fgoodwin
03-06-2007, 12:59 PM
I was in the third grade when the series ended in '63, so my recollection is faulty, but I can't remember a specific episode where the Cleavers went to church -- does anyone else know for sure?
And did they ever say grace before a meal?
howilu
03-06-2007, 05:49 PM
There was a first season episode where the boys went to Sunday School, "Beaver's Bad Day", where Beaver wore his good pants playing with Larry Mondello and ripped them. The episode had no scenes of the Cleavers in church.
There are a number of allusions to the Cleavers going to church, spread out more-or-less evenly over the series run. "Beaver's Bad Day," as has been mentioned, might be the first; and the last one I know of when Wally buys his car. The boys plot how to bring up the subject at the dinner table of how to tell Ward and June about the car Wally wants to buy, and one point of persuasion of Beaver's is that Ward's car may break down on a Sunday some time. "I'll admit the possibility," said Ward, "but what does that have to do with Wally wanting to buy a car?" Beaver says "You wouldn't want us to miss church, would you?" Ward says, "Well, I don't think it's quite fair to bring up the religious issues in this debate"-- unquestionably a reference to President Kennedy and all the conflict at the time of the first Catholic being elected, and the subsequent "religious issues have nothing to do with it/him/her" other than the point of religion within itself.
There are other times going to church [usually just 'Sunday school'] is mentioned, as in "Wally's Trophy" and whatever ep it is where Beaver says Gilbert's sister always looks so nice and innocent in Sunday School [Gilbert replies she's a hypocriete-- he should know, of course].