Well, I, uh—I picked this up for you downtown this afternoon.
Gee, thanks, Dad!
Incidentally, it's regulation.
Gee, Dad, that's swell, but you didn't have to go to all that trouble.
Yeah, it's just as easy to play at the Dennisons'.
I know that, Beaver, but sometimes I like to have you play over here.
Uh, your, uh—your mother likes to know where you are.
You know, Wally? I think it's Dad that likes to know where we are.
[Announcer] Leave It To Beaver.
Starring Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow...
and Jerry Mathers as the Beaver.
Well, shall I tell the boys to get ready for supper?
The boys are going out tonight. We're eating in here.
Oh, well, that's a good idea. I mean, why mess up the dining room just for me?
Just what I thought.
Uh, where are the boys going? Hey, that looks edible.
Mr. Dennison's taking them to the Sportsman's Show with his boy.
Ah, that's nice of Dennison. Mm—hmm.
They're spending a lot of time over at the Dennisons' lately.
When they get home, they're always talking about Mr. Dennison.
I wonder, when they're over at the Dennisons', if they talk about me.
Well, what would they say, dear?
Well, they could, uh—
I'll have to think of something.
Oh, bye, Mom. Bye, Dad. We're goin'.
Yeah, we told Mr. Dennison we'd be there by 7:00.
Well, good—bye, fellas. Have fun. Okay, Mom.
Uh, say, fellows, um,
I thought we talked about going to the Sportman's Show together.
Sure, Dad, but we waited all week. Tonight's the last night.
Every time we asked you, you were kind of busy.
Yeah, I guess Mr. Dennison isn't as busy as you is, Dad.
Yeah, I guess not.
Don't plan on waiting up for us. We'll climb in the window or something.
You'll do no such thing. We'll wait up.
Well, so long. Good—bye, fellas. Have fun.
[Beaver] So long, Mom! So long, Dad!
So long.
Nice of Mr. Dennison to take the boys to the Sportsman's Show.
Yes, it was very nice, except, uh—
Except what?
Ah, nothing. I, uh,just wish I hadn't been that busy this week.
You've been “that busy” for two or three weeks now.
Yeah, they, uh— they've been going over to the Dennisons' a lot.
I, uh— [Chuckles] sure hope they haven't found a home away from home.
I hope they haven't found a father away from father.
Oh. Our dinner.
Hey, aren't these boats neat, Beaver? Remember? Mohawk Canoes.
Hey, Wally, you think the guy that gave us this folder at the Sportsman's Show...
is a real Indian?
Na/7.
Why not? He had real feathers and everything.
Yeah, but I saw him at the auto show last month.
He was wearing a tuxedo and takin' tickets.
Hi, Dad. Hi, Dad.
Hi.
Say, now, fellas, you don't want to leave all this trash lying around For your mother to pick up.
Gee, Dad, that ain't trash. That's a lot of valuable junk.
Oh.
Yeah, and we got it at the Sportsman's Show last night.
Mr. Dennison gave us money.
We bought hot dogs and hamburgers and popcorn and a lot of junk.
I twas swell. I almost got sick in the car on the way home.
Sounds like a fabulous evening.
Well, say, fellas, I, uh—
I was just wondering, if, uh— If you're not too tired,
how'd you like to take a run up to Friend's Lake for a little fishing today?
Gee, Dad, we'd like to,
but we gotta be at the Dennisons' by 10:00.
At the Dennisons'?
Yeah, us and all the guys are gonna play basketball with Willie Dennison.
Well, but, Beaver, surely you don't play basketball with all those big fellas?
Oh, sure. They let me get the ball when it goes in the bushes.
Oh.
Well, why don't you have all the fellas over here to play, like you used to?
Mr. Dennison put up a brand—new basket with a blackboard behind it.
Yeah, Dad and it's basketball season.
They're having tryouts at school, and we wanna get in all the practice we can.
And Mr. Dennison don't care how loud we yells.
I see.
Well, I hope you have a fine day at the Dennisons'.
You know somethin', Wally?
What?
I still think he was a real Indian, even if he was wearin' a tuxedo at the auto show.
What time are you and the boys leaving for the lake?
Oh, we're not going. They're going over to the Dennisons' to play basketball.
Well, dear, why don't they ever come over here and play?
Well, because we don't have a basket with a “blackboard“ behind it,
and because that all—American father, Mr. Dennison, doesn't care how loud they yell.
Oh.
Yes? Hey, June.
You wouldn't wanna go fishing, would you?
Oh, dear, I'd love to, but I have to go shopping.
[Whistling]
[Horn Honking]
0h, hi, dear!
What are you doing up there?
I'm building a soccer goal, dear.
Oh, you are not. That's one of those thingamajigs for basketball.
I must have put up hundreds of those all over the South Pacific when I was in the Seabees.
Well, I guess we all contributed to victory in our own way.
Hey, you got a lot of stuff today.
Oh, not so much. I only went $12 over the food budget.
Oh, good. Good.
Thank you.
[Sighs]
Ward, that backboard out there— Hmm?
You're not trying to compete with Mr. Dennison, are you? Of course not, June.
That's the farthest thing from my mind.
Well— Where are you going?
I've gotta call the Dennisons. Isn't it about time for the boys to come home for lunch?
Uh-huh. Now I get your little plot.
They come home for lunch, they see the new backboard,
they stay here and play with all their little friends...
and you score 10 points on Mr. Dennison.
I'll teach him to try and be a father to my kids.
[Chattering, Shouting]
Come on, boy. You can make it. Hey!
Good shot. Yea!
Come on, Wally. Let's go, Wally!
Right in there! Yea!
Okay, let's go.
Come on, Eddie. Let's go.
Come on, Eddie. Shoot. Come on, Eddie. We don't have all day. Let's go.
— Yeah, come on, Eddie. — Shh. Quiet down. I gotta sink this.
Shh. Shh. Quiet. Joe Pro's shooting.
[All Laughing]
There's something wrong with that backboard, I tell ya.
Yeah, there's something wrong with the backboard. That's it.
Oh, sure, there is. You go show 'im, Tooey. Sure, the backboard. Yeah.
Come on, Tooey. Let's go, Tooey.
Come on, Tooey. Show 'em how to do it.
Good shot! Yea!
Good job, Tooey.
it's just luck.
Well, that's more like it.
Nice to see the boys playing over here again, huh?
Hey! That's Willie Dennison out there.
Uh-huh. [Chuckling]
You, uh, making sandwiches for 'em?
Yes. And I must remember not to put mayonnaise on Eddie's.
He's informed me he's allergic to it. Oh.
[Beaver] Let go of that ball, Eddie! Let go, Eddie!
Come on, Eddie. Let go!
Come on. Let go! Let go!
Cut it out! Hey, watch who you're shoving him into, Eddie.
Ooh, that Eddie Haskell.
Ooh. just for that, I'm gonna put mayonnaise on his sandwich.
That's my girl.
[All Shouting]
Quiet down. Come on, Eddie!
[Laughing]
Wanna borrow my glasses, Eddie?
Yeah, maybe you could see better with 'em.
I'm telling you guys, there's something wrong with that backboard.
Oh, sure! You got a tape measure?
Sure. There's one in the garage.
[Shouting]
[All Arguing]
I'll show you. It's probably 20 feet too low.
Come on. He always has to ruin our game.
[Arguing Continues]
Just as I thunk.
This goofy basket's a foot too low. It's only nine feet high.
Well, it looks a hundred feet high from down here.
No wonder I could never make it.
Well, so what? Let's choose up and have a game.
Not me. I'm goin' out for forward at school.
I don't want to ruin my shootin' eye with a basket that's not regulation.
That's right. We should be shootin' at the right size basket. Yeah.
Well, maybe my father couldn't put it any higher.
That's tough. Come on, Willie. Let's go over to your house.
Your backboard's official. Yeah, let's go back over there.
— Is that all right with you other guys? — I guess so.
[Chester] It's all right with me. How 'bout you, Wally?
Well, I guess I'll go along too.
It's all right for me too. Well, with our old Beaver, it's unanimous.
It's gotta be all right with him.
Oh, hi, Mom. Hi, Mrs. Cleaver.
Gee, that's a nice sweater. Thank you, Eddie.
Wally, I made you boys a tray of sandwiches. Well, thanks.
We'll take 'em along. We're going over to Willie Dennison's to play.
I thought you were all having fun here.
We were, but Eddie measured the basket, and it's a foot too low.
The guys wanna play on one that's regulation height.
Eddie measured it? Yes, Mrs. Cleaver. Your husband put it up wrong.
Come on, guys.
Wally! Don't forget to give Eddie his sandwich.
Okay.
What's the matter? Where are the boys going? Back to the Dennisons'.
Why? They were having such a good time here.
They were, until Eddie Haskell measured the basket.
It's a foot too low or something. A foot too—
Oh, for Pete's sake. I just put it up for 'em to fool around with.
I didn't think they were gonna put a micrometer on it.
Maybe that's part of Mr. Dennison's irresistible charm— he measures things.
Ward, don't be upset about this.
My goodness, you've been busy lately,
and the boys have just got in the habit of playing over at the Dennisons'.
It's a habit I don't want my children getting in the habit of.
You gonna raise the basket? If I have to, I'll lower the garage.
Boy, my arm's tired from shootin' baskets over at Willie's.
I'm tired too. I must've got that ball out Of the bushes a million times.
You think Eddie will get on the team?
I don't know. For a guy with great form, he's the worst player I've ever seen.
That Tooey's twice as good,
and he doesn't even look at the basket.
Boy, that Eddie's a character. Over here at our house, when he missed, he blamed it on the basket.
Over at the Dennisons', he claimed it was because he ate mayonnaise.
Oh, hi, Dad. Hi.
Say, Wally, you're going to ruin your eyes. Yes, Dad.
Oh, uh, by the way, fellows, sorry about that basket this afternoon.
I should have known better. I used to play basketball myself.
We know, Dad. We've seen your pictures in those old college books.
Yeah. They sure wore funny pants in those days.
Well, uh, styles change, Beaver.
Anyway, I was still pretty fast on the court.
I picked this up for you downtown this afternoon.
Gee, thanks, Dad!
Incidentally, it's regulation. Boy, it's neat.
Oh, by the way, the basket is regulation now too. I raised it a foot.
So if you fellows wanna play basketball over here,
you don't have to worry about losing your shooting eye.
Gee, Dad, that's swell, but you didn't have to go to all that trouble.
Yeah, it's just as easy to play at the Dennisons'.
I know that, Beaver, but sometimes I like to have you play over here.
Uh, your, uh—your mother likes to know where you are.
You know, Wally, I think it's Dad that likes to know where we are.
Yeah. You know, Beave, he's been working at home these past weekends,
and I didn't think he wanted us around to bother him.
But maybe we kind of owe it to him to bother him.
Yeah, I guess so.
But, Wally, we were supposed to meet the guys over at the Dennisons' tomorrow.
Well, we're gonna play over here, and if the guys don't like it, they can lump it.
Yeah, and if they don't like it, we can choose up sides between ourselves and play.
[Shouting, Cheering]
Hey, you try it, Willie.
Aw! Too bad.
Come on, Eddie. Let's get it in there!
[Wally] 1et's go. Right in there.
— Come on, Eddie. Shoot it. — Aw, come on, Eddie. Let's see you sink it now.
Yeah. We haven 't got all day. Hurry up.
You have no excuses. It's regulation height.
Come on. Hustle. Come on. let's go. Right in there.
Maybe you oughta check the air in the ball.
— It's regulation air. — [Both] Regulation air!
[laughing] Oh, dry up.
Come on. Let's go, Chester. Come on. Shoot it.
Hey, thataway! [Cheering]
Let's go, Willie!
There you go, Tooey. Come on, Tooey!
Good shot, Tooey! I'll get it!
I can't understand it. I had it lined up perfect.
It's all right. It just landed in the Donaldsons' fiowers.
Hurt anything?
No, it just got a little bit muddy. You better wipe it off.
Yeah.
Come on. Get it up. Let's go! That's it.
Ah, go in! Come on, Wally.
You getting in the game, Beaver?
No. I get to chase the ball once in a while. Oh.
Come on, Willie. Right in there, Willie. Right in there.
[All Shouting]
— Any of you guys ever try a hook shot? — The coach don't want us to try fancy stuff yet, Mr. Cleaver.
Oh, it's not so fancy.
Here. Let me have the ball. Get over here.
Now, the important thing is never try to control the ball with the palm of your hand.
Always use your fingers. See?
Gee, that's a good shot. That's pretty good, Mr. Cleaver.
I, uh, scored pretty well with that shot against Meullenburg. Well—
Come on, Wally. Shoot it up.
Come on. Shoot it up. Shoot it up, Wally. Come on.
Oh, Wally, Wally, Wally. No, no.
No, no. You haven 't got time for that sort of stuff with a set shot, Son.
You gotta come in, sight the basket, set,
Let 'er go.
Here, let me try it again.
Well,you get the idea now, huh?
Oh, sure, Mr. Cleaver.
Come on. Come on. Let's go, Eddie. Come on.
Oh, no, no, no! Eddie, Eddie! Travel!
You took steps. Here. There we go.
Now—
That's 72 in a row
Oh, Ward. Please don't overdo it.
Now, there, you see, uh, if you control the ball,
you can shoot even when you're off—balance.
Now then, let's see which one of you boys wants to try to do it right, huh?
Well, we're kind of tired, Mr. Cleaver.
Yeah, I guess we've had enough basketball. Yeah, we've had about enough.
Hey, where you guys going? No place special.
Maybe we'll go over to Willie's house.
Wanna come along Wally?
Uh, no. I guess me and the Beaver will stay here.
Yeah, I guess me and Wally will stay here.
See ya. Yeah, I'll see ya tomorrow.
Bye, Beave. Bye, Mr. Cleaver.
So long, Chester. So long, Tooey. So long.
Dad? Yeah, Beaver?
Show us the hook shot.
All right.
Here. You try, Wally.
Well— I'm sorry, Son.
That's okay, Dad. I wasn't paying attention.
Yeah. Well, uh, look, I have some work to do.
Why don't you fellas go on over to the Dennisons'?
You really want us to, Dad? Sure. Go ahead.
Dad? Yeah, Beaver?
Your shirttail's out.
Yeah. Thanks, Beaver.
Golf? I thought you were playing basketball with the boys.
I was. I, uh, was trying to give them a few pointers.
They— They walked out on me.
You didn't get mad and yell at them, did you?
Now, June, you know I wouldn't do a thing like that.
Well, when you were teaching Beaver how to catch a baseball,
you ended up mad, and he ended up in tears.
That was only because the ball accidentally hit him on the head.
I don't understand it. They'll play all day over at Dennisons'.
They come over here, I try to show 'em a few things, and they walk out on me.
Dear, maybe you're trying too hard.
How can you try too hard to be a good parent?
I don't know, but it looks like you've mastered it.
[Sighs] I'll see you later.
I think I can get more understanding from the boys in the locker room.
Dear? What?
Shirttail's out. I like it that way.
Well, hi, Ward. Have a good game?
Oh, hi, Dennison. Uh, yeah, not bad.
I got in 27 holes. That last nine, I was sure beat, I'll tell ya.
Yeah. Say, uh, Chuck.
I, uh— I wanted to thank you for being so nice to my boys.
Oh, you mean about the Sportsman's Show?
I was glad to take 'em. Glad they enjoyed themselves.
Well, no, I don't mean just about the show.
I mean,you know, about the basketball over at your house and everything.
Oh. The kids been playing basketball over at my house?
I had a fellow come over and put up one of those backboards.
Glad to know that they're using it. [Chuckles]
Well, you know, from the way the boys talked,
I sort of got the impression you were right out there with them.
Me? Oh, no.
I learned my lesson from my two older boys.
Oh, I used to be out there with them, throwing passes, pitching baseballs.
Even tried to teach Roger how to run once.
Imagine, trying to teach a 10—year—old boy how to run.
Yeah. Might as well teach a fish how to swim.
Yeah. Yeah, I guess so.
The way I kept after my two older boys, it's a wonder, in school,
they ever went out for sports at all.
Yeah, of course, I've always thought, though,
that a father should try to teach his boys, uh—
well, some things, you know, like how to throw a ball or catch a pass, things like that.
Well, now, Ward, you weren't a bad athlete in school.
Did your father ever teach you how to catch a baseball?
Well, no, I picked that up from other kids.
As a matter of fact, I'd have been embarrassed if my fa—
Chuck, it's amazing how little we learn about children from our own childhood.
Well, I'm certainly not the all—American father.
I've made plenty of mistakes, but if you ask me,
the secret of getting close to your kids is to know when to stay away from them.
Well, I gotta get going. Glad to have run into you, Ward.
Yeah,yeah. Real glad to have run into you, Chuck.
[Whistling]
Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Would you tell the boys, please?
Okay. I think they're, uh, playing outside.
Yes, they came home from the Dennisons' about a half hour ago.
Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, fellas.
Okay, Dad. We're just gonna catch a few more.
Uh, Beaver.
Somethin' wrong, Dad? Well, you—
No, no. No, not a thing, Beaver. You're doing fine.
Well, how come you didn't join in the game, coach?
Oh, dear, you just don't understand boys.
The way to get close to your kids is to know when to stay away from them.
Where'd you read that? I didn't read it.
Chuck Dennison and I were talking about it over at the club,
and, uh, we sort of worked out this bit of philosophy between us.
Oh.
You know, dear, you oughta play golf with Mr. Dennison more often.
Does wonders for your outlook as a father.