Leave It to Beaver (TV Series) Wally's Election (1960) User Reviews

Wally and politics mix like oil and water

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 8 May 2024]

Eddie Haskell nominates Wally for president of the sophomore high school class. Wally is very upset about this turn of events, always preferring to keep a low profile and let his actions speak for themselves. He is so upset that he almost murders June's coconut cake, but she stops him in time. Wally tells his parents that he really doesn't want to run for this office, and they both seem OK with that.

Then Fred Rutherford comes over and talks to Ward about how his son Clarence (Lumpy) is running too, and that maybe Clarence just has better leadership qualities than Wally. Now that this has become an issue of fatherly pride, Ward strongly encourages Wally to really run for the office and tells him how to go about it. All of his advice just presents itself in Wally as being unauthentic and a turn-off. Eddie thinks this new improved aggressive Wally is great, but then Eddie is so unauthentic I doubt he could spot authenticity if his life depended on it. Who will win the election? Watch and find out.

Even before election day comes, Ward thinks that maybe he has created a monster in Wally. There is a humorous scene between Ward and June when Wally first tells his parents of his nomination. June says she thinks Wally would be a good president because he is so cute. Ward replies that we don't want to start electing our presidents based on charm and looks. Oh, Ward, just you wait!

Lumpy and Eddie see Wally as a politician; after all, he must be lying about his father..

[pensman · 8/10 · 21 August 2017]

A hectic morning, Ward can't find his car key, Beaver needs a coconut cake, and Wally wants his parents to take an ad out in the school yearbook. And at school they are taking nominations for sophomore school elections, Eddie nominates Wally for class president. Wally is not happy with the nomination.

After school, Eddie stops by to see Wally. Beaver wants to know what's in it for Eddie if Wally is president. Eddie considers he might be able to pull all the strings in a Wally presidency. June wants Ward to try and get Wally enthused for office, but Ward says he believes it's Wally choice. That is until Fred Rutherford stops by and says Wally has no chance for office as he is running against Clarence.

At dinner that night Ward starts in on Wally: Wally doesn't want to be stuck as a drone in the business world stuck in a cubbyhole. Ward steps in and starts coaching Wally on how to meet students his doesn't know. After all, Ward was the president of his fraternity. Wally announces to Eddie he is going to be aggressive to get the vote. Eddie wants to see Wally being aggressive as Wally has been low key all his life. The kids are shocked to see Wally acting like a big wheel so they figure it would be better to vote for Lumpy as Lumpy has been a creep all his life.

Ward is sort of surprised to see Wally being so aggressive. Maybe he has helped foster a monster? Apparently it really backfired, Wally lost and Ward feels bad. Ward explains how he got carried away trying to live his dreams through Wally. Wally forgives his dad, it isn't the end of the world, and even Wally thought he was acting creepy.

At school the next day after the election, Eddie is upset that not only did Wally lose, he's a good loser. Lumpy is grousing because Wally got 52 votes whereas he only got nine and his father isn't speaking to him. Lumpy wants to know how upset Wally's dad is. Wally reports his dad isn't upset, he just feels bad about pushing him during the election. Neither Lumpy nor Eddie believe any father would admit anything like that. Wally just shrugs telling the guys to believe what they want.

No doubt we get some of our current leaders because they are trying to fulfill their parents' dreams. Many parents put a lot of pressure on their kids to succeed, or at a minimum to do better than they did. was always amazed at a couple I knew; the father was a well-known lawyer and the mother a respected school administrator and their son became a forest ranger. And they were both good with in. Everyone who knew then was amazed at how happy they were for their son. He was doing what he wanted and that was all they wanted.

Eddie offers an explanation as to how Lumpy is in their class; he is repeating his sophomore year. But when we first meet Lumpy, Wally is in eighth grade and Lumpy is a junior. Lumpy should have been a senior when Wally was a freshman, so if Lumpy is now a sophomore then he has been held back three years.

'With Me Running The Show, We Can Take Over This School' - Eddie Haskell

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 27 November 2010]

This was a great episode, filled with some very funny dialog thanks to the famous "Eddie Haskell," along with the great Richard Deacon as "Fred Rutherford" and the underrated Frank Bank as his dim-witted son, "Clarence" or better known as 'Lumpy."

They were all hilarious.....50 years ago and still today when I watch this old TV show.

It's school elections and Eddie nominates "Wally Cleaver" (Tony Dow) for sophomore class president. Wally is a reluctant politician; he's not really interested in the job. However, when Lumpy's obnoxious-nerd dad Fred visits Ward at home that night and makes a few jabs about his kid beating Wally in the election, Ward gets his dander up and lectures Wally on having some "gumption."

Wally then turns into a phony glad-handing politician, which is not his normal personality...and it doesn't go well. Ward, in the end, learns a lesson more than one of his kids..

Wally Goes Into Politics

[MichaelMartinDeSapio · 10/10 · 19 November 2014]

Class elections are coming up and Eddie Haskell has nominated Wally for class president, much to Wally's chagrin (he has no competitive spirit outside of the sports arena and no interest in politics). But Ward, annoyed with corporate drone Fred Rutherford and his constant bragging about his boy Lumpy, pushes Wally to compete for the presidency: "Who ever heard of a boy who didn't have the gumption to be class president?"

When some enterprising English graduate student gets around to writing a scholarly thesis on LEAVE IT TO BEAVER, he or she can get to work analyzing the connections between this episode and Arthur Miller's DEATH OF A SALESMAN. Like Willy Loman, the beleaguered father in that play, Ward wants his son Wally to be a success in life and participate in the American dream. He gives Wally advice about being aggressive and glad-handing, advice which Wally then takes and runs with - a little too far. This episode has nice touches of satire and shows Ward giving his son a "bum steer" and learning from his mistake.

VOTE FOR WALLY, THE MAN OF THE FUTURE!

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 5 November 2023]

Politics has entered the Cleaver household, and 1960 was a national election year!

It's class election time and reluctant Wally is nominated for president by noneother than Eddie Haskell. Of course, Eddie has ulterior motives, claiming he and Wally will eventually be able to run the school? OMG. Eddie was just fascinating to watch. The opponent is Lumpy Rutherford, and it all gets rather tricky as now Mr. Cleaver and Mr. Rutherford (who work together) are rooting for their sons.

How complicated is that?

This is an outstanding episode, written by the show creators, Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher. Connelly later said his seven year old son was the inspiration for Beaver and his teen son was the inspiration for Wally.

Again, it's another contest between braggert Fred Rutherford and devious Eddie, who should have actually been paired as father and son on the series. Both characters deliver some memorable lines, never to let the audience down as to how outrageous they can actually be.

Make no mistake, Eddie's character truly began to grow and he literally became a "household name" when it came to someone who couldn't be trusted. Ironically, actor Ken Osmond, who played Eddie, became a respected officer with LAPD. And there were many jokes in later years by people being pulled over by cop Eddie Haskell. Can you believe that!

To note, Cindy Carol plays classmate Alma, who endorses Wally. Hooray! Cindy made seven appearances on the series and within a few years starred as Gidget in GIDGET GOES TO ROME (1963). She later married PEYTON PLACE star Christopher Connelly and retired. Popular character actor Ross Elliott plays Mr. Hyatt, widely seen in both movies and tv.

So there you have it, and may the best man win!

From SEASON 3 EPISODE 19 remastered dvd box set.