Ken Osmond Movies
Supporting actor Ken Osmond is best remembered for playing Wally Cleaver's oily, conniving best friend Eddie Haskell on Leave It to Beaver (1957-1963), a role he has periodically capitalized on in films and subsequent incarnations of the ever-popular series. Prior to getting that role, Osmond -- usually billed as Kenneth Osmond -- was already a busy child actor, playing supporting parts in such big-budget Warner Bros. films as So Big (his big-screen debut) at age eight. He made the rounds of the studios, appearing in Fox's tear-jerker Good Morning, Miss Dove in 1955, as well as the comedy Everything But the Truth at Universal in 1956. It was a year later that he took on the part of Eddie Haskell in Leave It to Beaver, which was produced by Universal's television unit. Osmond's work as Eddie earned him a Youth In Films Lifetime Achievement Award. Following the show's cancellation, Osmond did occasional television work, turning up in one episode of The Munsters (playing -- surprise! -- a troublemaking student) and elsewhere on the small screen, as well as in Paramount's 1967 college campus exploitation drama C'mon, Let's Live a Little, before he left acting. Osmond and his brother founded a charter helicopter company, and he later spent 18 years as a Los Angeles police officer. After sustaining multiple gunshot wounds during an attempted arrest, Osmond had to retire. In 1983, he returned to acting and Eddie Haskell, in The New Leave It to Beaver. The show ran until 1989 and featured his real sons, Eric and Christian Osmond, playing Eddie's sons Freddie and Boomer. In 1997, Osmond again showed up as Eddie in a cameo role in the feature-film version of Leave It to Beaver. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide- 1967
This drama centers on life in a small college. The hero is a folk singer from the backwoods. Because he saved the dean's daughter from a car accident, he received a scholarship. The school rebel uses the folk singer to entice students into attending his rally on free speech. The folk singer rallies back and punches the radical in the nose. He then allows the dean to tell the student body the reasons why they don't need more radical ideas concerning freedom. Songs include "C'mon, Let's Live a Little," "Instnat Girl," "Baker Man," "What Fool This Mortal Be," "Tonights the Night," "For Granted," "Back-Talk," "Over and Over," "Let's Go Go," and "Way Back Home." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobby Vee, Jackie De Shannon, (more)
There are murderous goings on at a sweatshop that specializes in lingerie. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In this off-the-wall comedy, Joan Sweeney (Judy Tenuta) is an actress who unfortunately hit the peak of her career at the age of eight. As a child performer, she was the star of a successful television series, but as a grown-up, she can't get work to save her life. Tired of dressing up as a child for personal appearances, Joan has decided she needs publicity to put her career back on track, and she's thoroughly convinced there's no such thing as bad press. Consequently, Joan poses as a homeless person, knocks over a convenience store, and even openly declares herself as lesbian in the interest of greater press coverage, all with no luck. Fate appears to be smiling on her, but at just the wrong time, when Joan finally gets offered a role that could kick start her career just as she discovers she's pregnant. Desperation Boulevard also stars Michael Lerner and Weird Al Yankovic; one-time TV stars Erin Moran, Burt Ward, and Ken Osmond also appear in cameo roles. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1956
This very lightweight comedy focuses on young orphan Willie Taylor (Tim Hovey). Upset with the prevarications of the adult world, Willie launches a truth-telling campaign at school, with the blessings of his pretty teacher Joan Madison (Maureen O'Hara). Things begin to get dicey when Willie publicly reveals a slightly dishonest real-estate deal mastermined by his Uncle Arthur (Barry Atwater). Crusading reporter Ernie Miller (John Forsythe) transforms little Willie into a big celebrity, and in so doing wins the love of Joan. A good supporting cast helps smooth over the lumpier passages of Everything but the Truth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maureen O'Hara, John Forsythe, (more)
- 1955
This distaff variation of the Goodbye Mr. Chips theme is based on a novel by Frances Gray Patton. While confined to a sickbed, ageing New England schoolteacher Miss Dove (Jennifer Jones) recalls the many students who passed through her classroom. Among her now-grown-up prize pupils are surgeon Tom Baker (Robert Stack), policeman Bill Holloway (Chuck Connors) and playright Maurice (Jerry Paris), all of whom were able to overcome difficult childhoods and strive for success with the help of Miss Dove. As it turns out, it is Dr. Tom Baker who is to perform the operation that may save the life of his ailing former teacher. A 60-minute TV adaptation of Good Morning Miss Dove, with Phyllis Kirk in the Jennifer Jones role, was seen in 1956 as part of the weekly anthology The 20th Century-Fox Hour. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Jones, Robert Stack, (more)
Michael J. Fox is among the young sitcom stars enlisted for this made-for-TV teen film, about a battle between the rich, popular kids and their average counterparts. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael J. Fox, Nancy McKeon, (more)
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher McDonald, Janine Turner, (more)
- 1957
One of the undisputed classics of American television, the weekly, half-hour sitcom Leave It to Beaver was created by Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, who had risen to prominence as principal writers of the TV version of Amos 'n' Andy. Fulfilling their ambition to create a warm, credible sitcom about modern suburban life as seen through the eyes of small children, Connelly and Mosher came up with a pilot film, "It's a Small World," in 1957. This trial balloon featured Jerry Mathers as six-year-old Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver, Paul Sullivan as his 11-year-old brother Wally, Casey Adams (aka Max Showalter) as their accountant father Ward, and Barbara Billingsley as their housewife mother June. Also appearing in the pilot were Diane Brewster, Richard Deacon, and, in the one-scene role of a wise guy neighbor kid named Frankie, a very young Harry Shearer. Though the concept did not fly as "It's a Small World" (the pilot would be folded into a syndicated anthology series, Studio 57), CBS evinced interest when it reemerged, with several new cast members, as Leave It to Beaver, which debuted October 4, 1957.
Carried over from "It's a Small World" were Jerry Mathers and Barbara Billingsley, while new to the cast were Hugh Beaumont as Ward Cleaver and Tony Dow as Wally. Likewise retained were Diane Brewster and Richard Deacon, albeit in different roles as respectively, Beaver's schoolteacher Miss Canfield and Ward's co-worker Fred Rutherford. The basic original premise was also kept on, with Beaver and Wally trying to interpret the ways of the world through their own youthful and naïve perspective. The Cleavers lived in the town of Mayfield, and shared many of the same trials and tribulations as the "nuclear families" who comprised the series' fan base. What really sold the series was the warm, realistic rapport between the Cleaver kids and their parents, and the authentic-sounding dialogue, full of the slang and idioms common to youngsters of the Eisenhower era. The huge supporting cast included Rusty Stevens as Beaver's chubby pal Larry Mondello, who was invariably seen chomping on an apple and who lived in fear of his disciplinarian father who always seemed to be on a business trip to Cincinnati (Madge Blake, aka Batman's Aunt Harriet, was occasionally seen as Larry's mom); Stanley "Tiger" Fafara as another Beaver buddy, the adenoidal Whitey Whitney; Stephen Talbot as young Gilbert Bates, who spent most of his time talking Beaver into getting in trouble; Richard Correll as Richard, evidently brought in during the series' third season as a Larry Mondello replacement; Jeri Weil as snotty, insulting Judy Hensler, Beaver's classroom nemesis; Frank Bank as Wally's school chum (and Fred Rutherford's son) Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford, an amiable, none-too-bright oaf; Pamela Beard as Mary Ellen Rogers and Cheryl Holdridge as Judy Foster, Wally's erstwhile girlfriends; and Sue Randall and Doris Packer respectively as Miss Canfield's successors at Beaver's school, Miss Landers and Miss Rayburn. By far the most famous and celebrated of the series' supporting players was Ken Osmond as Wally's pal Eddie Haskell, that juvenile Uriah Heep who laid on the insincere charm whenever he was around Beaver's parents ("Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Cleaver. My, Mrs. Cleaver, you're looking lovely tonight. Are Wallace and Theodore at home?"), but who reverted to his true personality as a weaselly, conniving creep whenever he was alone with Wally and The Beav. Moving from CBS to ABC for its second season, Leave It to Beaver ultimately lasted six seasons and 234 episodes, signing off only because Tony Dow and especially Jerry Mathers had outgrown their roles. The final network episode aired on September 12, 1963; one week later, the series entered rerun syndication, where it has flourished ever since. And in 1985, most of the original cast (minus the late Hugh Beaumont) were reunited in their same roles in a new series, The New Leave It to Beaver, which was a spin-off of the earlier retro special Still the Beaver, and which remained in production until 1989. While the newer version is not held in terribly high esteem by fans, the original remains an audience favorite. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Carried over from "It's a Small World" were Jerry Mathers and Barbara Billingsley, while new to the cast were Hugh Beaumont as Ward Cleaver and Tony Dow as Wally. Likewise retained were Diane Brewster and Richard Deacon, albeit in different roles as respectively, Beaver's schoolteacher Miss Canfield and Ward's co-worker Fred Rutherford. The basic original premise was also kept on, with Beaver and Wally trying to interpret the ways of the world through their own youthful and naïve perspective. The Cleavers lived in the town of Mayfield, and shared many of the same trials and tribulations as the "nuclear families" who comprised the series' fan base. What really sold the series was the warm, realistic rapport between the Cleaver kids and their parents, and the authentic-sounding dialogue, full of the slang and idioms common to youngsters of the Eisenhower era. The huge supporting cast included Rusty Stevens as Beaver's chubby pal Larry Mondello, who was invariably seen chomping on an apple and who lived in fear of his disciplinarian father who always seemed to be on a business trip to Cincinnati (Madge Blake, aka Batman's Aunt Harriet, was occasionally seen as Larry's mom); Stanley "Tiger" Fafara as another Beaver buddy, the adenoidal Whitey Whitney; Stephen Talbot as young Gilbert Bates, who spent most of his time talking Beaver into getting in trouble; Richard Correll as Richard, evidently brought in during the series' third season as a Larry Mondello replacement; Jeri Weil as snotty, insulting Judy Hensler, Beaver's classroom nemesis; Frank Bank as Wally's school chum (and Fred Rutherford's son) Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford, an amiable, none-too-bright oaf; Pamela Beard as Mary Ellen Rogers and Cheryl Holdridge as Judy Foster, Wally's erstwhile girlfriends; and Sue Randall and Doris Packer respectively as Miss Canfield's successors at Beaver's school, Miss Landers and Miss Rayburn. By far the most famous and celebrated of the series' supporting players was Ken Osmond as Wally's pal Eddie Haskell, that juvenile Uriah Heep who laid on the insincere charm whenever he was around Beaver's parents ("Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Cleaver. My, Mrs. Cleaver, you're looking lovely tonight. Are Wallace and Theodore at home?"), but who reverted to his true personality as a weaselly, conniving creep whenever he was alone with Wally and The Beav. Moving from CBS to ABC for its second season, Leave It to Beaver ultimately lasted six seasons and 234 episodes, signing off only because Tony Dow and especially Jerry Mathers had outgrown their roles. The final network episode aired on September 12, 1963; one week later, the series entered rerun syndication, where it has flourished ever since. And in 1985, most of the original cast (minus the late Hugh Beaumont) were reunited in their same roles in a new series, The New Leave It to Beaver, which was a spin-off of the earlier retro special Still the Beaver, and which remained in production until 1989. While the newer version is not held in terribly high esteem by fans, the original remains an audience favorite. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Beaumont, Barbara Billingsley, (more)
- 1962
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Frank Bank, (more)
- 1962
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Frank Bank, (more)
- 1960
Beaver (Jerry Mathers) and Larry (Rusty Stevens) find a wallet containing 89 dollars. Turning it over to the police, the boys are told the money is theirs if no one claims it in 30 days. After nearly a month's worth of fantasizing about what he will do with his windfall, Beaver must console himself to the fact that the wallet's owner has indeed materialized. Well, at least he'll get a handsome reward for recovering the wallet -- or will he? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rusty Stevens, Ken Osmond, (more)
- 1961
Ever in need of ready cash, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) and Gilbert (Stephen Talbot) form a lawn-mowing business. Trouble is, no one in the neighborhood needs their services. Acting upon a suggestion from Eddie Haskell (Ken Osmond), the boys decide to work on "spec," mowing lawns first and then asking for money afterward. Not surprisingly, the scheme backfires -- and to add insult to injury, Gilbert gives up on the project, leaving Beaver to soldier on alone. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Talbot, Ken Osmond, (more)
- 1963
Now that he's graduated from the eighth grade, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) is looking forward to the extensive (and expensive) cross-country bus trip he's going to take during the summer. At the same time, Beaver is sweet on Mary Margaret Mathews (Lori Martin), the new girl in town. When that notorious bon vivant Whitey Whitney (Stanley Fafara) offers to spend the summer teaching Mary Margaret how to water-ski, jealous Beav begins to have second thoughts about seeing America. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Lori Martin, (more)
- 1960
Season four of Leave It to Beaver begins as Beaver (Jerry Mathers) refuses to eat the Brussels sprouts his mom June (Barbara Billingsley) has served him. Pleading, cajoling, and threatening do not work -- Beaver will not eat the vegetable no matter what his parents do to him. Anxious to defuse the situation, Ward (Hugh Beaumont) forces Beaver to promise to eat Brussels sprouts the next time they are served. Not long afterward, the family goes to a fancy restaurant -- and guess what's first on the bill of fare? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Netta Packer, (more)
- 1958
Beaver makes friends with Chuey Varella (Alan Roberts Costello), a youngster who can only speak Spanish. Hoping to impress Chuey, Beaver wants to learn a Spanish sentence that will be complimentary to his new pal. Alas, Beaver's "teacher" is the redoubtable Eddie Haskell (Ken Osmond), who uses his junior-high Spanish skills to carefully coach Beav in a sentence that, when translated into English, comes out as "You have the face of a pig." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Alan Roberts Costello, (more)
- 1962
Wally (Tony Dow) was supposed to babysit for ten-year-old Patricia Murdock (Jennie Lynn), but he manages to book a big date on the same night. In desperation, Wally shifts the babysitting job to Beaver (Jerry Mathers), on whom Patricia has a schoolgirl crush. Balking when Patricia demands to play a kid's game, Beaver finally agrees in order to shut her up. It turns out that he kind of likes the game -- which puts him in an embarrassing position when his friends unexpectedly show up! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Stephen Talbot, (more)
- 1960
Without his parents' knowledge or permission, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) orders an accordion by mail for a ten-day free tryout. The trouble begins when the accordion arrives -- on the 11th day. Now, Beav must not only hide the accordion, but also prevent his parents from finding out that he owes money on it. And just when it seems that things can't get any worse, the accordion is accidentally -- and irreparably -- damaged! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Stanley "Tiger" Fafara, (more)
- 1960
Beaver (Jerry Mathers) sells raffle tickets in hopes of winning a contest. Luck of luck, Beaver is rewarded with third prize -- a brand-new sports car, worth thirty-five hundred dollars! As Beaver eagerly prepares to get behind the wheel of his car, Eddie tauntingly informs him that his dad will never let him keep such a valuable "grown-up" gift. Beav figures that Eddie's just gas-bagging again -- until he is informed by his dad Ward that the car will be sold and the money placed in Beav's college fund. This episode marks the final appearance of Rusty Stevens in the role of Larry Mondello. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Mustin, Ken Osmond, (more)
- 1961
Purchasing an old mini-car from Eddie, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) is in dire need of a set of wheels. To this end, he acquires a worn-out doll buggy from the mother (Jean Vander Pyl) of his schoolmate Penny Woods (Karen Sue Trent). So far, so good -- but there's still one problem to be overcome. Namely, how is Beaver going to be able to wheel the doll buggy home without suffering the merciless ridicule of his male friends? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karen Sue Trent, Stephen Talbot, (more)
- 1962
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Mustin, Richard Correll, (more)
- 1963
Well, it has finally come to this -- Beaver Cleaver (Jerry Mathers) is 14 years old and poised to graduate from the eighth grade. Or is he? Having impulsively cut one of his classes, Beaver comes across "evidence" which convinces him that he will be denied his diploma for his indiscretion -- and golly, what will mom and dad say then? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Stephen Talbot, (more)
- 1962
When Beaver (Jerry Mathers) announces that he's been appointed to help Richard (Richard Correll) take his family's clothes to the laundromat, Ward (Hugh Beaumont) and June (Barbara Billingsley) tell Beaver how proud they are that he can handle this responsibility. Alas, the boys lose all their money (three whole dollars!) en route to the laundromat, whereupon they decide to wash the clothes themselves in Richard's mom's washing machine. A combination of too much soap and too much starch results in a flood of Johnstown proportions -- and as a result, Beaver frets that he'll not only get hollered at by Richard's parents, but he'll also get "the business" from his own parents! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Richard Correll, (more)
- 1960
The "fun" begins when Beaver (Jerry Mathers) loses a library book that he checked out on the card owned by his father, Ward (Hugh Beaumont). This in itself is a source of great anxiety for Beaver, but even worse is in store for our hero. Thanks to a web of exaggerations spun by the redoubtable Eddie Haskell (Ken Osmond), Beaver is thoroughly convinced that his dad is headed for jail! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Frank Bank, (more)
- 1959
Impulsively removing a cap from an ink bottle, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) accidentally ruins some of his dad's business papers (yes, Dad does have a job!) As a result, Beaver is grounded, forbidden to leave the house all weekend. At the goading of pal Larry (Rusty Stevens), Beaver sneaks out to attend a movie. Which of course leads to the inevitable crisis -- how is The Beav going to explain the fact that he's won a new bike in a contest held at the movie house? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rusty Stevens, Ken Osmond, (more)
- 1961
Sneaking a peek at Beaver's report card, Eddie (Ken Osmond) prankishly changes the arithmetic grade from a D minus to a B plus. Fully aware that Beaver (Jerry Mathers) is hardly a Rhodes scholar when it comes to math, June (Barbara Billingsley) figures out that the grade has been altered. Beav, of course, insists that he hasn't tampered with his report card, thereby setting up the big situation of the evening; will truth prevail, or will our hero be clobbered for something that he didn't do? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Sue Randall, (more)
