Of all of Beaver's friends I've seen so far, I think Gilbert is the most annoying. Well, I guess it's just his voice that I find annoying. I mean is that an accent or what??? He sounds like a sick goat! It's funny how Whitey is so short looks funny when he's with Beaver and Gilbert. OK, I'm just blabbing. later....

I found him to be on the annoying side too. I still think I like Larry Mondello better than any of Beaver's friends that he had when he was older

Originally posted by WallyCleaverisaPimp
Of all of Beaver's friends I've seen so far, I think Gilbert is the most annoying. Well, I guess it's just his voice that I find annoying. I mean is that an accent or what??? He sounds like a sick goat! It's funny how Whitey is so short looks funny when he's with Beaver and Gilbert. OK, I'm just blabbing. later....

Oh no, here we go again. People, we have another "Mad Dog disciple" on this forum. WallyCleaver isaPimp, Gilbert's voice sounds like that because (in case you haven't noticed) at the time the show was made he was only a kid. Hellooo! What do you mean about it being an accent? I haven't heard of an accent that sounds like that. Do you find him annoying just because he's blond and was a good-looking kid? :)

Personally, I think he was the coolest of Beaver's friends. :)

I think that Gilbert was an annoying friend too, but not because of the way he talks, but I thought the character was annoying because he constantly had crazy ideas that just ended up getting Beaver into trouble. It has nothing to do with the actor who played Gilbert, just the character's attitude. I have to say Beavers best (and cutest) friend was the pudgy but adorable Larry Mondello.

I'm pretty confused about Gilbert's voice. The fact that he's a kid has nothing to do with it. It does sound like it might be an accent or a dialect, but I have no idea where from. Personally, I think Gilbert's cute, but he definately isn't a very good friend for the Beaver.

As everyone knows, most kids' voices start to change around the age of 12. Other kids go into their mid-teens with their voice unchanged. They also retain their youthful appearance way into their late teens, maybe even into their early twenties. I think Stephen Talbot(Gilbert) was one of these persons.

As to his being a not-so-good of a friend to Beaver, that's because Beaver was so gullible. So, they were always taking advantage of him, They didn't do it to be mean, but what kid can resist that temptation?

Beaver even admitted to being so vulnerable in the episode where there's a "dad-son" dinner/award presentation and someone convinces Beaver that nobody is attending dressed in formal attire. Well, Beaver decides to go without a coat and tie and when they get there, he realizes that they had done it to him again. Later,he tells his dad, "Boy, dad, I sure am a dopey kid, aren't I?" :D
Ward, being the perfect parent that he was, reassures Beaver that he(Ward) was also the same at that age. :)

Its not the sound of his voice that's odd, its the way he enunciates. The only specific example I can think of right now is the way he says "program". When he says it, he pronounces it "progrimm". But that's only one example of many.

Originally posted by HaskellGirl
Its not the sound of his voice that's odd, its the way he enunciates. The only specific example I can think of right now is the way he says "program". When he says it, he pronounces it "progrimm". But that's only one example of many.

Oh, I see what you're saying.

I'll take the Beav's friends any day over Wally's. I would think that a popular and nice guy like Wally would have classier friends than Eddie Haskal and Lumpy.

Originally posted by CHUCK T
I'll take the Beav's friends any day over Wally's. I would think that a popular and nice guy like Wally would have classier friends than Eddie Haskal and Lumpy.

I never thought about that, but now that I think about it, I think you've made a very interesting point. Maybe Eddie and Lumpy hung around Wally hoping that his good qualities would rub off on them.

Originally posted by Charlie Max
Maybe Eddie and Lumpy hung around Wally hoping that his good qualities would rub off on them.
Good point. But talking about Beaver's friends, I think the opposite happened. Sometimes some of Beaver's friends' bad qualities would rub off on him, usually getting him into trouble.

I laways LOVED Gilbert
I thought he had an adorable little voice and I bet he turned out to be just as much a cutie as he was back then!!
Yea!!! for Gilbert, my favorite Beaver friend!

twinmom