Guys,

It is a shame that this classic series has been shown edited for so many years. It may take awhile for all six seasons of Leave it to Beaver to be released on DVD when we can finally see the shows in their original uncut glory.

In the meantime, I have created this thread for anyone who may have 16 or 8mm episode prints of the show, or can remember scenes from WTBS or their local syndicate that TV Land takes out. For instance, what information in the cast list at the end of a specific episode on TV Land, tells you that something is cut? One example I know of is, "The Book Report" lists two cast members, "Janet" and "The Man" who are not seen in TV Land's version of this episode. From what I recall when LITB was on TBS, Janet was a girl in Beaver's class that reads her book report before Beaver does his. But who is, "The Man?" We may never know till a season 6 DVD comes out!

I remember a classic scene with Larry Mondello's mother yelling at him when Beaver lets Larry take the bicycle home that Beaver won at the movies. (It's posted on the board somewhere.) This is our list to add or talk about any cut scenes that don't exist in the TV Land version of the show due to TV Land's edits.

Jack

They used to start the season 1 episodes with a prologue narrated by Ward. It would typically go, "When you're a child...." and end up with "and that's our story tonight on 'Leave It to Beaver'" followed by the opening credits. These scenes are usually cut from the versions they show on TVLand.

In the TVLand versions of "Family Scrapbook" that I've seen, they've cut out the reminiscences of Andy, the alcoholic.

They used to start the season 1 episodes with a prologue narrated by Ward. It would typically go, "When you're a child...." and end up with "and that's our story tonight on 'Leave It to Beaver'" followed by the opening credits. These scenes are usually cut from the versions they show on TVLand.

I remember the opening narration by Hugh Beaumont in the first season's episodes. It's a shame that TV Land edited them out. Also cut from TV Land, the voiceover by Beaumont saying "Leave it to Beaver will continue in a moment" before the last commercial break.

I will be so thrilled when the DVD is released, so I can see these scenes intact.

When LITB was in syndication in the 70's our local station used to show a 30 or 60-second promo dating back to the 60's. Hugh Beaumont would say, "TV's first family of fun, always leaves you laughing!" Then each cast member would introduce him(her)self: "This is Barbara Billingsley, Beaver's mother," "This is Hugh Beaumont, Beaver's father," This is Tony Dow, Beaver's brother," and "this is Jerry Mathers, the Beaver" (in his post-pubescent voice). They'd show clips from "In the Soup" and "The Football Hero" among others.

When LITB was in syndication in the 70's our local station used to show a 30 or 60-second promo dating back to the 60's. Hugh Beaumont would say, "TV's first family of fun, always leaves you laughing!" Then each cast member would introduce him(her)self: "This is Barbara Billingsley, Beaver's mother," "This is Hugh Beaumont, Beaver's father," This is Tony Dow, Beaver's brother," and "this is Jerry Mathers, the Beaver" (in his post-pubescent voice). They'd show clips from "In the Soup" and "The Football Hero" among others.

I remember that promo clip!!!

Jack

One example I know of is, "The Book Report" lists two cast members, "Janet" and "The Man" who are not seen in TV Land's version of this episode. From what I recall when LITB was on TBS, Janet was a girl in Beaver's class that reads her book report before Beaver does his. But who is, "The Man?"

Here is a strange coincidence:

The cut scene involving "The Man" according the credits is played by an actor named Fletcher Allen. If you do a search for Fletcher Allen at www.tvtome.com, Fletcher Allen also was involved in a Three Muskateers sketch on the Jack Benny Show in 1963! Now, we really have to find out what role he had in "The Book Report" episode!

My guess is that it has to be one of two things:

1.) A cut scene involving Beaver going to the library and having a conversation with a patron or the librarian about his book. Remember, he tells Wally, "Tomorrow I am going to go to the library and get two books that they never made movies out of." OR

2.) A small scene where they show some clip from the Three Muskateers movie on TV? Which do you think it is? Nothing else would really fit such a character into the episode. Damn TV Land!

Jack

This is very intresting. I'm 13 and I didn't know all this! WOW! Remember when TvLAnd put "I Love Lucy" on and they put the uncut cartoons at the front?

In "Cleaning Up Beaver" I'm wondering if a scene wasn't cut. Here's the moment:

We see Beaver and Larry having lunch at school. Larry tells Beaver he should have his own bedroom. The scene fades. Next we see June and Beaver in a bedroom. Moments pass and we discover Beaver now has his own bedroom.

Dramatically, shouldn't there have been another scene between these two scenes? One in which we see Beaver asking his parents for his own bedroom and mom and dad granting Beaver's request?

I was confused when the guest room scene appeared. I first thought Beaver was in June's bedroom. It was several moments before I realized Beaver was in the guest room and was getting his own room. At the least in the version as is I think June should have said something like: "Well, Beaver, you wanted your own bedroom and I hope you'll be happy here in the guest room!"
What do you think? Was I the only one confused? Was a scene cut?

Guys,

I posted this before, but want to put it in this thread:

"The Bank Account" has several small edits. The funny line that I recall when Wally is telling Beaver how they should sneak out of the school to buy Ward's hunting jacket has been cut from TV Land:

Wally: "We'll sneak out the girl's back door, Mr. Johnson never watches that door."

(cut below)

Beaver: "How Come?"

Wally: "Well...cuz girls never do anything bad!" (cut)

************

"Beaver's Prize" has a huge cut. That's the one were Beaver sneaks out to the movies with Larry and wins a bike. A hilarious scene is Larry is on the poarch and his mother is yelling at him!

(All of this has been cut by TV Land)

Mrs. Mondello: "Now Larry, I don't want anymore stalling, I want to know where you got that bike!"

Larry: "Mom, I told you, a truck pulled up, and a rich kid got out and said his father was a millionaire and said I could have the bike! (Remember that he swore not to tell that Beaver had actually won the bike)

Mrs. Mondello: Oh Larry!!!! I suppose the millionare had the bicycle with him?

Larry: "Gee no Mom! The kid gave it to me, cuz his father's a millionare. Only instead of giving away million dollars, he gives away bicycles!

Mrs. Mondello: Larry!!!! You get in the house right now!!! Oh, when your father gets home he's gonna get to the bottom of this!!! (She starts chasing him and he starts running!)

Larry: "Don't hit me Mom, don't hit me!!!

(end cut)

TV Land picks up the scene with the Cleaver's eating dinner and the phone rings, Ward answers it and Mrs. Mondello says:

"Mr. Cleaver, my husband doesn't feel that Larry should be keeping Beaver's bicycle."

In "The Book Report" I found out who "The Man" is in the credits. My syndicated station ME-TV has this scene:

Beaver is in the den reading The Three Musketeers and the phone rings. A guy on the other end says, "Sir, you are now eligible to enroll your baby in our beautiful baby contest, just bring a portret of them down to our studio...." Beaver interrupts, "Sir I don't have any babies, could I bring down some pictures of me?" LOL! The Man shakes his head and hangs up. Also restored, you see Gilbert and Janet, a girl in Beaver's class give their book reports before Beaver.

What's cut is Beaver frustrated and he calls The Three Musketeers "a dumb book." Wally says it's a great book, there's lots of fighting and killing in it and stuff like that. Beaver says, "Well, I read the whole first chapter twice, I still don't know what's going on." Also missing is Gilbert calling Beaver so that he can be the 4th person as Gilbert's family plans to go out for Chinese food, and "You can't get extra shrimp unless you have four people." Beaver says, "Sorry, but save me a fortune cookie will ya?" Than he goes and reads the paper and Ward says, "Beaver, reading the paper isn't going to get your book read any faster." He says " I know Dad, but its some consolation. I'm missing a free Chinese dinner.

I think if you mixed syndicated episodes with TV Land's episodes of Beaver, they would be almost uncut.

Jack

Sorry to add to this old thread..but in today's MeTV episode, Electric Trains, they showed a scene at Gilbert's house, with his trains. Is this a scene that MeTV normally edits out? I don't recall seeing it before.

Thanks for bringing this thread up. I’ll read it all and comment. MeTV does show that phone call from Gilbert about Chinese food and the phone call Beaver takes in the den from the salesman.

Guys,

***

"Beaver's Prize" has a huge cut. That's the one were Beaver sneaks out to the movies with Larry and wins a bike. A hilarious scene is Larry is on the poarch and his mother is yelling at him!

(All of this has been cut by TV Land)

Mrs. Mondello: "Now Larry, I don't want anymore stalling, I want to know where you got that bike!"

Larry: "Mom, I told you, a truck pulled up, and a rich kid got out and said his father was a millionaire and said I could have the bike! (Remember that he swore not to tell that Beaver had actually won the bike)

Mrs. Mondello: Oh Larry!!!! I suppose the millionare had the bicycle with him?

Larry: "Gee no Mom! The kid gave it to me, cuz his father's a millionare. Only instead of giving away million dollars, he gives away bicycles!

Mrs. Mondello: Larry!!!! You get in the house right now!!! Oh, when your father gets home he's gonna get to the bottom of this!!! (She starts chasing him and he starts running!)

Larry: "Don't hit me Mom, don't hit me!!!

(end cut)

TV Land picks up the scene with the Cleaver's eating dinner and the phone rings, Ward answers it and Mrs. Mondello says:

"Mr. Cleaver, my husband doesn't feel that Larry should be keeping Beaver's bicycle."

I don't remember the scene on the Mondellos' porch.

I remember that scene as MeTV does show it. I don’t recall TV Land ever showing the Mondello porch scene where Larry explains about a millionaire giving away bikes.

I can’t think of the episode now but was surprised to see a scene at the kitchen table discussing Beaver. I do remember they were all dolled up like they were going somewhere.

Love how Ward and June sit very close on the sofa in a suit and nice dress just reading.

In Beaver the Bunny June says how Wally and Beaver need to sit down and eat dinner. Ward calls and will be late getting home so June should get Beaver to school another way. Wally calls Lumpy to come right over and June goes up to see if Beaver is ready. What happened to dinner?

I can’t think of the episode now but was surprised to see a scene at the kitchen table discussing Beaver. I do remember they were all dolled up like they were going somewhere.



At the end of Beaver Won't Eat there's a really nice scene where W&J are sitting at the kitchen table (probably still all dressed up from the outing) and Beaver comes in. They admit they sometimes make mistakes and Beaver says that's really neat. He leaves and they exchange glances and do some hand patting or something like that. Best scene in the whole episode.

I'm gonna have to re-watch Beaver's Prize to see that porch scene.

I remember that scene as MeTV does show it. I don’t recall TV Land ever showing the Mondello porch scene where Larry explains about a millionaire giving away bikes.

Yeah. I never saw that scene, even when I was younger watching the show on reruns on the local station, until I bought the DVDs.

It always surprised me a little how Mrs. Mondello got the story out of Larry after he promised he wouldn't tell.

And also, in my favorite episode, "Sweatshirt Monsters," there's a classic scene that's sometimes cut out. After June and Ward tell Beaver he can't wear the sweatshirt to school, there's a scene in the boys' room where Beaver murmurs about he "can't let the guys down" and asks Wally if it would be all right to break his promise to wear it.

I mustn't have seen Sweatshirt Monsters on DVD yet. I recall them nixing him wearing it to school, then he's in the garage changing into the sweatshirt.

I know we've mentioned on other threads how TV Land and others commonly cut down the scenes where the others are being caught and not allowed to go to school with their shirts.

Just watched Sweatshirt Monsters, with the W&B scene in their bedroom. I think MeTV cuts this whole scene, or most of it.

Another couple of scenes that were great in this episode were the scenes with the boys before and after they bought the shirts. Such typical young teen behavior and dialog. It sure was pick-on-Whitey-day.

I also liked it later when Ward said, We're not going to have any more trouble along these lines, right? Uh, no, not until the football banquet next season. In that one Ward could have said, Beaver, this is exactly like the monster sweatshirt. A thing is either wrong or right, and you're always going to be let down when you make the wrong choice in life. And you're making the wrong choice here and you're going to be let down here.

The only thing I found contrived in Sweatshirt Monsters was somehow keeping Ward from seeing Beaver before he (Ward) went in to see Mrs. Rayburn.

I don't think it was mentioned in this thread, so I'll bring it up once more--the most irritating edit in the whole series is one I think survived onto the DVD set. I can't prove it out, since I can't find an "old" copy of the episode--it's June's Birthday, from season 3. Around halfway through the episode, there's a scene in the classroom, where the class is rehearsing Old McDonald. In the version I remember, Miss Landers briefly explains to the class they're going to sing the song for the mothers at Mrs. So and So's house. That's cut out on the DVD set, (probably only around 20 seconds) and she just says they're going to meet in the cafeteria.

If anyone has an "old" copy of this episode from the 70s or 80s, I'd sure like to know!