Barbara 'June Cleaver' Billingsley has died [merged]

[gsdx]

Barbara Billingsley, Beaver Cleaver's TV mom, dies



By Chris Weber, The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Barbara Billingsley, who gained supermom status for her gentle portrayal of June Cleaver, the warm, supportive mother of a pair of precocious boys in "Leave it to Beaver," died Saturday. She was 94.

Billingsley, who had suffered from a rheumatoid disease, died at her home in Santa Monica, said family spokeswoman Judy Twersky.

When the show debuted in 1957, Jerry Mathers, who played Beaver, was 9, and Tony Dow, who portrayed Wally, was 12. Billingsley's character, the perfect stay-at-home 1950s mom, was always there to gently but firmly nurture both through the ups and downs of childhood.

Beaver, meanwhile, was a typical American boy whose adventures landed him in one comical crisis after another.

Billingsley's own two sons said she was pretty much the image of June Cleaver in real life, although the actress disagreed. She did acknowledge that she may have become more like June as the series progressed.

"I think what happens is that the writers start writing about you as well as the character they created," she once said. "So you become sort of all mixed up, I think."

Full Report: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/101016/entertainment/us_barbara_billingsley

 

[bbjohn]

Re: Barbara 'June Cleaver' Billingsley has died

What a beautiful woman she was! She and her pearls will always be remembered warmly. RIP Barbara.

"Oh stewardess--I speak jive."

 

[Spiff]

Re: Barbara 'June Cleaver' Billingsley has died

I'll personally remember her best from one of my favorite comedy movies. Thanks for the good times, you are a Hollywood classic icon that will be missed.

 

[metacheetr]

Re: Barbara 'June Cleaver' Billingsley has died

What a great shame. October seems to be the month for deaths.

 

[Yooper]

Re: Barbara 'June Cleaver' Billingsley has died

Thanks for the memories, Barbara.

94 is a pretty good run.

 

[Beogradjanin18]

Re: Barbara 'June Cleaver' Billingsley has died

I really liked her. Too bad

 

[cityboy-stl]

Barbara Billingsley (June Cleaver) dies.

So sad. She was like the whole country's mom when I was growing up. RIP June.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/cel...16/obit.barbara.billingsley/index.html?hpt=T2

 

[NedNickerson]

Re: Barbara 'June Cleaver' Billingsley has died

What a great shame. October seems to be the month for deaths.

Not just October; this whole year has had a LOT of celebrity deaths - and we've still got two months to go...

"Leave It To Beaver" was another of those "perfectly cast" shows. It was a chemistry that almost didn't happen:



Rest in peace, Barbara...

 

[T-Rexx]

Re: Barbara Billingsley (June Cleaver) dies.

Ward and June are both gone now.

 

[BostonPirate]

Re: Barbara Billingsley (June Cleaver) dies.

she spoke the most obscene words in the history of American television

" Ward, don't you think you were a little hard on the beaver last night?"

 

[braex27]

Re: Barbara Billingsley (June Cleaver) dies.

That's really sad. I never saw the show and only knew of it by reputation.

 

[ronboy]

Re: Barbara 'June Cleaver' Billingsley has died

Barbara Billingsley was one of the icons of the first-generation television mothers.

Along with Jane Wyatt, Harriet Nelson, Jean Hagen, Marjorie Lord, and Donna Reed, Miss Billingsley was the image of the 1950's homemaker, with her coiffed hair, always ready for company house dress, and the string of pearls around her neck. She was an unflappable presence in the Cleaver househoild.

As June Cleaver, she raised two typical 1950's boys, the innocently hunky Wally, (Tony Dow), and the slightly clueless Theodore (Beaver, played by Jerry Mathers). While she played other television and motion picture roles, she will forever be identified with the "Leave it to Beaver" Show which aired on ABC, NBC, and CBS between 1957-1963.

Miss Billingsley will not be forgotten.....

 

[NedNickerson]

 

[gsdx]

Re: Barbara 'June Cleaver' Billingsley has died

she will forever be identified with the "Leave it to Beaver" Show which aired on ABC, NBC, and CBS between 1957-1963.

I have the pilot on DVD. Barbara and Jerry starred as June and Beaver, but Max Showalter (credited as Casey Adams) appeared as Ward and Paul Sullivan appeared as Wally. I can't post the photo here, but you can see Jerry and Paul in this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leave_It_to_Beaver#Concept.2C_pilot.2C_and_premiere

I'm not surprised that neither of them made the cut when the show was picked up. Paul, especially, was horrendous!

As a side note, a very young Harry 'The Simpsons' Shearer appeared in a cameo in that pilot.