User Reviews

Beaver meets the man who gave Ward a silver dollar on a ribbon when Beaver was born: Andy Hadlock. Currently Andy is looking for a job painting the trim on Ward's house, but June is reluctant to hire Andy for anything because of his "trouble." Wally recalls Andy from when he was a boy, and Andy used to come around and do work on the old house, and then he just stopped coming over. Both Ward and June are not willing to tell the boys that Andy's problem is drinking, they just say Andy has troubles. While doing his painting, Andy entertains Beaver with his stories of being a sailor. Beaver likes Andy and when Andy leaves one day, Beaver is cleaning up the empty paint cans and he finds an empty bottle in the bushes. Wally says it is an empty bottle of whiskey and figures someone just tossed it there coming home.

When June got home early from shopping she tells Ward she found Andy already gone and wonders if they should tell Beaver and Wally about his drinking problem. Ward knows Beaver looks up to Andy right now so he would like to keep the problem quiet for now.

Beaver gets home from school and plans to tell Andy that he can't watch him paint today as he will be playing at his friend Larry's. June has to run off to pick Ward up at the office and she leaves Beaver alone. When Andy knocks on the door he tells Beaver he has been painting and feels a little shaky and wonders is Beaver could get him a drink. Beaver isn't sure what Andy means but gets him a glass of water. Andy hints around and finally asks if Beaver's dad has any whiskey in the house. Beaver says no but there is a bottle of brandy that Uncle Billy sent him and Ward uses it on Christmas to pour a bit over a cake. Andy says that would be fine and Beaver gives Andy the bottle. Latter Andy calls Ward and apologizes for what happened. Andy suggests Ward find someone else to finish the painting.

When Beaver gets home from school he finds Andy gone. Wally is told not to say anything to Beaver but Wally says Andy fell off the ladder because he was drinking. Beaver asks Wally if brandy is like whiskey. At dinner, Beaver comments that it was too bad Andy fell off the ladder because of drinking whiskey. Ward starts to get upset, first at Wally for talking to Beaver; and second at the person who gave Andy a drink. Beaver says he gave Andy the brandy. Beaver didn't know what Andy's problem was; if he had known he wouldn't have given him the brandy. Ward realizes he should have been upfront with both boys instead of trying to protect them.

Next day Beaver is on his way home from school when he sits down on the curb to clean some mud off his shoes. Andy comes by to apologize to Beaver for getting Beaver in trouble. But Andy also thanks Beaver for teaching him a lesson: an empty bottle and an empty life go together. Andy has resolved to try and get himself together and tells Beaver to tell his dad that he will be there tomorrow to finish the job.

Did Beaver have an effect on Andy and will he show up to finish the job? We don't know and the writers leave it up to the viewers own optimism or pessimism to find an answer.

Just how much should parents tell their children about the "bad" things in life and when is not an easy question to answer. Most parents want to protect their children from the harsher realities of life but at the same time do we want college age children who need safe rooms and teddy bears at twenty when they find their world views challenged?

Beaver and Andy is certainly one of the best Leave it to Beaver episodes. Wendall Holmes gives a splendid performance as the affable, well-meaning, but troubled painter struggling with alcoholism. Ward and Andy have a history. Ward takes a chance and hires Andy to paint the trim on their house, It goes well until the third or so day, when Andy asks beaver for a drink. Ward and June have tried to shield Beaver and do not tell the inquisitive Beaver that Andy has a drinking problem. Andy asked Beaver for a drink, and innocent Beaver offers him water, and milk. Andy explains that he needs whiskey, at which Beaver tells him Ward has a bottle of Brandy that Ward pours over cake during Christmas. He retrieves the bottle for Andy and asks if he's going to pour it over cake. Andy embarrassingly tells him "no." As Andy goes out the kitchen door, He says, "I hope you're not disappointed in ol' Andy," to which naive Beaver replies, "It's okay, Andy. A lot of people don't like cake." Andy's facial expression of shame, pain, and deceiving Beaver puts a lump in my throat every time I see it. He gets drunk and has to leave the job. That night Ward and June explain the situation to Beaver. It ends on a positive note, as Andy is so distraught over disappointing the Cleavers, he has a renewed initiative in staying sober. This is a beautiful, poignant episode.

Unlike a few other reviewers, I don't think the show necessarily deserved special praise for this episode. Leave it to Beaver had a tendency to sometimes deal with topics that were more "adult." However, the story of an alcoholic loser seemed like it belonged on a different show. In a previous episode, Ward criticized a suit that Wally had bought, because Ward thought the suit was "in bad taste." Within the parameters of this show, one could argue that the story in this episode was "in bad taste." The actor chosen to play "Andy" was also questionable. Wendell Holmes had previously appeared as a teacher, in another episode. The fact that Holmes could be connected to a different, and more respectable character, compromised his role as "Andy." This episode was definitely on a different level than most of the others. Whether or not that is a "good thing" is a matter of opinion. I didn't think so. Having this drunk approach Beaver for a "bottle" was a particularly poor choice. Good performances by all, but the topic wasn't suited to this show.