill the role, so Dow was a perfect fit. During one 2014 interview, Mathers appeared onFox News to discuss his favorite recollections from the show. Even though Mary Ellen was Wally's principal romantic interest, Wally dated several other girls during his high school years. Wally is the "all-American" boy. His friends, Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford and Eddie Haskell, have a knack for getting into trouble and taking Wally along for the ride. Menu. 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 character Wally was portrayed by Paul Sullivan in the pilot episode. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. So, expect to chuckle, but not too much. Its just stock footage they paid to use. 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 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. There was good reason the boys lives were so relatable to viewers. 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. Wally also acts as a foil to the shenanigans of Eddie and Lumpy, but sometimes reluctantly goes along with them. Apparently it was so bad, that nobody listened to it. Since then, the black and white show has gone down in history as one of the trailblazers for tv and film. Ward Cleaver: It's nothing to be alarmed about. 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. He left behind wife Kathryn Adam and their three children, Mark, Kristy, and Hunter. Mathers genuinely had a cub scout meeting to go to after his audition, which he was anxious to get too. It wasnt uncommon for stars of the 1950s to cross over into other artistic genres, not unlike many stars today. In another episode, however, Beaver mentions being only 30 miles from the beach. 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. The show ends with Beaver and Wally playing with a wind-up toy and laughing like children. At the beginning episodes of the show, Barbara Billingsley wore flat shoes. 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 In the original Leave it to Beaver pilot, Wally was played by actor Paul Sullivan. It also helped him hide his sneaky ways. Dow won the role of Wally in spite of his . When the war broke out in Vietnam, Jerry Mathers, who played Beaver, wanted to enlist in the Marines. One day after "Leave It to Beaver" star Tony Dow was pronounced dead by mistake, his son issued a confirmation Wednesday saying his father died after a long health battle in hospice care. Both her pearls and her heels are one of the most cited examples of what it meant to be a housewife in the 1950s. In 1980, Ken Osmond was shot three times during a foot chase while working for the LAPD. "Leave It to Beaver" never made it to Nielsen's list of the top 30 shows of the time since there were a plethora of classic shows running at the time. When the show aired its final episode,Leave It To Beaverbecame the first American program to have its own series finale! Ward was originally portrayed by Max Showalter in the pilot episode, while Wally was played by Paul Sullivan. Hugh Beaumont wasnt content to simply act on the show. 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. Fox News reports that Osmond became a Los Angeles Police Department officer for 18 years before becoming a celebrity spokesman. Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver (Jerry Mathers) is the younger son of Ward and June Cleaver and Wally's brother. 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. Wally serves as a bridge between Ward, June and Beaver. Here's What Happened to the Cast of 'Father Knows Best'. After the show, Ken Osmond left the acting business in order to become a police officer for the Los Angeles Police Department. Frank Bank (April 12, 1942 - April 13, 2013) was an American actor, particularly known for his role as Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford on the 1957-1963 situation comedy television series Leave It to Beaver.. Bank was cast in fifty episodes of Leave It to Beaver between January 24, 1958, until the series finale on May 30, 1963. He became a Christmas tree farmer in the '60s but was forced to retire due to a stroke in 1972. UnlikeBeaver,Happy Days was filmed during the 1970s, even though it took place in the 1950s. Mathers genuinely had a cub scout meeting to go to after his audition, which he was anxious to get too. There was a very specific reason producers found the young Jerry Mathers endearing when he showed up to audition for Beaver. The name "Leave It to Beaver" went from being a '50s classic to a household phrase and one of the most popular references in sitcom history. Wally is based on Connelly's son, Jay. Mathers was dressed in his cub scout uniform, however, it wasnt just a costume choice. 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. Producers took advantage of Dow's popularity and scripted episodes delving into Wally's dating life, his after school jobs, his pals, and his car. 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 just so happened that playing Ward Cleaver was the best way to do so. 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. A follow-up series called "The New Leave It To Beaver" followed in 1983 which featured the original characters as the older generation. The pearls would hide the scar from viewers, which made Billingsley more confident about her appearance. 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. Menu. Because of that scene, the show was almost banned from the airwaves entirely. I don't say he could have done as good a job as Hugh Beaumont, but he was acceptable. Paul Sullivan, Actor: Over the Top. Still, that didn't happen.