Beav it to Cleaver
May 19th, 2009
Netflix Watch Instantly on the Roku means TV Land no longer exists for me. I was watching an episode from the third (1959) season of “Leave it to Beaver” tonight when I was surprised by a brief guest appearance. June is at a women’s club party, hosted by Mrs. Harrison.
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They don’t explain what sort of trouble Mrs. Mondello’s daughter is in, but by having the ladies point out that she’s eighteen, parents in the audience can imagine for themselves. This is the sort of clever scripting for family TV shows that later disappeared. After “All in the Family” premiered, TV comedies dealing with personal issues were about as subtle as a backhoe breaking a gas main.
A year after her appearance on Beaver, the actress playing Mrs. Harrison would be heard on TV again, and her voice has been ever-present ever since, even today, ten years after her death. Listen carefully to the audio clip. She’s out of character here, but she played somebody you’ve heard a thousand times.
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Filed under: All Posts, Cartooning
4 Comments Add your own
1. Cactus Lizzie | May 22nd, 2009 at 1:18 am
Well, she’s probably either been a voice-over of a popular commercial, or else an actress on a popular TV show, if we’ve heard that voice a thousand times. But, danged if I know! C’mon, Doug, you gotta give us another hint of some kind!
2. DOuG pRATt | May 22nd, 2009 at 8:22 am
The “Filed under” category for this post is a hint in itself. She was indeed on a popular TV show. One that relied heavily on anachronism for its humor.
3. Cactus Lizzie | May 23rd, 2009 at 11:48 pm
I assume that to mean, Doug, that she did a cartoon voice. Anachronistic, eh? Okay, I will wager a guess that she supplied a voice for “The Flintstones.” It can’t be Betty Rubble. So I will guess it’s “Wilma.” Am I right???? Or on the wrong track?
4. DOuG pRATt | May 24th, 2009 at 12:05 am
Yabba Dabba Do, Lizzie! JEAN VANDER PYL, was the voice of Wilma Flintstone.
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