Age difference - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

boechsner · 10-08-2001, 04:31 PM

Has anyone else noticed the age difference between Hugh Beaumont and Barbara Billingsley. When the show started he was 48 years old and she was 35, a 13 year age difference. On Good Times, there was a 19 year age difference between Esther Rolle and John Amos and on The Jeffersons there was a 21 year age difference between Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley.

Marta2 · 10-12-2001, 08:01 PM

I never knew that. Hugh Beaumont looked great for 48 then. Barbara Billingsley still looks wonderful today!

tdr · 10-12-2001, 10:20 PM

In "Wally's Orchid," doesn't June say she was 15 or 16 when particular guy gave her an orchid she kept crushed in a book? That guy, of course, turns out to be Ward. It doesn't seem likely June's family would have approved of attention given her from a guy in his late 20's. And it's also doubtful that a guy that age would have to sell his stamp collection to pay for an orchid, as Ward says.

In another ep in the final season, they tell Wally they met at "State," where Wally was planning to go to college. There may have been quite a few post-war romances in the late 40's with considerable age differences, with so many returning veterans having a chance to go to school on the GI bill. But Wally should have been born about '45, so it should not have been post-war.

I think I have read that in the 'New LITB' series, June tells of meeting Ward when he was in the Seabees and she worked for the USO, but I do not remember seeing this.

Apparently we are supposed to assume Ward and June were about the same age and ignore the obvious difference.

DarleneIllyria · 10-12-2001, 10:32 PM

Hugh looked really young in the series. I would've guessed about 38 or 40, but certainly not 48!!

------------------
Hottest Men alive:
Dale Midkiff
Anthony Starke
Tim McGraw
Jonathan Crombie

Lumpy: Did you go out for anything, Dud?

Dudley: Well, I went out for football, but I got my finger stepped on, so my mother made me quit.

Eddie: Well listen-- I went out for basketball and I got my hair pulled, and my mother made ME quit.

Dudley: It's not that I was afraid of getting hurt or anything; it's just that-- well, it's kind o' hard to play the flute with a busted finger.

[Eddie and Lumpy suppress laughter]

Dale Midkiff is my man!

lukes42 · 10-13-2001, 11:24 PM

I've always wondered how old Hugh and Barbara were when they took part in the series. I always thought they were pretty close in age, but not that big of an age difference! Hugh was starting to look older in the final seasons, with the gray hair showing more, but no way did I ever think he was in his mid-50's, yikes!

MsLulu · 10-14-2001, 02:09 AM

I agree Hugh Beaumont didn't look 48 when the series started. I imagine Ward and June were supposed to be close in age. They were such a great couple!

10-08-2001, 04:31 PM	#1
boechsner Member Senior Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2000 Location: Green Bay, WI Posts: 2,212	Age difference Has anyone else noticed the age difference between Hugh Beaumont and Barbara Billingsley. When the show started he was 48 years old and she was 35, a 13 year age difference. On Good Times, there was a 19 year age difference between Esther Rolle and John Amos and on The Jeffersons there was a 21 year age difference between Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley.

10-12-2001, 08:01 PM	#2
Marta2 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Sep 19, 2001 Location: Glen Allen, VA USA Posts: 23	I never knew that. Hugh Beaumont looked great for 48 then. Barbara Billingsley still looks wonderful today!

10-12-2001, 10:20 PM	#3
tdr Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 23, 2001 Posts: 1,454	In "Wally's Orchid," doesn't June say she was 15 or 16 when particular guy gave her an orchid she kept crushed in a book? That guy, of course, turns out to be Ward. It doesn't seem likely June's family would have approved of attention given her from a guy in his late 20's. And it's also doubtful that a guy that age would have to sell his stamp collection to pay for an orchid, as Ward says. In another ep in the final season, they tell Wally they met at "State," where Wally was planning to go to college. There may have been quite a few post-war romances in the late 40's with considerable age differences, with so many returning veterans having a chance to go to school on the GI bill. But Wally should have been born about '45, so it should not have been post-war. I think I have read that in the 'New LITB' series, June tells of meeting Ward when he was in the Seabees and she worked for the USO, but I do not remember seeing this. Apparently we are supposed to assume Ward and June were about the same age and ignore the obvious difference.

10-12-2001, 10:32 PM	#4
DarleneIllyria Gone Forum Star Join Date: Oct 15, 2000 Posts: 19,086	Hugh looked really young in the series. I would've guessed about 38 or 40, but certainly not 48!! ------------------ Hottest Men alive: Dale Midkiff Anthony Starke Tim McGraw Jonathan Crombie Lumpy: Did you go out for anything, Dud? Dudley: Well, I went out for football, but I got my finger stepped on, so my mother made me quit. Eddie: Well listen-- I went out for basketball and I got my hair pulled, and my mother made ME quit. Dudley: It's not that I was afraid of getting hurt or anything; it's just that-- well, it's kind o' hard to play the flute with a busted finger. [Eddie and Lumpy suppress laughter] Dale Midkiff is my man!

10-13-2001, 11:24 PM	#5
lukes42 I've got nothing... Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 31, 2001 Location: Marquette, MI Posts: 416	I've always wondered how old Hugh and Barbara were when they took part in the series. I always thought they were pretty close in age, but not that big of an age difference! Hugh was starting to look older in the final seasons, with the gray hair showing more, but no way did I ever think he was in his mid-50's, yikes!

10-14-2001, 02:09 AM	#6
MsLulu Wiggly Mom Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 30, 2001 Location: San Diego, CA, USA Posts: 144	I agree Hugh Beaumont didn't look 48 when the series started. I imagine Ward and June were supposed to be close in age. They were such a great couple!