The Opening Scene Ward comes in the Front Door and closes the closet Door ...
which June was in the closet !

She actually seems MAD about it - odd they opened the show with that (?)


Old Man Merkel was a cool actor "You make one mistake and I'll skin ya alive !"

The Cleaver's show a check dated March 7, 1958 BUT the show aired 1/31/58 - that's kinds weird ...

The closing scene the new bike "just came" ... no explanation about it's arrival

And what happened to the paper route ?

I rated it 8/10. I like when Ward said Old Man Merkel wasn't "perspicacious". Had to look it up as a kid when I watched the episode. I thought they were tight on time and left a few unanswered questions at the end.

I went to imdb.com and found out that Old Man Merkel was played by veteran actor Jackie Kelk, listed in the credits as Jack Kelk.

per·spi·ca·cious

adjective: perspicacious

having a ready insight into and understanding of things.
"it offers quite a few facts to the perspicacious reporter"

It was funny when Old Man Merkel called Ward Jack. Ward got quite miffed about it. Ward seems awful refined to come from a working class farming family.

How old was Merkel supposed to be? I mean he seemed younger then Ward but that might have something to do with Hugh Beaumont was actually nearing 50 where as Jack(ie) Kelk was about 35 so the paperboys and the Cleaver boys would have seen as an old man whereas, Hugh Beaumont he would seemed youngish. Did the boys actually keep the route?

I think the boys went to the supermarket to look for new jobs, but then again did they make Ward & June deliver that days papers ? Doubtful

It was funny when Old Man Merkel called Ward Jack. Ward got quite miffed about it. Ward seems awful refined to come from a working class farming family.

He sure does seem to be the archetype of "Mr. Quiet Dignity" personified.

I proffer that it's a combination of humbleness of his working class background ( a positive trait ) with insight gained from a college education mixed with worldliness of being overseas in a tough wartime environment.

I wondered as a kid If the name "Merkel" of the paper boss was chosen after the famous baseball screw-up "Merkle's Boner". The paper boss is one of the most unlikeable LITB characters on the show. My early childhood viewing of LITB coincided with my reading about sports nostalgia and sports stories told by my dad and uncles.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fEvOhD1qecY/Uj-sm8Wfn4I/AAAAAAAADCs/V3mwIDxcMOE/s1600/!!Merk.jpg

Then I commented how refined Ward was coming from a working class farming family. It's implied his father wasn't refined and proper. Farmers were made fun of and stereotyped in 50s & 60s tv. Ala Alan Hale in TAGS, and Green Acres farmers. So Ward acting prim like English royalty was unusual for a tv farmer then.

https://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/data/748/ahag3.jpg
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/79/93/e0/7993e057e6d445e2ae38c30667f023cc.jpghttps://www.aveleyman.com/Gallery/2017/B/tve2456-19650114-238.jpg

I guess the game could not continue due to darkness. Interesting story!

I guess the game could not continue due to darkness. Interesting story!

"Calling Merkle out should have ended the inning, and the game should have continued. But it was getting dark and the field was full of ornery fans, so the umpires called the game on account of darkness and declared the game a tie."

June & Ward delivered those with all the information that were papers to returned the paper office later that when picked Saturday papers.

June & Ward delivered those with all the information that were papers to returned the paper office later that when picked Saturday papers.

June and Ward could have avoided all that if they had just asked Wally.

June and Ward could have avoided all that if they had just asked Wally.

But weren't Wally and Bever not at home when Ward and June panicked?

Details, details--they should have called him on his cellphone! LOL

But weren't Wally and Bever not at home when Ward and June panicked?

Couldn’t they have called the Newspaper office ask one if they had delivering any papers and two when The Saturday paper usually would be ready for Delivery? I guess then it would as funny but would lost the job and had to get rehired.

If they called the office they probably would have ended up with Merkel. He'd have called Ward Jack on the phone and they'd have had the same fight.

Yes but least no delivering various wrong day papers.