While filming “The Seven Little Foys,” a 1955 comedy movie about vaudeville entertainer Eddie Foy, there was a fire scene that got out of hand. Too much gasoline was poured into igniting the scene, and Mathers’ life was in danger.
Hope, the legendary actor/comedian, grabbed a blanket and essentially ran into a burning building to save young Mathers.
Leave It to Beaver Was Launched on the Same Day as Sputnik
October 4, 1957, was a momentous day in the United States. On the upside, one of the greatest and most enduring television programs debuted, but on the other hand, Russia took the lead in the space race, flinging its Sputnik 1 satellite into outer space.
It represented a stinging defeat for the U.S.A. in the Cold War battle, and it triggered public support for the race to the moon. In the end, it would identify the ‘50s as much as the Cleaver family did.
ABC spent $50,000 on One Episode
"Leave it to Beaver" enjoyed a generous budget. The episode “In the Soup,” in which the Beave decides to climb up to see if it’s real soup, was one of the most expensive.
Luckily, it’s also one of the most memorable. The reason it was so pricey is that the studio built the actual billboard in the Universal backlot. Today’s money is $400,000. In today’s world, they would have had Campbell’s Soup pay for it!
It Wasn’t Until the Final Episode When Fans Learned How the Beave Got His Nickname
It came out in the “Family Scrapbook” finale. Beaver asked his mom why they called him “Beaver” instead of his actual name, Theodore. Mrs. Cleaver explained that when Wally was young couldn’t pronounce his baby brother’s name, and it sounded like Beaver instead of Theodore, so they just left it.
Next, Wally pipes in characteristically with, “Gee, I’m sorry, Beave, I didn’t know what I was saying.”
What Did Jerry Mathers Wear to His Audition?
Jerry Mathers, who was only a five-year-old actor at the time, was as professional as any big actor could be. Mathers came to the audition for the part of Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver in a Cub Scout uniform. It stood out and could not be a better choice as it was the All-American image the show's creators were looking to showcase.
This costume contributed to Mathers landing the role as the innocence and boy-next-door charming characteristics were everything Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver stood for. Fun fact: Jerry Mathers was more concerned about being late to his Cub Scout meeting than anything else.