Frank Bank Movies

The Cleaver Family makes the jump from the small black and white screen to color and Panavision in this updated version of the classic TV sit-com. Eight-year-old Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver (Cameron Finley) is a good natured kid with a habit of getting in trouble; he's not bad, mind you, just a bit absent-minded. Beaver lives with his 12-year-old brother Wally (Erik Von Detten), his father Ward (Christopher McDonald), and his mother June (Janine Turner) in a small town in Ohio. Beaver wants a new bicycle more than anything, but his father wishes that he had more of an interest in team sports; someone suggests to Beaver that if he joined the school's football team, Ward might be impressed enough to buy him the bike. Beaver signs up, but his skills on the gridiron fall somewhere between slim and none, and the experience proves more than a bit embarrassing for both Beaver and Ward. Before long, Beaver has quit the team, but he tries to hide this fact from his father. Beaver does get his bike -- but he doesn't get to do much with it before it's stolen by a bigger kid in the neighborhood. Meanwhile, Wally's best friend, the mildly sleazy Eddie Haskell (Adam Zolotin), has fallen for a cute girl at school, Karen (Erika Christensen), and wants Wally to help him impress her; however, Karen seems to like Wally more than Eddie. This puts Wally in dutch with his best friend, and Wally feels even worse when he and Karen begin to quarrel. Ken Osmond, who played Eddie Haskell on the original TV series, plays Eddie's father here, and Barbara Billingsley, the original June Cleaver, appears as Aunt Martha. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Wally's girlfriend Julie Foster (Cheryl Holdridge) is impressed by the moustache worn by transfer student Wayne Gregory (Robert Koff), so much so that she dumps Wally (Tony Dow) in favor of Wayne. Out of jealousy, Wally decides to cultivate a bit of lip fuzz himself. The results are far from suave and sophisticated -- in fact, they're downright laughable. The question is, will Julie laugh along with everyone else, or will she see the error of her ways? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Now that he's driving, Wally (Tony Dow) wants a gasoline credit card. Ward (Hugh Beaumont) won't hear of it, telling Wally to rely on the money he has. Then Wally's battery goes dead in a faraway town, and he hasn't the necessary funds. So, now the question is, is Wally right, or is Ward? A good question -- and the huge bill from the gas station doesn't provide any easy answers. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

For reasons unknown, Wally (Tony Dow) has been paying regular nocturnal visits to Eddie's girl Cindy Andrews (Ahna Capri) every night. Jealous Eddie (Ken Osmond) suspects the worst, and before long so does everyone else. Little does he realize that Cindy is merely using Wally as a model for the sweater she is knitting Eddie for his birthday. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Wally (Tony Dow) escorts pretty Kathy Gregory (Carole Wells) to the post-graduation dance, his ears ringing with the words of Kathy's stern father (Herbert Rudley), who promises dire consequences should Wally step "out of line." Unfortunately, through a series of incredible circumstances, a drunken man bumps into Wally and Kathy, whereupon the girl falls into a fountain. Thus, Wally brings Kathy home drenched from head to toe -- and in trying to explain the situation to the explosive Mr. Gregory, our blameless hero only makes things worse! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Wally (Tony Dow) is pressed into service as guide for Beaver (Jerry Mathers) and his friends during a weekend camping trip. This is not good news for Eddie (Ken Osmond) and Lumpy (Frank Bank), who have arranged for Wally to accompany them on a triple date. Thus, Eddie hatches a scheme to sneak up to the campsite and frighten the younger kids into scurrying back home. Like most of Eddie's best-laid plans, this one goes disastrously a-gley, thanks to the unexpected appearance of a humorless forest ranger (John Hart). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Eddie (Ken Osmond) is convinced that he's too cool for the room when he moves out of his parents' house and into his own apartment. Before long, Wally (Tony Dow) is being regaled with Eddie's stories about his new-found independence, his posh living quarters, and his unlimited accessibility to pretty girls. Ward (Tony Dow) and June (Barbara Billingsley) are worried that impressionable Wally will want to follow Eddie's example -- but a visit to the fabled "bachelor pad," and a revealing conversation with the landlady, brings Wally down to Earth in a hurry. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Beaver (Jerry Mathers) is insulted that he has not been invited to a party that Wally (Tony Dow) is throwing for his friends. But instead of getting mad, he decides to get even. Visiting the local magic shop, Beaver purchases a variety of annoying practical jokes, guaranteed to make the party an event that no one will forget -- or want to remember. Perhaps it goes without saying that once Beav has all his booby-traps in place, Wally ends up inviting him after all! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

With Gilbert (Stephen Talbot) over to spend the evening with Beaver (Jerry Mathers), Ward (Hugh Beaumont) and June (Barbara Billingsley) agree to allow Wally (Tony Dow) to attend a party at Lumpy's house while they themselves go out. The only proviso is that Wally not spend the whole night with Lumpy (Frank Bank), and that he come home at a reasonable hour. But when Lumpy finds a stain on his rug, he begs Wally to stick around until morning so that his parents won't yell at him. Dutifully, Wally calls home for permission -- but Ward and June still haven't returned yet, placing Wally in another "darned if he does, darned if he doesn't" situation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Wally (Tony Dow) needs to bring three friends along to the amusement park to qualify for a discount, but only Eddie (Ken Osmond) and Lumpy (Frank Bank) are available. With no other option, Wally decides to invite Beaver to go along. Things run smoothly until the foursome reaches the roller coaster. Thanks to the dire warnings of the prankish Eddie, Beav is terrified at the prospect of going for a ride on the coaster. But by the time the episode reaches its climax, guess who's frightened and who isn't? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Cast in his school's spring pageant, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) is assigned the role of a bunny -- complete with long-eared, fuzzy-tailed costume. It's bad enough that he has to wear his bunny outfit while Lumpy (Frank Bank) is driving him to the show, but it's even worse when the car breaks down and Beav is forced to walk the rest of the way to school. No, it gets worse -- pack of bunny-hating dogs spot the costumed Beaver, and the chase is on! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

After several appearances in the recurring role of Gloria Cusick, Cheryl Holdridge matriculates to the part of Wally's new girlfriend Julie Foster. Gloria's a sweetheart, but there's a problem -- she's also the daughter of Wally's English teacher, Mr. Foster (Ross Elliott). This sets Wally to worrying that he'll receive undeserved high grades now that he's squiring the teacher's daughter -- and later on, he is certain that he'll flunk out when he breaks up with Julie. Meanwhile, Lumpy Rutherford (Frank Bank), perennial failing student, moves in on Julie, convinced that he's now "got it made." He doesn't -- as is proven beyond all doubt in the episode's sidesplitting denouement. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Wally (Tony Dow) balks when June (Barbara Billingsley) insists that he spend time with Dudley (Jimmy Hawkins), the son of one of her best friends. According to Wally, the geekish Dudley is the sort of kid that people want to trip or bump into just on general principles. Even so, Wally invites Dudley to a party at Mary Ellen Rogers' house, where Eddie (Ken Osmond) and Lumpy (Frank Bank) conspire to make the poor guy look as ridiculous as possible. Things take an unexpected turn when the power goes out, rendering the record player useless -- at which point Dudley calmly sits down at the piano, and.... ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi