I know Eddie Haskall is portrayed as, shady and kinda a bully, but you can't help but like the guy lol

I always find myself laughing at any scene he's in.... and always sense a person who just wants to be accepted underneath his misfit behavior, and I get the sense he had a bad home life.

Ya we all love eddie.... Especially when he trips and falls in the mud while chasing Beaver :D

Just getting acquainted with the show and I felt really bad for Eddie at least twice. When he couldn't find anyone to hang out with him when he had the car....he was even ready to hang out with Beaver and even Beaver stands him up :( And when he was caught out on the ledge in the woods, he did seem truly frightened, even though he immediately returned to his old self when they got him back up.

I did like the scene where Beaver ruined Wally's good coat and Eddie covered for him

He really just seemed like a scared, neglected little kid who wanted acceptance.

Lumpy is the one I really didn't care for

I like him as a character cause he definitely spices up the show. But do I like him as a perso? Absolutely not!

His frailties make him humorous in context with his assuming personality. But, his tendency to be patronizing wears thin in a hurry.

While I can't say I really liked Eddie as a person, Mr. Osmond somehow made the character likable enough to see what he'd pull on Wally and the Beav week after week.

Still, I think if I had been Ward or June, I'd have had at least one serious long talk with Wally re as to what (if any) benefit there was to keep considering Eddie to be among one's 'friends'- then let him sink or swim on his own re keeping Eddie around.

Lumpy is the one I really didn't care for

Lumpy is a bully in the earlier episodes and loses that in later years.

Still, I think if I had been Ward or June, I'd have had at least one serious long talk with Wally re as to what (if any) benefit there was to keep considering Eddie to be among one's 'friends'- then let him sink or swim on his own re keeping Eddie around.

Eddie pulled some mean tricks on the Beaver over the years, and Wally could have done more to wise him up. The only time he really crossed the line is when he altered Beaver's report card.

Eddie pulled some mean tricks on the Beaver over the years, and Wally could have done more to wise him up. The only time he really crossed the line is when he altered Beaver's report card.

I agree with that but it wouldn't have hurt for Wally to consider that keeping Eddie as an alleged 'friend' could easily wind up getting himself dragged down and/or burnt even taking away how Eddie constantly tricked the Beav! One of the saddest lessons of growing up is having to learn that it's better to seek out positive folks to befriend or even to be alone than it is to stick with toxic folks as supposed 'friends'. I definitely think Eddie was someone at least worth questioning whether he was toxic rather than just annoying.

Perhaps Eddie got too many hugs as a younger child? Or perhaps not enough? Or maybe he was hugged by the wrong kind of people? :bighug:

I think deep, DEEP down, he had a good heart. Like I said, I love those FEW little moments he did something nice to help Beaver, then would threaten to beat Beaver up if he ever told anyone.... in a weird way it was really sweet lol

Yes, one example was when he and Wally were hunting for Beaver and the doll carriage. He told Wally he could relate because of something his dad did to embarrass him when he was in kindergarten.

And there are a couple of other examples...

Yes, one example was when he and Wally were hunting for Beaver and the doll carriage. He told Wally he could relate because of something his dad did to embarrass him when he was in kindergarten.

And there are a couple of other examples...

Didn't he say that he had to get a perm or something similar?

Yep it was something like that.

Of the LITB cast Eddie Haskell would definitely be in my top 50 sitcom characters of all time. Larry, Mrs Mondello, Fred, Lumpy, Judy maybe if room. Love the Cleavers, but they wouldn't make it. Probably top 100.

I thought it was odd, Wally was an upstanding teen with a good moral compass, but he sure hung around with some "outlaw" rowdy friends lol

And I liked how Ward told Beaver not to be spreading Eddie's good nature around to ppl.... I think Ward understood that Eddie's behavior was sorta a defense mechanism

The Eddie character is a great example of how LITB had way more depth than the majority of sitcoms.

The Eddie character is a great example of how LITB had way more depth than the majority of sitcoms.

I agree with you.

However, I still think at some point (say, the series' final original episode) Ward or June should have asked Wally to consider whether it was worth staying friends with Eddie and if there was a possibility that Eddie could drag him down. Perhaps the series could have ended with Wally being left to ponder those questions and the viewers could have decided for themselves what Wally ultimately decided.

Did Eddie make it into college?

Maybe that was answered on The New Leave It To Beaver. Does anyone know? Torgo?

Right from season 1 Eddie was written to be what we see throughout the years ...

Like the episode about the 2 Greek characters Damon and Pythias, LITB drew on the traditional themes - and Wally the Good would need someone to be played off of +-

Best part of Eddie was ALL cast members said he was a sweet & nice guy in real life - and for us all to be picking at him shows what a good actor he really was !

Giving Eddie lines with adult themes on how to excel in life by using people was a major add on to mellow drama coming of age the show initially portrayed. I hardly think this type of thing would be on My 3 Sons ... (?)

Seems Eddie allowed LITB to be a bit progressive without spoiling the cuteness of it all +-

Even played a troublemaker doing "Annie Oakley" when he was a lot younger.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wBvYSrrKxtQ

As far as "bad influences" go, Eddie is fairly benign. Both of today's episodes on METV featured Eddie misleading Beaver, with Wally obviously knowing better "in the background"

So, IMO, the lesson that you hope to teach via the parental "Eddie advisory", really is a lesson that was taught over and over again via Wally sharing his perspective with Beaver on the pitfalls of Eddie.

So, IMO, the lesson that you hope to teach via the parental "Eddie advisory", really is a lesson that was taught over and over again via Wally sharing his perspective with Beaver on the pitfalls of Eddie.

One moment like that is the end of "Wally and Dudley," where Wally explains to Beaver that there will always be blowhards like Eddie and humble people like Dudley.

I think the Cleavers recognized there was a value in having the boys exposed to the "streetwise" element, because it's always going to be a part of life, and you sure don't want to raise your children to be sheep, either. JMHO

Most everybody's a caricature on the show. As a youth there were Eddie types causing troulble, back stabbing, bullying the weak. His portrayal is over the top. There weren't a lot of Cleaver kids though. Totally gullible, oblivious to world events, making same mistakes over and over. Most kids are somewhere in the middle of Eddie, and the Cleaver kids. Ken Osmond should of won an Emmy during the show's run for his portrayal of Eddie Haskell. Eddie's diverse character always demanded stellar acting to pull off the scenes he dominated. Every scene he was in he took over next to mostly vanilla actors he was working with. I thought his exchanges with Ward (Hugh Beaumont) were brilliant. Two of the shows two best actors going toe to toe. I got a sense of a real dislike between the two characters when Eddie threw his verbal digs. The show did a wonderful job of meshing the creator's fantasy family life with real kid's issues we all experienced. The show is good here because it breathes discussion and analysis some 60 years later.

Perhaps in the final episode, Ward should have given an advisory to the audience outlining the pitfalls of trying to "boilerplate" society, based upon the content of scripted entertainment?

Ken Osmond (may he rest in peace) was great as Eddie Haskell. Watching him in the early episodes, where he is a very young kid with a high-pitched voice, it's hard to believe he would become so characteristic later on. My only criticism is that his performance became a little exaggerated in the last couple of seasons. He almost seemed to be playing "Eddie Haskell" (with air quotes) instead of simply playing Eddie Haskell. But overall his portrayal and the writing for the character were brilliant. The last few seasons actually had some of the most memorable Eddie-centered episodes, including moving out of his home into an apartment, getting into credit card trouble, and trying to join a fishing expedition in Alaska.

Does anyone know if the character of "The Fonze" was modeled on Eddie Haskell?

I doubt it with "The Fonz," but I think Derek Taylor on Silver Spoons was an Eddie knock-off.

Jason Bateman played him so well, he was stealing the show from Schroder. Thus, he was gone during the second season.

Then there was Eric Osmond playing Freddie Haskell on Still The Beaver/The New Leave it to Beaver. IIRC he was definitely his father's son.

Ken Osmond (may he rest in peace) was great as Eddie Haskell. Watching him in the early episodes, where he is a very young kid with a high-pitched voice, it's hard to believe he would become so characteristic later on. My only criticism is that his performance became a little exaggerated in the last couple of seasons. He almost seemed to be playing "Eddie Haskell" (with air quotes) instead of simply playing Eddie Haskell. But overall his portrayal and the writing for the character were brilliant. The last few seasons actually had some of the most memorable Eddie-centered episodes, including moving out of his home into an apartment, getting into credit card trouble, and trying to join a fishing expedition in Alaska.

Does anyone know if the character of "The Fonze" was modeled on Eddie Haskell?


I think it happens a lot, as a series goes on, characters become self-satire.

I don't really see much similarity between Eddie and Fonze. I see Eddie as sorta a "scared little kid" and he puts up a front as a defense. I think Fonze is the real deal.

I also thought it was funny how Eddie continued to call Beaver "shrimp" and "squirt" in the later episodes when Beaver was almost bigger than Eddie lol

It was brilliant writing that Eddie never wised up. Even after episodes he gets humiliated. The next episode he's cockier, and more obnoxious than ever.

It was brilliant writing that Eddie never wised up. Even after episodes he gets humiliated. The next episode he's cockier, and more obnoxious than ever.


If I remember rightly, Beaver really started tearing into Eddie verbally toward the end of the series. It seems like there were time Beaver started verbal wars with Eddie as opposed t how it was in the early days

Agree. It was like he was evening the score for the early years, now that he was on a par size wise, with Eddie.

Eddie kids around with Beaver. Beaver is downright nasty to Eddie in season 6.

With all of Beaver's training (folding napkins at the dinner table, wearing a suit & tie to ballgames, no sir, yes sir) he has always been verbally abusive to his female classmates.

With all of Beaver's training (folding napkins at the dinner table, wearing a suit & tie to ballgames, no sir, yes sir) he has always been verbally abusive to his female classmates.

Also agree. Some consistent commentary on his nastiness from W&J could have helped. He didn't make a secret of his disdain.

Also agree. Some consistent commentary on his nastiness from W&J could have helped. He didn't make a secret of his disdain.

Then, JM was no fool. I'm sure he thought the world of them.

I grew up in that era and sure the opp. sexes didn't show much interest before puberty (but I do remember having a crush on a girl named Marilyn in the next block). But there wasn't the verbal abuse and downright hostility those boys displayed on LITB.

I'm not really sure why LITB chose to emphasize the behavior. It'd be an interesting question to ask Jerry; Beaver's attitude vs. his at the time. In his book he did say he disliked what I call the early "Beaverspeak" mispronunciations, so he probably has an opinion.

And if Jay North's mind wasn't closed on DTM it'd be an interesting question for him, too. I think from the way Jeannie Russell answered varying questions, she and Jay were as close as his aunt allowed. But that show's characters (primarily Dennis and Tommy) displayed the same hostility as LITB.

When Eddie Haskell had Beaver unknowingly tell Chuey he had a face like a pig Beaver was upset about it. He had concern Chuey was offended. A big to-do was made over the incident in the Cleaver household. But, Beaver regularly said more offensive things to his female classmates and the writers chose to make it no big deal. And it occurred over and over again.

He's a key, maybe even indispensable character, but I wanted to belt him when I saw the 'Beaver's Team' episode last night.

Maybe it was the mood I was in, as I've seen this episode several times, but the scene at "Metztger's Field' where he deliberately tripped Beaver as he ran was a neon sign of him being a jerk just because he could. Even though shortly after he got some sort of manufactured comeuppance when demonstrating receiving and running he himself tripped as he ran the ball after receiving a pass, it wasn't enough. I'd have wanted to remove my helmet and beat the wise-guy out of him.

Wally should have clobbered him for that. He had to see Eddie do it--he was right there.