Leave It to Beaver (TV Series) Boarding School (1958) User Reviews

To Go Or Not To Go

[ccthemovieman-1 · 6/10 · 6 August 2006]

A kid who used to be a grade ahead of Wally comes to visit (for some unknown reason, perhaps on recruitment since the kid remembered Wally from Mayville schools) the boys. The kid, Johnny Franklin, now attends Bellport Military School, so he shows up with his uniform and subtly gives Wally a pitch for the school.

That gets Wally gung-ho to attend the boarding school, much to the dismay of his mom (but not his dad, who is open to the idea if it makes Wally happy.). It looks like that's the way things are headed until Eddie Haskell - who else? - comes over and plants a negative seed into Wally's brain. Eddie explains how his father sends him away to camp every year just to get rid of him. That makes Wally wonder if his dad is trying to get rid of him, if Franklin's appearance was planned.

This paranoia then leads to a nice finish to the story. P.S. This was an era where, if you misbehaved, your dad might threaten to send you away to military school. Hey, I heard it, too.

All in all, a so-so episode, much like the last few in which the humor was almost non-existent and it was more of short story about one subject than anything else.

Good story

[pmike-11312 · 8/10 · 13 June 2022]

A good story of how, to a kid, something sounds great at first. Then upon thinking it over, they realize the downside aspects and get "cold feet".

It's only too bad that stories like this make certain commenter/reveiwers look more stupid than usual.

Not the Aunt Martha episode but same ending.

[pensman · 6/10 · 7 July 2017]

Johnny Franklin is coming over to see Wally which means the boys miss a supermarket opening and the chance to meet a movie star no one ever heard of. Johnny arrives dressed in his military school uniform. The boys at the school get to march, carry guns, have horseback lesson, and all the teachers are men.

Johnny leaves after a short "recruiting" visit and has to return to his school that night. But he has managed to plant the idea of going to Bellport in Wally. Wally figures if he goes he could avoid Eddie Haskell at Mayfield High.

Suddenly at dinner Wally brings up going to Bellport. Ward and June are surprised at Wally's sudden enthusiasm. June blames Ward because Ward mentioned he rode bareback and went hunting with his father. June reluctantly agrees to allow Ward to send for an application and catalog but if Wally even gets homesick or bit by a horse, she will never forgive Ward. And yet in season six she is enthusiastic for Beaver to leave when he is given an opportunity to attend a boarding school paid for by Aunt Martha.

The application arrives and Wally is still interested; so interested he is sorting out his closet. Beaver thinks of the things he does with his brother like going to the lake and catching polliwogs and just talking to one another. Ward is considering taking Wally up for a visit. Eddie comes over and suggests that Ward is just trying to get rid of Wally. Eddie's dad tried to convince Eddie to go to military school but he wasn't letting his dad get away with it. Then Wally starts to think maybe his dad is trying to get rid of him, why else would they have invited Johnny Franklin over. Suddenly Wally decides he doesn't want to go to boarding school.

Beaver finds Wally up in their bathroom. Could he be crying? Beaver meets Ward on the steps and asks why he wants to get rid of Wally. Ward's confused until he hears the Eddie Haskell story. Seems Wally was already getting "cold feet" before he talked to Eddie and has just been looking for a way out. All is resolved, Wally is staying home with his friends, and Eddie isn't such a creep.

An odd episode. By now the family dynamic is well established and there would be no reason why Wally couldn't just be sitting at dinner and announce he had changed his mind. No one would be upset or surprised.

Wally wonders if he is unwanted

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 15 June 2024]

Johnny Franklin, a kid a grade ahead of Wally, comes over to visit Wally one day. Johnny has been going to a military boarding school and really promotes the place to Wally. Johnny even came over to see him in uniform. After Johnny leaves, Wally is thinking about wanting to go to the same school. June doesn't want Wally to do this, but Ward thinks it might be worth investigating.

Then Eddie Haskell comes over and talks about how his own dad is always talking up military school because he wants to get rid of him, and says that is probably what Ward wants to do to - push Wally out of the nest. But Wally disagrees and says that Johnny Franklin gave him the idea. Eddie retorts - And whose idea was it to have Johnny visit? Wally admits he has no answer for that, and he begins to second guess the entire situation, thinking that maybe his dad did manipulate him into this decision. Complications ensue.

There are several times when private schools are brought up for the boys, and each time the question of cost is never mentioned. The cost of private school is quite high today, I imagine even more so if you are talking a private boarding school. I don't know if cost isn't brought up because it wasn't an issue 65 years ago, or because it would get the 25 minute script off course.

It's also interesting that Eddie Haskell here is talking about how military school is just a way to get rid of your kid, when in the New Leave It To Beaver sequel show of the 1980s Eddie Haskell has his youngest son in military school to the point of being almost forgotten entirely, and in one episode sends the older son there too for a short while because he is angry with him over something that cost Eddie lots of money but was not really a case of bad behavior on his son's part.

IT'S THE MILITARY LIFE FOR ME?

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 7 December 2023]

Popular child actor Barry Curtis plays Johnny Franklin, one of those long lost friends in tv land who pops out of nowhere? This time it's all about Wally, who is way inspired at the sight of the "new" Johnny, dressed in uniform, and an alum of a distinguished military academy. Guess who wants to join?

This story hits home, so true to life, as all us kids were always in search of something new, something BIG --only to have second thoughts. Of course, Eddie enters the picture with bad news of how his father is always anxious to send him away somewhere, just to get rid of him! At the precisely wrong time, Ward seems to like the whole idea...

Say it isn't so!

The big switch here; June is outright opposed to it. I agree with the last reviewer, it all gets kind of confusing, due to the fact that many seasons later June thought it would be a good idea for Beave to leave home for boarding school? Rule Number One: writers have to do the research.

That said, series writer Dick Conway did a fine job with the script, and it's actually a very good episode, for a change of pace, centering around Wally, who was really growing up fast.

By the way, Barry Curtis was perhaps the most distinguished child actor to appear on the show. He was in many top tv adventure series, and even appeared in an ABBOTT AND COSTELLO movie.

He retired a few years later and entered college, eventually transferring to Harvard where he graduated with a Phd in psychology. He later relocated to Hawaii and taught at the University of Hawaii for many years until his death.

Dedicated to all us soldiers of fortune! From SEASON 1 remastered Universal dvd box set. With a classic cover for fans.

Sentry Duty

[StrictlyConfidential · 5/10 · 1 June 2021]

(*Wally quote*) - "It's one of those movie stars you never heard of before."

Eddie Haskell (the ultimate louse) convinces Wally that the only reason why his parents want him to go to military school is to get rid of him.

This puts Wally into quite a down and depressed state. (Don't you think that Wally should have known his parents better than this?)

It was Johnny Franklin who first put the idea of attending military school into Wally's head.

Wally made to look stupid

[vitoscotti · 4/10 · 6 March 2021]

Wally's too bright not to figure the negative aspects of going away to military school. Missing family, friends, Mayfield High experience. The fact none are even thought of by Wally until the end make for one of the weaker season one episodes. Then also the Beaver "Part-Time Genius" episode boarding school experience doesn't cross Beaver's mind from earlier in season one?