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The Movie: The classic uplifting 50's sitcom whose theme tune remains memorable years later, "Leave it to Beaver" ran for 6 years (1957-63), spending part of its run on CBS and the remainder on ABC. The series revolved around Theodore Cleaver (Jerry Mathers), whose "given" name (by his brother, Wally) was "Beaver", which stuck. Each week, Beaver got into new and varied trouble, which resulted in a lesson from parents June (Barbara Billingsley) and Ward (Hugh Beaumont). The show does appear dated at this point, but it certainly still certains in its own sweet-natured way, as the dialogue is clever in its own wholesome way, and the series integrates occasional dramatic moments in a thoughtful manner. The show's acting is also terrific, as Mathers, Billingsley and Beaumont are superb in their roles, offering engaging performances that manage to keep the material from becoming too overly sweet and sentimental. Supporting efforts are also wonderful, including Ken Osmond as Eddie Haskell and Tony Dow as Wally. Highlights from this first season include: "Beaver Gets 'Spelled'" (Beaver gets sent home with a note from his teacher, which he hides when he's convinced it means he's in trouble), "Captain Jack" (Wally and the Beaver send away for an alligator, but when it doesn't do well, they go to an alligator farm owner for advice), "The Black Eye" (Beaver gets a black eye from the daughter of one of Ward's co-workers), "Water, Anyone?" (Beaver comes up with an idea to sell water to friends and family), "The Bank Account" (Ward tries to teach Wally and the Beaver about saving, and when the two do, they find themselves having to decide how to spend the money), "Lonesome Beaver" (When Wally goes away with his boy scout troop, Beaver must find other ways to pass the time) and "Beaver Runs Away", where Beaver runs away after getting in trouble after Beaver and pal Larry were involved in an incident with Ward's power drill, which results in two holes in the garage door. Season 1 1. 1- 1 4 Oct 57 Beaver Gets 'Spelled' 2. 1- 2 11 Oct 57 Captain Jack 3. 1- 3 18 Oct 57 The Black Eye 4. 1- 4 25 Oct 57 The Haircut 5. 1- 5 1 Nov 57 New Neighbors 6. 1- 6 8 Nov 57 Brotherly Love 7. 1- 7 15 Nov 57 Water, Anyone? 8. 1- 8 22 Nov 57 Beaver's Crush 9. 1- 9 29 Nov 57 The Clubhouse 10. 1-10 6 Dec 57 Wally's Girl Trouble 11. 1-11 13 Dec 57 Beaver's Short Pants 12. 1-12 27 Dec 57 The Perfume Salesmen 13. 1-13 3 Jan 58 Voodoo Magic 14. 1-14 10 Jan 58 Part Time Genius 15. 1-15 17 Jan 58 Party Invitation 16. 1-16 24 Jan 58 Lumpy Rutherford 17. 1-17 31 Jan 58 The Paper Route 18. 1-18 7 Feb 58 Child Care 19. 1-19 14 Feb 58 The Bank Account 20. 1-20 28 Feb 58 Lonesome Beaver 21. 1-21 7 Mar 58 Cleaning Up Beaver 22. 1-22 14 Mar 58 The Perfect Father 23. 1-23 21 Mar 58 Beaver and Poncho 24. 1-24 26 Mar 58 The State vs. Beaver 25. 1-25 2 Apr 58 The Broken Window 26. 1-26 9 Apr 58 Train Trip 27. 1-27 16 Apr 58 My Brother's Girl 28. 1-28 23 Apr 58 Next Door Indians 29. 1-29 30 Apr 58 Tenting Tonight 30. 1-30 7 May 58 Music Lesson 31. 1-31 14 May 58 New Doctor 32. 1-32 21 May 58 Beaver's Old Friend 33. 1-33 28 May 58 Wally's Job 34. 1-34 4 Jun 58 Beaver's Bad Day 35. 1-35 11 Jun 58 Boarding School 36. 1-36 18 Jun 58 Beaver and Henry 37. 1-37 25 Jun 58 Beaver Runs Away 38. 1-38 2 Jul 58 Beaver's Guest 39. 1-39 16 Jul 58 Cat Out of the Bag The DVD VIDEO: Universal presents "Leave It To Beaver" in 1.33:1 full-frame efforts that will certainly please fans of the series. Episodes look quite good, with surprisingly good sharpness and detail throughout most episodes, with only a slightly soft moment on a few rare occasions. SOUND: The mono soundtrack is also better-than-expected, as the presentation is crisper and clearer than one would regularly expect from a sitcom from this era. Dialogue remains easily understood, while music and the occasional sound effect sound well-recorded. Of course, there's also the laugh track, although it isn't terribly irritating. EXTRAS: The only extra included here is the show's pretty terrible unaired pilot ("It's a Small World"), which is great to have just to see, but probably not something that many are going to watch much more than once. Different actors play Ward and Wally. There is a Limited Edition set also available, which has the set coming in a lunchbox package and with an additional photo album. While hardcore fans will likely want it, I'm not sure those two extras are worth an extra $20. Final Thoughts: Fans who have fond memories of watching the Beaver find his way out of trouble will be pleased with this DVD set, as despite not offering a wealth of supplements, the episodes are presented with very fine audio/video quality. Recommended. |