User Reviews

... someone to make things clear. Let me explain.

Ward is annoyed that the boys and their friends spend all of their time at the Dennisons playing basketball, so he puts a basket up on the garage. The boys do return to play, but then Eddie Haskell, needing to blame his inability to make baskets on something other than himself, points out that the basket is one foot below regulation. So off the boys go, back to the Dennisons. Ward remedies the situation and the boys return, but then he tries to insert himself into the situation by demonstrating the correct way to make various trick shots. This embarrasses the boys and they leave again.

Ward is obviously hot under the collar that the Dennisons are a more attractive playground for his sons than their own home. Then one day a the club Ward sees Mr. Dennison (Lyle Talbot) who helps him see the situation from a kid's perspective, without having a competitor's attitude about all of this - that sometimes less is more.

Lyle Talbot played Mr. Dennison in just two episodes, but as a more mature and low key dad he showed great wisdom. In the first episode he appeared, he gave companionship to Beaver when he was surrounded and outnumbered by little girls at a birthday party where he had been unwillingly corralled. And here where he tactfully reminded Ward of how embarrassing it could be when your dad tried to be one of the boys.

Mr. Dennison (Lyle Talbot, real life father of LITB character Gilbert Bates) takes Wally and Beaver to the Sportsman's Show with the previously non-existent Willie Dennison. Ward is irritated but Wally explains that they asked him all week and now it's their last chance.

The next day the boys go to the Dennison's again to throw around Ward's gift-a regulation basketball.

Ward is openly irritated with the boys and pretty much storms out to go golfing. He runs into Chuck Dennison who was unaware that the kids had been shooting hoops in his driveway. He alludes to Ward's athletic past and asks if HIS father ever taught him how to throw a forward pass? Apparently Chuck learned long ago to let boys hang around with other boys to learn sports skills. Ward looks embarrassed.

The boys are dressed up and are headed over to the Dennison's, Mr. Dennison is taking the boys to the Sportsman's Show. Ward was supposed to take them but had a busy week, now he's feeling guilty. Apparently, the boys had a good time, now they're in their room going over all the handouts they took. Ward checks in to see how the previous night went; they had a good with Mr. Dennison. He even bought the boys hamburgers and hot dogs. Ward offers to take the boys fishing but they can't make it; they have to be at the Dennison's by ten for a basketball game with Willie Dennison. Plus, Mr. Dennison just put up a new backboard. Ward is beginning to miss his boys.

While the boys were out, Ward has put up a new basketball backboard with hoop over the garage. It seems to have had some positive effect as the boys are having a game at the Cleaver's. Everyone is having a good time except for Eddie, he measures the height of the hoop to make a point. It's not regulation height, so everyone is off to the Dennison's. Eddie claims he can sink one there because it's regulation. Ward is in a funk.

The boys are back and are reviewing the morning up in their room. Ward pops in and has a gift for the boys: a regulation ball, and he raised the backboard a foot so it's regulation. The boys are beginning to think Ward wants them around, so tomorrow they play at home. Everyone is back; Eddie still can't sink a basket. Ward offers to teach the boys a hook shot and then he makes a mistake: he starts to take over the game by showing off. When he looks up the boys are leaving to go over to the Dennison's.

Ward is sulking and is off to play golf. He still hasn't figured out his mistake. At the locker room at the club Ward bumps into Chuck Dennison. He's both surprised and happy to know the boys are playing basketball over at his house. Ward thought Chuck was out there with the boys; no, Chuck learned from his two older boys to just butt out. Ward is quite happy he had a talk with Chuck Dennison; now Ward figures he knows how to be closer with his boys. He almost has a relapse but pulls back just in time.

An episode for the fathers out there. Most of the boys I knew enjoyed a game of catch with their dads but that was it. We usually gathered in a field somewhere for a game and there was never an adult in sight. One of my neighbors would take us hiking once in a while. Events we looked forward to as we wondered if Mr. T would get lost again. That was a big part of the fun.

I noticed the writers lost their consistency here. The first time we meet Chuck Dennison, he had one child, a girl Beaver's age. This time he has three children and all of them are boys with one Wally's age.

(*June quote*) - "Nice of Mr. Dennison to take the boys to the Sportsman's Show."

Ward Cleaver would like to think of himself as being the All-American Father, but he's not.

Ward always seems to be too busy to have much time to spend with his sons.

In the meantime - The Cleaver boys spend a lot of time playing basketball over at the Dennisons.