Adventures with Wally, Beaver and The Crossdraw Kid

[Zoneboy]

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That the Crossdraw Kid looked younger than his years would play a large part in his coming adventures. A dinner with his parents at their friend producer Joe Connelly's house in the late '50s, proved to be another important stepping stone to Crossdraw's future.

Connelly, along with his partner Bob Moser, created and were producing "Leave It To Beaver" for Universal Television. During a conversation with Connelly, the Kid mentioned that he was studying cinema at college, and continuing with his less than stellar but steady acting career.

Connelly, who knew him all his life, said, "Kid, why don't you come to work for us; you can be our utility, jack-of-all trades guy on the set, and also play one of Wally's pals, when we need you. I'm sure we can work around your class schedule, and you'll really learn a thing or two about this business."

He then looked over the Kid long and hard and, shaking his head, said jokingly, "You're sure you're over 18?"

"Come on Kid, can't you make yourself a little smaller?" asked director of photography, Max Stengler, as Crossdraw hobbled around the set of the Cleaver's living room on his knees. One of his first utility jobs was to stand in for the kids on the show.

However small Crossdraw may have been at the time, he wasn't near the size of 11-year-old, Jerry Mathers, the Beaver, even on his knees. Jerry's usual stand-in was a tiny, little woman, who was all of about 4 feet tall.

The Kid tried to shrink himself as small as possible, while the crew set the lights for the coming scene.

Strict laws govern the number of hours children can work on the set. They must go to school four hours a day and can only work four hours. On a TV series featuring kids, it becomes important that everyone cooperate.

Crossdraw, as an adult, didn't have these rules, so they worked him like a dog. He loved every moment of it!

Tony Dow, who played Wally, was about five years younger than the Kid, but as they got older, they continued their friendship. Almost 30 years later, the Kid asked Tony to direct a television Christmas Public Service Special, starring the young people from "Activities for ******** Children


These wonderful youngsters, many with Down Syndrome, played the English Bells like angels. To them, Tony, by then a well-respected director, was always "Wally." They never stopped asking, "Gee, Wally. ... Where's the Beaver?"

The rest of the older kids on the show: Kenny Osmond, who played Eddie Haskell, and Frank Bank who portrayed Lumpy Rutherford, were also good guys.

The fact that they've all remained close for so many years is a tribute to the whole "Leave It To Beaver" family, especially Hugh Beaumont and Barbara Billingsly, who played Ward and June Cleaver. More than anyone, those two made the "Beaver" set the magical place that it was.

They were all such a close show biz family, that the Kid became briefly engaged to the lovely Linda Evans at a "Leave it to Beaver" Christmas party at Tony Dow's house. They met on the set of "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriett."

The Kid's engagement present to his newly betrothed was a new breed of dog, a little, black Cockapoo puppy. The dog hated him.

Crossdraw didn't spend all his time on his knees, staring into bright lights. Whenever they needed a young actor to say, "Can Wally come out and play, Mrs. Cleaver?" there was the Kid.

When, at a school dance, cute Cheryl Holdridge, who played Julie Foster, would get mad at Wally, and wanted to make him jealous, there was the Kid.

When Beaver got stuck in a giant, smoking soup cup on the top of a billboard, and they needed someone to heckle him, there was the Kid.

When Lumpy got sick on an amusement park ride and needed an unwitting target, again, there was the Kid.

After a while, they even gave his character sort of a name: Buzz.

When Crossdraw wasn't in college; studying, or drilling with his Naval ROTC unit, he was working utility, playing Buzz and learning the business of show business from the ground up.

Connelly kept his promise. Crossdraw worked in the editing room, sat in on script discussions, and became an apprentice to the script girl and to assistant director, Dolph Zimmer.


He worked hard, kept his eyes and ears open and, as you will see, his mouth shut.

On soundstage 16, next door to the "Beaver" stage, they were making a film entitled, "Wimpy," directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

It wasn't really "Wimpy," they were secretly filming "Psycho" on a closed set.

That didn't stop the adventuresome scalawags from next door.

Tony, Jerry, Kenny, Frank and the Kid, were innocently playing catch with a beat-up old football, in the driveway between the stages, waiting for their chance. Moments later, two prop guys came out the stage door.

Jerry, who was nearest, stuck the old football in the doorway so it wouldn't close. One by one, the motley crew snuck onto the forbidden set.

It would make a wonderful story to be able to recount how this band of ruffians arrived just as they were filming the terrifying shower scene with Janet Leigh.

Unfortunately, this was not the case.

They were, however, rehearsing a scene where actor Martin Balsam is suddenly stabbed in the head, as he climbed the stairs in the creepy old Bates' house.

The gang, standing in the shadows, quietly watched Hitchcock rehearse the scene several times. He then asked everyone to get ready to shoot.

Next, the most incredible thing happened. Hitchcock turned and walked right over to where the boys were hidden.

He looked them over one by one, then leaned down in front of Jerry, and said, "Mr. Mathers, don't you think it's time for you and your friends to go back to your own stage?"

He was right, and they did.

This was not the last time the boys were asked to leave a closed set, but Hitchcock did it with dignity and a twinkle in his eye.

Such was not the case when the studio was filming, "The Ugly American," with Marlon Brando. Once again there was a "Closed Set" sign on the door.

The boys snuck onto the set, stood, in the background, and were quiet and respectful. Brando was filming a scene, and obviously didn't know his lines. He blew the scene, time and again.

The director, George Englund, finally yelled "Cut," for the 50th time, and asked everyone to take a break, causing Brando to stalk off the set, and run right into the boys.

In Frank Bank's book, "Call Me Lumpy," he writes that Brando stormed up to Tony Dow and yelled, "Get theses #&%#@ kids out of here. What do you think you're doing? This is a closed set, can't you read?"

Tony turned to him and calmly said, "@%#&@%#!" With that, the boys deliberately and slowly walked out.

In Jerry Mathers' book, "... And Jerry Mathers as The Beaver," he recounts that it was Frank Bank who said to Mr. Brando, "%&#@ buddy," as they walked off the set.

Crossdraw, for the life of him, can't remember who said what to whom. He's sure of one thing. He never said one single, solitary word ... for a change.

[tjays]

Interesting read. Boy it's hard to imagine TD swearing though. Not my precious Wally!