Wally's Present

If you want parables on how much easier it is for people to do the wrong thing than to do the right thing, all you have to do is watch a Leave It To Beaver episode that includes "Larry Mondello."

Larry always talks Beaver into doing the wrong thing, and weak-willed Beaver also goes along and then regrets it. Here, he's saved up for months to buy Wally a camera for his birthday. Once they get to the store, Larry sees a bow-and- arrow set and tells Beaver to buy that so they can play cowboys-and-Indians. To heck with Wally, he says. "He didn't even invite you to have hamburgers with him for his birthday party." Okay, says Beaver, who now believes he is justified in spending the money on himself instead. To make matters worse, Mondello breaks the bow on the way home!

Beaver feels like two cents when he finds out he IS invited for hamburgers plus a trip to the movies. He sheepishly then has to give Wally his 45-cent birthday present.

The moral of the story turned out to be "Two wrongs don't make a right."

(*Wally quote*) - "Well, heck, I don't want a party. That's kids stuff."

Two wrongs never make a right.

It's Wally's birthday, but he doesn't want a party. Beaver, on the other hand, was hoping that he did want a party and since Wally doesn't, he fells really left out.

At the local hobby shop, while searching for a gift for Wally, Larry Mondello convinces Beaver to buy himself a pricey bow & arrow set. With the little bit of money left over, Beaver chooses a really worthless present for Wally. This causes all kinds of embarrassment for Beaver.

This was the only episode written by Keith Fowler, a famous tv writer who wrote largely for George Burns' tv show, later for DENNIS THE MENACE.

The best way sum it all up... if only Beaver had a crystal ball... Without a look into the future, Beaver loses again, and special thanks to Larry Mondello. Wally's birthday is coming up, and Beave thinks there's going to be a super party with all the trimmings and he's naturally invited.

NO way. Wally is growing up fast, parties are out and he wants to do his thing. Beave is slighted, and with nearly seven dollars put aside for a gift, and Larry hanging around, he decides to spend the money on himself and get a cool bow and arrow set.

How the walls come tumbling down. And it's a tough call, because you kind of understand what's going through Beaver's mind (for all of us kids who had similar experiences). That said, Wally is a real, real good brother.

The ending hits the spot, although Beave suffers some bruises to his ego.

Incidentally, Beave's gift money would equal about 72.00 dollars today, and that's a small fortune for a kid! Best scene is Beave and Larry shopping at the hobby store --and all those neat things for sale.

Character actor Arthur Space plays Mr. Judson. He played tons of roles, from businessmen to generals, even acting with Laurel and Hardy. A frequent guest star on PERRY MASON.

First episode of 1959. SEASON 2 EPISODE 14 remastered Universal dvd box set. The color cover is a gem.

Wally's birthday is coming up and he has decided he wants to celebrate by going to the diner to eat hamburgers with Eddie, and most likely meet up with some girls and then go on to the movies. Obviously, the girls are central to his plans, so Beaver is not invited.

Beaver has been saving up for a very nice camera to give to Wally for his birthday, but once in the store, at the urging of Larry Mondello, he instead spends the vast majority of his money for a bow and arrow set for himself and buys Wally a token of a gift - a cheap paddle ball. Larry told Beaver to do this because he is hoping to play with the bow and arrow set too, but he succeeds by reminding Beaver about how Wally excluded him from his plans.

Once home, Beaver learns that Wally has changed his plans to be hamburgers and gifts at home and then the movies with Eddie and with Beaver now invited to all of this. Beaver feels about two feet tall, especially when it comes time to open the gifts and Wally receives a nice watch from his parents and a nifty microscope from Eddie Haskell. How will this all turn out? Watch and find out.

This is one of the few times where Eddie does not misbehave during the entire episode, even buying Wally a very nice birthday gift. This was probably done to give Beaver's selfishness maximum effect, and it worked. As for Larry Mondello - He often talks about a much older married brother and an older sister with whom his mother finds constant fault as she is not very attractive and also unmarried. So Larry is obviously the rather overlooked child of his parents' middle age, and thus doesn't have much guidance. This seems to be why he gives Beaver so much bad advice. Not an excuse but an explanation of sorts.

The way these episodes are written are like a bottle of head and shoulders. Lather rinse repeat. Larry Mondello is a no good creep and as usual Beaver listens to him when he knows it's wrong. This happens over and over. And then lets add to it that Beaver was selfish, inconsiderate and just a little rat in this episode.

He doesn't even get punished for lying nor does Larry get any kind of punishment. Remember when Larry stole money from his mother and dragged Beaver into it . The writers really were terrible for this show , they never let Beaver be anything more than a tool with bad friends .