Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
|
|
|
Jun 13, 2012 - 09:51pm PT
|
Classic! There's one in everyone's scene. Everyone knows an Eddie. Jeez....
|
|
Tony Bird
climber
Northridge, CA
|
|
|
Jun 13, 2012 - 11:26pm PT
|
^^^
that photo up there is like going to your 50th high school class reunion--not far off for me. fascinating to see how personalities and appearances play out through the game of life--"the child is the father to the man". interesting that osmond became a cop, including vice squad duty. probably his devious persona on television gave him real insight for that work.
wonder what the other guys did. beaver looks like the president of the chamber of commerce, wally looks like maybe a high school coach or guidance counselor.
|
|
onyourleft
climber
Smog Angeles
|
|
|
Jun 14, 2012 - 12:32am PT
|
In 1988, I was hired by Universal Television as 1st Assistant Director on "The New Leave It To Beaver." This was, in essence, a sequel to the original series. Brian Levant, a wonderful man with a brilliant imagination, had conceived the idea to create this new series. His concept was that the original characters had grown up, matured, and now had children of their own. The stories concerned these children, now being parented by these iconic characters. All the original actors were contracted to perform (save Hugh Beaumont who sadly had passed.)
I spent an entire year with these folks and it was one of the most memorable years in my career. We were given very little money by the studio, yet every week we made a little movie. All involved were fully committed to the success. The crew was made up of some stellar individuals. The Director of Photography was Peter Smokler who had been the DP on "Spinal Tap." Brian Levant directed comedy features such as "Beethoven" and "The Flintstones."
The cast was really wonderful. Ken Osmond's own son Eric played Frederick "Freddie" Haskell, a chip off the old man's block. Eric has now gone on to be an accomplished editor in motion pictures. Barbara Billingsley was a lovely matriarch to the entire company. I became particularly fond of Tony Dow and assisted him in his first directing effort, an episode he also wrote concerning "Beaver's" son learning to drive. Tony was curious enough about rock climbing that I took him, his wife, and his son out to Joshua Tree for a day of top-roping.
All in all, it was a joyous year with some really nice people.
Edit: Largo, thanks for this thread.
It's brought back an era of innocent, non-raunchy, non-cynical television, great characters, and for myself, some good memories.
|
|
onyourleft
climber
Smog Angeles
|
|
|
Jun 14, 2012 - 12:54am PT
|
DT:
I was not involved in the pilot of "TNLITB," only the 5th season.
Yes, both Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow directed on the series.
Tony has had a busy career directing other series and also performing consulting duties in visual effects.
Can't help you with Rusty "Larry Mondello" Stevens. Have lost track of most of these folks after we parted company.
|
|
Tony Bird
climber
Northridge, CA
|
|
|
Jun 14, 2012 - 09:08am PT
|
in other supertopo hollywood gossip--
onyourleft also worked on the dharma and greg show, which had a very long run and an exciting spirit of creativity about it. he got this brother climber a temp spot on the props crew during a busy preseason, for which i will always be very grateful.
don't know what happened to jenna elfman--maybe she was too good for hollywood, or--would OYL agree?--hollywood merely sunk deeper into its bathos. i don't even like what some of my favorite actors are doing any more--the material seems so far beneath them.
i had a different sort of encounter relating to this when i got to know, as a fellow activist, the actress who, as a child, had starred in the new adventures of heidi, in which burl ives played heidi's grandfather. she summed up her acting career something like this: by 5 i was getting work, by 8 i was supporting my family, by 15 i wasn't getting work, by 17 i was totally burned out.
|
|
Tobia
Social climber
Denial
|
|
|
Jun 14, 2012 - 09:19am PT
|
Lumpy's dad was able to trace the prank to Wally and Eddie because the chain they used had the name "Ward Cleaver" painted on the hook.
"Ward" never struck me as a guy that would use a chain often; or even know how. Now I am convinced; any chain with the name painted on the hook, couldn't have ever been used. I bet they used nail polish.
Tough call between Eddie, Archie & Ed. How about Gracie?
|
|
onyourleft
climber
Smog Angeles
|
|
|
Jun 14, 2012 - 10:32am PT
|
Jenna Elfman will resurface this fall on a series called "1600 Penn."
It's a comedy based on the inner workings at the White House, written by former Obama speechwriter Jon Lovett. Bill Pullman plays the Pres and Jenna E plays his trophy second wife/stepmother to his children.
Jenna's a really talented comedienne (and a pleasure to work with) but in recent years her series work has been marked by some truly awful writing.
|
|
viejoalpinisto
Social climber
Pahrump, NV
|
|
|
Jun 14, 2012 - 11:44am PT
|
Pusshing Dr F down again
|
|
Tobia
Social climber
Denial
|
|
|
Jun 16, 2012 - 05:46am PT
|
Donald,
You must have seen some episodes that I don't remember. I recall him being in his garage a few times, usually just to get the car out, or fumbling with a rake.
The majority of the time he was sitting in the house, with a tie on, sometimes he was dressed like Arnold Palmer at the Masters, or in his pajamas. What I remember were shows about life in American suburbs. I don't recall him ever doing anything related to working with chains; thus my comments.
I do remember reading in Reader's Digest one time that the house used in Leave it To Beaver was the same house (set) used in Marcus Welby, M.D.
|
|
Tony Bird
climber
Northridge, CA
|
|
|
Jun 16, 2012 - 10:29am PT
|
sets get a lot of use, especially if a lot of work goes into one. if you're into such things, hit malibu creek state park on a weekend when the interp center is open--they have a great video of all the movies made out there (of course, planet of the apes among them).
another good one is the lone pine film festival the 2nd weekend in october, when they give tours to all the spots where movies were made, positioning stills of the scenes in the exact places in the alabama hills where they were shot. everything from the british at khyber pass to the lone ranger, galloping with snow-crowned mt. whitney towering above, telling the american public this is what texas is like.
|
|
Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
|
|
|
Jul 21, 2018 - 06:53pm PT
|
bump for TV when it was 300 lines per inch
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!