Character sheet for the 1950s-60s sitcom Leave It to Beaver.
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Cleaver family
Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver
- Played by: Jerry Mathers
The main protagonist of the series, Beaver is a typical young boy who finds himself in many predicaments resulting from his gullibility, but always comes clean at the end of the day. He frequently faces Sibling Rivalry with his older brother Wally.
- Aesop Amnesia: Beaver tended to have forgotten his lesson by the next episode. This trait was spoofed in a TVLand promo for reruns of the series; the lesson would "enter one ear," float around without making contact with the brain, and "go out the other ear."
- After-School Cleaning Duty: Beaver's occasionally seen cleaning erasers or the like. In "Beaver's Crush," his volunteering to clean up for Miss Canfield leads to the other students calling him a Teacher's Pet.
- The All-American Boy: Quite possibly the poster child of 1950s sitcoms. Beaver is a Cheerful Child with a Verbal Tic consisting of euphemisms and is into baseball, comic books, and get-rich-quick schemes. ABC knew they had the right actor to portray Beaver when Mathers expressed concern over missing his Boy Scout meeting during his casting call.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Wally perceives him as a menace. Beaver would occupy this role in most of the Wally-centric episodes where the writers had nothing much scripted for Beaver to do other than to make obnoxious remarks in his presence while everyone else was trying to have a serious conversation.
- Butt-Monkey: His second most defining trait behind being Super Gullible (and often the result of that), Beaver is the butt of exploitations at least once per episode, be it antagonism from his older brother Wally or the latter's friend Eddie, cooties, or his friends taking advantage of his gullibility to land him in humiliating predicaments such as being stuck in a billboard soup vat.
- Can't Get Away with Nuthin': Every time Beaver got involved in a troublesome situation with a disciplinary outcome, he'd always try to cover it up or think of a lie, before eventually confessing to the truth. Usually, his parents would accept his apology and give him the proper talk to make sure he doesn't do it again...not that he ever remembers his lesson.
- Catchphrase:
- Beaver had a tendency of saying "Yes sir" whenever being confronted by his dad about his wrongdoings, or "No sir" on the flip side.
- "Gee Wally..."
- "Cut it out, X."
- Characterization Marches On: Becomes a more responsible father over the course of The New Leave It to Beaver.
- Cheerful Child: This trope was played straight at the start of the series, but became downplayed as Beaver getting older made his innocence ambiguous. Beaver is more mischievous and susceptible than guileless, but to his credit, he's a naive young boy trying to utilize his childhood to its fullest potential, and has a childlike enthusiasm for comic books and "messin' around with his pals".
- The Chew Toy: Many viewers see his pratfalls like getting trapped in a billboard soup cup or being misled into making a goofy face in his yearbook photo as Laser-Guided Karma for his Innocently Insensitive naivety.
- Children Are Innocent: Admittedly naive and impulsive to a fault, but Beaver is the epitome of a 1950s All-American Boy who's afraid of cooties (at least early on) and has no time for homework, dance lessons, or bathing.
- Deadpan Snarker: Often makes sarcastic comments to his sons in The New Leave It to Beaver, such as “When trees talk!” to Kip when he asks for a stereo speaker.
- Embarrassing Nickname: There's much humiliation centered around his nickname being that of an animal and never is an explanation provided for its origin until the series finale, wherein it is revealed that Theodore got his nickname from Wally as a young child mispronouncing his brother's given name as "Tweeter", which eventually became "Beaver".
Word of God confirms that series creator Joe Connelly had a friend in the U.S. Merchant Marine named Beaver and he simply liked the name, deciding to apply it to the protagonist of his show. - Flanderization: Beaver's tendency to get involved in sticky situations only increased with each passing season, with the epitome reached once he got stuck inside a soup cup on a billboard. Making matters worse is that the character was getting older alongside the actor, as evidenced by his voice deepening, yet he never outgrew his childhood naivety, turning him into almost a complete idiot.
- Girls Have Cooties: Early on in the show, Beaver had a typical childhood disgust for girls and their "icky" romance, especially concerning Penny. Though he grows out of it as the series progresses due to approaching adolescence.
- Gosh Dang It to Heck!: Not that regular swearing ever occurred in classic sitcoms to begin with, but Beaver was famous for using childlike slang euphemisms in substitute of obscenities.
- Hates Baths: Baths were the lowest on Beaver's priority list, a trait he shared with Wally in the earlier seasons. The first episode of the show involves the brothers leaving the bathtub faucet on to give their parents the impression that they're actually taking one.
- In-Series Nickname: Whenever he's not being referred to as "Beaver", Theodore Cleaver is simply referred to as "the Beav" by his parents and brother alike. Eddie on the other hand insultingly calls him "Squirt".
- Innocently Insensitive: While Beaver's actions motivated out of self-interest receive well-deserved consequences, he's never truly malicious and it's all rooted in Children Are Innocent territory.
- Karma Houdini: In one episode, Beaver gets suspended from riding the bus for a week, only to get his privileges back after writing an apology letter to the bus driver. Afterward, Judy gets suspended from the bus and asks Beaver how he did it so that her parents wouldn't find out. Beaver tells her and she acts grateful, but, as he suspected, Judy soon went back to mistreating him.
- Kiddie Kid: Beaver aged more slowly than the actor portraying him did, especially later on. Although it was stated that Beaver was starting a new grade every season, his maturity never seemed to progress. He was as childishly naive in the last season as he was in the first season and, except for a couple of episodes, he never lost his disdain for girls even though he was clearly a teenager by the last season. The latter was particularly grating because Wally was practically drooling over them by contrast.
- Precocious Crush:
- Beaver once developed a crush on a pretty new neighbor. Wally and Eddie give him the business by saying if he's not careful, the woman's jealous husband will come after him. It doesn't help that at one point, the husband is shearing the hedges when he spots Beaver and tries to say hello to him... while the shears are still in his hands!
- In one early episode, Beaver also develops a crush on Mary Ellen Rogers, who later became older brother Wally's on-again, off-again girlfriend (and by the time of the Sequel Series, eventually became Wally's wife).
- Verbal Tic: He had a habit of prefacing his responses with the word "gee" (ie. "Gee Wally", "Gee Dad", "Gee Mom").
Wally Cleaver
- Played by: Tony Dow
Beaver's older brother whom he frequently comes into Sibling Rivalry with, but also turns to for advice whenever in a problematic situation his parents can't assess.
- '50s Hair: He has clean-cut style popular in the era but also wore a then popular "greaser" style that infuriated June.
- Aloof Big Brother: Despite sharing a room with him, Wally is rather distant from Beaver on account of the power dynamic brought about by their contrasting levels of maturity and experience, and usually only speaks to him if spoken to first.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Many moments in the series involve Wally coming to show his true love to Beaver and his enjoyment over bonding together.
- Big Brother Bully: Downplayed as he's not particularly violent towards him or outright harassing him, but Wally would pick on Beaver and insult him with childish retorts whenever the Beav got into embarrassing predicaments. When Beaver expresses embarrassment over having to wear a bunny costume in the school play in "Beaver the Bunny", Wally tries to reassure his confidence by saying he could "wiggle [his] pink little nose", causing Beaver to hit him with a pillow out of distaste for this childish retort.
- Big Brother Mentor: Whenever not coming into conflict with him, Wally would play the role of being Beaver's consultant.
- Brutal Honesty: Wally tended to spill the truth whenever Beaver was trying to think of a lie to avoid getting in trouble. When the brothers break their father's car window during a game of baseball after being told not to play it around the garage, Wally tells him straightforward that they broke it and went against their parents' wishes.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Wally may pick on Beaver and get into fights with him, but like any older sibling, he's always willing to support him in his crises.
- Verbal Tic: He inherited Beaver's habit of preceding his sentences with "Gee..."
Ward Cleaver
- Played by: Hugh Beaumont
Wally and Beaver's father who grew up on a farm and served as an engineer in the Seabees during World War II.
- The Character Died with Him: Hugh Beaumont’s passing in 1982 lead to Ward being killed off in the sequel series and reunion movie Still the Beaver.
- Dad the Veteran: In one episode Ward Cleaver mentions having been in the Navy Seabees as a surveyor during World War II.
- Good Parents: Ward and his wife are unambiguously good parents to Beaver and Wally, always ready to discipline them for their wrongdoings without resorting to abuse and sit down to have talks with them.
- Obliquely Obfuscated Occupation: Ward, in spades. On occasion, we've seen Ward at the office - usually calling home, or receiving a call from June or Principal Rayburn - but his actual job is something of a mystery.
- Standard '50s Father: Much like how his youngest son is the poster child for The All-American Boy, Ward is one for this very trope, being a stern, but easygoing and wise figure always ready to give his sons helpful advice and encouragement.
June Cleaver
- Played by: Barbara Billingsley
Wally and Beaver's mother who met Ward in her teens and attended boarding school then college. She is not shown to have much of an employment history when inquired by Beaver.
- '50s Hair: Has her hair coiffed in a face-framing pageboy in the pilot, then switching to a Doris Day esque ducktail style.
- '60s Hair: At the end of the series (which ended in 1963), she gets a perky and poufy flip.
- '80s Hair: In The New Leave It to Beaver June gets a bouffant cut not too dissimilar from First Lady Nancy Reagan.
- Deadpan Snarker: Both of the parents are prone to their moments of irony, but it's especially more prominent with June.Ward: A fine way to greet the returning breadwinner!June: How much bread did you win?
- Fashionista: June is a very fashionable housewife of the 50s with her well-tailored suits and housedresses, the flouncy skirts, and her iconic pearls.
- Good Parents: June and her husband are unambiguously good parents to Beaver and Wally, always ready to discipline them for their wrongdoings without resorting to abuse and sit down to have talks with them.
- Hidden Depths: In one episode, June reveals that her aunt has raised her from childhood and knowing Wally's age, it's likely she had to raise Wally by herself while Ward was away at war.
- Housewife:
- June Cleaver is the classic/stereotypical embodiment of the '50s version of the trope. She got to wear slacks in a couple of early episodes, but this was eventually nixed by the producers, who felt it too unladylike and/or too sexy for the character.
- In reference to the pearls and heels while doing housework, Barbara Billingsley later explained in interviews that she didn't always wear them, and when she did there were practical reasons for them. She had a hollow in her neck that showed up quite visibly on camera, which the pearls concealed. (Even in later appearances/interviews, she can be seen with either a high-collared blouse or a pearl necklace covering it.) Same with the heels; she sometimes wore flats, but as Dow and Mathers grew, she thought it would be best to maintain a bit of height over them.
- Took a Level in Badass: In The New Leave It to Beaver, she manages to adapt to modern society in doing at least a few things that women couldn’t do 30 years prior and she even has the guts to forbid her family from seeing the Haskells again in the Season 2 episode “Got to Get You Out of My Life“ after Eddie and his sons Freddie and Bomber cause their usual mischief.
- Uptown Girl: Ward was from a middle-class background and met June at State College, but it's often implied with June's proper upbringing and her time at boarding school that she came from an upper-class family and was "the belle of East St. Louis".
- Women Are Wiser: Ward usually is even-tempered but sometimes when he gets too stern with the Beaver, June is quick to chide him for being hard on him.
Wally and Beaver's friends
Eddie Haskell
- Played by: Ken Osmond
A ne'er-do-well friend of Wally characterized by scheming and insincere flattery, especially aimed at June Cleaver.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: While nice in the presence of Beaver's parents, outside the watchful eyes of authority Eddie was up to no good, always conspiring with his friends or picking on Beaver. June and Ward are never convinced by his flattery, though.
- Hates Being Alone: In the episode "Eddie Spends the Night", he reveals to the Beaver that he is afraid of being in his house all by himself and confirms it as a reason as to why he is so jerky.
- Immune to Mind Control: Played with in one episode, where Eddie pretends to be hypnotized by the Beaver; true to form, the writers knew that no one can be hypnotized against their will.
- Karma Houdini Warranty: Gets an offscreen comeuppance from Wally in “Beaver and Chuey” and a few other episodes.
- Kick the Dog: Eddie often lapses into this territory, such as the episode where he tries to ruin Beaver's friendship with a Hispanic boy named Chuey just for laughs.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Gets his just deserts in the form of Beaver giving him a voodoo curse in “Voodoo Magic”.
- Pet the Dog: Pretty often does it as much as he kicks it. One example is when Beaver gets a stain on Wally's suit jacket and is unable to fix it before a school dance. Eddie sees the ruined jacket, laughs, but then notices Beaver's sad expression. Eddie ends up fast-talking Wally into wearing casual clothing to the event, which spares Beaver from getting found out and scolded.
- Toxic Friend Influence: Is pretty much responsible for a lot of bad things that happen to Beaver and Wally.
Larry Mondello
Played by: Robert "Rusty" Stevens
Beaver's bust bud in the show's earlier run. Often got Beaver into trouble and exploited his gullibility, but was always there for him in his worst moments. He had a penchant for apples.
- Fat Best Friend: Played the role as the token fat friend of Beaver before being replaced by Harry Henderson.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Larry was shown eating apples in a lot of his appearances.
- With Friends Like These...: In fact, he often goads Beaver into bad behavior when his friend initially decides not to do something he shouldn't. In "Ward's Baseball," Larry eventually convinces Beaver (against his better judgment) to toss his dad's autographed baseball in the front yard, resulting in its destruction. In "The Pipe," Larry dares Beaver to smoke his dad's meerschaum pipe (using coffee, no less) after Beaver's refusal, ruining the title object. In "Beaver's Prize," Larry convinces Beaver to defy his parents having grounded him; they go to a movie and are later caught. In "Beaver's Fortune," Larry picks a fight with an older kid at school and then backs out, letting Beaver do his dirty work; when he tries this again, Beaver finally ignores him and Larry deservedly gets punched in the stomach.
Judy Hensler
Played by: Jeri Weil
A girl in Beaver's class who often antagonizes him and the rest of the boys. Also the class's Teacher's Pet. She was only seen in the show's first three years before being replaced by Penny.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Despite her contempt for Beaver, there are a few Ship Tease moments in the series that show she has a crush on him and that her bullying is an underlying cause of it.
- The Bully: Most of her appearances involve her making unwarranted sassy remarks to Beaver and his friends.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: She mainly exists to make childish retorts to Beaver and the rest of the guys and acts as a servile Teacher's Pet. In the episode "School Bus", Judy also goes over to the Cleaver residence to consult Beaver on advice to get out of bus suspension. Beaver suggests writing an apology letter to Mr. Crawford and even lends his own written letter for her to use. After Judy thanks him, she starts expressing how good of a friend Beaver is and admits that she actually enjoys his company. Unfortunately, by the end of the episode, she goes back to her mean ways by calling Beaver a "big dummy" when he politely greets her.
- Karma Houdini: Most of the time she'd avoid punishment for her harassment of Beaver. Not always, though; in one episode, "Beaver Says Goodbye" (where Beaver prematurely announces he will be moving to a new school), his classmates turn on him after he reveals he won't be moving after all, they thinking he did this as a ploy to get presents and attention. Beaver tries to apologize for his mistake but the class won't have any of it and Judy is a key player in the resulting bullying. When Miss Landers scolds the class for their treatment of Beaver, Judy tries to weasel her way out of the issue by saying she wasn't involved ... but an angry Landers tells her she was and orders her to sit down and shut up (which she does).
- The Stool Pigeon: Judy always informs the teacher about her classmates' misbehavior.
- Teacher's Pet: Ms. Landers would often let Judy fill in the role of telling Beaver and his friends what to do and correcting them on their mistakes.
- Vocal Dissonance: Despite her actress having only been nine years old at the start of the series, Judy had quite a deep voice that would sound like a young adult's voice today.
Clarence “Lumpy” Rutherford
- Played by: Frank Bank
A friend of Wally.
- Dumb Jock: Lumpy was never known for being the brightest student, and in one episode his poor grades threaten to cost him a football scholarship.
