If you were to go on a tour of the Universal lot, theres still a chance you too could visit the Cleaver house. The pearls would hide the scar from viewers, which made Billingsley more confident about her appearance. He is best known by the public for his role as Wallace "Wally" Cleaver on Leave It to Beaver (1957). In one episode, were shown footage of a town. Many audience members reminisce about how June Cleaver was always pristine, even while engaging in all sorts of housework. The producers werent able to figure out a way for the show to go on without him, so they decided it would be best forLeave It To Beaver to go off the air. 'Leave It to Beaver' star Tony Dow now dead, son confirms, after Release Calendar Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie . We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Beaver was relegated to the background. In the episode, the Cleavers reminisce over old photos in a scrapbook while flashback clips are played from previous episodes. 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. 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. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories. It wasnt uncommon for stars of the 1950s to cross over into other artistic genres, not unlike many stars today. 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. 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. The series pilot episode was originally filmed and casted by Max Showalter, and he played Ward Cleaver. Leave IT To Beaver Characters - Main Characters and Cast The pilot episode of the series was originally titledWally and the Beaver. Penny has danced with college boys and thinks Wally dances just as smoothly as they do. Ken Osmond, who on TV's "Leave It to Beaver," played two-faced teenage scoundrel Eddie Haskell, a role so memorable it left him typecast and led to a second career as a police officer, died. Heres 22 of them from The History Garage.com. Sullivan appeared on the shows pilot titled, Its A Small World.. They were never seen in the series - another smart move. 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. 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. 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. Here's What Happened to the 'Leave It to Beaver' Cast - Closer Weekly The sum would amount to over $400,000 today. On a whim, Tony decided to audition alongside his friend, and they filmed a pilot together, which never got off the ground. Oh, who are we kidding, we don't need to summon you guys! Given the character he portrayed, its hard to image Lumpy as anything akin to suave. Tony Dow appeared in the series proper as Wally for all the episodes. When the purebred show cat was put in the tree for the scene, however, it was spooked by its surroundings and ran away. It also helped him hide his sneaky ways. Apparently it was so bad, that nobody listened to it. Hugh Beaumonts character, Ward Cleaver, was the character who was always setting good moral examples for his kids to follow. After he was cast as Ward Cleaver, he had to get himself to California pronto, which meant flying. His usual routine was to drive with his wife, son, and mother-in-law from Minnesota, but didnt have the time. 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 episode cost a whopping $50,000 to film at the time. 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. Even after the show ended, fans hadn't had enough of the Cleaver family. Fearing bad publicity should a well-loved child star be killed in action, he was told he wouldnt be deployed. The actress wore pearls to conceal the hollow in her neck. Theres more to the tale of the toilet onLeave It To Beaver than simply being censored for wanting to show a toilet. In one episode, however, Ward is out of town and Wally is asked to play the man of the house. 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. When the show opens, Beaver is seven years old ("almost . A portrait of Jerry Mathers circa 1959. Before acting onLeave it to Beaver,Hugh Beaumont was a Methodist minister. Featured in Leave It to Beaver: Family Scrapbook (1963) 4 /10 gattonero975 Details Release date October 4, 1957 (United States) Country of origin United States Language English Filming locations Revue Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA Production company Gomalco Productions See more company credits at IMDbPro Technical specs Edit When the purebred show cat was put in the tree for the scene, however, it was spooked by its surroundings and ran away. The series aired until 1989. The network cancelled the show, butBeavers cancellation was short lived, as it was quickly picked up again by ABC. The house was constructed when the show moved its filming operations over to Universal, and the studio decided not to knock it down. A follow-up series called "The New Leave It To Beaver" followed in 1983 which featured the original characters as the older generation. Paul Sullivan is known for Leave It to Beaver (1957), Official Detective (1957) and Studio 57 (1954). Not all passports are created equally. Out was Sullivan and in was Dow. 'Leave it to Beaver' Trivia That'll Change How You See the Show Ward Cleaver: Yeah. Beaumont blamed himself and his work on the show for her death, because he wasnt there to drive the car instead of Hunter. Hugh Beaumont was contentious about the role of Ward Cleaver, but fans would likely agree that he fit it perfectly. Barbara Billingsley and Hugh Beaumont as June and Ward Cleaver from the television program "Leave it to Beaver." Fearing bad publicity should a well-loved child star be killed in action, he was told he wouldnt be deployed. He had to leave his family in Minnesota to work on the show. Jerry Mathers was around 8-years-old at the time he auditioned for the role. Dow explained,[I]f any line got too much of a laugh, theyd take it out. In fact, there was someone else who played little Beaver before Dow. 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. They make Eddie Haskell appear likable. She only began wearing heels as the two boys began growing, so she could better appear to tower over them, especially when dealing with their many misdeeds. June Cleaver, portrayed by Billingsley, notably wore pearl necklaces in every single episode. Dow won the role of Wally in spite of his . Beaumont was always professional and friendly on set, but he was severely depressed while working on it. It's a Small World (Leave It to Beaver) - Wikipedia AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. After the show, Ken Osmond left the acting business in order to become a police officer for the Los Angeles Police Department. From Quiz: Leave It To Beaver 10. It's been over five decades since the show "Leave It to Beaver" aired its last episode in 1963. You can thankLeave It To Beaver. Id work with him all day, then wed go home to our families. When the production for the show moved from the Republic Studios to Universal, they built a new version of the original house. 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. Production was shifted to a different backlot, and other than their air time changing, the show otherwise remained the same. 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. After school time is spent practicing sports, and, once home, Wally spends most of his time doing schoolwork in his bedroom. 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. TV Shows. 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. 'Leave It to Beaver' Facts That Fans Might Not Know about the - AmoMama Tony Dow - Biography - IMDb Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! As for the heels, she wore them to appear taller than the boys as they grew up. He carves the roast at dinner and monitors Beaver's behavior. Beaver may not have been reliant on pop culture for its storylines, but it certainly made mention of the Sputnik launch during several episodes. It just so happened that playing Ward Cleaver was the best way to do so.