Leave It to Beaver (TV Series) Beaver's Football Award (1962) User Reviews

Maybe the show should be " Father Knows Better."

[pensman · 9/10 · 18 May 2017]

The Father/Son Banquet is coming up and Beaver might get a letter for football. Mule Saunders is scheduled to present awards, he's a local grad who went on to play college and pro football. All the fathers are coming and the boys are excited. They are figuring they will wear suits, that's when the largest kid in the school, Terry Richmond, says only sissies wear suits. The guys decide not to wear suits and to go casual. Beaver at least intends to honor the "pact" until he runs into his mom. Upstairs and change. I expect we are hearing that command in other houses.

Even Wally doesn't understand Beaver's position. Beaver is sticking to his guns. June is nonplussed, and Ward wants Beaver to wear a suit. Wally tries logic telling Beaver to call his friends and ask what they are wearing. Beaver feels even Wally is against him. Ward gives Beaver an ultimatum: wear the suit or we don't go. The dinner is off. OK, Beaver's decision. June is her usual, insisting Ward take Beaver regardless, pretty sure we know how this will go. Beaver goes to the banquet in casual dress. Wally can't believe his dad caved. Wally figures that Dad has something up his sleeve, but what?

All the boys are in suits except Beaver. Once again Beaver starts out with the call "chicken" and he ends up the goat. Even the star player is in a suit. Let's go home, my stomach hurts. No, it is the pain of embarrassment. Ward is always smarter than his son; he packed Beaver's suit in the trunk of the car. Beaver changes and they return to the banquet. Beaver's conclusion, he's a DOPEY kid. Hard to disagree.

In the paper is a picture of a well-dressed Theodore Cleaver and Mule Saunders; and Mule is in a suit as he presents Theodore an award. Will this episode finally mark the time Beaver stops being so easily led by everyone, except for those who really count.

Where We (and Beaver) All Figure Out EXACTLY How "Goofy" Beaver Is . . . .

[reprtr · 7/10 · 18 September 2013]

All through the earlier seasons of LEAVE IT TO BEAVER, we saw Jerry Mathers' Beaver Cleaver tricked and goaded into all kinds of silly situations by the challenges, dares, and bragging of his friends (and even, occasionally accidentally, by his own father -- the pedometer episode . . . .). But the show did depict Beaver as maturing or, at least, getting older if not always wiser. Here the writers throw us right back to the much earlier story-line of the episode (from three or four seasons before) with those gross, monster-oriented shirts, and how all of the boys promise to wear them to school, and -- of course -- Beaver is the only one silly enough to actually do it.

Except that here, because of his age, you start to realize that Beaver may just be a little . . . what we used to politely call "slow". Abandoning what little common sense he has, plus the best advice of his brother Wally (Tony Dow), and the orders and advice of his own father (Hugh Beaumont), he dresses in his ordinary school clothes for a really important award ceremony at the school, all because of the bragging of his team's star-player (Kim Charney) -- and, naturally, Beaver is the only one to actually do what the swell-headed "star" says he's going to do (i.e. not wear a suit to the ceremony). And all of a sudden, it all falls into place in terms of the vision of the producer/creators of the show -- Beaver is, indeed, a little "slow," although this is the episode where HE begins to realize this and overcome that handicap.

One of the best

[LukeCoolHand · 8/10 · 4 March 2022]

To me this was one of the best and one of my favorite episodes. The scene at the end when Beaver's dad tells Beaver he figured he might get tricked and brought Beaver's coat to the dinner was so moving. Great episode all the way through.

DON'T LISTEN TO THESE GUYS!

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 29 March 2024]

Applause to director David Butler and writer Dick Conway for putting together an absolutely memorable episode, and a bit poignant. I agree with the last reviewer, it's time for Beave to WISE UP.

There's a big school football awards dinner that Beave is invited to, and with some good luck riding on his shoulders for a change; he's been named the most inspirational player. Terry, the star quarterback, says he's going to buck the system and show up in casual clothes, prompting Gilbert and Richard to urge Beave to do the same. Only squares wear suits and ties, right? What a decision Beaver has to make; listen to Ward and June and dress to impress or throw on any old thing to inspire his goofy pals.

If you're a fan of the series, you'll immediately recognize the similar storyline from the "Sweatshirt Monster" episode, but this is definitely a notch above in writing and acting.

Hugh Beaumont gives an excellent performance here, the real deal hero of the story. A super dad with a wink and a nod. Can't beat that.

And not to give too much away, but was the last scene done to show off his new 62 Plymouth and its roomy trunk? Hmmm? A bit of commercialism in everything.

You have to love this story, one I'll never forget, thanks so much to Dick Conway. From SEASON 6 EPSIODE 2 remastered.

No wonder it's the final season

[coreycitn63 · 8/10 · 29 March 2024]

This episode proves that Leave It To Beaver has overstayed its welcome. The writers obviously ran out of ideas. The Beaver has lost his child naivete and he is showing that he is stupid and relentlessly gullible to others. Just like the monster sweatshirt episode the Beaver always is the odd man out and his friends laugh at his expanse. Ward was right in forcing the Beaver to go to the reward dinner without getting dressed up in a suit while bringing his suit. Like Jay North of Dennis The Menace Jerry Mathers has outgrown the Beaver role and the writers has ran out ideas and has to reuse scripts. The one thing Leaver It to Beaver done right was to shift to Wally.

Rehash of brussel sprouts, and monster sweatshirt

[vitoscotti · 4/10 · 13 August 2021]

Rehash of gullible Beaver conned by buddies. Hugh Beaumont gives a fine performance. Writers refuse to let Beaver stop being such a dope. There's only so much Jerry Mathers can do with a silly childish script.

Formal Attire Won't Do For Beaver

[StrictlyConfidential · 4/10 · 14 January 2021]

(*Ward quote*) - "Hey, Beaver, your name's in the paper!"

Grant Avenue School is holding a Father-Son Sports Night dinner. This event is to award all of the outstanding players on the football team.

Beaver has been named as the most inspirational player, so he is definitely up for an award. The only problem is he insists on dressing casually for this event. And this sends his parents into a tizzy.