AlexandraOsmond Got Shot Three Times
Ken Osmond was probably another victim of typecasting, who gave up on acting after his Eddie Haskell character. He became a police officer. The change even included a mustache to help him go unnoticed. He rode a motorcycle, joined the Los Angeles Police force and performed functions in narcotics and vice. Due to his bulletproof vest, Osmond survived a shooting where he was shot thrice. That specific shooting was even featured in Top Cops. After being placed on disability, he retired. He ended up moving to a quieter place and even co-authored a book.
Kids Were With Their Real-Life Moms On Set
There were problems in other TV shows that included younger actors. That is why Leave it to Beaver’s actors, such as Mathers, Dow and Robert Stevens, brought their mothers to the set. They helped taking care of the young cast. Most of the time mothers know what is best for their kids. That was not the case for Robert Stevens, that acted as Larry Mondello. In his case, probably due to his mother’s behavior, he had to be written off the show. Barbara Billingsley shared more about this case in an interview in 2000: “We all loved Rusty so much. He was so good in that role. And, unfortunately, they had to let him go… Because his mother was such a pain.” According to her, Stevens’ mom kept making “demands”, leaving the producers no choice.
Each Episode Was Based On A True Story
It was Jerry Mathers that shared that writer and producer Joe Connely based each episode on a true story. He wanted to be a writer since he was a child and kept stories from that time and from his children’s childhood. Those were the stories that inspired Leave it to Beaver. This fact adds to how relatable the show proved to be!
The Origin Of “Beaver”
As told in the last episode, Beaver received that nickname due to Wally’s inability to pronounce Theodore when he was younger. He could only pronounce it as “Tweedor”. His parents then decided that it would be better if they stuck with “Beaver” instead.
Joe Connely, writer and producer of the show, chose that name from a list he kept. It was the name of a Marine with which he had worked in the past. A probable reason to why the name stuck out to him is the fact that it rhymes with Cleaver.
Some Things Changed Before It Aired
Two critical aspects changed before the release of Leave it to Beaver. One of those was the title. Originally, the show was supposed to be called “Wally and the Beaver.” Rumour has it that it was changed due to the resemblance to a nature show title. Another late change that was implemented was the actor acting as Ward Cleaver, Beaver’s father. It was supposed to be a different actor playing the part, but after filming the first pilot, that actor was let go. That is when Hugh Beaumont was hired!
The audience Was Not Supposed To Laugh Too Much
There is no doubt that there were comedic scenarios in the show. However, making people laugh was not the writers’ goal. As Tony Dow mentioned: “If any line got too much of a laugh, they’d take it out. They didn’t want a big laugh; they wanted chuckles.”