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- 1963
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Frank Bank, (more)
- 1962
Ward (Hugh Beaumont) orders Beaver (Jerry Mathers) and Wally (Tony Dow) to get some overdue chores done before they can have fun during the weekend. Boys being boys, our heroes goof around so much that they are unable to catch up with the trash hauler to toss the garbage and leaves that they've gathered up. Figuring that Ward won't care so long as the garage and the yard are clean, Beaver and Wally pay Eddie (Ken Osmond) and Lumpy (Frank Bank) to get ride of the trash -- which they do in a vacant lot, in full view of the property's outraged owner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Frank Bank, (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) doesn't show up for a scheduled tennis date with Wally (Tony Dow). Fortunately, a pretty and slightly older woman named Carole Martin (Cindy Robbins) is willing to go a few sets with Wally on the tennis court. Naturally, Wally is delighted and flattered that the flirtatious Carole seems so interested in him -- little realizing that the vixenish cutie is merely playing up to Wally to make her real boyfriend, Don (Jim Drake), jealous. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Frank Bank, (more)
- 1962
Ward (Hugh Beaumont) is wary about Wally (Tony Dow) and Eddie (Ken Osmond) joining an exclusive high school club called The Barons. The boys pay no heed, observing that the Barons are the neatest guys on campus. But when our heroes are honored with the opportunity to spend a Friday evening in the company of the Barons, it finally dawns on them that appearances are extremely deceiving. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Martin Dean, (more)
- 1962
The Cleaver family is looking forward to another summer vacation in their favorite lakeside cabin. Then Wally meets pretty Lori Ann (Brenda Scott), a local library assistant. He wants to spend time with her -- the same time that the Cleavers have planned their getaway. Though he isn't crazy about the idea, Ward agrees to let Wally stay with Eddie (Ken Osmond) while the rest of the family leaves town...whereupon Lori Ann puts the kibosh on Wally's dreams of summer romance. This was the final episode of Leave It to Beaver's fifth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Brenda Scott, (more)
- 1962
Moving to a new night (Thursday rather than Saturday), and boasting a jazzy new arrangement of its theme song, Leave It to Beaver settles down for its sixth and final season. Hoping to impress his girlfriend Julie Foster (Cheryl Holdridge), Wally (Tony Dow) decides to take her on a fancy dinner date. He's even willing to go the whole nine yards by escorting Julie to the White Fox, the classiest place in town (needless to say, this was Julie's idea). As the couple enjoys their very expensive meal (80 cents for the soup alone), Wally confidently reaches for his wallet -- only to find it isn't in his pocket! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Cheryl Holdridge, (more)
- 1962
To help Wally (Tony Dow) with his economics homework, Ward (Hugh Beaumont) offers to show the boys how to invest in the stock market. Wally and Beaver (Jerry Mathers) combine their savings -- 25 dollars apiece -- and are advised by Ward to place it in a safe stock. Unfortunately, they have invested their cash in a "sure thing" recommended by Eddie Haskell (Ken Osmond), and before long the stock has taken a disastrous downturn. Meanwhile, Ward stands benignly on the sidelines, almost as if he was armed with insider information! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond
- 1962
Ward (Tony Dow) and June (Barbara Billingsley) promised Wally (Tony Dow) that he could get his license when he turned 17. Well, he's turned 17 -- and true to their word, his parents allow Wally to enroll in driving school. Making one mistake after another, Wally can only envy his driving partner Shirley (Beverly Lunsford), who seems to have been born behind a steering wheel. Our hero starts panicking, when, on the day of the big test, "perfect driver" Shirley fails miserably! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Russ Bender, (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)
- 1962
Beaver (Jerry Mathers) is upset when his parents punish him for staying out late on a school night to go to the local jalopy races. Reading the advice column "Tell It to Ella," Beaver decides to write a letter to Ella, pleading his case. Certain that Ella will be persuaded to agree with him, Beaver tells his friends about what he's done, and they heartily congratulate him. But the plan backfires when Ella sides with Beaver's parents -- and soon none of the kids in town are allowed to go to the races on week nights! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Tim Matheson, (more)
- 1962
This week, Eddie (Tony Dow) and Wally (Tony Dow) land jobs at the Mayfield Dairy. While Wally works hard, Eddie spends most of his time sucking up to the foreman (Howard Caine). It seems as if Eddie's technique has worked when he is personally asked to load a large amount of ice cream cartons in the foreman's truck. Wally is not only a little envious, but also a little suspicious, and with good reason -- the foreman is a sneaky thief, and Eddie is his unwitting dupe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Howard Caine, (more)
- 1962
Beaver (Jerry Mathers) scores the winning touchdown in an important school football game. At first he is blasé about it, but the next day the local paper plays up the TD and even plasters Beaver's picture on the front page. Before long, Beaver's ego has swelled to mammoth proportions, and Ward (Hugh Beaumont) and June (Barbara Billingsley), who were first to join the "Hooray for Beaver" bandwagon, worry that they've created a monster -- especially when The Beav decides that he's simply too good to show up for practice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Talbot, Ken Osmond, (more)
- 1962
One of the girls in his class makes fun of Beaver's shaggy haircut. More sensitive to the taunts of the opposite sex than he'd been a few seasons ago, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) decides to do something about his unruly hair -- short of actually getting a buzz cut, of course. So he plasters down his locks with a variety of very greasy sprays and gels! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Ed Prentiss, (more)
- 1962
Wally (Tony Dow) persuades Ward (Tony Dow) to let him borrow the new family car in order to attend the prom. Wary Ward warns Wally to be very, very careful. He tries his best, but somehow one of the headlights is smashed to bits. Desperately, Wally and his pals scramble about to repair the damage before Ward finds out. It is very nearly a "clean getaway" -- until Wally's conscience kicks into gear. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Frank Bank, (more)
- 1962
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Frank Bank, (more)
- 1962
Tired of living in the shadow of his brother Wally's athletic accomplishments, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) tries out for the local park's basketball team. It helps matters not at all when his pals tell Beaver that he's gotten on the team only because of Wally's reputation. So nervous does this make Beaver that he begins to "goof up" in each game, whereupon he is bounced from the team. Now Beaver is even further down in the dumps -- should he withhold the fact that he's been cut from his parents, or should he tell them and thereby confirm the "fact" that Wally (Tony Dow) will always be better than he is? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Deacon, Richard Correll, (more)
- 1962
Beaver (Jerry Mathers) pleads with his dad Ward (Hugh Beaumont) to buy him a typewriter, arguing that the instrument will improve his grades. Ward finally gives in, but only on condition that Beaver learns to type. This proves to be a near-unattainable goal -- and thus, when Beaver is assigned to write a composition for school, he pays Eddie (Ken Osmond) a dollar to do it for him. Inevitably, Beaver receives a high grade, largely predicated on his "excellent" typing...and with this grade comes a big-time crisis of conscience for our hero! ~ 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)
- 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)
- 1962
Unable to drive Wally (Tony Dow) to a track meet in Bellport, Ward (Hugh Beaumont) reluctantly loans his car to Lumpy (Frank Bank) for that purpose. But there are conditions -- Ward warns Lumpy that he can only drive Wally and Beaver (Jerry Mathers), and that he'd better come straight home after the meet. Instead, Lumpy not only takes Eddie (Ken Osmond) along for the ride, but also tries to get back to Mayfield by way of an unauthorized short cut -- whereupon Ward's car incurs some damage, requiring an expensive repair job in a strange town! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Bank, Ken Osmond, (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)
- 1962
Eddie (Ken Osmond) thinks it's cool to quit school when he does so to take a job at a garage for a princely 80 dollars a week. Parading around the neighborhood with his snazzy new clothes purchased with his own money, Eddie becomes the object of envy for his friends Wally (Tony Dow) and Lumpy (Frank Bank). As things turn out, however, Eddie's situation isn't as enviable as it seems -- not only is he unhappy at his job (a feeling reciprocated by his angry boss!), but he also misses the camaraderie of his old schoolmates. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Frank Bank, (more)
- 1961
Mayfield High is holding an exchange dance with another school, and thus the Mayfield boys must choose the names of their dates from photographs deposited in a hat. Though Eddie (Ken Osmond) has drawn the picture of a gorgeous teenager named Gail Preston (Laraine Stephens), he talks Wally (Ken Osmond) into swapping dates with him. At first, Wally can't understand why Eddie would take a pass on a knockout like Gail, but he soon finds out -- Gail is at least two inches taller than Wally! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Bank, Ken Osmond, (more)
- 1961
Both Wally (Tony Dow) and Eddie (Ken Osmond) are up for a job at the local ice cream emporium, but it's Wally who lands the position. He also wins the adoring attention of the pretty girls who frequent the establishment, making Eddie mighty jealous. Hoping to get even, Eddie and Lumpy (Frank Bank) cook up a scheme whereby Wally will deliver six quarts of ice cream to the home of Mary Ellen Rogers (Pamela Baird) during a girls-only slumber party -- thereby incurring the wrath of Mary Ellen's father. In the episode's uproarious climax, Wally concludes that revenge is a dish best served cold (as cold as ice cream). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Frank Bank, (more)
