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If you grew up watching reruns of "Leave It to Beaver," then you probably remember Larry Mondello, Beaver's best friend. But do you remember Harry Harrison? Harry was added to the show after the actor who played Larry, Rusty Stevens, left the show. Watch this video to find out more!

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What was it really like to grow up as the most famous kid in America? On this episode of Throwback Thursdays I revisit my interview with the legendary Jerry Mathers (The Beaver!) for a deep dive into the making of Leave It To Beaver. From his surreal auditions to his time behind the scenes of Leave It To Beaver Jerry shares stories you’ve may never have heard before. In this episode, we uncover: The "Too Funny" Rule: Why producers actually cut jokes from the script. Working with Hitchcock: What Alfred Hitchcock really thought of "Mr. Mathers." Real-Life Secrets: Hugh Beaumont’s double life as a minister and Barbara Billingsley’s camera tricks. Myth-Busting: Setting the record straight on those Little Ricky and Vietnam rumors. The Green Hat: Why there was only one hat for six years of filming. If you grew up watching the Cleaver family, this is an interview you don’t want to miss. Hosted by John Cato, actor, voiceover artist, and moderator for over 20 years for the television and movie industry. John's background brings a unique insight and passion to the podcast. 0:00 – Introduction 0:49 – How the pandemic birthed the show 1:16 – Why Tweety Bird (Bob Bergen) had to step back 3:26 – Jerry's "All-Access" pass to any movie set 5:42 – Guest Intro: The Legendary Jerry Mathers 6:55 – The mystery of the one-and-only Green Baseball Cap 8:27 – Where is the original hat hidden today? 9:35 – How residuals put "The Beav" through college 11:43 – True stories? Drawing from 15 children 13:15 – Why they removed lines for being "too funny" 14:49 – The real-life inspirations for Eddie Haskell & Lumpy 17:23 – Hugh Beaumont’s double life as a Methodist Minister 18:55 – Barbara Billingsley’s high-heel camera tricks 19:56 – Auditioning as a Cub Scout: The story that won the role 21:22 – The real "Eddie Haskell": A decorated LAPD officer 22:22 – Why the name "Beaver"? 24:44 – Sneaking around the Universal Backlot to go fishing 25:51 – Working with Alfred Hitchcock on The Trouble with Harry 28:17 – Behind the scenes of the iconic "In the Soup" billboard 30:17 – The world's biggest schoolyard: Fishing and football on the Universal lot 31:24 – Humble Reaction: Seeing "The Beav" in comic books 32:33 – Myth-Busting: Debunking the Little Ricky and Vietnam rumors 33:33 – Family Life: How Jerry’s mom managed fame with four siblings 34:45 – Hugh Beaumont’s double life: Methodist Minister vs. Ward Cleaver 36:02 – Recasting Wally: The 6-foot growth spurt that cost the original actor his role 36:33 – Tony Dow’s secret talent: Olympic-level diving champion 38:31 – Real Estate Mogul: How Jerry became a multi-million dollar agent 40:04 – Creepy Prop Alert: Finding Ward Cleaver’s tombstone in the breakroom 40:21 – Barbara Billingsley: The high-end fashion model behind the pearls 41:19 – The Real Reason it Ended: The 6-year "De Havilland" contract law 42:44 – Jerry the Athlete: Playing Center on his high school football team 44:48 – The Career Pivot: Why Jerry Mathers became a bank loan officer 46:57 – Global Icon: Why "The Beav" has a high-pitched girl's voice in Japan 48:42 – Surreal Worlds Collide: A private party with Lily Tomlin and Jerry Mathers 51:10 – "I fought the Bee and the Bee won" 51:33 – Final Cameo: Meeting Jerry’s wife, Teresa This episode originally aired on May 12, 2021.