Beaver's Dance

This story has always fascinated me, sort of a mini fantasy, creative writing by producers Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher. You often wonder how they came up with various ideas. The cowgirl character is a diamond in the rough.

It all begins the usual way, both Beave and Larry saddled with something they don't want to be a part of. They're enrolled in some fancy dance classes, suits and white gloves are required! As expected, their meet and greet sessions go haywire, and after a few disasterous times, Beave and Larry decide to ditch the next cotillion.

What comes next is the best ever, and all us kids loved it. The guys decide to kill some time, pretending they're at the dance, all the while seeking refuge at a barn? Enter Karen Sue Trent, teen dream cowgirl riding a horse? If that doesn't change the trajectory of one bummer day after another. Watch what happens next. Mini classic defined.

Karen Sue Trent, who appeared in several other shows, was a standout, soon to land the recurring role of Penny. Primed to be a gal pal for Beave, at least he had a little crush on her, but never let it out. She would have made the ideal surfer girl, much like GIDGET, had this show taken place at the beach. Karen stood apart from many other child actresses at the time. She passed in 2022. This episode is a tribute to her.

Sadly, one of the last episodes directed by Bretaigne Windust, acclaimed Broadway director, who later worked at Warner Brothers. He passed suddenly while also directing BACHELOR FATHER.

SEASON 3 EPISODE 21 remastered Universal dvd box set. This box has the best ever color cover of Beave and Wally.

Contrary to some of the reviewers here I DREAMED of a family like the Cleavers who "made" me do things like dancing school and cotillions when I was in school in this same era. I discovered in Jr. High that most of the kids had attended the very classy local dancing school and I was "out" socially until we moved to a different city when I started High School.

I consider Ward and June's parenting even when he "yelled" as loving and raised my 4 the same. The kids sometimes mention "getting hit" but it never happens. (We DID spank ours)

I love LITB but this episode is terrible. It made me so angry. I know sometimes parents have to force children to do necessary things, but it shouldn't apply to social or extracurricular activities. Children deserve a choice. And they way Ward yelled at Beaver was so uncalled for, especially over something so small. I'll skip this episode the next time I watch the series.

My parents decided I could be a child star and this was the first show I did. I'm one of the guys with the white gloves. I had a facial tick when I didn't like something and as I got up to dance, the tick showed that I really didn't want to do it (I was only 10). What a surprise when it aired and they gave me canned laughter! The next day everyone at school was asking for my autograph. I'm sure they're probably going for a nickel on Ebay. Nicest person in the cast was Tony Dow, though the others were also happy to sign autographs.....now what did I do with that Hugh Beaumont signature?????????

This episode was so bad and shows how awful Ward and June were on parenting in social situations. June is so old fashioned- little boys with white gloves etc. Let kids be kids , why do you need to force them in doing something like that. This BS about teaching them manners and social graces at 12 years old. Like Wally said a cotillion is what snobs call a dance. Its nothing more than trying to impress kids that dressing fancy and acting like a snob is common practice. When I was 12 in 1977 - of course things were very different but we still had those stupid little dances and I refused to go to them - I didn't care for social situations as a 12 year old boy. All of the social BS in school was all for the girl. Like proms etc - its for the girl ., the poor guy gets dragged along out of stupid tradition. Ward was horrible to yell and force Beaver as was June to go along with it. The problem with Ward and June was they kept living in the past and raising their kids with a 1920's mentality.