Leave It to Beaver (TV Series) Tenting Tonight (1958) User Reviews

Good Episode That Moves Well

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 1 August 2006]

The first part of this episode is very funny as Ward waits in the lobby of the movie theater for the kids to come out so he can give them a ride home. It takes forever for all of them to emerge and there are some funny lines along the way.

Disgusted the boys don't spend their Saturday afternoons out in the fresh air, spending six hours in a movie theater instead, Ward promises Beaver and Wally a trip to Friend's Lake for a weekend of camping the following week. At the least minute, Fred Rutherford alerts Ward that they have to come in and finish a business project since the bigwigs are coming in Monday.....so Dad has to give the kids the bad news.

The two boys decide to spend the night in a tent in their backyard. A thunderstorm ensues.....and the rest you'll have to see. A good episode that was entertaining and fast-moving.

Ward gets the limelight even though he backs of his promise

[pensman · 8/10 · 4 July 2017]

Ward has been golfing, the boys are watching a movie at the local theater. Ward has been volunteered to pick them up along with their friends. As he waits his frustration grows as the boys come in and out looking for Ward and one another; then he gets upset that the boys spent six hours locked up in a theater away from fresh air. Ward decides he is going to take the boys to Friends Lake for an overnight camping trip.

The boys are excited but when they tell Eddie, Eddie says it won't happen. Parents are always promising something but when the time comes they back out. Unfortunately, this time it's true. Fred Rutherford brings Ward the happy news that the big boys want a campaign complete come Monday morning. That means Ward has to work over the weekend. Fred Rutherford offers to do the work alone; he will even sign Ward's name to the campaign. Ward knows what that would mean: Fred Rutherford would smirk and gloat over that forever.

Ward has to break the news to the boys Saturday morning. Beaver suggests they go to the movies but then Eddie would gloat just like Fred Rutherford. So the tent is pitched in the back yard and they are having their overnight trip even if they're 20 feet from the back door.

During the night, it starts to rain. Wally says that Eddie claims if you touch the tent it will start to leak. Eddie is right this time as Beaver discovers. As the rain increases, some of the water starts seeping into the tent. Beaver suggests they go inside but Wally says they can't; they told mom and dad they could take care of themselves.

The next morning June discovers wet spots on the stairs and suggests they get someone to look at the roof. No, those wet spots are there because the boys carried their sleeping bags upstairs around midnight. They got up early to carry then back done so they could claim they slept outside. June can't figure out how they got in; Ward accidentally left the kitchen door open, just in case.

The boys are upstairs getting dressed for Sunday school, and when the boys tell Eddie they slept outside all night rain and all, Eddie can't believe it. Eddie says his father would have made him come inside and take a hot bath. That's because his father cares about him. As Eddie goes downstairs, Beaver looks worried. Doesn't our dad care about us he asks Wally. Of course, our dad cares reports Wally; who do you think left the kitchen door open.

A good episode that is both prescient and affirming. Ward would be more upset today as our video game and "social" media addicted children frequently forgo fresh air for the joy of staying inside practically all the time. Affirming because Wally knows their dad really loves them both.

A simple but sweet episode

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 12 May 2024]

Ward is sent to pick up Wally, Beaver, and their friends after they've been in the movies all day. It doesn't go well. It's basically a frustrating game of tag to get them all together in the lobby. Ward comes home short tempered, perhaps partially about that, but also about the fact that it was a beautiful Saturday and Wally and Beaver spent the entire day indoors watching less than uplifting fare. He promises to take them camping the following week to help get them out of doors. Eddie Haskell tells Wally it will be like it is at his house - His dad will promise something and then when the time comes, act like he never offered to do anything.

The weekend comes and Ward gets word that he must work the weekend, so he does end up having to postpone their promised outing. When he gets home he sees that the boys have pitched a tent in the backyard and are camping out there. It starts to rain in the middle of the night, so Ward leaves the backdoor open just in case they want to come inside, and they do come in for a few hours after the rain sends a river through their tent. It is his way of compromising between making them come in and giving them the freedom to come in, should they decide to do so.

The next day, Sunday, Eddie Haskell is incredulous that Ward did not make them come in during the pounding rainstorm. He then tries to turn it around as their dad not caring what they did. But Wally mentions to Beaver - Who do you think left the backdoor open? They realize that their dad tried to protect them without ruining their fun or completely overriding their perceived autonomy.

And let's not minimize the irony of being told by Eddie Haskell the importance of not being tardy to Sunday school!

Didn't lock the boys out? How considerate.

[deblc-91334 · 7/10 · 12 August 2022]

The boys camp out in the back yard on a rainy night. At the end of the episode, Ward explained to June that the spots on the carpet were made by the boys carrying their wet sleeping bags upstairs early that morning. Then they went back out when the rain stopped.

June asked how they got in. Ward explains that he may have "accidentally" left the back door unlocked.

June smiles and says "accidentally?" like Ward was the greatest father ever for leaving the door unlocked.

??? What parents would lock themselves in the house with their children sleeping in the backyard especially on a rainy night? The writers dropped the ball on this one.

Camping Outdoors

[StrictlyConfidential · 5/10 · 18 May 2021]

(*Fred Rutherford to Ward Cleaver quote*) - What are you doin', holding up the building?"

Ward Cleaver is fed up with his boys spending their free time on the weekend going to the movies.

When Ward's plans to take the boys camping up at Friend's Lake falls through, Wally and Beaver decide to pitch the tent in their own backyard.

Throughout the night there is a downpour of rain, but the boys have no worries since they can go indoors to keep dry.