This is one of my personal favorites among "Leave It to Beaver" episodes; it puts the lie to popular notions that the series consisted only of sanitized, predictable fare. Wally has been admiring Marlene, the ticket girl at the movie theater box office, from afar. It's not hard to see why: a couple of years Wally's senior, Marlene has an air of sophistication and glamor. June is perturbed by Wally's fascination with this "older woman" with the platinum blonde hair (tellingly, she accidentally refers to Marlene as "Marilyn"!), but Ward wants to give her a chance. Meanwhile, Beaver and his pal Gilbert have discovered that Marlene is a hardened "woman of the world" who frequents beer joints! Wally is left to discover the hard way what sort of a person Marlene really is. His date with Marlene is a journey into the dark side of life, reminiscent of a film noir. The moment when Wally leaves the dingy bar, then emerges back into the comfort and peace of his home, is breathtaking: a superb piece of direction and cinematography. "Box Office Attraction" takes "Leave It to Beaver" into uncharted territory, pushing the thematic envelope and yet doing so with all the taste and class which were the hallmark of the series. Be sure not to miss this great episode!