Leave It to Beaver (TV Series) Beaver's Sweater (1959) User Reviews

Fashion Goes Out Of Style Quickly

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 30 January 2007]

Beaver and Larry are looking at a store window. One of the fascinating sights they see is an "eskimo sweater," one of the ugliest sweaters you've ever seen. Of course, the two boys think it is cool, very cool, and they want it. Larry says his father is going to get it for him. Beaver wants one, too, of course, and tells his parents about it at dinner. Ward is against the purchase but June wants Beaver to be happy, recalling a similar time in her life when she wanted something badly - an opal ring - but her father said "no" because it wasn't "sensible." So, Ward relents and the Beaver gets the sweater with money taken out of his bank account.

The next morning, when Beaver shows it to his dad, the shocked look on Ward's face is hilarious! (Wally had warned his Dad, "please try not to laugh.")

Beaver wears his new outrageous and over-sized sweater to school, but takes it off before going to class because "I don't want to get it dirty studying." After he puts it in his locker, he and Larry are stunned (talk about shocked looks on your face) when they see - horrors - JUDY wearing the same sweater!

The end of this story was a bit disappointing...but ahead of its time. Beaver gets caught trying to ditch the sweater at the movie theater, and blames it on his parents for letting him buy the sweater even though they knew it was an ugly one. June, who never punishes the boys, does a poor job of teaching them to be responsible for their own actions.

Ah,the sweet folly of youth !

[ronnybee2112 · 8/10 · 21 September 2020]

Here we have a pretty comical episode indeed. Beaver sees something he just has to have,no matter what. He goes through a lot of trouble to get the money together for it,and against his mother's better judgement she allows him to buy it. He is very happy with it,until he suddenly finds a pressing reason to change his mind...Quickly! This is a funny and rather believable episode,these types of things really do happen and can seem like the end of the world to a young person.

Sometimes you really shouldn't get what you want.

[pensman · 7/10 · 1 August 2017]

June is making a coconut cake for desert when Wally gets home. Wally says Beaver is coming home but he is out with Larry for now. Beaver is over at Grant Ave doing some window shopping at Kirby's when Larry shows Beaver a near sweater. Larry says his father is getting him one and if Beaver gets one they would look like twins. Beaver has twenty-five dollars in his bank account and the sweater is only twelve dollars and ninety-eight cents. Ward is opposed to letting Beaver buy something on a whim but June convinces Ward to let Beaver buy the sweater.

Beaver has the sweater and is coming down stairs to show Ward. Wally tells his dad not to laugh. The sweater is really too big for Beaver and is ugly but Beaver is wearing it to school even though it's still warm. Larry didn't get his sweater because his older brother was visiting with the new baby. Beaver is still happy with his sweater until he and Larry see Judy Hensler wearing the sweater. Larry gives Beaver the horselaugh for buying a girl's sweater.

At home Beaver is up in his room and he tells Wally about the sweater: it's a girl's sweater. So Beaver has been wearing two sweaters so he can hide the girl's sweater before he gets to school. All he knows is that he can't tell mom or dad.

Beaver and Wally are heading out to the movies and Beaver is told to wear his new sweater. June even helps Beaver put it on. Ward still thinks it's an ugly sweater. Once outside, Wally loans Beaver his jacket. But when the boys get home, Beaver's sweater is missing. It's time for an interrogation from Ward to find out what happened. Beaver tries suggesting two big guys took his sweater but June gets a phone call from the theater manager who found the sweater stuffed behind a candy machine, Wally tells his parents what is going on with the sweater even though he promised Beaver not to say anything. Both Ward and June figure everyone is entitled to at least one big mistake. And Beaver won't have to wear the sweater, they will find someone who can get some use of it.

At school the next day Larry is telling Beaver that it's really nice that Beaver's mom and dad aren't making him keep and wear the sweater. Then when Judy shows up wearing the sweater again, Larry says that he and Beaver should give her the business about wearing an ugly sweater. Beaver says no, he sort of knows how Judy might feel.

Not sure how this would play today when there are so many class discussions about gender stereotyping, but I suspect most boys would still tease a classmate for wearing a girl's sweater.

Larry instigates again

[vitoscotti · 9/10 · 18 March 2021]

Classic scene when Judy comes to school wearing Beaver's sweater. Then, is so very proud of it.

THE ESKIMO SWEATER SCANDAL!

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 1 January 2024]

This episode defines "buyers remorse." 100 percent.

True, it plagues all of us, not just kids, but writer Katherine Albert wrote it so perfectly around the Beave. He and Larry are shopping and there it is-- a genuine Eskimo sweater, all the way from Alaska!

Larry says his dad's going to buy him one (do ya'll really, really think so?) and that's the clincher that gets Beave to lay out the money, almost $13.00, which today would be about $140 dollars! Expensive!

Is it worth? Heck, no! In fact, if you are a tv buff, this episode may have been inspired by all the LOUD sweaters and jackets Ralph (Jackie Gleason) wore on the HONEYMOONERS, remember? It all fits, only tailered for the Beave this time. Would that make Larry -- Ed Norton???

Ward and June can't believe their eyes either, and it only gets worse when Beave discovers, much to his dismay, Judy is struttin' 'round school with the same exact sweater. All smiles! Say it isn't so.

The question arises: where to dump the darn thing and ASAP.

An excellent story, so well written and acted. Katherine Albert, incidentally, is credited for being co-writer for HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE, starring Marilyn Monroe. Watch for that classic of classics. She could truly spin a story.

See this one for the Beave, just a victim of circumstances. SEASON 2 EPISODE 31 remastered dvd box set.

Beaver Makes A Bad Choice

[StrictlyConfidential · 6/10 · 24 April 2021]

(*Larry Mondello quote*) - "Hey, Beaver, look at the neat tiger."

In the store window of Kirby's there's an Eskimo-style sweater put on display.

Beaver uses his own money to buy it and he's all excited to wear it to school.

When Beaver sees Judy Hensler wearing the same sweater he tries to ditch it at the movie theater.

In the meantime, Beaver plays a game of deception with his parents about the whereabouts of the sweater.