Wouldn’t have Eddie gotten badly hurt falling off a cliff that high and onto a rocky ledge? He comes out unscathed.

I think Lumpy said he caught some branches that helped break his fall

Just saw that episode this week (I watch Beaver in order from my DVDs) and I noticed that rope they threw down for Eddie was pretty scrawny and thin. Even if Eddie could have reached it I don't know that it would have held.

Also, it was interesting E & L found them up there. Amazing they knew right where to look.

One other thing: a lot of Beaver was filmed on location, but you could tell this was an elaborate set on a sound stage. That must have been one expensive set to decorate.

Did Wally take them in a taxi to the woods? He didn’t drive.

They should have written it so that Lumpy dropped them off. That would have also explained how Eddie and Lumpy found them later. Or, they could have had Ward say, "I'll take you up there, and pick you up Sunday afternoon."

Or they walked. Beaver and Wally went to the pond all the time to fish, these woods could have been in the same area.

This happens to be the only episode of LITB that I can clearly remember from the original run-- but really just the part where Eddie is seen stuck on the ledge.

It's true, though, that it's unlikely Eddie could have taken a fall that was broken by tree branches and gotten through without serious injuries. And we don't see, nor are we told, that he was scratched up, as would be almost inevitable. But he wasn't complaining about cuts or minor puncture wounds-- instead he complained about being cold and thirsty, and lonely if everybody left.

The ranger was played by John Hart, the father of Buddy Hart, who had played Chester Anderson in previous seasons. And John Hart himself had previously played the Scout Master in the 1st season when Wally and his buddies joined. He also had played the Lone Ranger during the year and a half that Clayton Moore was out of the role in a contract dispute. Beaver overstated Eddie's reaction that he "started telling the ranger how to run the forest." Really, he just said, "I could have gotten up myself but I thought I'd teach these fellows a lesson... I really gave you guys a scare, didn't I?"

Did anyone pick up on the conversation in the beginning about why Gilbert’s father can’t take them camping?

Beaver says they’ve been planning the trip for a whole month and Gilbert’s father was taking them. June says he can’t take them now and later Ward hopes it was a good excuse. Alan says his father gets sinus issues in the woods and Whitey’s father has to work like Ward.

Whitey says how Gilbert is home mad at his father and we find he has to go to a wedding. A wedding? He finds he has to go to a wedding 5 days before the camping trip. Was it one of those shotgun weddings? Maybe Gilbert’s sister had a quick wedding.

Ward said he had to work Saturday but he’s dressed casual for a change he’s not in a suit Saturday morning.

Who actually drove them to the mountain?

I just assumed they walked, probably not far from where Larry and Beaver went on their picnic.

Everything was in walking distance, except after Beaver got banned from riding the school bus, school suddenly was too far for Beaver to walk (according to June)

When Wally and Beaver are about to leave June says so and so will be there shortly but missed the name. Maybe one of the fathers drove them to the mountain like Gilbert’s before the wedding.

Don't recall that, the last conversation I recall between them and Mrs Cleaver is when Beaver's friends come over and talk to the parents in the living room, then it's Wally, Beaver, Eddie, Lumpy and eventually Gilbert out in the yard talking, then the next scene Wally leading Beaver and his friends to the clearing for their camping spot.

A couple of things about the episode:

How did Eddie and Lumpy know exactly where to find them camping?

Also, as much on-location shooting as LITB did, it would have made a better episode, IMO, if they had done an on-location shoot for this one. Although it would have been expensive, it mustn't have been cheap constructing all that elaborate scenery. They also had to mock up that ledge scene with Eddie. Other shows of the time did location shoots in remote-looking areas, so it wasn't unheard-of (Andy Griffith/Mayberry RFD, Lassie, Ozzie and Harriet).

The getting where you are thing is always interesting--like when Beaver and Larry are "downtown" looking in storefront windows, etc. I'm just trying to imagine 8 or 9 year olds wandering that far, even in those days. Yet we need a school bus to get to Grant Avenue School. But we don't, sometimes we can ride our bikes. But, wait, Beaver walked Mary to the Cleavers'. How did we get to Friends Lake? Sometimes Beaver and Larry get there somehow, sometimes we drive for a picnic...evidently, when we're writers, we just don't think about it.

None of this is exclusive to LITB--we see this on other sitcoms, too.

Maybe they went with a set because of the Eddie over the cliff scene? Also, being set a night.
A lot of their outdoor scenes are filmed on location.

Yeah, shooting on-location with a ton of lights would have been rough, and I suppose they might have encountered real wild animals. Then Eddie wouldn't have needed the record.

They did a location shoot in Happy Weekend when they all went to Shadow Lake in the mountains. That would have been perfect for A Night in The Woods. Does anyone have the DVD so they can check out the person who was coming to pick them up and take them to the mountain. Maybe June mentioned the person who was bringing the others to the house only. Either way I think they should have had a better excuse as to why Gilbert's father backed out. Maybe he had a flute recital.

I can't imagine Eddie sustained no injury when he fell onto the ledge.

That's a good point. Anyone who falls off a cliff, even if they land on a ledge, is going to sustain some kind of injury, even if it's minor.

I wonder if George and Agnes punished him. He could have fallen to his death.

In Kite Day Gilbert said his father was an electrical engineer. Evidently he switched occupations, and last names.

...who was coming to pick them up and take them to the mountain?

There's a short scene after the middle break, that's rarely shown. Wally's in the foyer, securing his bag, and Ward enters:

Ward: "Wally, you be sure and keep a good eye on the boys."

Wally: "Oh, don't worry, Dad. I'd be just as embarrassed if one of those kids got lost in the woods or broke his leg, as you would."

June and Beaver enter:

June: "Gilbert's mother just called. His father's on the way here."

Beaver: "Yeah. He's gonna drive us to where we start hikin'. Come on, Wally, let's go out and wait in front."

Ward: "Beaver, just a minute. I want you to remember that Wally is going to be in charge, and you boys are to mind him. Do you understand?"

Beaver: "Yes, Dad."

Ward: "You can have a lot of fun camping in the woods, but you also have to be careful, and Wally's had a great deal more experience than you've had."

Beaver: "Oh, yeah, Dad, I know that. He's had poison oak five times, and I've only had it once."

Then there is a dissolve right to the woods scenery, and another dissolve to Wally and the boys hiking.

I just checked MeTV's Friday episode. Amazingly, they showed that scene. I don't think they have before.

There's a short scene after the middle break, that's rarely shown. Wally's in the foyer, securing his bag, and Ward enters:

Ward: "Wally, you be sure and keep a good eye on the boys."

Wally: "Oh, don't worry, Dad. I'd be just as embarrassed if one of those kids got lost in the woods or broke his leg, as you would."

June and Beaver enter:

June: "Gilbert's mother just called. His father's on the way here."

Beaver: "Yeah. He's gonna drive us to where we start hikin'. Come on, Wally, let's go out and wait in front."

Ward: "Beaver, just a minute. I want you to remember that Wally is going to be in charge, and you boys are to mind him. Do you understand?"

Beaver: "Yes, Dad."

Ward: "You can have a lot of fun camping in the woods, but you also have to be careful, and Wally's had a great deal more experience than you've had."

Beaver: "Oh, yeah, Dad, I know that. He's had poison oak five times, and I've only had it once."

Then there is a dissolve right to the woods scenery, and another dissolve to Wally and the boys hiking.

For some reason I forgot that, but I do remember the poison oak bit.

I knew I heard June say someone was on his way. So now we know Gilbert’s father drove them to where they would hike. I’m surprised June wasn’t a wreck thinking they would all get lost and eaten by a bear. Hope Gilbert’s father didn’t miss the wedding.

The main reason this episode is significant to me is that it's the only one I can specifically remember from the first run of the show. I was about 3 1/2 when it premiered on June 9, 1962. I knew who Beaver, Wally, and Eddie Haskell were, but not the other guys. So I can recall the characters that 'made the show,' but not any particular stories besides this one. And in this one, I don't remember a thing about Lumpy, but I do remember someone saying they saw a "big fat bear." :lol:

Wow I don’t remember any of the episodes first run. Just in reruns and I remember Child Care with Puddin. She kept saying MaryJane so I remember it.

I don't remember any of the first run specifically, but I do remember we watched it.

I have a couple of the original episodes on a VHS tape. It's kind of interesting to see the cast commercial (one of the episodes includes it), with Mathers and Sue Randall selling dog food. I'd like to see some more of those commercials; they should have included some of them on the DVD set.

Just saw this episode again. I can't imagine how they constructed that ledge set. It must have been quite a project. Maybe Universal had it left over from a movie.

I thought it was a good touch of humor when Eddy & Lumpy are in the wood with the record player and they turn it on and there's a the record intro about the little kids at the zoo (?) iirc