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- 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)
- 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)
- 1961
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Frank Bank, (more)
- 1961
Dr. Kirby (John Gallaudet) announces that Beaver (Jerry Mathers) very well may need a tonsillectomy. To mollify Beaver's fears about going under the knife, dad Ward (Hugh Beaumont) pulls out the old one about "all the ice cream you can eat" -- and he adds that all of Beaver's friends will shower him with presents. Delighted by this prospect, Beav tells one and all that he's going to have his tonsils out...only to have Dr. Kirby spoil all the fun. This episode is a clever reworking of the second-season installment "Beaver Says Goodbye." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Richard Correll, (more)
- 1961
No sooner has Coach Henderson (John Close) delivered a lecture about avoiding horseplay in the locker room than Eddie (Ken Osmond) and Lumpy (Frank Bank) have started a towel fight. Ordering his pals to "cut it out," Wally (Tony Dow) gets a towel in the face -- and when he retaliates, the coach pops in and suspends him from the track team. Incredible though it may seem, Eddie and Lumpy suffer the pangs of conscience for getting Wally in trouble, and both decide to confess that the towel battle was all their fault -- with unexpected results. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Frank Bank, (more)
- 1961
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Pamela Baird, (more)
- 1961
With his parents out of town, Eddie (Ken Osmond) wangles an invitation to spend the night with Wally (Tony Dow). Before long, however, Wally catches Eddie cheating at chess, the boys have a fight, and Eddie storms out of the house. When Wally refuses to go after him, Ward (Hugh Beaumont) and June (Barbara Billingsley) take matters into their own hands -- but first the Cleavers must convince the neurotic Eddie that they aren't burglars as he sits shivering alone in the Haskell house with all the doors locked and the lights on! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, John Alvin, (more)
- 1961
Parker's Pet Store is offering a dog as first prize in a fish-counting contest -- that is, the winner must determine the number of goldfish swimming in a display bowl. Beaver (Jerry Mathers) figures he's got the inside track, since Eddie Haskell (Ken Osmond) is currently working at the pet store. But in the end, Beav opts for honesty, an example that should have been followed by Lumpy Rutherford (Frank Bank), who, after being tipped off by Eddie as to the number of fish, lets slip the information to a girl named Kathy (Carol Wakefield) -- who then proceeds to tell the whole world! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Frank Bank, (more)
- 1961
In this classic episode, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) is en route to Gilbert's house while his folks are having a party. Suddenly, Beaver and Gilbert (Stephen Talbot) are attracted by a huge, three-dimensional billboard, depicting a woman holding a gigantic, steaming bowl of soup. Anxious to find out where the steam is coming from, Beaver climbs up the billboard -- only to become stuck in the enormous soup bowl! This is the Leave It to Beaver episode that everyone remembers, and for good reason -- the iconic image of Jerry Mathers "in the soup" perfectly encapsulates all of the series' charm and hilarity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Frank Bank, (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)
- 1961
June (Barbara Billingsley) deduces that her moony-eyed son Wally (Tony Dow) is suffering from an acute case of puppy love, with the attractive Ginny Townsend (Linda Bennett) as the object of his affections. Figuring that the best way to handle the situation is to allow Wally a close-up look at his "dream girl," June invites Ginny on a picnic with the Cleavers. Sure enough, the whiny and finicky Ginny quickly proves herself to be somewhat less than a dream and more of a nightmare! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Linda Bennett, (more)
- 1960
Wally (Tony Dow) is hired as a weekend lifeguard at Friends Lake. But when he reports for work, his boss regards Wally as too young for the job, and so he is reassigned to sell candy and hot dogs at the concession stand. Meanwhile, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) has been bragging to all of his friends about his brother, the brave lifeguard. When he finally discovers what Wally is really doing, Beaver is not only humiliated -- he's boiling mad! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Stephen Talbot, (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)
- 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)
- 1960
While coaching Beaver's football team, Wally (Tony Dow) dreams up a secret play which he calls "Old 98." Evidently Beaver (Jerry Mathers) didn't hear the "secret" part, for soon he is telling his friend Penny (Karen Sue Trent) all about this mysterious gridiron strategy. In all innocence, Penny passes along the information concerning "Old 98" to her brother -- who happens to be on the opposing team. This was the final episode of Leave It to Beaver's third season. ~ 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
Eddie (Ken Osmond) is on cloud nine when gorgeous Caroline Schuster (Reba Waters) agrees to go steady with him. What Eddie doesn't know -- but Wally (Tony Dow) does know -- is that Caroline is merely using Eddie -- her real boyfriend has been grounded. Finally Wally informs Eddie, who refuses to believe that he's been a dupe and loudly accuses Wally of being jealous. Somewhat surprisingly, it is up to Beaver (Jerry Mathers) to straighten out this situation! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Carol Sydes, (more)
- 1960
For months, Wally has been carrying on a secret pen-pal correspondence with Kitty Bannerman (Bernadette Withers), the daughter of one of June's best friends. Impressed by Kitty's stories of her opulent lifestyle, Wally has been stretching the truth to the breaking point, telling Kitty that he is not only wealthy, but also the most popular kid in school. Alas, Wally's tissue of lies is about to be disintegrated -- June (Barbara Billingsley) has arranged for Kitty to pay a visit to Mayfield! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Bernadette Withers, (more)
- 1960
Wally (Tony Dow) was supposed to take little Chuckie Murdock (Rory Stevens) to buy shoes at the nearby shopping center, but instead the job has been shunted off to Beaver. "Job" is right: Chuckie is a little monster who insists that Beaver grant his every whim -- and to top it off, when time comes to go home, Chuckie has disappeared! As Beaver frantically searches for his missing charge, Ward searches for Beaver to inform him that the situation is not as bleak as it appears. Chuckie's mom is played by Marjorie Reynolds, best remembered as the girl to whom Bing Crosby first sings "White Christmas" in the 1942 movie Holiday Inn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Marjorie Reynolds, (more)
- 1960
Beaver's efforts to get rich quick by raising chinchillas has resulted in a very messy garage. Rather than get angry, Ward (Hugh Beaumont) calmly requests that Beaver (Jerry Mathers) and Wally (Tony Dow) clean up the garage. Putting off the chore for several days, the boys finally get around to the cleaning, working as quickly as possible. In their haste, our heroes leave a few nails on the floor, one of which punctures a tire on their dad's car. The trick now is to repair the damage without getting clobbered by their dad! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Deacon, Ken Osmond, (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)
- 1960
While Wally (Tony Dow) studies all weekend for a difficult history test, Eddie (Ken Osmond) and Lumpy (Frank Bank) scheme to use an easier (and less scrupulous) method, writing up crib sheets on the school's bathroom towel dispenser. Come the day of the test, and the "cheat sheets" are confiscated by the teacher. Hoping to avoid the consequences, Eddie and Lumpy point to Wally's high score and insist that he was responsible for writing up the crib notes! Carol Sydes (aka Cindy Carol) makes her first appearance in the recurring role of Alma Hanson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Carol Sydes, (more)
- 1960
Eddie (Ken Osmond) nominates Wally (Tony Dow) for the office of sophomore class president. Wally's opponent is Lumpy Rutherford (Frank Bank), whose dad, Fred (Richard Deacon), will be even more insufferable than ever if Lumpy wins. To avoid this, Wally's dad, Ward (Hugh Beaumont), fills his son with all sorts of sage advice about waging an effective campaign. The result -- Wally, who up until now had treated the whole election as a lark, is now so doggedly serious in his efforts to win that his friends -- including Eddie! -- end up dropping their support. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Bank, Ken Osmond, (more)
- 1960
During a boy-girl raffle at a school picnic, Wally (Tony Dow) draws the name of his classmate Alma Hanson (Carol Sydes). Sizing up Wally as a "good catch," Alma's mother (played by Jean Vander Pyl, best known to cartoon fans as the voice of Wilma Flintstone) does everything in her power to keep Wally and Alma together. After a while, Wally begins to feel trapped, whereupon his dad, Ward (Hugh Beaumont), comes up with a plan to rescue his son from Mrs. Hanson's clutches -- with ironic results. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Vander Pyl, Ken Osmond, (more)
- 1960
High school "letter man" Wally (Tony Dow) lends his school sweater to a girl named Frances (Ann Barnes). Several days pass, and Wally asks for his sweater back, but Frances is evasive. What Wally doesn't know -- but will soon find out -- is that the wily Frances is showing off Wally's sweater to her friends, claiming that she and he are "devoted" to one another. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Ann Barnes, (more)
