I was chatting online with a friend last night, we were talking about the recent DVD reunion. She did bring up something about the show that I dodn't know about, nor have I came across it in any of the trivia books I have. She says that Richard Deacon was gay. She was reading a story about gay actors of the 50s and 60s in a magazine awhile back and they mentioned a lot of stars who were gay/lesbian. Some like Paul Lynde, Raymond Burr, Rock Hudson, and Nancy Kulp I knew about. But Richard Deacon?
Thats the first I heard of it.

The story also pointed out that Edward Everett Horton was gay as well. I didn't know that either.

Next time I chat with her again, I'll ask her the name of the magazine she read this from. My hunch its the Advocate, since they often do stories on this subject.

Yes, from all "official" reports (and that means from people who were directly involved with the DVD show), Richard Deacon was gay. However, he was VERY private and low-key about it, and apparently the DVD cast and crew members were very accepting of his orientation.

A side story about Richard Deacon (and quite a touching one) is that during the DVD "wrap" party (after the series finale was filmed), everyone was talking, laughing, crying and saying "good-byes" to each other....suddenly someone looked around and asked, "Where's Richard?". Richard Deacon was so upset by the ending of the Van Dyke series that he quietly left the party without saying "Good-bye" to anyone....he couldn't bear to bid farewell to his TV family, and he didn't want to make a scene trying to do so. Some people might think that that was rude of Richard to just take off like that, but those who knew him KNEW why he had left that way.

Everyone connected with the DVD show described Richard as a truly NICE and KIND man who was loved by the entire cast and crew, and who was deeply mourned when he passed away.

could this have been a possible reason for our never having seen Mel Cooley's wife?

Originally posted by pilotguy
Yes, from all "official" reports (and that means from people who were directly involved with the DVD show), Richard Deacon was gay. However, he was VERY private and low-key about it, and apparently the DVD cast and crew members were very accepting of his orientation.

A side story about Richard Deacon (and quite a touching one) is that during the DVD "wrap" party (after the series finale was filmed), everyone was talking, laughing, crying and saying "good-byes" to each other....suddenly someone looked around and asked, "Where's Richard?". Richard Deacon was so upset by the ending of the Van Dyke series that he quietly left the party without saying "Good-bye" to anyone....he couldn't bear to bid farewell to his TV family, and he didn't want to make a scene trying to do so. Some people might think that that was rude of Richard to just take off like that, but those who knew him KNEW why he had left that way.

Everyone connected with the DVD show described Richard as a truly NICE and KIND man who was loved by the entire cast and crew, and who was deeply mourned when he passed away.

Sure you are right about the cast from DVD but ever since I heard this, I wonder how the cast of Leave it to Beaver handled it, if they even knew. Then again that was the 50s, 60s homosexuality was a little more accepted, but nowhere where it is now. But then again with so many states right now passing laws against gays ( such as what recently happened in Virginiam there is even a website about what happened there www.virginiaisforhaters.com ) I do wonder how long will it be before we got back to 50s in this?

Hugh Beaumont I heard was a minster at one time, wonder if he knew about the homosexuality of one of his co-stars?

What kind of laws are being passed lately? I have only heard of the "defense of marriage act" back in February

If you check out the anti-Virginia website, from what I gather they pretty much took away many rights of homosexuals, even making any kind of partnerships between members of the same sex void. The new law is a concern for many because it makes it difficult for a private business to offer insurance to partners of the same sex.

Earlier this year, my sister who lives in Ohio told me about how that state outlawed benefits to same sex partners of those who worked for that state.

I somewhat take back what I said, I doubt we will ever get back to the 50s on the aditudes towards homosexuals but I guess we will always have some parts of the country that will be stuck in a time warp on such issue.

Originally posted by sally mander
...I wonder how the cast of Leave it to Beaver handled it, if they even knew. Then again that was the 50s, 60s homosexuality was a little more accepted, but nowhere where it is now... Hugh Beaumont I heard was a minster at one time, wonder if he knew about the homosexuality of one of his co-stars?
Sally Mander,
While true, it was the 50s and 60s for the rest of the country, my understanding is that Hollywood has always been progressive on issues of alternate lifestyles. In fact, Hollywood seems to have been 30 or more years ahead of the rest of the country, as far as social acceptances. For example; people who were divorced, single parents, had multiple marriages, in interracial relationships, were bi-racial children, cohabiting singles, or women bosses, as well as homosexuals have long been 'allowed' by the show biz crowd, even while they were still turning heads and being shunned in most of the rest of the country.
I don't think Richard Deacon suffered much from his fellow cast members on any show - on or off the set. He probably got invited to more parties than he could attend.
As for Hugh, any minister who signed on to work in Hollywood surely knew, if not before then shortly thereafter, to apply, "Judge not lest ye be judged," to what they observed in their chosen career.

Steve

"Did Hugh Beaumont know?"

I heard Jerry (Beaver) Mathers on a radio show once and someone asked him about Richard Deacon and he says that yes people knew he was gay (of course Jerry being just a little kid heard this later) and they didn't care because Deacon was I'm paraphrasing here, "one of the nicest guys around."