"Gee Wally..."

[comet97]

I just found this bit of info about our favorite series.
(CC&P)

"Gee Wally...."
A staple phrase from Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver, who had a smile like apple pie and a knack for biting into sour apples. Like Dennis the Menace, Beaver always tried to do the right thing; he just had an unfortunate way of going about it.
In this sweet situation comedy, the world was seen through the eyes of a young, rambunctious boy who had an immense talent for trouble. The Beaver's champion was his all-American jock brother Wally, who despite his well intentioned rescue attempts, often found himself in the thick of it.
No matter how deep the boys got themselves into trouble, Ward Cleaver would without fail deliver the boys from their guilt with his patriarchal parables. A sample Wardism: "As you go through life, try to improve yourself, not prove yourself," delivered after the Beaver fell into a giant soup bowl billboard on a dare, resulting in a humiliating rescue by firemen.
The mother of the year award would go to June Cleaver, the ideal wife and mother, who not only kept her family thoroughly happy, but consistently looked like a million bucks. Every day was an adventure in parenting in the mythical town of Mayfield, USA, a pleasant middle-class suburb.
Of course every paradise has its snake, and Wally's pal Eddie Haskell was as slimy as they got. Flashing his pearly whites as he feigned flattery on Mrs. Cleaver, one could rest assured his devilish escapades were not far behind. Lumpy Rutherford was Wally's chubby, less dubious sidekick.
The Beaver had his own personal Eddie Haskell as well, Gilbert Bates, who in some ways was even more of a weasel then Eddie. Whitey Whitney, another Beav chum, was a bit on the goosey side, but good-natured nonetheless. And who could forget Larry Mondello, who was constantly eating or complaining while getting the Beaver into some kind of quandary. In a very memorable episode, Larry took money from his mother's sewing basket and pitched it out his window, then convinced Beaver it fell from a pilot's pockets while flying upside down.
These were the sorts of troubles the Beaver got himself into, but it was never anything serious. Leave It To Beaver was about as innocent as it gets, and that kind of good-natured charm made it an audience favorite through the end of the 1950's and into the 60's.

The show came to an end in 1963 as Beaver entered his teen years and Wally departed for college, but this was just the beginning of Leave It To Beaver' s legendary status. In syndication, the show would be enjoyed for years to come, becoming the very definition of that make-believe 50's era when nothing really bad ever happened, mom and dad knew everything, and kids were just plain adorable. :: END ::

[1954Boomer]

Hey Comet97,

Thanks for sharing that!