The All Night Party episode observation.

[visaman666]

I just saw the episode " The All Night Party". I couldn't believe how square the music was at the Country club Graduation party --even by 1963 standards. Heck, it was even too square for The Lawrence Welk Show. I wasn't expecting Leather Tuscadero, but even Potsie singing Splish Splash would have been a step up!

[Cincy Guy]

This episode was just re-shown yesterday (03/25/14). Actually, it's one of my favorites mainly from the line Wally responds with when asked by Ward if he had any idea who the man was who pushed his date into the fountain. "Heck, no, Dad. He was a real old guy. He must have been at least 40 years old......".

Actually, I didn't pay much attention to the music that was used in the party scenes. I was puzzled by June's negative attitude toward all of them being out all night. Long before 1963, a prom and the after-prom activities that followed, kept everyone up sometimes until dawn and seemed widely accepted by everyone.

Interesting, too, that Wally's date was "Kathy Gregory" played by the very attractive Carole Wells (who is actually almost three years older than Tony Dow). For a prom, guys most likely took a girl they have been seeing, but this is the only time she is seen in any episode of the show. You'd think his date would have been one of the regulars like: "Julie Foster" (Cheryl Holdridge) or "Mary Ellen Rogers" (Pamela Baird).

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Cincy Guy

This episode was just re-shown yesterday (03/25/14). Actually, it's one of my favorites mainly from the line Wally responds with when asked by Ward if he had any idea who the man was who pushed his date into the fountain. "Heck, no, Dad. He was a real old guy. He must have been at least 40 years old......".

Actually, I didn't pay much attention to the music that was used in the party scenes. I was puzzled by June's negative attitude toward all of them being out all night. Long before 1963, a prom and the after-prom activities that followed, kept everyone up sometimes until dawn seemed widely accepted by everyone.

Interesting, too, that Wally's date was "Kathy Gregory" played by the very attractive Carole Wells (who is actually almost three years older than Tony Dow). For a prom, guys most likely took a girl they have been seeing, but this is the only time she is seen in any episode of the show. You'd think his date would have been one of the regulars like: "Julie Foster" (Cheryl Holdridge) or "Mary Ellen Rogers" (Pamela Baird.

I posted a similar observation several years ago. Wally said Kathy was a new girl who just transferred to MHS....Did she just transfer to graduate? I'm assuming Wally attended both elementary and HS with Julie and Mary Ellen...they both must have been upset with Wally bringing a new girl to their biggest event of HS life!......I think the scene with Wally meeting the parents was fantastic, it brought back memories of a terrified young man with jacket and tie waiting for his date to come down the stairs while being inspected by dad and mom! I wonder if the same archaic ritual is practiced by today's kids?

[Scrabjan1]

I also wondered why Wally was taking a new girl since he spent a fortune on Julie Foster at the White Fox. Eddie was still on the fence who he was taking and it was just days before the affair. Love how Eddie asks Lumpy if he was taking so and so and Lumpy said how his father saw her father at some function and he was wearing brown shoes. I guess that was a faux pas. Anyway the music was the same music you hear all the time so I guess they had to use generic music. I can't believe that June and Ward had to once again go into the living room and discuss whether Wally could attend the all nighter. Here he is a very responsible and adult person and they have no confidence in him after all those years.

I loved the drunk parent who bumped Kathy into the fountain. He was the cab driver who brought Beaver home when he got on the wrong bus and went back to Mayfield instead of Crystal Falls and came to the door to take Larry to his grandmother's when he and Beaver had a fight. I would have loved to have seen Foster Brooks do his drunk routine for Wally and Kathy.

[visaman666]

Yes, I noticed that the "girl" was much older than Wally.

I know when I was in Grade 12, in 1982 I had to meet my date's mother before a dance ( and I did not were a suit and tie ) . As for my graduation, we had a class lottery, and I got picked with a girl I never met before, who would have rather been dipped in boiling Chicken fat than be seen sitting next to me. Her father drove her to the dinner, much to my relief.

Getting back to Wally, I'm surprised that we never actually go to SEE him graduate!

[Scrabjan1]

That's right it's such an awkward age...just ask Beaver. I think Wally handled himself very well with that prejudiced father. I wonder if Kathy's father was a wild man at that age and thinks all teenagers are like he was.

Speaking of Wally graduating I thought it was funny how when Beaver is going to Fallbrook Wally is getting the room organized for himself but he's planning to go to State about the same time Beaver is going to Fallbrook. We never get to see Beaver in high school and Wally at State.

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Scrabjan1

That's right it's such an awkward age...just ask Beaver. I think Wally handled himself very well with that prejudiced father. I wonder if Kathy's father was a wild man at that age and thinks all teenagers are like he was.

Speaking of Wally graduating I thought it was funny how when Beaver is going to Fallbrook Wally is getting the room organized for himself but he's planning to go to State about the same time Beaver is going to Fallbrook. We never get to see Beaver in high school and Wally at State.

It's just as well it ended when it did. With Wally at State and I'm assuming he's living on campus, and Beaver looking more goofy especially as he enters MHS the show was effectively done.......If it stayed for another season Ward and June would have to adopt a "Cousin Oliver" kid to bring back the cuteness factor...or June would have an unexpected pregnancy!

[Cincy Guy]

I thought the idea for Beaver to attend Fallbrook came as a result of another student using his name in a test; therefore Beaver going there wasn't going to happen once that was learned so he would have gone on to Mayfield High and lived at home. Over the years of the series, Beaver had different friends along the way (from Larry to the group including: Whitey, Gilbert and Richard, etc. and even some female friends) so using the same people and adding some new ones would not have been a big change.

I don't think Wally attending college would have removed him from the storylines. He could have attended a college right in the area and lived at home. Buddies Eddie and Lumpy could have done likewise although there was that episode about Lumpy going to "State" to play football. Since he wasn't in every episode anyway, the Lumpy character could have still been seen while he was home from college, etc.

I would compare the Beaver and Wally characters growing up to those of Ricky and David Nelson. They were young boys when Ozzie & Harriet started on TV, went into high school and were in college or just getting out when the series ended. In fact, the storylines went on to include them in their married lives with their wives. I think the same could have been done in LITB.

[MickeyMac]

Also Wally mentiones that she is a new girl in school. This was towards the end of the school and and senior year for Wally. Why would a family switch schools so close to graduation????


The music does seem square, but even as late as the mid 60's, dances like this one would sometimes have that "old fashioned" kind of music. At the same time, dances also had more current music that youngsters were listening to.

[Jack1000]

Actually, it's one of my favorites mainly from the line Wally responds with when asked by Ward if he had any idea who the man was who pushed his date into the fountain. "Heck, no, Dad. He was a real old guy. He must have been at least 40 years old......".

And Wally's great zinger, "I think he was one of the fathers who came to pick up his daughter!" hahahahaha

Jack

[Jack1000]

Originally Posted by Mr B

It's just as well it ended when it did. With Wally at State and I'm assuming he's living on campus, and Beaver looking more goofy especially as he enters MHS the show was effectively done.......If it stayed for another season Ward and June would have to adopt a "Cousin Oliver" kid to bring back the cuteness factor...or June would have an unexpected pregnancy!

The producers talked to the cast about doing a few more seasons, according to Jerry. Jerry said that he asked his Dad for advice and Mr. Mathers said, "You should do what you feel you want to do."

Jerry rejected a renewal contract for several reasons:

1.) He felt that any new issues or problems "Beaver" would have had in a season seven or eight, would just be a rehash of the themes they did with "Wally" in season's five and six.

2.) There were two main provisions in the contract that made Jerry say "no" to an extension of Leave it to Beaver.

a.) The producers wanted Jerry to be available for movie roles and be open to doing perhaps another series. Jerry felt this would make him typecast and diminish the notoriety impact of "Beaver."

b.) Jerry wanted to move away from acting and start the life of a "normal" teen by going to public school. I think his Dad, who was a high school principle at the time and later a school superintendent also wanted Jerry to focus on his studies.

Other reactions:

1.) Barbara felt that the things they had Beaver doing were at times too immature for his mid-teen years. What works at age seven, doesn't work at fifteen

2.) Hugh was exhausted. Every weekend, literally being the family man that he was, he would fly back home to his family, only to have to come back to Universal the following week to start shooting new episodes. It drained him so much, that after the second season, he was close to being replaced! To compensate they gave Hugh more episodes to direct and had him consulting more on scripts and story-lines.

3.) Hugh's loves were church and family, more than acting. Jerry and Tony said he was always very pleasant and professional, but not "Warm and Fuzzy." I think Jerry said that Hugh's personality was very close to that of his own father. He had high expectations on set. Ken Osmond said, "You knew not to mess with him." Cast members said in later seasons, Hugh was not "happy" on the set. I think he was overworked.

Jack

[MMR]

Originally Posted by Cincy Guy

I thought the idea for Beaver to attend Fallbrook came as a result of another student using his name in a test; therefore Beaver going there wasn't going to happen once that was learned so he would have gone on to Mayfield High and lived at home.

This was in one of the early episodes. Beaver got the highest grade in the school on the IQ test and was encouraged to attend private school, and went to visit one with Ward and June. It turned out Charles was the kid with the high IQ and he had switched papers with Beaver.

The idea for Fallbrook came when Aunt Martha offered to pay for it. Aunt Martha's brother went there, and it had been a tradition in June's family for generations. Beaver of course changed his mind and went to Mayfield.

[Scrabjan1]

Reminded me a lot of the one when Beaver was supposed to see American for six weeks in the summer. All excited about going and then decides he doesn't want to go. Just like when Wally wanted to go away to military school in an early episode because Johnny Franklin stops by to see Wally. Wally thinks his parents are trying to get rid of him so decides to stay put.

[Zinc2]

To catch a glimpse at how principled Hugh Beaumont was...
Go to the Leave It to Beaver Sitcoms Online photo gallery/Hugh Beaumont. You can view the Ladies Home Journal (June, 1958) article "Between Jobs" written about him and his family. It's piecemeal because they had to break up the article to have it format the page, so be patient when reading it out of order. The account gives you a sense of what life was like for Hugh in 1958 and how much faith and family meant to him. There have been many things written about him, but I feel this is a definitive piece because so much of it is in his own words.

[Scrabjan1]

I'll enjoy reading that. Hugh Beaumont was a great actor to play a character like Ward even if he wasn't Ward.