One of the worst. In another thread we talked about Wally being so responsible and adult as a teenager. Well this one is so ridiculous the way he acts. Coming home from school early to make sure no one broke in, asking his mother if she wants him to cut more meat, acting like Beaver's father and saying June can sit down and he'll wash the dishes. Pure corn. It was also badly acted.

One of the worst. In another thread we talked about Wally being so responsible and adult as a teenager. Well this one is so ridiculous the way he acts. Coming home from school early to make sure no one broke in, asking his mother if she wants him to cut more meat, acting like Beaver's father and saying June can sit down and he'll wash the dishes. Pure corn. It was also badly acted.

I like the episode. But I agree, Wally went overboard, you would think he was never around the person he was trying to emulate.

Also, I wondered if Arthur got into trouble for tripping the Beaver in the first place. But he disappeared after the deed. I'd say deliberately tripping another student would be an offense at Grant Avenue School.

Maybe it wasn't Ward Wally was imitating, maybe it was really Eddie Haskell (you know, the way he acts in front of parents).:lol:

The episode made perfect sense to me. Wally was commissioned by Ward to be the head of the house in his absence. The episode was about Wally growing into Ward's role. Wally asked his mother if she wanted more meat because that's what Ward would have done. I thought this episode was the perfect finale to the fourth season. Nothing corny about it.

I still think it had a few holes. Once again Wally tried to shield June from hearing the name he called Arthur as "she might cry." Wally acted like June was so fragile even Ward didn't shield her that much. Why Wally acted like June was some tragic female who had to be protected.

Wally said to the Beaver, "I don't even think you can say that to Dad." I agree with another post, it looked like he said "son of a b___h." In the Seabees, I think Ward might have heard that once or twice, and worse. I even think June might have been able to bear it (spelling out the female dog), with a few palpitations, and maybe with the smelling salts standing by. Also, I realize the actor who played Arthur was a bit player (he might have been uncredited--I don't think he had a line), but it should have been made clear he was it trouble too, even if he didn't make a second appearance.

" I agree with another post, it looked like he said "son of a b___h." In the Seabees, I think Ward might have heard that once or twice, and worse. I even think June might have been able to bear it (spelling out the female dog), with a few palpitations, and maybe with the smelling salts standing by. .

Do you think people were this way back then? Most of us have grown up with cursing even if it wasn't done in our families.

Would "B__h" have been offensive to June because she was a woman and that word is to put down women?

Good point about June, and that any woman would be offended. Especially if it was your own son who said it.

I think June could handle it. I didn't know what Beaver said but it's interesting what the consensus thinks.

I agree that Miss Landers was off base for only punishing Beaver. But I think the point was that it's wrong to use foul language under any circumstances (that was what the show was trying to teach).

Bumping to answer current question re this episode. In post 7 I made a guess as to the word. I made reference to another post which I don't find--it may be in another thread.

I still think the episode sucked and think Beaver called Arthur an ass#ole. I’m sure he heard that from other kids so he was so mad and hurt from falling be needed a good insult. Why he didn’t speak up and defend himself makes me feel the writers wanted Beaver to remain a victim.

If the word was ass#ole I think June could have handled that, too.

Watching it again the other day, Beaver even mentioned to Miss Landers that Arthur tripped him--no reaction from her. Most kids will react when provoked. She should have corralled both of them and brought them into the classroom.

We can't have that language in Grant Avenue School--we also can't have students tripping one another.

Actually I would have liked to have seen Beaver go to June with this, and have her accompany Beaver to the school. Then have HER ask the question to Miss Landers: "What was done about Arthur tripping Beaver?" Have Miss Landers squirm a little on that question.

I guess I'm an outlier here in that I like this episode.

As to what Beaver said, I've been thinking and it's most likely one of the less severe curses. Words that today, though while maybe making the user sound coarse, aren't really even considered curses really. Though back then, they certainly were. I was thinking "bastard" or "son of a bitch". I would have gotten into a peck of trouble if I said those words at age 10.

On one hand, I can see where Beaver would be extremely reluctant to admit to his mother he used the word b*tch, but on the other hand when I pore through my memory, Me and my friends didn't even knew what the word actually meant when we were that age. It was just a vulgar word we heard adults use when they were angry. So I'm going to speculate he said "b*astard".

I agree about not knowing what some words meant around that age. I remember walking with my dad and I saw a word on a telephone pole and he told me it was a word not to be used, or something to that effect.

And I like this episode but I also like to come up with other ways some episodes could have gone.

I always seem to miss this one. Maybe I fall asleep or something. I have seen it at least twice

I am okay with Wally trying to act like Ward around June. That is kind of all he knows to do. Its like having training wheels. He will eventually create an adult relationship with his mother on their terms with their own ways of doing things together.

Wally's written dialog with June was pathetic, and he reciting it was just as bad. Maybe related to the sit com writer of director ? (Robert Reed would have protested !)

Aside from what Beaver said to Arthur was the other plot of Wally being in charge. I guess Ward wanted Wally to take care of Beaver so June didn’t have to. Wally was pretty good talking to Miss Landers about how Beaver knows better but he should have inquired about Arthur tripping Beaver which caused the altercation. The worst dialogue was when Wally told June when she’s ready he’ll cut her another piece of meat. She tells Wally to bring the roast into the dining room. Gave Beaver and June a chance to talk. Then Wally walks in with the platter of meat and says he doesn’t know if he can cut it, it’s so big. (Right you need a cutting board)
Huh? He just carved the roast and now it’s smaller. Too funny!

I also thought it was silly dialog when W&J were on the phone and she asked him to bring Wally something special. He asked why and she said she didn't know but because he cut the roast so well.

She didn't know? Beaver had finally told her what happened.

Yeah the substitute writers wrote Substitute Father. Guess June didn’t want to go into the whole swearing incident on the phone. The funniest part is that Ward isn’t on the phone as he was already home in Minnesota or Michigan working on his tree farm. Hugh always got an early start at the end of the season to go home. Too bad they had Wally say such inane dialogue as it didn’t seem natural. ‘Gee this roast is so big I don’t know if I can carve it.’

This always happens on sitcoms, but when Wally goes to get the roast, he's gone for quite awhile--long enough for Beaver to tell June the story.

June: "Where's Wally? Is he out butchering another cow?"

That’s a riot. That happens a lot how someone disappears long enough to let the other actors interact. Like in Beaver’s Report Card when Eddie, Lump and Wally come through the door and Wally says he’s going to change his clothes. Why would he do that?

This moment gives Eddie and Lump the opportunity to intercept Beaver’s report card and change the mark. I’m surprised Gilbert didn’t look at his card since the envelope was open. However as I recall our report cards came home in a manila envelope not sealed.

That’s a riot. That happens a lot how someone disappears long enough to let the other actors interact. Like in Beaver’s Report Card when Eddie, Lump and Wally come through the door and Wally says he’s going to change his clothes. Why would he do that?

Especially since they ended up not knowing what they were going to do.

Wally might have put on the wrong ensemble.

Yeah if he came down in Ward’s tuxedo or a bunny suit at least you knew they were headed to a party. Or maybe if he changed into his white shorts and blue sweater with his racquet they were playing tennis. I can see Wally up on the landing changing his shirt waiting for his cue to come back.

They were just going to "mess around."

Eddie: Wait, guys, I need to go home and change, too. But first I need to wipe down the pen in the den.

I can see Wally up on the landing changing his shirt waiting for his cue to come back.

I think one time on Father Knows Best the camera caught Lauren Chapin huddled at the top of the stair to nowhere.

LOL! I never knew that when an actor went up a flight of stairs they were going to a place off stage. My favorite blooper on LITB is that man’s foot in Parking Attendants. (Has since been edited out) and the bony hand on the door in Garage Painters.

I always mention, I think in Wally's Practical Joke, the boys (and I think Eddie) are going upstairs and the camera catches a big boom mike above.

I always say at this point near the end, the film editor just let it go.

Judy Norton mentions how in the Waltons they would just hug the walls upstairs and wait for the cue to come out as if they were coming out of a room.

It amazes me how natural things seemed when actors came out of rooms and downstairs when in reality there were lights, booms, cameras, set people all over the place. Still it seemed like a real house not just a sound stage with sets. However on the Waltons you do see fake background through the window over the kitchen sink.

LITB and FATHER KNOWS BEST did an excellent job of making a realistic environment, where the house set seemed like a real house and not like a set. I think this was partly in how the set was built and partly in the camera work and the use of different angles. I once read a book about FKB where it said that the show marked a breakthrough in realism, because before FKB domestic shows looked flat and almost like stage performances. (To me I LOVE LUCY and THE HONEYMOONERS fit that description; of course, they were also performed in front of live audiences, which may account for the stagey feeling.) But FKB and LITB were in a totally different class as far as realism goes.

It amazes me how natural things seemed when actors came out of rooms and downstairs when in reality there were lights, booms, cameras, set people all over the place. Still it seemed like a real house not just a sound stage with sets. However on the Waltons you do see fake background through the window over the kitchen sink.

fake background
Some of the worst fake backgrounds are in Green Acres, Bev Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction ... seems they didn't even care how poor they were - just backdrops painted in a bit of a haze +-

As a kid I never noticed but now I can't Unsee them lol

fake background
Some of the worst fake backgrounds are in Green Acres, Bev Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction ... seems they didn't even care how poor they were - just backdrops painted in a bit of a haze +-

As a kid I never noticed but now I can't Unsee them lol

Some of the early LITB episodes use an obvious backdrop for shots looking out of the front door of the Cleaver house.

also Patty Duke Show has the view out the front door that is lame and inconsistent

However on the Waltons you do see fake background through the window over the kitchen sink.

and the background changes too. Like a mountain vs a pasture.

The Andy Griffith Show looking out the courthouse, and Floyd's barbershop the painted backgrounds were pretty bad. More obvious in the color episodes.

LITB and FATHER KNOWS BEST did an excellent job of making a realistic environment, where the house set seemed like a real house and not like a set. I think this was partly in how the set was built and partly in the camera work and the use of different angles. I once read a book about FKB where it said that the show marked a breakthrough in realism, because before FKB domestic shows looked flat and almost like stage performances. (To me I LOVE LUCY and THE HONEYMOONERS fit that description; of course, they were also performed in front of live audiences, which may account for the stagey feeling.) But FKB and LITB were in a totally different class as far as realism goes.

One thing: Lucy and Gleason were three-camera shows with play-style scenery, set up angled so the audience could see all the action. Single-cam shows, of which FKB was probably one of the first, allowed for more realistic scenery, shot like a movie, with no audience. Both FKB and Beaver (particularly with the later house) had very realistic looking set designs.

Some of the early LITB episodes use an obvious backdrop for shots looking out of the front door of the Cleaver house.

Also, very early LITB had an obvious backdrop, looking from the front hall into the kitchen when the swinging door opened. That was corrected by season 2.

On FKB one scenery problem I remember is from one of the house painter episodes. The painter is on a ladder at Bud's window, and there's a obvious plain single color (whatever color it was, probably tan) backdrop behind him.