Brushes with Fame
Send your experience to info @ leaveittobeaver.org
From Steve McBrayer [KCsciFi@aol.com]
Back in the mid to late 70's, I was with some friends at a Winsteads on the
Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. We were only about half way through our meal
when in walks two distinguishing looking gentleman. I didn't need a second look
to know that it was none other than Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow. They were in
town (as they often still are) for a dinner theater performance. They sat
directly across from us and struck up a conversation. I found them to be very
friendly and outgoing. It was my first brush with real-life celebrities and they
were not at all the stereotyped Hollywood snobs I'd been told most were.
From another fan: I met Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow at "Worlds of Fun," a theme park in Kansas City back in the late 70s. They were there to do a personal appearance for a local radio station. I asked Jerry whatever happened to Rusty Stevens and he said that the last he heard, his mother took him to New York to do theater after "Beaver" was cancelled. That was before the "New Leave it to Beaver." They evidently hooked up later. After the meet and greet, I got to ride a roller coaster with Tony Dow. They sneaked him in through the back gate and since I was the only single person in line, they sat him next to me. As the ride started, Tony asked me if I had ever ridden the roller coaster before and I told him that I had and that it was one of the best roller coasters in the country. He was very friendly.
From John Gonzalez, [JONGON@aol.com]
My story is that my father would always take me to Hollywood to see the
Christmas parade so we could see all the stars . I think the year was 1959 and
we were close to where the parade started and I happen to see Jerry Mathers in
his convertible with a banner with his name on it. I was a distance away from
him as there was a crowd around him. He seemed personable to the people around
him and when I yelled "HEY BEAVER!" to him he made a genuine effort to
communicate with me but all the noise it was difficult for him to hear what I
was saying . He did however seem interested in what I was trying to say.
From copilotdedog@aol.com, My father use to work for WOWO Radio station in Fort Wayne, Indiana and one weekend they invited Jerry Mathers to Fort Wayne for a promotion of their show Jukebox Saturday Morning. This was back in the early 80's when my brother and I were in High school, and had just discover Leave It To Beaver. When my father heard he was coming, we all went to meet him at the airport. There was a small contingent of Leave It To Beaver fans who met him at the airport. The next morning, my brother and I drove over to the airport where the show was on location, and met our Dad who was working there that morning. He brought us over to meet Mr. Mathers, and my brother and I had the chance to talk with him. Most of what we talked about was how much we had enjoyed his show, since we first watched it a few years earlier. He then sign each of us a autograph on the box of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, that had his picture on the cover.
From Deborah Anderson [djanders@med.umich.edu], My father decided to play a few rounds of golf, it was in the early 60's in the San Fernando Valley. Another player walked up to my dad and asked if he could join him in a twosome because the course was a lot more busy than expected. My father couldn't help but notice that people were gawking and pointing at the guy he was playing golf with. My father couldn't stand it anymore, his curiosity got the best of him. He finally asked his golf buddy why everyone was watching and pointing at him. He replied, "Why, I'm Hugh Beaumont and I'm in television!" My dad's only experience with television was limited to only watching the "Huntley-Brinkley Report" and an occasional college football game so he was still mystified. He asked what show it was and Hugh told my dad and he kindly explained what the show was all about and who the characters were. My dad came home and excitedly told us that he played 18 holes of golf with the star of "Beaver the Cleaver". (Ironically, my dad had some extremely uncanny parallels to Ward Cleaver.... he was in the Seabee's, grew up in Shaker Heights, OH, had a stern father who didn't hesitate "using the belt", and he had an Uncle Billy, too!)
From Scott Vroegindewey [scott@w-ils.org],