Would love to see Leave it to Beaver DVD (2 Viewers)

[DustinLC]

Some things I always wonder:

1. What does Larry sister look like?

2. What does Ward do? He sit in his office and appears to be sharing it with Fred, Lumpy's father. Likes to complain about paper work.

3. Where the heck are they? I'm assuming midwest based on some episodes. Perhaps Ohio? Yet there's this episode that have them talk about driving to the beach.

4. Does June ever have a bad hair day? I mean jump out middle of the night with a perfect hair .

 

[Michael Hall]

I think that Mayfield is one of those typical television towns like Springfield on "The Simpsons" that exists in its own geographical landscape. There are often mentions of trips to St. Louis by characters, but there are, as you mentioned Dustin, also times where the characters talk about going to the ocean. There is a website that actually addresses this, along with several other LITB tidbits.

Where in the world is Mayfield?

 

[Brian W.]

I LOVE Leave It to Beaver. I think it was a WONDERFUL show. One thing from the show that I remember, and I hope that when it finally comes to DVD, they will include it (though I think it was in a later season), was the Purina Dog Chow promo.

Have you ever seen seen that? I think I only saw it once, in late 1970s syndication, but I remember it clear as a bell. It's a tag at the end of an episode. Beaver's hurrying out of kitchen, and June asks where he's going. He tells her he's watching Miss Landers' dog while she's on vaction.

Cut to Ms. Landers' house. She's showing him what to feed the dog, and removes a bag of...

Beaver: Gee, Miss Landers, that's Purina Dog Chow!

Ms. Landers: Yes, Beaver, the eager eater's dog food.

Then she goes on to tell all about how great Purina Dog Chow is. It was quite amusing.

 

[Greg_S_H]

They did a similar thing on the Andy Griffith Show, where Opie brought a Sanka bottle to Aunt Bea on a pillow.

 

[Brian W.]

Andy Griffith also did that with Grape Nuts. The Grape Nuts promo is on the budget DVD "Classic Commercials," as is a "Bewitched" commercial for heated hair curlers, hosted by Elizabeth Montgomery from the "Bewitched" set.

 

[David Von Pein]

Yes. Same guy.
From Beaver, to Jonny Quest, to West Wing....

 

[David Von Pein]

It wasn't Edward W. Haskell that coaxed The Beav into climbing into the soup bowl. It was "Whitey Whitney".

Beav -- "Boy, Whitey, what a dumb kid you are."

Whitey (to himself, as foolish Beaver is climbing into bowl) -- "Yeah, sure...I'm a dumb kid."

 

[David Von Pein]

Fred -- "Well the way you drive I'm surprised something like this didn't happen a long time ago!"

 

[Jon_Are]

You guys are making me yearn for this set. This has been a personal favorite of mine (along with Dick Van Dyke and Andy Griffith Show) from very early childhood.

Here's one of my favorite lines (paraphrasing):

Beaver (talking about taking an IQ test): "Why do I need to know which house has a chimney on its roof?"

Wally: "Gee, Beav...if you can't tell which house has a chimney, you shouldn't even be walking around."

Let's hope the Beav gets the DVD on DVD treatment.

Jon

 

[David Von Pein]

Then there's the rather risque remark made by June Cleaver (to Ward) ......

"Who's Cornelia Rayburn? And when did she see you off your feet?"

 

[David Von Pein]

Ward could unleash some good zingers upon occasion too ......

Wally asks his dad .... "Gee, Dad, if a girl called here for me, you wouldn't tell her I was in the bathtub, would ya?"

Ward -- "Well, Wally, with the number of baths you take, I don't think the risk is very great."

 

[Dane Marvin]

Speaking of bathrooms, Wally and Beaver spent quite a lot of time in there. I know what you're thinking: PERVERTS! I bring this up only because it was considered risque to show a bathroom on television back then. In fact, LITB was the first program to break that barrier!

Get this out on DVD ASAP!

 

[Dave H]

How many seasons were there?

 

[Greg_S_H]

6 seasons, and a whopping 234 episodes.

 

[Craig S]

With a stop in the Animal House along the way.

 

[Michael Hall]

Question: where exactly did Larry have his "operation?" He's always complaining about it in the early episodes but for the life of me I can't remember what kind of operation it was.

Little known fact: the kids who played Tooey (Wally's friend on the earlier episodes) and Whitey Whitney are actually brothers in real life. Thank you TV Land for your informative bumpers before the show.

I think that people who didn't grow up watching (or who have never seen) LITB just don't get the true hilarity of Barbara Billingsley talking jive in "Airplane." That scene can't have nearly the impact if you've never seen her as June Cleaver (just my opinion).

Random thought: the only thing that I disliked about the show was Gilbert (Beaver's friend in later seasons). He was just this smarmy little kid whose only purpose was to goad Beaver into doing something stupid and then run away, leaving Beaver to take all the flack for it. Give me Larry or Whitey any day of the week over Gilbert.

To keep this semi-on-topic, I hope that this thread will get the attention of someone in the know and they'll see what demand there is for the series on DVD. It would be great to have it soon, since I'm worried Barbara Billingsley is getting in the age range where her health is a concern. I think I'd value her participation in a DVD set more than any of the other actors.

 

[David Von Pein]

What Michael said out there in the Hall!

Never knew that tidbit about Whitey & Tooey. "Tiger" and "Stanley Fafara".

Sadly, Stanley (who was Whitey) died last September, on his 54th birthday. :frowning:

 

[David Von Pein]

If I were to wager a wild guess, I'd have to say in the Mayfield General Hospital; Room 228B.

j/k. (I'm a sass-box, you see.)

In all manner of "Larry's Surgery" seriousness ..... I think the exact organ of Larry's that was operated on is similar in nature to the other revolving LITB "mysteries" that were never solved totally .... that is: we don't know exactly.

However, it must be in the general area of the "stomach", because in one episode, Beaver claims to have hit Larry in the stomach; and Larry stated it was "almost where I had my operation".

As a side note on this ultra-important Larry Mondello surgical matter.....below you can actually see Larry being operated on (circa 1957). That doctor somewhat resembles my doctor (as well as Simon Bar-Sinister)!!

I only hope Simon didn't touch Larry's metal sides, setting off the dreaded buzzer!!

 

[Greg_S_H]

I don't think they got the continuity right with Gilbert, either. He started out as the only child of an itinerant jazz musician, whom I believe was a single father. Gilbert talked about both his mother and father later, and there was no hint of an exotic lifestyle after that one episode. Also, I believe he later mentioned having a sister, but I may be wrong on that.

 

[Louis C]

I think the early episodes were the funniest.

I especially like the one where Beav gives himself a haircut cause he's afraid to tell his dad he lost the money for the barber. After he screws it up, Wally gives it a try using a bowl! My favorite part is June and Ward sneaking in at night to look under his cap - June's reaction is priceless.

I still say that Dell dude was just trying to be a warmed-over Eddie Haskell.