Ward Cleaver Plays Steve's Father

[CosmicCharlie]

Season 5 -

Betty Jo marries Steve

Ep 8 With this Gown I the Wed
Ep 9 Meet the In Laws

Interesting to see Hugh Beaumont with graying hair & a balding spot --- and playing a very similar Father Figure +-

They should have brought June along too

[Duster76]

Originally Posted by CosmicCharlie

Season 5 -

Betty Jo marries Steve

Ep 8 With this Gown I the Wed
Ep 9 Meet the In Laws

Interesting to see Hugh Beaumont with graying hair & a balding spot --- and playing a very similar Father Figure +-

They should have brought June along too

Beaumont made three appearances in Petticoat Junction, the two you mentioned and one in season three as a character named Ronnie Beckman. In the season 3 episode his character was central to the plot so the casting made sense to me. His casting as Steve's father in the season five episodes made less sense. Now keep in mind Leave It To Beaver was still in first run syndication at this point in time so many viewers still saw him on a daily basis in the role that made him famous, why cast him in episodes where he would be playing a supporting character, functioning more as a distraction from the core Petticoat Junction characters. My point is this, as we all know behind the scenes Bea Benaderet was dealing with serious health challenges at the start of season 5, I wonder if the production company was laying the groundwork for possibly engaging Beaumont and Ann Doran (who played Steve's mother and Beaumont's wife) as fill-in parental figures for the wedding episodes should Bea be unable to perform. As it was, Bea struggled for the next several months staying with the show as long as she could before finally taking most of the last third of the season off.

[Dude111]

I wonder why they didnt bring June??

Would be neat seeing him in that!! (I bet June was mad seeing him with another girl (hehehe))

[Duster76]

Originally Posted by Dude111

I wonder why they didnt bring June??

Would be neat seeing him in that!! (I bet June was mad seeing him with another girl (hehehe))

Barbara Billingsley's acting credits in the post Leave It To Beaver world are a little on the thin side. Beaver went off in 1963, her next credits are two episodes of the FBI in 1971! That's it for the 1970's! It's like she was in an actor's version of the witness protection program. I also doubt Beaumont who was trying to keep his career going would want to be linked back to Beaver at this stage of the game.

[Dude111]

Ya probably not.......... I think he had a good time doing it though....

Did they end that show cause Beaver and Wally didnt wanna do it anymore??

Its sad,I love that show!!!!!!!!! (A lesson with every episode)

[Hazel Anyday]

I remember also seeing Ward in at least 1 episode of Mannix from the late '60's looking a little grayer but still the old Ward. You know Ward also played tough guy detective Michael Shayne in the movies of the '40's after Lloyd Nolan left the series.

[Dude111]

Wow I didnt know that,I would love to see some of those 40s movies!! (I love mr Bogart)

[stevea]

And we have Ward in a very old (but color) episode of Lassie from the early 50s.

[Hazel Anyday]

Actually those Ward starring Michael Shayne movies collection just recently came out on DVD. I believe it's "Classic Flix.com" that released all the Ward starring Shaynes. Look it up on Amazon, probably will be there. I got these movies years ago from a private collector when I was trying to collect Ward starring vehicles.

[OH Nuts!]

I think Hugh was in an Adventures of Superman ep too.