Beaver has to write a book report on "The Three Musketeers" but, daunted by the book's length, has put off reading it until the last minute. Along comes putative pal Gilbert bearing the good tidings that a movie version of "The Three Musketeers" will be on TV that night. Beaver's brother and parents will be conveniently out of the house. All Beav needs to do is watch the movie and write the book report from that! ("It's not every day that a guy gets to do a homework assignment and watch a neat movie at the same time!") Beaver, to his credit, valiantly holds out against the onslaught of Gilbert's devious temptations. But Gilbert keeps thrusting the sword into the stone of Beaver's virtue and eventually prevails. A few days later, when Beaver commences to read his book report in front of class, it becomes obvious that there are a few not unimportant differences between the "Three Musketeers" of the Ritz Brothers and the "Three Musketeers" of Dumas. Like, for starters, Dumas' cavaliers never get pelted with chickens or catapulted by a windmill into a bail of hay.
What a stroke of genius to cast Mrs. Rayburn (played by the wonderful Doris Packer) as Beaver's teacher in this episode. A more aristocratically stern receptor for this burlesque book report could hardly have been imagined. Yet when Beaver is asked to stay after class, he and Mrs. Rayburn have a nice scene together (interestingly framed by the picture window) in which we sense not just Rayburn's sternness but her warmth and caring for Beaver - and her understanding of the mischief young people get themselves into.
In the final scene, we see Beaver in his room writing a new, authentic book report. The episode ends with Ward offering Beaver a paean to books and reading. Beaver looks unusually thoughtful as the episode comes to a close.
What a stroke of genius to cast Mrs. Rayburn (played by the wonderful Doris Packer) as Beaver's teacher in this episode. A more aristocratically stern receptor for this burlesque book report could hardly have been imagined. Yet when Beaver is asked to stay after class, he and Mrs. Rayburn have a nice scene together (interestingly framed by the picture window) in which we sense not just Rayburn's sternness but her warmth and caring for Beaver - and her understanding of the mischief young people get themselves into.
In the final scene, we see Beaver in his room writing a new, authentic book report. The episode ends with Ward offering Beaver a paean to books and reading. Beaver looks unusually thoughtful as the episode comes to a close.