Country of origin United States | Original network ABC | |
No. of episodes 39 (black-and-white, full-screen, approx. 25 minutes) Original release October 1, 1960 – June 24, 1961 | ||
The fourth season of the American television situation comedy Leave It to Beaver premiered on October 1, 1960 and concluded on June 24, 1961. It consisted of 39 episodes shot in black-and-white, each running approximately 25 minutes in length.
Contents
Production
The fourth season of Leave It to Beaver debuted on ABC October 1, 1960 with "Beaver Won't Eat" and aired its last episode, "Substitute Father", June 24, 1961. At forty-thousand dollars, "In the Soup" (May 6, 1961) would be the most expensive episode produced during the series' run. Like the previous three seasons, the fourth season consists of 39 black-and-white, full-screen, half-hour episodes (with ads) shot on 35mm film.
Opening and closing sequences
The opening sequence shows the stoop of the Pine Street house. June steps from the house carrying the boys' lunches; Ward appears carrying the boys' light jackets. Wally leaves the house. He is handed his lunch then his jacket and steps out of camera range. Beaver leaves the house. He is handed his lunch then his jacket and steps forward as the camera zooms in for his close-up. The closing sequence would use the sequence of the third season. In the closing credits, wardrobe is acknowledged with "Boys' Casual Wear by A-1 Manufacturing Co." and "Miss Billingsley's Dresses by DeDe Johnson". Both sequences are accompanied by the show's theme tune, "The Toy Parade".
Casting
As in previous seasons, all four of the show's main players appear in every episode.
Cheryl Holdridge made two previous appearances on the show as Gloria Cusick, one of Wally's girlfriends, but, in this season, makes her first appearance as Julie Foster, Wally's classmate and the daughter of one of his teachers. The Cusick character disappears while Julie Foster remains as one of Wally's girlfriends through the following seasons.
After sixty-seven appearances as Larry Mondello, Rusty Stevens leaves the show. His departure is attributed to a family move and forces Madge Blake (Larry's mother, Mrs. Mondello) to be written out of the show. Keith Taylor is hired to play Harry, a chubby boy in Beaver's class, whose bulk suggests the Larry Mondello character.
Following the season's third episode, "Beaver Becomes a Hero", Jeri Weil leaves the show with thirty-one appearances as Beaver's classroom nemesis, Judy Hensler under her belt. Karen Sue Trent then fills the classroom nemesis role as snooty Penny Woods.
The season is essentially Sue Randall's last after twenty-nine appearances as Miss Landers. She would, however, make one isolated fifth season appearance in "Nobody Loves Me" (February 1962). After her departure, Beaver has male teachers or Mrs. Rayburn.
Veronica Cartwright makes her last appearance as Violet Rutherford, although she returns to play Peggy MacIntosh in the final season episode, "Don Juan Beaver."
Direction and writing
Most of the directorial duties through the fourth season are the purview of Norman Abbott. Hugh Beaumont directs three episodes. Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher write most of the scripts and contribute as teleplay writers.
Leave It to Beaver universe
In the fictional world of the show, Beaver enters the fifth grade at Grant Ave. Grammar School and Wally the eleventh grade at Mayfield High. Ward's globe trotting uncle, "Billy" (Edgar Buchanan) makes the first of two appearances on the show. The viewer learns Miss Landers' first name is Alice when Beaver displays a newspaper article announcing her engagement. The adult theme of divorce is touched upon in the second episode, "Beaver's House Guest". Eddie's father, Frank Haskell (but George in other episodes), makes an appearance, phoning from "way up there" in Freeport, in "Eddie Spends the Night". Wally's girlfriends from the past, Mary Ellen Rogers and Alma Hanson, make appearances while new girlfriend Julie Foster is introduced. Wally's one-shot girlfriends this season include Kitty Bannerman, Margie Manners, and Ginny Townsend.