Baseball...Apple pie...and "The Beaver." As Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver, Jerry Mathers is the icon of an era that holds a special place in all our hearts--whether we're old enough to remember it in prime time or fell in love with it in reruns. Now, in his warm and revealing autobiography, he presents his own history--as a child actor as well as in the years following his role as "The Beav." Featuring funny and warm reminscences from both his real and TV families, Mathers reveals intimate details about his childhood; living life as America's favorite kid...his struggle with dyslexia...his most embarrassing moments on the set...his relationships with cast members: Hugh Beaumont, Barbara Billingsley, Tony Dow, and Ken Osmond...those Vietnam rumors...and more.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Leave It to Beaver first aired on TV 41 years ago, and has been playing ever since in reruns. The All-American Cleaver family, writes the series' star, provided "innocence, optimism, respectability, and adventure. The pleasures were simple and the values were constant." Through episodic "morality plays," the show "presented a child's view of the world." That child, of course, was "the Beaver," played by 10-year-old Mathers, and the show provided the closest thing the baby-boom generation had to cultural mythology. The only surprise in Mathers's autobiography may be the impressive credits with which he came to the role in 1957, having already worked with such luminaries as Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Durante, Ray Bolger, Alfred Hitchcock, Shirley MacLaine and John Forsythe. Unfortunately, this Hollywood memoir reads as if it were penned by the Beav himself, rather than by a 50-year-old man with two marriages and a philosophy degree from UC-Berkeley behind him. Mathers delivers a poorly written recitation of data rather than an in-depth examination of a life or career, and the voices of other actors from the show contribute little additional scope. This collection of trivia will appeal only to die-hard fans and avid collectors of Beaver memorabilia. For others, it may simply provide further evidence of the banality of American pop culture. Eight pages of b&w photos, not seen by PW.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
There's Life For Jerry Mathers Beyond The Beaver,
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This review is from: And Jerry Mathers as the Beaver (Paperback)
I went into this book with an open mind as I am a baby boomer who grew up on shows like "Leave It To Beaver". It really wasn't a book that I thought would be solely about what was behind of the scenes of "Leave It To Beaver" but was anticipating more of an autobiography of Jerry Mathers. I must say, I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.From the first page, as you read about Jerry Mathers from infant to adult, the reader is made to feel like you are actually sitting down with Jerry as he tells you his story on a one to one basis. I found integrity, honesty and humbleness of memories, facts and words as I read along listening to what Jerry wanted to tell his reader. The reader is treated to the pre-Beaver era and how Jerry got into acting..to the Beaver era with some behind the scenes memories shared..to the post-Beaver area (one of how Jerry chose to leave acting for an education...not many child stars opt to get out of the business while the going is good)...to where Jerry's adult life's journey took him..to what he is doing most recently. The LITB fan is treated to some behind the scenes memories as well as actual paragraphs and pages written by former fellow cast members. The book has a few chuckles along the way from the horse story from the first episode that Hugh Beaumont wrote and directed to the impromtu telephone ringing when Jerry and Tony Dow were acting in "So Long Stanley", which had me chuckling out loud as I sat reading it as I had a lunch out in a restaurant. It's such an easy and delightful read, this book could be easily be read in a day or two. It took me a little longer because I was out of town travelling as I was embarking on the book. It you are a "Leave It To Beaver" fan and a Jerry Mathers fan, you can't go wrong purchasing and reading this book! This is a two thumbs up release!
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good to hear from "Beaver" finally,
By A Customer
This review is from: And Jerry Mathers as the Beaver (Paperback)
It was great to finally hear from Jerry Mathers himself. The story he tells is interesting, starting with his big break into show-biz and throughout the ups and downs of his life. He comes off as a pretty down-to-earth guy who seems grateful for the opportunities he's had. He doesn't seem bitter like a lot of child actors who didn't make it as huge stars. He blames no one. He looks back on it all with a lot of warmth. He seems to realize that luck and timing sometimes help. But he certainly took advantage of what was presented to him and aquitted himself well. It's gratifying to know that he really likes his co-stars and is still in touch with many of them. On the negative side, it would have been nice to hear more about the Beaver series and to have heard more inside stories. He obviously enjoyed it and I'm sure there are more anecdotes to share. Also at times he seems to be rather self-congratulatory, as when he mentions the expensive car he had while attending Berkeley - (a little unnerving to those of us who munched on Ramen noodles or macaroni to survive while in school). He also doesn't fail to mention his rich, well-connected friends. It seemed to smack of name-dropping after a while. But all in all Jerry Mathers seems to have kept a good head on his shoulders and seems to have a healthy perspective on life and his fellow man. Though I can't help thinking that he's lead a rather sheltered life he seems like he'd be a fun guy to know; he'd be a loyal friend and an approachable person. He is certainly someone I'd like to meet. My image of him is certainly enhanced by this book.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good book for LITB fans,
By Frank Forrest "Quasar" (Northern California) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: And Jerry Mathers as the Beaver (Paperback)
As a Leave it to Beaver fan, I really enjoyed this book. Jerry Mathers opens up his life and tells many behind the scenes stories about his career and the ongoings of the television show. The book is about "The Beav" and as a result, some people may (and are) put off by some of Jerry's "bragging". While this does seem to happen in the book, the information and stories that he provides more than makes up for this. A nice touch is towards the end of the book where he gives some of the television show cast members their turn to talk about how they felt about the series. Gee, Beav, are you gonna write another one?
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