Dennis the Menace (1959–1963)

Television episodes built around the same sorts of incidents found in Hank Ketcham's long-running comic strip.

Stars:

Jay North, Gloria Henry, Herbert Anderson

1 nomination.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Jay North	...	Dennis Mitchell (146 episodes, 1959-1963)
Gloria Henry	...	Alice Mitchell (145 episodes, 1959-1963)
Herbert Anderson	...	Henry Mitchell (144 episodes, 1959-1963)
Billy Booth	...	Tommy Anderson (110 episodes, 1959-1963)
Joseph Kearns	...	George Wilson (102 episodes, 1959-1962)
Sylvia Field	...	Martha Wilson (90 episodes, 1959-1962)

Storyline

The live-action adaptation of the Hank Ketcham comic strip of the same name. Dennis Mitchell was a loveable young boy, dressed in overalls and carrying a slingshot in his pocket. He had but one fault: His penchant for mischief. Everywhere he went, Dennis' wide-eyed curiosity, well-meaning attempts to help out and his simply being a normal, red-blooded American boy growing up always seemed to lead to trouble. Usually on the receiving end was Dennis' next-door neighbor, retired postal carrier George Wilson. Dennis worshiped Mr. Wilson, but the gruff old man overtly displayed a less-than-cordial attitude around the young lad. Mr. Wilson's wife, Martha, adored Dennis and saw him as a surrogate grandson (since the Wilsons never had any children). Dennis' long-suffering parents were Henry (an engineer) and Alice (a stay-at-home mother). Episodes revolved around Dennis' adventures and the trouble that usually followed. Also involved in the fun were Dennis' friends Joey, Tommy and Margaret. ...

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Plot Keywords:

dennis the menace | neighbor | naughty child | dog | based on comic | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 October 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Daniel el travieso

Company Credits

Production Co:

Darriell Productions, Screen Gems

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (146 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the United Kingdom, the show's title was shortened to "Dennis" to avoid confusion with an existing British strip with the exact same title. This latter strip came to TV as Dennis the Menace

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Goofs

Throughout the series, the outside design of the Wilson's house shows two windows on each side of the front door. On the inside of the house there is no window by the front door - the window is around the corner to the left and bigger then the one by the door seen on the outside. The house design on the inside doesn't match up to outside design.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
George Wilson: Oh, Great Scott!

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Final Justice (1999)

User Reviews

One of my earliest memories

Since I was born in 1955, Dennis was one of the first shows I can recall, along with Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best. I even had a few Dennis-themed toys. Whereas Beaver got into trouble for being kind of stupid, Dennis got into it with a kind of sly naiveté -- I always thought he really knew what he was doing. HellOOO Mr. Wilson!! I also used to compare my older sister to Margaret who always wanted Dennis to play dolls with her but she wasn't mean-spirited like Judy Hensler on Leave it to Beaver. I understand Margaret became a doctor as an adult. I was always sad to hear about Jay North's problems being in the entertainment industry. I also remember joining the U.S. Navy hoping to catch a glance of North since I'd heard he was a sailor too. Brings back a lot of memories.