Hugh and Barbara's ages - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

desilu #1 · 02-10-2008, 11:45 AM

I just googled both Hugh and Barbara because some think that they were 11 yrs. apart but I got different yrs. The Internet Movie Data Base has Barbara born in 1915 and it has Hugh born in 1909, making them 6 yrs. apart. I don't know how reliable these records are, but I found it interesting. Oh well, 6 yrs. or 11, they had amazing chemistry.

Tweety · 02-11-2008, 11:50 PM

They sure did!

I always thought it was so cool the way they joked around with each other when they were doing the dishes or sitting in the living room talking about the boys...

I've always thought that their on-screen chemistry was amazing... even today, watching them, they just seem so "real".

Just an awesome couple. I still think that Ward was the best TV Dad ever, and June was a great wife and a great mother to the boys. And yeah, they were so good together, wow!

desilu #1 · 02-17-2008, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tweety

They sure did!

I always thought it was so cool the way they joked around with each other when they were doing the dishes or sitting in the living room talking about the boys...

I've always thought that their on-screen chemistry was amazing... even today, watching them, they just seem so "real".

Just an awesome couple. I still think that Ward was the best TV Dad ever, and June was a great wife and a great mother to the boys. And yeah, they were so good together, wow!

I agree, Ward was the best TV dad ever! I don't think they will come up with one better! I found their joking around to be a form of fore-play, in their day anyway! LOL! And again, you are right, they were very real!

Coffeecup · 02-19-2008, 07:52 PM

I read somewhere that Hugh was age 44 when the show premiered and Barbara was ?35. IF so Barbara would be born 1922 and Hugh in 1913. She would be around 86yrs old.

Tweety · 02-19-2008, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coffeecup

I read somewhere that Hugh was age 44 when the show premiered and Barbara was ?35. IF so Barbara would be born 1922 and Hugh in 1913. She would be around 86yrs old.

According to Wikipedia, Hugh Beaumont was born on February 16, 1909 (99 years ago, almost to the day) and Barbara Billingsley was born on December 22, 1915, so she is listed there as being 92, turning 93 later this year.

LITB made its debut in October of 1957, so Hugh would have been 48 and Billingsley 41 (a couple of months shy of 42) when the show premiered, provided that the birth dates listed by Wikipedia are correct . The Internet Movie Database lists the same birth dates for both Hugh and Barbara.

I didn't realize that they were that "old" when the show first went on the air... they both looked a lot younger.

Janice · 02-20-2008, 05:55 PM

I think Hugh looked his age, while Barbara looked younger. Hugh Beaumont was a very distinguised looking man, who obviously took care of himself. Barbara sure kept her shape. They were a striking looking couple who acted extremely well together. I always appreciated the fact that the writers put a lot of effort into developing Ward and June's relationship, and their characters in general. I really enjoyed their scenes together.

Tweety · 02-20-2008, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janice

I think Hugh looked his age, while Barbara looked younger. Hugh Beaumont was a very distinguised looking man, who obviously took care of himself. Barbara sure kept her shape. They were a striking looking couple who acted extremely well together. I always appreciated the fact that the writers put a lot of effort into developing Ward and June's relationship, and their characters in general. I really enjoyed their scenes together.

Yes, I actually think that Beaumont looked his age in the later seasons...I was just thinking that he didn't look 48 to me when the series began.

I think his hair was pretty black the first year or so, but later he did allow a bit of gray to show, and he began to look like a man who was in his 50s.

Barbara just never looked her age in that show... being almost 42 when the show started, and 48 when it ended, she just always looked so much younger. And she definitely kept her shape!

And yeah, they really were just incredible together...what a show!!

Coffeecup · 02-27-2008, 06:54 PM

You're probably right. Maybe I read something in the blue Leave to beaver book. Jerry Mathers write an introduction. OH well. Maybe I read wrong.

treky · 02-29-2008, 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tweety

According to Wikipedia, Hugh Beaumont was born on February 16, 1909 (99 years ago, almost to the day) and Barbara Billingsley was born on December 22, 1915, so she is listed there as being 92, turning 93 later this year.

LITB made its debut in October of 1957, so Hugh would have been 48 and Billingsley 41 (a couple of months shy of 42) when the show premiered, provided that the birth dates listed by Wikipedia are correct . The Internet Movie Database lists the same birth dates for both Hugh and Barbara.

I didn't realize that they were that "old" when the show first went on the air... they both looked a lot younger.

yea; and we all know how acurate Wikipedia and IMDB are.

Janice · 02-29-2008, 04:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treky

yea; and we all know how acurate Wikipedia and IMDB are.

Wow, a double eye roll. You really mean business. Actually, for birth and death dates, I've found IMDB and Wiki very reliable. There's the occasional typo, but that can happen anywhere. Wiki is good in the sense that it has a lot of footnotes. In this case, all dates that Tweety listed are correct.

Tweety · 02-29-2008, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treky

yea; and we all know how acurate Wikipedia and IMDB are.

I'd just as soon trust Wiki or IMDB when it comes to birth/death dates of celebrities.

Coffecup mentioned having read about Hugh and Barbara's ages in a LITB book, in which Beaver himself wrote an intro.

I've actually found that Wiki and IMDB are probably more reliable than the memories of the celebrities themselves, especially if it involves now-grown celebs trying to remember details of episodes or shows in which they themselves starred.

For example, look at all the revisions that had to be made in Barry Williams' "Growing Up Brady"...

http://goodguyentertainment.com/grow2.htm

There are a lot of BB fans out there who could have done a better job than Williams did in recalling details of episodes (probably because Williams hasn't spent his whole life watching reruns like the rest of us have).

In fact, that's probably the reason most celebs can't remember details of episodes very well... most of them don't watch their own reruns more than once or twice before they get tired of it.

I'm not sure which book Coffecup was referring to, but if Jerry Mathers mentioned Hugh and Barbara's ages in writing the intro or perhaps while being interviewed for the book, I"m sure the author of the book had no reason to question Mathers' recollections... but still, he could have been wrong. Or it's possible that coffecup "misremembered" what was in the book, but regardless, I know that celebrities memories of episodes, shows and movies are often not very reliable.

02-10-2008, 11:45 AM	#1
desilu #1 Lucy/Desi 4-EVER Forum Regular Join Date: Sep 23, 2000 Location: Battle Creek, Michigan USA Posts: 724	Hugh and Barbara's ages I just googled both Hugh and Barbara because some think that they were 11 yrs. apart but I got different yrs. The Internet Movie Data Base has Barbara born in 1915 and it has Hugh born in 1909, making them 6 yrs. apart. I don't know how reliable these records are, but I found it interesting. Oh well, 6 yrs. or 11, they had amazing chemistry.
	__________________ Amy M. Weaver

02-11-2008, 11:50 PM	#2
Tweety Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 18, 2002 Location: Florida Posts: 6,804	They sure did! I always thought it was so cool the way they joked around with each other when they were doing the dishes or sitting in the living room talking about the boys... I've always thought that their on-screen chemistry was amazing... even today, watching them, they just seem so "real". Just an awesome couple. I still think that Ward was the best TV Dad ever, and June was a great wife and a great mother to the boys. And yeah, they were so good together, wow!

02-19-2008, 07:52 PM	#4
Coffeecup coffeecup. Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 17, 2003 Location: snoozeville Posts: 3,183	I read somewhere that Hugh was age 44 when the show premiered and Barbara was ?35. IF so Barbara would be born 1922 and Hugh in 1913. She would be around 86yrs old.

02-20-2008, 05:55 PM	#6
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	I think Hugh looked his age, while Barbara looked younger. Hugh Beaumont was a very distinguised looking man, who obviously took care of himself. Barbara sure kept her shape. They were a striking looking couple who acted extremely well together. I always appreciated the fact that the writers put a lot of effort into developing Ward and June's relationship, and their characters in general. I really enjoyed their scenes together.

02-27-2008, 06:54 PM	#8
Coffeecup coffeecup. Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 17, 2003 Location: snoozeville Posts: 3,183	You're probably right. Maybe I read something in the blue Leave to beaver book. Jerry Mathers write an introduction. OH well. Maybe I read wrong.