Was There Real Animosity From Hugh Beaumont About "Leave It To Beaver?"

[Brian Damage]

I think I read or heard somewhere that Hugh Beaumont resented being on LITB. Is that true or just a rumor?

[Rezny@gmail.com]

I don't know,but I guess to pacify him ABC/Revue/Universal TV arranged for him to write an episode in the second season old house years,and when the series moved to Universal for the 1959-1963 seasons(the new house years-the best years in my opinion)they made it possible for him to direct as well,because in the new house years,he directed many episodes .

[Hughsgirl]

I think I recall reading somewhere that the problem he had was that he had a difficult time after playing Ward because he was more known for that and had a hard time getting opposite roles because he was "typecast" as Ward from then on. I also recall reading that Barbara Billingsley said that later he finally made peace with it, but she didn't think he really understood how much he did for the role of Ward and how it really affected the world.

[biffbronson]

That's interesting. I might add that when he made his first Petticoat Junction appearance as a one-time character*, a couple of years or so after LITB ended, he had let his hair go grey (at the temples mainly, you know what I mean). That may have had something to do with his wanting to distance himself from the role as Ward. He also wore glasses, IIRC. -- (*Hugh later had a recurring role as Betty Jo's new father-in-law.)

[Ed]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

I think I read or heard somewhere that Hugh Beaumont resented being on LITB. Is that true or just a rumor?

I interviewed Tony Dow and Barbara Billingsley for a book I was writing in 2006 and Tony told me that Hugh was not real happy when he was working on the show. When I asked why, Tony said, "He had been a lead on some other series, and was in a ton of other things and getting tied down to just being a father in a series that is basically about a couple of boys, and having to play second fiddle to Jerry and I, he wasn't real happy. After the first or second year, he tried to get out of his contract, and they wouldn't let him." Barbara said, "He wanted to get on with this show, so he could get on to something else. He had done alot of things prior. He had played a well known running part as a detective (Michael Shayne) and he had been in alot of movies. He wanted to get onto something else, but he was so much better off where he was. I don't think he had any idea of what a good show he was making at the time, but I think he realized it after he made so many of them, and realized what a good show it was. I thought he was just the best." So, it wasn't a rumor. It was true. Hope that helps.

[mets82]

Now, I have made my opinions known about Ward and June Cleaver but I will say this I dont think Ward played second fiddle. I think each of the Cleavers' were equal. Ward was just as big as June, The Beaver and Wally.

[Cincy Guy]

In viewing LITB now, I think that Hugh Beaumont definitely did not play "second fiddle" in the show. In fact, in his talks with Beaver, he shows he is a person of vast knowledge about life. Some of his asides are actually very funny as well. Each cast member had an important part and he played his extremely well.

In terms of how he looked at the series overall, he was interviewed by Richard Lamparski in the early 1980's for a chaper in one of the "Whatever Became of..." books and he told him that he nevered watch the show.

[Jack1000]

Originally Posted by Ed

I interviewed Tony Dow and Barbara Billingsley for a book I was writing in 2006 and Tony told me that Hugh was not real happy when he was working on the show. When I asked why, Tony said, "He had been a lead on some other series, and was in a ton of other things and getting tied down to just being a father in a series that is basically about a couple of boys, and having to play second fiddle to Jerry and I, he wasn't real happy. After the first or second year, he tried to get out of his contract, and they wouldn't let him." Barbara said, "He wanted to get on with this show, so he could get on to something else. He had done alot of things prior. He had played a well known running part as a detective (Michael Shayne) and he had been in alot of movies. He wanted to get onto something else, but he was so much better off where he was. I don't think he had any idea of what a good show he was making at the time, but I think he realized it after he made so many of them, and realized what a good show it was. I thought he was just the best." So, it wasn't a rumor. It was true. Hope that helps.

His directing skills were certainly amazing! Did anyone know how Hugh was on the set as a director? Frank Bank's book said that Jerry at times thought he was too strict. Tony said that Frank's book is loaded with inaccurate information and is just superficial arrogant stuff about Frank implying that "LITB would be nothing if I wasn't on it." Jerry said that Hugh was always very professional toward both Tony and he, BUT was NOT "Warm and Fuzzy." His first love was studying theology, (He was an ordained minister,) A story that I heard was that he would do small like traveling minstrel shows with church groups, and audiences thought he was really good at acting, but the church could not afford to pay him. So Hugh took up acting and it was believed that the money that he made was to be devoted to his church and his family. Hugh was a very strong high-moral family values man, just like Ward, and it is believed that his ministry work and conservative guiding values made him the perfect choice to play Ward.

I heard that Jerry was a bit intimidated by Hugh in early seasons, like maybe season 1-2, but that changed and Jerry became very respectable of Hugh and their is a story that he became closer to Hugh than his own father. Jerry's Dad was very strict, a school principle, and the elder Mathers worked all the time when Jerry was on 'Beaver." Like Hugh, Jerry's father was very committed to his family.

Hugh in later years contacted Tourette's Syndrome a medical condition that causes involuntary body movements and outward bursts of anger for no reason. Jerry once say Hugh in a bookstore and he was swearing and screaming as a result of this disorder. Hugh saw Jerry and seemed shocked and embarrassed about what he had been doing, and they hugged each other. Hugh's last 10 years of his life were also complicated by a stroke. He had a devastating last ten years of his life.

Jack