A Comment on “The Yardbirds” Episode

[Sgt. Saunders]

“The Yardbirds” is a fifth season LITB episode that I’ve especially enjoyed watching over the years. Seeing Wally and the Beaver procrastinate and just goof-off when they should have been cleaning the front yard is something, I think, that many of us can relate to when we were kids and should have been performing (but weren’t) some task our parents had instructed us to do.

And, when Eddie and Lumpy decided to dump all of the collected garbage from the Cleaver’s front yard on a vacant lot on Fairview Avenue instead of driving it over to the city dump as they had told Wally they would do, a thought occurred to me. That vacant lot on Fairview Avenue seemed to be located in an especially rundown part of Mayfield by the look of the plain and drab houses surrounding the lot. I wonder if Wally’s one-time date, the voluptuous Marlene Holmes, lived in that seedy neighborhood “with her aunt”?

In fact, if Wally hadn’t cut his date short with Marlene at Hank’s Place that Saturday night, do you think Wally and Marlene might have eventually ended up at Marlene’s apartment over there on Fairview Avenue? And, if things went according to Marlene’s plan (or as nature intended), at 4:30 AM, would a worn-out Wally “explain” to an understandably concerned Ward and June in the Cleaver kitchen, that he and Marlene had just lost track of time while they were watching the “submarine races” at Friends’ Lake?

By the way, I was surprised that the very youthful Richard Correll’s name was listed in the episode’s closing credits before the much older Ken Osmond and Frank Banks’s names were listed in those credits. And, I’ve also noticed that some of the other younger actors’s names were listed before the older actors’ names in the closing credits of other LITB episodes. What gives?

[stevea]

Interesting observation about the credits. I was thinking it might be alphabetical or order of appearance, but neither would apply here.

Based on what you said about other episodes, maybe FOBs (friends of Beaver) are before FOWs. (Well, I just checked "Tennis, Anyone?" and even that doesn't apply.)

[Sgt. Saunders]

I wonder if Ken Osmond, Frank Bank, Richard Deacon or Cheryl Holdridge were offended that their names were often listed in the closing credits after the names of the much younger actors on the show?

By the way, I think that the late Diane “Marlene Holmes” Sayer should have been listed as a “Special Guest Star” for her memorable appearance on LITB.

[Sgt. Saunders]

In addition to Marlene Holmes possibly living in that same rundown part of Mayfield where Eddie and Lumpy dumped the Cleavers’ garbage in that vacant lot, I wouldn’t be surprised if both Andy Hadlock, the Cleaver family’s dipsomaniacal house painter and Mr. Jeff, the itinerant circus worker, who once “borrowed” one of Ward’s best dress suits, also resided in that “somewhat” less desirable part of town.

Of course, Mr. Jeff was probably living in a makeshift tent near Miller’s Pond before he
“borrowed” Ward’s suit, which helped him to make a good impression during his job interview and get that job, which, in turn, enabled Mr. Jeff to move into a modest apartment with Andy and Marlene as his neighbors.

I wonder if Mayfield’s most infamous watering hole, Hank’s Place, was also located in that same “colorful” part of town? Hank’s Place was sort of Mayfield, USA’s answer to Queens, New York’s Bunker’s Bar or Boston, Massachusetts’ Cheers, a local gin joint where Andy, Marlene and Mr. Jeff would frequently get together after work, shooting the breeze and drowning their sorrows with their preferred libations.

Heck, maybe even some members of The Barons also frequented Hank’s Place (where they never got proofed), to down some cold beers and put down Wally Cleaver, Eddie Haskell, Lumpy Rutherford, Dudley McMillan and all the other “uncool” guys at Mayfield High School?

Yes, life was apparently never dull in Mayfield’s own “combat zone,” the “42nd Street section of Mayfield, USA,” so to speak.

[stevea]

Originally Posted by Sgt. Saunders

I wonder if Ken Osmond, Frank Bank, Richard Deacon or Cheryl Holdridge were offended that their names were often listed in the closing credits after the names of the much younger actors on the show?

By the way, I think that the late Diane “Marlene Holmes” Sayer should have been listed as a “Special Guest Star” for her memorable appearance on LITB.

Just saw "Beaver Sees America" on MeTV again, where all the eighth grade boys are panting over yet another new girl to Mayfield, Mary Margaret Matthews (played by Lori Martin).

Just noticed the credits, where Ken Osmond is top billed. Maybe by that time his agent had mentioned the credits placement to the producers.

[stevea]

Originally Posted by Sgt. Saunders

In addition to Marlene Holmes possibly living in that same rundown part of Mayfield where Eddie and Lumpy dumped the Cleavers’ garbage in that vacant lot, I wouldn’t be surprised if both Andy Hadlock, the Cleaver family’s dipsomaniacal house painter and Mr. Jeff, the itinerant circus worker, who once “borrowed” one of Ward’s best dress suits, also resided in that “somewhat” less desirable part of town.

Of course, Mr. Jeff was probably living in a makeshift tent near Miller’s Pond before he
“borrowed” Ward’s suit, which helped him to make a good impression during his job interview and get that job, which, in turn, enabled Mr. Jeff to move into a modest apartment with Andy and Marlene as his neighbors.

I wonder if Mayfield’s most infamous watering hole, Hank’s Place, was also located in that same “colorful” part of town? Hank’s Place was sort of Mayfield, USA’s answer to Queens, New York’s Bunker’s Bar or Boston, Massachusetts’ Cheers, a local gin joint where Andy, Marlene and Mr. Jeff would frequently get together after work, shooting the breeze and drowning their sorrows with their preferred libations.

Heck, maybe even some members of The Barons also frequented Hank’s Place (where they never got proofed), to down some cold beers and put down Wally Cleaver, Eddie Haskell, Lumpy Rutherford, Dudley McMillan and all the other “uncool” guys at Mayfield High School?

Yes, life was apparently never dull in Mayfield’s own “combat zone,” the “42nd Street section of Mayfield, USA,” so to speak.

Don't forget, Eddie's brief apartment rental was also in Mayfield's skid row area.

[Sgt. Saunders]

Yes, Eddie’s apartment would probably be deemed Section 8 Housing today.

Regarding actress Lori Martin, she portrayed the pretty teenaged girl, who was the object of Robert Mitchum’s truly frightening and evil character’s desire in the classic 1962 film-thriller, “Cape Fear.” (I wonder if Ward and June saws that film at The Mayfield Theatre when it came out? No doubt, Marlene Holmes liked the film very much.)

Sadly, I believe Lori Martin committed suicide at the age of 62.

[stevea]

Yes, Lori Martin is no longer with us.

With regard to Mary Margaret, if "Gilly" had not walked up to that porch swing, I think June's oft-repeated fears about 'her baby" would have come true.