Rating: 
Summary: You'll Love the Cleavers!
Review: "Beaver" was one of many classic TV shows of the late 50s - early 60s. The show began in 1957; Beaver was 8 years old and his big brother Wally 12.
Tony Dow as Wally Cleaver was perhaps the most likeable and most believeable of the Cleavers. He was cute and really acted like an honest-to-goodness teenager. Jerry Mathers as the Beaver was cute but a bit trying as he aged on the series. He grew up quickly and at one point he was almost as tall as his Mom and Dad! As the Beave grew older and taller, the focus of the show turned to Wally who was growing into a handsome and muscular young man. Wally's adventures - his first job, his school dances, his girlfriends, etc. - were considerably more interesting than re-hashes of Beaver's predictable escapades and problems. Wally's adventures gave the show a new lease on life as it approached it last years.
Hugh Beaumont and Barabara Billingsley as the Cleaver Dad Ward and Mom June are a story in themselves. I don't remember discovering exactly what Dad did for a living. He had an office "downtown" and a "den" at home where he occasionally worked. But I don't remember ever being told exactly what he did. I'm guessing he sold insurance. He grew up on a farm and June apparently was a childhood sweetheart.
Mrs. Cleaver reminded us time and again that she grew up with her aunt Martha and attended a boarding school. Like other TV moms of the 50s she dressed in pearls, earbobs, and crisp, attractive frocks while housecleaning. Her hair and her makeup were perfect. Ma Cleaver appeared to have few interests outside the home like charities, church, animal shelters, bake sales, etc. She was always at home slivering carrots, pouring glasses of milk, or tidying the kitchen. In the evenings she sat beside her husband on the living room couch. He read the newspaper and she mended what appeared to be male clothing while both chatted about the boys. Of all the characters on the show, Mrs. Cleaver had the least depth. She was simply present to take care of the day to day necessities - like laundering - and to keep her men fed and running at peak performance.
Interestingly, none of the Cleavers watched TV.
The Cleavers lived in several different houses over the lifetime of the series and in each house the boys always had their own bathroom. The bathroom wasn't out in the hallway but just off their bedroom - like a master bedroom and bath. This bathroom arrangement was really peculiar. It meant that there were at least 5 bathrooms in each of the Cleaver houses: Mom and Dad probably had their own bathroom as part of the master suite and Beaver and Wally had their own bathroom as part of their bedroom suite. There was probably an upstairs guest bedroom and bath - this is where Aunt Martha would have stayed when she visited - and then there must have been a guest bathroom in the upstairs hallway and possibly a downstairs "powder room" for guests and the convenience of the family when they didn't want to run upstairs. I'm guessing the downstairs powder room was tucked somewhere at the back of the main hallway or tucked into a corner of the kitchen. I reckon 5 bathrooms for a family of 4; this was most extravagant and luxurious in the 50s.
The Cleaver boys spent a great deal of time in their bedroom. Whenever they rushed into the house after school, they usually asked to be "excused" from Mom and Dad's presence and hurried to their bedroom. Wally sat at a desk doing his homework while Beave lay in bed daydreaming or playing with a toy plane, a cowboy pistol, a comic book, etc. The amount of time these boys spent in their bedroom was very peculiar.
The Cleaver boys had several friends: Beaver had Larry Mondello, (a fat little boy), Gilbert, Whitey, and many more but the most memorable were two snippy, snooty girls in his class. Wally had Lumpy and Eddie Haskell as pals. Eddie is one of TVs most beloved and best remembered characters. His Slick Slimy approach to Mom and Dad Cleaver was the most orignal touch on the series. Other memorable regulars included Gus, (an elderly fireman), Aunt Martha, Mr. Rutherford, and Mary Ellen Rogers, a cute classmate of Wally's.
In an early episode, Beaver explains that he got the name Beaver from his brother Wally who, as a 4 year old, had trouble pronouncing his baby brother's name Theodore. Wally pronounced the name Theodore as "Tweeter" until Ma and Pa Cleaver refined the name to Beaver. The name Beaver is meant to suggest a perky, toothy, happy-go-lucky kid.
Rating:
Summary: Leave it to the Beave!!!
Review: "Leave It to Beaver" was one of the most popular TV shows of the late 50s-early 60s.
Beaver was the youngest member of a 50s family called the Cleavers that included Dad (Ward), Mom (June) and big brother (Wally). When the show began in 1957 Beaver was 8 and his brother Wally 12.
Tony Dow as Wally Cleaver was perhaps the most likeable and most believeable of the Cleavers. He was teen-cute and acted like an honest-to-goodness, normal 50s teenager. Jerry Mathers as the Beave was cute too but a bit of a drag as he aged on the series. He grew up quickly and at one point he was almost as tall as his TV Mom and Dad! The producers should have quit while they were ahead.
Hugh Beaumont and Barabara Billingsley as the Cleaver Dad (Ward) and Mom (June) are another story. Dad grew up on a farm and apparently he and "June" were something like high school sweethearts. I don't remember discovering exactly what Dad did for a living. He had an office "downtown" and a "den" at home where he occasionally worked. But I don't remember ever being told exactly what he did. I'm guessing he sold insurance. He spent an extraordinary amount of time however counseling, guiding, and mentoring his boys over every little thing. He was the perfect 50s dad.
Mrs. Cleaver was a wonderful fantasy character. She reminded us in a number of episodes that she grew up with her Aunt Martha and she went to boarding school. Like other TV moms of the 50s she dressed in pearls, earbobs, and crisp, attractive frocks while housecleaning. Her hair and her makeup were perfect as she went about dusting the tops of china closets and making waffles. Ma Cleaver appeared to have few interests outside the home (like charities, church activites, animal shelters, bake sales, etc.) She was always at home tending her men by pouring glasses of milk, buttering toast, and tidying the kitchen. She was never shown doing truly laborious housework - like sorting dirty laundry or mopping floors. Her household tasks were light and ladylike (slivering carrots, polishing the silver, etc.) After the dining room table was cleared in the evening and the dishes were done, she sat beside her husband on the living room couch. He read the newspaper and she sewed buttons onto what appeared to be male clothing while both chatted about the boys.
Interestingly, none of the Cleavers watched TV.
The Cleavers lived in several different houses over the lifetime of the series and in each house the boys always had their own bathroom. The boys' bathroom wasn't out in the hallway but just off their bedroom - like a master bedroom and bath. This bathroom arrangement was really peculiar. It meant that there were at least 5 bathrooms in the Cleaver house: Mom and Dad probably had their own bathroom as part of the master suite and Beaver and Wally had their own bathroom as part of their bedroom suite. That's two bathrooms. There was probably another upstairs "guest" bedroom and this bedroom must have had its own bathroom as well. That makes three bathrooms. (This guest bedroom was where June's Aunt Martha would have stayed when she visited.) And then there must have been a bathroom in the upstairs hallway and possibly a downstairs "powder room" for guests and the convenience of the family when they didn't want to run upstairs. That makes 5 bathrooms. I'm guessing the downstairs powder room was tucked somewhere at the back of the main hallway or tucked into a corner of the kitchen.
The Cleaver boys spent a great deal of time in their bedroom. Whenever they rushed into the house after school, they usually asked to be immediately "excused" from Mom and/or Dad's presence and hurried to their bedroom. Wally sat at a desk doing homework while Beave lay in bed daydreaming, kid-worrying, or playing with a toy plane, a cowboy pistol, a comic book, etc. The amount of time the Cleaver boys spent in their bedroom was very peculiar. Beaver was very, very occasionally seen on the telephone in the living room however.
The Cleaver boys had several friends: Beaver had Larry Mondello, (a fat little boy), Gilbert, Whitey, Gus (an old fireman down the street), and many more but the most memorable were two snippy, snooty girls in his class. Wally had Lumpy and Eddie Haskell. Eddie is one of TVs most beloved and best remembered characters. His Slick Slimy approach to Mom and Dad Cleaver was the most orignal touch on the series.
Other notable minor characters were Mrs. Cleaver's maiden aunt Martha, Lumpy's Dad Mr. Rutherford, and Mary Ellen Rogers, a teen classmate of Wally's.
Almost everyone (including his mom) called little Theodore Cleaver "Beaver" or "The Beave." (Exceptions were Aunt Martha and Miss Landers, the Beave's teacher.) According to one of the earliest episodes, Theodore received his nickname from his older brother Wally who, as a 4 year old, could only pronouce "Theodore" as "Tweeter." It was Ma and Pa Cleaver who refined "Tweeter" to "Beaver." The producers intended the name to suggest a perky, toothy, happy little kid.
Rating: 
Summary: "Hey, Wally,I Think We Got Tooken"
Review: "Yeah,Beav, this is a real gyp." This sad effort resembles the original in name only; the cast, script, and direction all reek of pure incompetence, and the ineptitude of all those connected with this film is clearly demonstrated at every turn. This horrific mess is nothing less than a travesty.
Rating:
Summary: "Hey, Wally,I Think We Got Tooken"
Review: "Yeah,Beav, this is a real gyp." This sad effort resembles the original in name only; the cast, script, and direction all reek of pure incompetence, and the ineptitude of all those connected with this film is clearly demonstrated at every turn. This horrific mess is nothing less than a travesty.
Rating:
Summary: Heart warming and entertaining
Review: .
The cynics of this world will never understand this movie, as it presents reality through the eyes of one who is innocent and without guile of any sort. In short, it is a world seen throught the innocent eyes of "The Beav". There are no killings, there is no swearing, and people in the movie represent virtues that seem alien and foreign in today's society. (Stepping off soapbox...)The movie is thoroughly entertaining and heart warming. The depiction of the Cleaver family is truly a study in the values of simple people trying to cope with the everyday problems of doing the right thing, and adapting to situations which require the ultimate sacrafice...their own ambitions and agenda for their love of each other. The director has done a great job in preventing the movie from being campy. He skirts this invisible line in the sand a few times, but pulls back just in time to maintain real innocense Cameos by some of the former stars of the original television series make their re-debut in the film, which is great. The portrayal of Beaver and Wally by the actors is fantastic. There genuinely seems to be a strong rapport between these two movie brothers and this comes through on the screen. The other characters in the movie are well casted. You'll see the "new" Eddie Haskel (the original Eddie is this movies' Eddie's father), the new Gilbert, Larry, and Fred Rutherford among others. Each one doesn't try to overplay their part, but they all give a nice rendition of the original members of the television show. The music scoring is wonderful as well. Some of the passages are slightly overdone, but never intruding. The composer has really done a great job in fitting the mood of the movie with music that moving and warm. The score is very strong and adds quite a bit to the feeling of the movie. The movie moves along quite well, and gives you the gist of what the original television series was about without being too much of a clone. There are a few twists here and there to make you smile. The movie is quite a departure from your standard fair of violence and "reality" based television and film. If you are able to pull down the strongholds of cynicism, you will enjoy this movie. This is a wonderful film and a diamond in the rough. It serves as a reminder to by-gone days where simple values were the norm and not the exception. Loyalty, love, family unity, honesty, sucess, and determination...walk into the past and go back to a time and place where things are so different that you'll swear that you've entered another dimension...a dimension of of space and time...A place called Mayfield, USA. (Apologies to Rod Serling)
Rating:
Summary: No thank you, Mrs. Cleaver
Review: Another classic sitcom falls victim to Hollywood hacks, as an unremarkable cast struggles with a dreadful screenplay. The only surprise here is that Penelope Spheeris wasn't tapped to direct, as this sort of project seems to be her specialty. However, Andy Cadiff shows that he is just as skilled as Spheeris at creating an uninteresting, unfunny, and unworthy feature version of a classic sitcom. Stick to the TV re-runs.
Rating:
Summary: READ THIS NOW!
Review: Everybody, I'd like it to be known that THE BEAVER GUY GOES TO MY SCHOOL NOW! I swear the holy bible its true. If you dont believe me, grab a registration form at the Chapparal Middle School Main office! MMMWWWWAAA! Bon jour! ALOHA! Bye.
Rating:
Summary: No, Beaver, Just Leave It!
Review: Fans of the original sitcom will find this sorry little film to be an outright travesty. The premise is silly, the script is dreadful, the acting is deplorable, and director Andy Cadiff clearly does not know what he is doing. Stick with the original series, which is light-years ahead of this piece of junk. "Hey, Gilbert, let's take this crummy movie over to Metzger's Field and bury it." "I don't know, Beav - I don't think it's worth burying - let's burn it."
Rating:
Summary: If you enjoy clean family entertainment, you will love it.
Review: I enjoyed this movie more than I expected to. There were two reasons I wanted to see this film: 1. Leave it to Beaver has always been one of the best shows on television. 2. (I must confess) I have never seen a more beautiful lady in TV or movies than Janine Turner (who also played Maggie O'Connell on TV's Northern Exposure). On neither count was I disappointed. I thought it was a very good adaptation of the TV series, and I especially enjoyed the cameo appearances by Barbara Billingsly and Ken Osmond (June Cleaver and Eddie Haskell in the original series). Do you want a break from the rapid-fire sensationalism in most modern movies? Do you enjoy clean family entertainment? Then you will love this movie.
Rating:
Summary: the movie was great
Review: I loved the movie it was really cute I loved Erick in it he is my favorite actor
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