Even though the television sitcom, Leave It to Beaver happened many decades ago, most people are familiar with it. Even if they don’t know the show directly, they know what you are discussing when you speak of it.
This isn’t because Leave It to Beaver was a flawless masterpiece. There were plenty of mistakes and issues happening behind the scenes that sometimes made it onto the screen.
One of the reasons why Leave It to Beaver was so popular is because it set a standard in the United States for family decency. When you compare it to other television programs that have come along since then, there really is no comparison.
The sitcom ran from 1957 until 1963 and the humor was always on point, and it was always wholesome. It was well-written and even today, people can appreciate the humor behind it.
There are some things that made it onto the screen, however, that were not quite right, and knowing this can help you appreciate the show even more.
June Cleaver’s Calendar – One mistake that most people missed is the calendar June Cleaver had hanging in her kitchen. Everything was always so well-kept in the kitchen but on the calendar, there was an update needed.
In the episode The Poor Loser, which was aired in 1963, the calendar was from 1961. Looking closely, you can also notice something on the tickets to the baseball game from that episode as well. Mayfield is misspelled Mayfied in the small print.
Fake Bee – In the episode, The Silent Treatment, Beaver is bothered by a bee while he is painting a door. If you look closely enough, you can see the string attached to the insect as it bounced around his face.
Jerry Mathers – As the kid brother in the episode who portrayed The Beaver, he was a well-known character. In 2024, he is still doing well and is 76 years old. People have sometimes wondered if he is anything like his former character.
He said: “Well, I got in a lot less trouble. But then again, I had a lot of people watching me all the time. Because when I was due doing the show, there were about 60 men and probably eight or nine women on the show these were lighting people and all the different things that they have to do to make a series. Between takes, when I wasn’t doing things, they would come out and we’d play — throw footballs, throw baseballs. It was like an extended family. There was a whole bunch of people, and they wanted me not to say, ‘I don’t want to be here anymore.’”
Auditioning – Jerry Mathers does speak about his audition for the role of Beaver. He said: “I came dressed in a Cub Scout uniform, so that should have been a big clue.”
As it turns out, he was heading for a Cub Scouts meeting after the audition and he wasn’t all that happy about auditioning. This shows creators were impressed with his innocence and natural charm so he got the job.
Apparently, Mathers was also concerned about missing the Cub Scouts meeting and he expressed that to the producers. They thought it was refreshing.
After he got the job, Cub Scouts was not really possible. He explains: “We had to go to school for three hours a day, and it could be chopped up, because we’d go out and if they’d shoot the original, the long shot, and then we’d do closeups. You were jumping in and out of school all the time, and you’d come back 20 minutes later and you study for maybe another 40 minutes, and then you have to do another scene or whatever.”
A Look at Wally – Wally Cleaver was played by actor Tony Dow. He was more than just an older brother of Beaver, he introduced many people to the struggles of teenage life. Many of the issues he faced were relatable to those of the time and still today.
When you look at the Wally Cleaver character, you can’t help but appreciate how warm and honest it was. Many people still consider him as the quintessential older brother.
Tony Dow got the job after Paul Sullivan, who played Wally in the pilot episode experienced a growth spurt and outgrew the role quickly.
June Cleaver Has a Scar – When you look at June Cleaver, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Most people think of her as being the iconic mother and wife of that era.
She was always a very calm and respectful member of the household, which is really in contrast with how many people portray that role in modern-day sitcoms.
If you look closely enough, however, you may just notice that she has a surgical scar on her neck. That is one of the reasons why she typically wore pearls. She also wore high heels, and that was to maintain some additional height over top of her sons, who continued to grow during the show.
The Boys Did Get Along – It is obvious that Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow were well-bonded with each other. Mathers even called him the ‘perfect big brother’ in a 2006 interview.
He went on to say: “He’s the champion basketball player, football player. He does everything right. He’s a huge letterman. He gets A’s on all his papers. Everyone loves him.”
Tony and Jerry were more than on-screen brothers, they were best friends in real life and continued to have that friendship for a lifetime. Mathers even expressed his deepest feelings upon the death of Dow in 2002.
He said: “He was not only my brother on TV, but in many ways in life as well. Tony leaves an empty space in my heart that won’t be filled.”
They showed a Toilet – Believe it or not, it was taboo for any show to show inside of the bathroom. It was just a part of the home that they didn’t want to bring into that aspect of our entertainment.
In one episode, however, Wally is carrying a toilet seat and that was a groundbreaking moment. Although the entire toilet wasn’t shown, it was a move forward in 1950 and the networks allowed it.
No Laughing – The creators of the show didn’t want outrageous laughter taking place. They’d rather just have light chuckles. That helped to shape the atmosphere of the family on the show.
They wanted the comedy to flow naturally from the characters and their interaction. Tony Dow put it this way: “If any line got too much of a laugh, they’d cut it.”
It’s always nice to look back on our history and Leave It to Beaver certainly is a moment out of history that all of us can appreciate.