Eddie Haskell

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List

This thread has been locked

Messages 1 - 20 of total 33 in this topic

<< First | < Previous | Show All | Next > | Last >>

Largo

Sport climber

The Big Wide Open Face

Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 12, 2012 - 07:13pm PT

My vote for the greatest sit com character ever created, brilliantly played as well.

Here's what they say about old Eddie:

Edward Clark "Eddie" Haskell (also referred to as Edward W. Haskell) is a fictional character on the Leave It to Beaver television situation comedy, which ran on CBS from October 4, 1957 to 1958 and then on ABC from 1958 to June 20, 1963.

The son of George and Agnes, Eddie Haskell was the smart-mouthed best friend of Wally Cleaver. The character, played in the original series by Ken Osmond, has become a cultural reference, recognized as an archetype for insincere sycophants. Ward Cleaver once remarked that "[Eddie] is so polite, it's almost un-American".

The archetype became so well known that the term "Eddie Haskell" was adopted into everyday use.

He was known for his neat grooming — hiding his shallow and sneaky character. Typically, Eddie would greet his friends' parents with overdone good manners and often a compliment such as, "That's a lovely dress you're wearing, Mrs. Cleaver." However, when no parents were around, Eddie was always up to chicanery — either conniving with his friends, or picking on Wally's younger brother Beaver.

Eddie's two-faced style was also typified by his efforts to curry favor by trying to talk to adults at the level he thought they would respect, such as referring to their children as Theodore (Beaver's much-disliked given name) and Wallace, even though the parents called them Beaver and Wally.

A weaselly wise guy, Eddie could be relied upon to connive and instigate pernicious schemes with his friends — schemes for which they would be in the position of blame, if (and usually when) caught.

One of his most infamous pranks with the Cleaver boys involved fastening a chain around the rear axle of their friend Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford's car, causing unplanned damage as the entire third member and wheels became detached when he tried to move the car. The prank has been repeated on police and gangster cars in scenes in the films American Graffiti and Gone in 60 Seconds.

zBrown

Ice climber

chingadero de chula vista

Jun 12, 2012 - 07:23pm PT

Eddie was something else, but the other Ed (Norton) and Ralph Kramden give him a run for the money.

[Click to View YouTube Video]

Capt.

climber

some eastside hovel

Jun 12, 2012 - 08:22pm PT

Fattrad...Yeah,sounds like he was a real cop.What do you have in common?? Largo,yeah brilliant acting. Always cracked me up.Wow,we're dating ourselves;)..

Fish Finder

Social climber

THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART

Jun 12, 2012 - 08:32pm PT

Eddie Haskell...... to cool to care !

Toker Villain

Big Wall climber

Toquerville, Utah

Jun 12, 2012 - 08:47pm PT

I dunno. He may have narced his adopted son's dealer IRL, but Archie Bunker would be my vote.

A sit-com character that caused a whole culture to re-examine itself.

My guess is that Eddie Haskell was likely a writer's caricature of a teenage acquaintance.

Jon Beck

Trad climber

Oceanside

Jun 12, 2012 - 08:50pm PT

"Gee Ward, don't you think you were a little rough on the Beaver last night?"

Tony Bird

climber

Northridge, CA

Jun 12, 2012 - 09:15pm PT

hitting a nerve here--

"hey, wally, how's yer old man! ... oh, hello mister cleaver, wallace and i were just discussing you."

"i know, eddie."

if you drive around los angeles, you'll find street names that found their way into drama. i'm sure eddie's last name comes from haskell street, just west of the 405 in the SFV. other good ones:

balboa boulevard--i've heard confirmed reports that sly stallone used it for rocky balboa. makes sense, too, the dummy--balboa is a portuguese name, not for a real italian stallion. the power of suggestion on a weak mind ...

the one i treasure is willoughby, a cross street to highland a bit south of sunset. "next stop, willoughby," went a certain twilight zone episode. you got off the train there and never came back.

goatboy smellz

climber

Nederland-GulfBreeze

Jun 12, 2012 - 09:21pm PT

Arnold Ziffel had better acting chops and way more personality.

Johnny K.

climber

Jun 12, 2012 - 09:24pm PT

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Jun 12, 2012 - 09:37pm PT

I thought "All In The Family" was a documentary?

Toker Villain

Big Wall climber

Toquerville, Utah

Jun 12, 2012 - 09:44pm PT

"Well if dey live in a commune den dey must be communists!"

rottingjohnny

Sport climber

mammoth lakes ca

Jun 12, 2012 - 09:52pm PT

Arnold Ziffel was good, maybe a cult icon to some but Eddy was the best at playing a manipulative sociopath...

Fletcher

Trad climber

Fumbling towards stone

Jun 12, 2012 - 11:11pm PT

A classic show and character. I still crack up when I think of him. In the 70's when my bro's and I were still in elementary school, we'd watch LiTB before school each day. Eddie had an influence on us all and we we all doomed thereon.

Eric

caughtinside

Social climber

Davis, CA

Jun 12, 2012 - 11:14pm PT

South face of sports challenge features a fun climb named Eddie Haskell Takes Manhattan. I was sandbagged on it by the Certified Leader.

"You got this, it's only 10b. Great warmup"

Got me good style.

Charlie D.

Trad climber

Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra

Jun 13, 2012 - 09:05am PT

What was so compelling about Eddie Haskell is virtually every neighborhood in America had such a charactor, the kid that would kiss every parents ass and then try to burn you alive in your tree fort. Our neighborhood Eddie Haskell was Pat Gallager and for those parents who saw through it claimed he'd end up in prison.

Those days of neighborhoods full of us baby boomers were a far cry from the experiences kids have these days. I think every boy in ours had a bb gun and or a wrist rocket, we were heavily armed and there were wars. One such open conflict saw Pat and I outmatched down in a wash. One of the attackers kept poking his head up from behind a concrete wall in the same location each time. Pat picked up a rock and with his best throw ever hit him in a bouncing blow off the top of his head. When I said, "Pat you hit that kid right in the head!!!!" Pat turned to me in a true Eddie Haskell, "what do you mean me punk you threw it".

I got home and before getting in the door heard the phone ring, I knew we were busted as my dad said, "well boys will be boys" to some hysterical mother. Surely we'd all be in prison doing what we did in the 50's and 60's these days. Loved the charactor, thanks JL for the memories.

mouse from merced

Trad climber

merced, california

Jun 13, 2012 - 01:38pm PT

I'd love to see Eddie Haskell try his smarmy sh#t with Moe Howard, the Stooge. Moe would moitalize 'im.

JEleazarian

Trad climber

Fresno CA

Jun 13, 2012 - 02:01pm PT

I love it, Largo.

Jerry Mathers was a classmate at Berkeley (Class of '73), so I've always had a fondness for that programs.

John

Largo

Sport climber

The Big Wide Open Face

Topic Author's Reply - Jun 13, 2012 - 04:55pm PT

Ron is right. Archie Bunker rewrote Americana bigot redneck and had all of us thinking, but he was wildly outsized. Eddie did all of his magic almost on the sly, with a grin and a bucket of smarm.

JL