Eddie Haskell and Lumpy were always, “Giving the business” to Beaver and Wally. I always enjoyed hearing that phrase on the show.
Yes there was some 50s stylistic stuff that made some of “leave It To Beaver” unrealistic.
Like the mom always dressed in the house - no matter what she was doing - as if she was about to go out shopping in her favorite stores. She never once wore what my mom called a “house dress” and her hair always looked like she did not need to go to the beauty parlor.
Beaver over the years never managed to learn to not follow his dumbest friends, into trouble. Then again they made Beaver look “better” than those friends, but still created situations Beaver had to get out of or get punished for.
Beaver and Wally made good brothers in my estimation, and in an interview a few years back Jerry Mthews and Tony Dow said their friendship became a lot like real brothers over the years, brothers who were also good friends.
Often by the end of an episdoe there was a good lesson or lessons for the boys or the family and it - the resolution of an issue - often promoted good values as well.
Tony Dpw played a good “corrective” role to the seeming alwys immature Beaver. Today’s TV would do well to have roles like Wally and Beaver and child actors like Tony Dow.
I met Dow at a friend’s party and we never spoke about the show or character. Real nice guy. Of all the people there, Dow was the quietest and most unassuming person at that party.
This back and forth with Wally was like Tanya Roberts from Charlie’s Angels.
I hope when the time comes that the “Beav’s” demise is quick like a skydiving accident or showing up riding a Honda scooter at a motorcycle rally like Sturgis and insulting a guy named ‘Tiny’ about his manhood.... : )
I feel almost as if I’d lost a cousin I’d grown up with. He was of my generation, and I grew up watching the show and then watched its reruns for more than half a century. (Currently two episodes are on here every day.) The character Wally was a nice guy, and from what I could see when Tony Dow appeared in interviews and on some shows about ex-child actors, he was too.
Usually when I regret the passing of an actor or musician, it’s impersonal, and I just appreciate what they have contributed. This time it feels more personal.