They may not be a surprise to all but I enjoy picking out guest stars that I recognize. The last one was Beverly Washburn. I remember her from Leave it to Beaver and Old Yeller. Any that strike you? Oh, I must mention Dennis Mitchell's Dad Henry

Some interesting guest stars on FKB: Greer Garson in season 4, Susan Oliver in season 4, Dick York in season 4, Robert Reed season 6.

Season 4 started yesterday. I will keep an eye open. Yesterday I thought I saw Wally from Ozzie and Harriet but IMDB shows he was not on FKB til 1960

I forgot about Constance Ford (for the young: see Wikipedia), who was in a season 5 episode, shown today on Antenna TV.

I had seen the Robert Reed episode years and years ago, but only over the past couple of years was I able to view the work of Susan Oliver and Dick York. All had leading guest roles in their episodes.

I always enjoy seeing Roberta Shore, but I believe her role was semi-regular as a love interest for Bud.

The Robert Reed episode was early in season 6. It was just on Antenna TV today.

I'm in Season 4 and just watched "Man With a Plan"

Jan Chaney was quite the mover and shaker in her day

S4 E17 "The Rivals" Barbara Eden at 23. Pretty Cool

Wow! I'm gonna have to check that episode out. I don't remember Barbara Eden being on FKB. This is an interesting topic, since the guest stars on this show aren't well documented, at least on Wikipedia.

I saw the Greer Garson and Susan Oliver episodes. Nice to see what Mrs Miniver did after the war :-)

S 4 E 32 A Matter of Pride Marin Balsam

Don't forget Cornel Wilde in Season 3. He just happened to be passing through Springfield and became involved in a minor car accident.

Remember "White Christmas"? General Waverly's grand daughter appeared in Season 4 Episode 2 "The Reluctant Hero"

S6 Ep 5 Lloyd Nolan.

Not really surprise guests, but just remember seeing them along the way.

Robert Vaughn
Denise Alexander [most famous for Days of our Lives and General Hospital]
Yvonne Lime [formerly Mrs. Don Fedderson]

Ron Ely in S5 E22, as Betty's boyfriend. He gets in trouble by trying to kiss her on their first date.

Ron Ely in S5 E22, as Betty's boyfriend. He gets in trouble by trying to kiss her on their first date.

Tarzan

I remember Cornel Wilde stopped by when his car broke down and Greer Garson was in town promoting a film. Kathy won a contest to meet her, but she got sick (measles?).

Yeah, it was either measles or chicken pox--something that causes spots.

The Robert Reed episode was early in season 6. It was just on Antenna TV today.

Antenna has the Robert Reed episode totally hosed. I sent them a contact and this is it, along with the answer:

Sent 1/22/19

There is an error in your Father Knows Best episode, S6 Ep 4 "The Impostor." Dividing the episode into four segments (with your breaks in between), the way it airs on Antenna, segment 3 is a duplication of segment 2. What should be segment 3 is totally gone from the episode (I checked the commercial DVD episode and it's complete). I first "kind of" noticed this on the last cycle, so I paid closer attention when the episode aired today.

Answer: (same day)

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your note.
This episode was incorrectly prepped for air.
It’s been fixed.
Thanks again.

Antenna TV

James Franciscus, S6 Ep 10.

A very young Diana Millay - S6 E27.

Another very-young one: Denise Alexander in "No Apron Strings", S3Ep1. She had many character roles, and regular roles on soaps--the one I remember is Mary McKinnon on Another World in the 1980s.

Robert Vaughn, one of his first TV appearances, "Betty Goes Steady", (S3Ep13)

William Schallert, in the same season 5 (not 4 as I wrote earlier) Dick York was in.

Rita Moreno, season 5, playing an exchange student from India.

William Schallert, in the same season 5 (not 4 as I wrote earlier) Dick York was in.

Rita Moreno, season 5, playing an exchange student from India.

I have not been watching the show as of late. I went thru all six seasons twice in the last couple years. What bugs me is that FETV does not show the final episode. I have been watching Lassie. It's on at about 4 AM right after Sgt Preston. There are many well known guest stars on that show as well. I posted over in the Leave it to Beaver board about Eddie, Ward and Mrs. Mondello showing up.

Thanks for the post.

A lot of stations don't show the recut episodes, and they may not normally be available from the syndicator. The final episode was a recut of "Betty's Graduation", where in the recut Jim is going thru the same thing with Kathy. So he recounts for Kathy what happened with Betty via flashbacks. It was shown on TV Land years ago in a final episodes marathon.

Sometimes the recut episode is shown in the place where the original episode would be. Just sloppy work by the syndicator, IMO.

A lot of stations don't show the recut episodes, and they may not normally be available from the syndicator. The final episode was a recut of "Betty's Graduation", where in the recut Jim is going thru the same thing with Kathy. So he recounts for Kathy what happened with Betty via flashbacks. It was shown on TV Land years ago in a final episodes marathon.

Sometimes the recut episode is shown in the place where the original episode would be. Just sloppy work by the syndicator, IMO.

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English actor John Williams, S4Ep11, "Mr. Beal Meets His Match."

A lot of stations don't show the recut episodes, and they may not normally be available from the syndicator. The final episode was a recut of "Betty's Graduation", where in the recut Jim is going thru the same thing with Kathy. So he recounts for Kathy what happened with Betty via flashbacks. It was shown on TV Land years ago in a final episodes marathon.

Sometimes the recut episode is shown in the place where the original episode would be. Just sloppy work by the syndicator, IMO.

I'm pretty sure the flashback/recut episode "Betty's Graduation" (S6Ep32) is shown in syndication in place of the original season season 2 (ep 37) episode. Which means the original episode isn't shown in syndication.

English actor John Williams, S4Ep11, "Mr. Beal Meets His Match."

That was a great episode with Williams playing the devil.

Yep, IMO this is one of the best in the series. A paper written by Betty, told to us in scenes where Jim ends up making a pact with the devil (Mr. Beal/Williams), in order to release the rest of the family.

Frank Albertson, season 4 episode Revenge is Sweet. This guy was primarily a movie actor in the 1940s, so in this FKB appearance he would have been 48 or 49. He died in 1964.

Frank Albertson, season 4 episode Revenge is Sweet. This guy was primarily a movie actor in the 1940s, so in this FKB appearance he would have been 48 or 49. He died in 1964.

One of my favorite episodes! Dat Bud he a good guy

Bartlett Robinson, relatively young in his mid-40s in "Poor Old Dad" from season 4, is a well-known character actor who was in many shows. This is a really funny episode, with Bud thinking (out loud) that poor Jim's life is dictated by Margaret's needs. And circumstances prove him right. Another really great script by Roswell Rogers.

In "A Matter of Pride," (4-32) a young Martin Balsam plays a teacher who is handing out junior class awards at a school picnic. This episode is better known for Bud's 'must have' white buck shoes, which were way too small.

I've always liked Martin Balsam in his various film and TV roles (such as in 12 Angry Men and The Twilight Zone) and enjoyed seeing him in this episode. It seemed a rather small role for him, though.

Stage and film actor Arthur O'Connell as cousin Leonard--fifth season episode "Hard Luck Leo."

Stage and film actor Arthur O'Connell as cousin Leonard--fifth season episode "Hard Luck Leo."

One of my fav character actors

Marion Ross had a minor role in "Jim's Big Surprise" in season 6. She was in a small scene, as Kathy's swimming instructor. I never would have recognized her without having noticed her in the credits.

Marion Ross had a minor role in "Jim's Big Surprise" in season 6. She was in a small scene, as Kathy's swimming instructor. I never would have recognized her without having noticed her in the credits.

Good Catch. It looks like FETV will be replacing FKB with Green Acres come Nov and they just finished Season 6 of FKB. I would like to see young Marion.

Constance Ford was a surprise for me. She’s done some great roles.

Constance Ford was a surprise for me. She’s done some great roles.

OMG the mean woman from "Summer Place"

And Ada Davis, Rachel's mother, from 1967 to 1992 on Another World.

And Ada Davis, Rachel's mother, from 1967 to 1992 on Another World.

I saw that when I looked her up :-)

OMG the mean woman from "Summer Place"

Have you ever seen her in Boris Karloff’s “Thriller”? OMG! She is SUPER mean & vicious! LOL. Episode is “Worse Than Murder” She deserves an Emmy for this.

https://youtu.be/6R3pgONc0hI

They may not be a surprise to all but I enjoy picking out guest stars that I recognize. The last one was Beverly Washburn. I remember her from Leave it to Beaver and Old Yeller. Any that strike you? Oh, I must mention Dennis Mitchell's Dad Henry

Was going thru this thread. The Beverly Washburn appearance (very young, here) was in a spelling bee episode late in season 3. She and Kathy were rivals in a regional spelling bee.

Was going thru this thread. The Beverly Washburn appearance (very young, here) was in a spelling bee episode late in season 3. She and Kathy were rivals in a regional spelling bee.

She was Wally's blind date

Thats the one where beaver wondered if she was a goffer. I thought she was okay looking.

Duke Snider (1926-2011), season 2 episode "Hero Father."

So far I've seen Roger Smith who went on to 77Sunset Strip and Richard Crenna.

Marion Ross, in the season 6 episode "Jim's Big Surprise." This was a small character part--she was somehow associated with the pool Kathy swam at. (edit: sorry, this is a repeat of a 2019 post!)

Just started watching on Peacock. Can anyone tell me if that’s a very young Joyce Van Patten selling movie tickets in Bud, the Millionaire? The one when Jim gives him $10 a week but can only spend on himself. She does have a line.

Unfortunately she is not credited. Here is an interesting fan site:

http://fatherknowsbest.us

If you click on the Episodes at the top, there is a drop-down, and at the bottom, is a selection "Screen Gems Storylines". These are PDFs of each episode's cast, synopsis, and at the bottom, brief technical credits. These are way more accurate than checking Imdb, since on the syndication episodes, so many of the on-screen credits don't match the episode (particularly for season 1). To use this source, it helps to know the overall episode number (for this one, it's 71, from Epguides.com). Even then, you still have to do a lot of scrolling. It's an interesting source, and appears to be very old, and original to the show.

By the way, I didn't check Imdb for this--they might have it, from some other source.

Thanks stevea, I’ll check it out. I’ve seen enough of season 1 and 2 to see how natural Jim Anderson acts with the kids especially Bud. Some of the comments he makes are hilarious. Like most shows the first seasons were the best. I think Kitten is very cute as a young kid, quite natural. Later they try to keep her a child as she matures and it’s embarrassing kinda like Beaver.

Hopefully this wasn't mentioned: Barbara Eden, S4 Ep 17, "The Rivals"

I think Kitten is very cute as a young kid, quite natural. Later they try to keep her a child as she matures and it’s embarrassing kinda like Beaver.

Her hair bangs are atrocious. They did nothing to flatter her face. Its like they are trying to make her ugly compared to Betty.

I'm certainly no little girls' fashion expert, but they are noticeably pretty bad. It looks like she grabbed some scissors and cut them herself.

I'm certainly no little girls' fashion expert, but they are noticeably pretty bad. It looks like she grabbed some scissors and cut them herself.

Maybe after Beaver cut his hair, he cut hers as well?

Maybe after Beaver cut his hair, he cut hers as well?

Sure looks like he did.