It's a Small World (Leave It to Beaver episode)

Infobox Television episode
Title =It's a Small World
Series =Leave It to Beaver


Caption =Mathers and Sullivan
Season = —
Episode = —
Airdate =April 23, 1957
Production = Pilot
Writer = Joe Connelly
Bob Mosher
Director = Jerry Hopper
Guests =Diane Brewster
Richard Deacon
Joseph Kearns
Harry Shearer
Episode list = List of Leave It to Beaver episodes
Season list =
Prev =
Next = Beaver Gets 'Spelled

.

Production

Casey Adams (aka Max Showalter) and Barbara Billingsley appear in the pilot as archetypal suburban couple, Ward and June Cleaver with Paul Sullivan and Jerry Mathers as their sons Wally Cleaver and Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver respectively. Hugh Beaumont would appear in the series proper as Ward Cleaver (rather than Adams) while the role of Wally went to Tony Dow after Sullivan experienced a growth spurt on the eve of series' production. [Mathers, Jerry. "...And Jerry Mathers as "The Beaver". Berkley Boulevard Books, 1998. (ISBN 0425163709)] Diane Brewster appears as Miss Simms, a secretary, with Richard Deacon as Mr. Baxter, Miss Simms' boss. Brewster and Deacon would find roles in the series proper as Miss Canfield, Beaver's second grade teacher, and Fred Rutherford, Ward's co-worker. Joseph Kearns appears as milk company executive, Fred Crowley, and would later appear as Mr. Wilson in the sitcom, "Dennis the Menace". Harry Shearer plays Frankie Bennett, a mischievous boy who leads Wally and Beaver astray while Tommy Randall plays Frankie's pal. Other cast members include Russ Thorson as Man with Milk Bottles, Leonard Bremen as Milk Bar Operator, Tim Graham as Doc, and Virginia Carroll as Nurse. Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher wrote the teleplay with Jerry Hopper directing the episode. Richard Lewis produced the episode. The pilot was a single camera, black-and-white, full-screen, half-hour episode filmed at Republic Studios and the Universal backlot. With some modifications, the façade of the Cleaver house in the pilot became that of the Cleaver house in the first two seasons of the series. Some decorative elements (like the curtains in the boys' bedroom) would be retained for the series proper.

Plot

Wally and Beaver want a new bicycle. Frankie Bennett, a mischievous boy, tells them new bikes can be had a local dairy in exchange for 1,000 bottle caps from the company's products. The boys collect the bottle caps, but, in attempting to redeem them, learn they've been duped. Ward takes pity on the boys and buys them a bicycle.

Characters and cast

* June Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley) is the wife of Ward Cleaver and the mother of Wally and Beaver.
* Ward Cleaver (Max Showalter as Casey Adams) is the husband of June Cleaver and the father of Wally and Beaver.
* Wally Cleaver (Paul Sullivan) is the oldest son of Ward and June and the brother of Beaver.
* Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver (Jerry Mathers) is the youngest son of Ward and June and the brother of Wally.
* Miss Simms (Diane Brewster) is a secretary/receptionist at the Franklin Milk Company.
* Mr. Baxter (Richard Deacon) is an executive at the Franklin Milk Company and Miss Simms' boss.
* Mr. Crowley (Joseph Kearns) is the CEO of the Franklin Milk Company.
* Frankie Bennett {Harry Shearer) is a mischievous boy and an acquaintance of Wally and Beaver.

References

ources

*Applebaum, Irwyn. "The World According to Beaver." TV Books, 1984, 1998. (ISBN 1575000520).
*Bank, Frank. "Call Me Lumpy: my Leave It To Beaver days and other wild Hollywood life ". Addax, 2002. (ISBN-10: 1886110298), (ISBN-13: 978-1886110298).
*"Leave It to Beaver: the complete first season". Universal Studios, 2005.
*"Leave It to Beaver: the complete second season". Universal Studios, 2006. (ISBN 1417074876)
*Mathers, Jerry. "...And Jerry Mather as "The Beaver"." Berkley Boulevard Books, 1998. (ISBN 0425163709)

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0630258/ "It's a Small World" at imdb]
* [http://www.geocities.com/alcus2/beaver.html "Leave It to Beaver" at geocities]