Call Me Lumpy: My Leave It To Beaver Days and Other Wild Hollywood Life [Hardcover]

Bank Bank (Author), Gibu Twyman (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1997

Frank Bank's story is a sometimes wild, sometimes bawdy, often poignant, always funny account of a real-life Louie Louie who led a nation to California-dreamin'.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Frank Bank was born, raised and lived most of his life in the Los Angeles area. He starred as Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford on the "Leave It To Beaver" and "New Leave It To Beaver" television series. A competitive poker player, Bank is arguably the greatest living fan of his beloved alma mater, UCLA, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 223 pages
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing (July 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886110298
• ISBN-13: 978-1886110298
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,125,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Beaver-Lovers Beware, December 2, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Call Me Lumpy: My Leave It To Beaver Days and Other Wild Hollywood Life (Hardcover)

I only gave this one star because [Amazon.com's] format doesn't allow for zero stars. Frank Bank is like one of those irritating guys you meet at airport bars when your flight is delayed: on his sixth Scotch-rocks, won't shut up. Every topic that comes up he was there, he had the first one, everybody copied him, he had the best, the biggest, the coolest. What's saddest about this exercise in mind-numbing ego is that Bank apparently doesn't realize that the only thing interesting about him is his involvement in "Leave it to Beaver," to which he devotes very few pages and about which he gives absolutely no insight. He doesn't even get the details right in what little he says about the series: Wally and the Beaver did not go apologize to Mr. Rutherford after putting barrel hoops in his driveway, Ward (in a scene that takes place off camera) worked things out with Rutherford, which is the whole point of the show (since it was Ward who gave them the barrel hoop idea in the first place). But of course, accuracy is not anything Bank cares about, what matters to him is that this was the first episode in which Frank Bank appeared (one wonders if he ever bothered to read the rest of the script). Although Bank had a co-writer, Gib Twyman, "an award winning former sportswriter," this is possibly the worst written book I've ever read. There are no paragraphs, just short, repetitive, jargon-filled sentences (fills more pages that way, I guess). Jerry Mathers' book ("And Jerry Mathers as the Beaver") may not have been any work of art, but at least he respected what brought readers to the book. Bank does not. It's no surprise when, in a late chapter, he reveals that he's the President of the alumni organization of his high school social club, The Knights (the coolest guys on campus, of course). Bank -- emotionally and perceptually -- is still in high school. Don't waste your time or money on this flatulent, boring piece of self-inflation.

56 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't look here if you're looking for stuff about the Beaver, September 5, 1998

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Call Me Lumpy: My Leave It To Beaver Days and Other Wild Hollywood Life (Hardcover)

The book was thoroughly disappointing. I had expected a writing about Lumpy and his Beaver days. What I found however were pages and pages of his life as a Hollywood Knight in the early 60's and the nearly 1 thousand women he bedded. I found little more than a few lines commenting on his friendship with Dow, Mathers and Osmand and his respect for Ward and June. Soooooooo, if you're looking for material on what went on, on the set of Leave it To Beaver, you had better try looking elswhere.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Call me ..., October 1, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Call Me Lumpy: My Leave It To Beaver Days and Other Wild Hollywood Life (Hardcover)

This book has little to do with the Leave it to Beaver show. It was written for [fools] by a [fool]. After reading a few chapters of teeny bopper prose, I could go no further...