American actor (1910?1982)
Eugene Hugh Beaumont
(February 16, 1910 ? May 14, 1982) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of
Ward Cleaver
on the television series
Leave It to Beaver
, originally broadcast from 1957 to 1963, and as private detective
Michael Shayne
in a series of low-budget crime films in 1946 and 1947.
[3]
Early life
[
edit
]
Beaumont was born in
Lawrence, Kansas
,
[4]
to Ethel Adaline Whitney and Edward H. Beaumont, a traveling salesman whose profession kept the family on the move. After graduating from the
Baylor School
in
Chattanooga
,
Tennessee
, in the class of 1930, he attended the
University of Chattanooga
, where he played football.
He later studied at the
University of Southern California
and graduated with a master's degree in
theology
in 1946.
[6]
Career
[
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]
Beaumont began his career in show business in 1931 by performing in theaters, nightclubs, and radio. He began acting in motion pictures in 1940, appearing in over three dozen films. Many of those roles were bit parts and minor roles and were not credited. He often worked with actor
William Bendix
; they had prominent roles in the 1946 film noir
The Blue Dahlia
, playing the friends of star
Alan Ladd
's character. In 1946?1947, Beaumont starred in five films as private detective
Michael Shayne
, assuming the role from
Lloyd Nolan
. In 1950, he narrated the short film
A Date with Your Family.
He also starred in
The Mole People
in 1956.
[7]
In the early 1950s, Beaumont secured television work, often with guest roles on series such as
Adventures of Superman
,
City Detective
,
Crossroads
,
Fireside Theatre
,
Ford Theatre
,
The Lone Ranger
,
Medic
,
The Millionaire
, and
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
. From 1951 to 1953, he narrated the
Reed Hadley
series
Racket Squad
, based on the cases of fictional detective Captain John Braddock in San Francisco. In 1954 and 1955, Beaumont appeared in
The Public Defender
, Hadley's second series, appearing in three episodes as Ed McGrath. That year, he guest-starred in the
Lassie
episode "The Well", one of two episodes filmed as pilots for the series.
[8]
He also portrayed a sympathetic characterization of the Western bandit
Jesse James
on the series
Tales of Wells Fargo
.
In September 1957, Beaumont was selected to replace
Max Showalter
, who had appeared as
Ward Cleaver
in "It's a Small World", the original pilot for the sitcom
Leave It to Beaver
, in the role of wise small-town father
Ward Cleaver
. After initially airing to tepid ratings on CBS, the series moved to ABC for its second season, where it achieved more solid ratings. Beginning with the third season, Beaumont began directing several episodes; including the series' final episode "
Family Scrapbook
", often considered the first series finale.
[8]
In 2014,
TV Guide
ranked Beaumont's portrayal of Ward Cleaver at number 28 on its list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time".
[9]
In 1959, before production on the third season of
Leave It to Beaver
began, Beaumont's wife, son, and mother-in-law were driving from Minnesota to Hollywood to visit when a car accident killed Beaumont's mother-in-law and severely injured his son.
[10]
Jerry Mathers
later stated that the tragedy seriously affected Beaumont's participation in the production, with Beaumont often just "walking through" his part.
[11]
After
Leave It to Beaver
ended production in 1963, Beaumont appeared in many community theater productions and played a few guest roles on television series such as
Marcus Welby, M.D.
,
Mannix
,
Petticoat Junction
,
The Virginian
, and
Wagon Train
. In February 1966, he made another appearance on
Lassie
, 11 years after his first.
[8]
He also continued to have success as a writer, selling several television screenplays and radio scripts as well as short stories to various magazines.
[12]
He gradually left the entertainment business, launching a second career as a Christmas-tree farmer in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. After suffering a debilitating stroke in 1970, Beaumont officially retired from acting in 1972. In 1980, he did appear in a
Beaver
reunion with the rest of the cast that was conducted by a local Los Angeles TV station.
Personal life and death
[
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]
On April 13, 1941, Beaumont wed actress
Kathryn Adams
(nee Hohn) at the Hollywood Congregational Church.
[13]
They had sons Hunter and Mark, and daughter Kristy. Their union lasted 33 years, until their divorce in 1974.
[14]
Beaumont was a lay minister in the Methodist Church.
[15]
During World War II, he was a
conscientious objector
and served as a medic.
[8]
[16]
On May 14, 1982, Beaumont died of a heart attack while visiting his son Hunter, a psychologist, in Munich,
West Germany
. He was 72 years old.
[12]
His body was cremated, and the ashes scattered on the then family-owned Balgillo Island (informally known when Beaumont owned it as "Beaumont Island") on Lake Wabana, near
Grand Rapids
,
Minnesota
. The 1983
television film
Still the Beaver
was dedicated to him.
[
citation needed
]
Filmography
[
edit
]
Television credits
[
edit
]
Year
|
Title
|
Role
|
Notes
|
1950
|
The Silver Theatre
|
Harry Hamilton
|
episode: "Lady with Ideas"
|
1951
|
The Bigelow Theatre
|
Harry Hamilton
|
episode: "Lady with Ideas"
|
1952
|
Dangerous Assignment
|
various roles
|
episode: "The Piece of String Story"
episode: "The Manger Story"
episode: "The Assassin Ring Story"
|
Hopalong Cassidy
|
Hank Scofield
|
episode: "The Feud"
|
1952?1953
|
Racket Squad
|
Narrator
|
33 episodes
|
1953
|
Ford Theatre
|
Sheriff Burns
|
episode: "The Trestle"
|
Big Town
|
Carl Kesten / Rodney Mitchell
|
episode: "The Eliminator"
|
Chevron Theatre
|
|
episode: "The Worthless Thing"
|
The Lone Ranger
|
Rev. Randy Roberts
|
episode: "The Godless Men"
|
Topper
|
Ed Merrill
|
episode: "The Spinster"
|
Adventures of Superman
|
Dan Grayson
|
episode: "The Big Squeeze"
|
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
|
John Harris
|
episode: "Vacation for Ginny"
|
|
episode: "Guardian of the Clock"
|
The Loretta Young Show
|
|
writer
episode: "The Bronte Story"
|
1953?1954
|
Fireside Theatre
|
various roles
|
episode: "The Traitor"
episode: "Fight Night"
|
1953?1956
|
Four Star Playhouse
|
various roles
|
6 episodes
|
Letter to Loretta
|
various roles
|
7 episodes
|
1954
|
City Detective
|
Philip Merriam
|
episode: "The Blonde Orchid"
|
Waterfront
|
Roy Martin
|
episode: "Backwash"
|
The Lineup
|
Charles Lanski
|
episode: "Cop Shooting"
|
Studio 57
|
Charles Crane
|
episode: "Trap Mates"
|
The Public Defender
|
Ed McGrath
|
episode: "Think No Evil"
|
Gil Bowman
|
episode: "Lost Cause"
|
Lux Video Theatre
|
George
|
episode: "Call Me Mrs."
|
1954?1956
|
Cavalcade of America
|
various roles
|
episode: "The Paper Sword"
episode: "A Time for Courage"
episode: "The Boy Who Walked to America"
|
1955
|
Indian American
|
Brother David
|
TV movie
|
The Public Defender
|
Ed McGrath
|
episode: "A Knowledge of Astronomy"
|
Medic
|
Col. Will Roberts
|
episode: "The World So High"
|
Crossroads
|
Rev. Clifton R. Pond
|
episode: "With All My Love"
|
Science Fiction Theatre
|
Dr. Guy Stanton
|
episode: "Conversation with an Ape"
|
The Millionaire
|
Dr. Porter
|
episode: "The Walter Carter Story"
|
The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse
|
Jeff
|
episode: "Stake My Life"
|
The Touch of Steel
|
Col. Lander
|
TV movie
|
Climax!
|
|
episode: "The Leaf Out of the Book"
|
Lassie
|
Mr. Saunders
|
episode: "The Well"
|
1956
|
Climax!
|
|
episode: "Savage Portrait"
|
Ford Theatre
|
Marshal Ferguson
|
episode: "The Silent Strangers"
|
Lux Video Theatre
|
Larry
|
episode: "The Unfaithful"
|
My Friend Flicka
|
Simmons
|
episode: "One Man's Horse"
|
|
episode: "Night Rider"
|
G.E. Summer Originals
|
Mike Hercules
|
episode: "Alias Mike Hercules" (unsold
pilot
)
|
Matinee Theatre
|
|
episode: "The 25th Hour"
|
Celebrity Playhouse
|
|
episode: "Home Is the Soldier"
|
1957
|
Meet McGraw
|
Clay Farrell
|
episode: "Border City"
|
Tales of Wells Fargo
|
Jesse James
|
episode: "Jesse James"
|
1957?1963
|
Leave It to Beaver
|
Ward Cleaver
|
main role; 234 episodes
directed 23 episodes (1960?63)
writer of 1 episode (1959)
|
1964
|
Wagon Train
|
Jed Halick
|
episode: "The Pearlie Garnet Story"
|
1966
|
Lassie
|
Jim / Mr. Saunders
|
episode: "Cradle of the Deep"
|
The Virginian
|
Maguire
|
episode: "Girl on the Glass Mountain"
|
Petticoat Junction
|
Ronnie Beckman
|
episode: "Every Bachelor Should Have a Family"
|
1967
|
Mr. Donald Elliott
|
episode: "With This Gown I Thee Wed"
episode: "Meet the In-Laws"
|
1968
|
The Virginian
|
Maj. James Carlton
|
episode: "Nora"
|
Charles Martin
|
episode: "With Help from Ulysses"
|
Mannix
|
Frank Abbott
|
episode: "To the Swiftest, Death"
|
1970
|
Hammond
|
episode: "The Mouse That Died"
|
Mr. Calder
|
episode: "War of Nerves"
|
Medical Center
|
Dr. Simpson
|
episode: "Death Grip"
|
Marcus Welby, M.D.
|
Jim Wagner
|
episode: "The Merely Syndrome"
|
1971
|
The Most Deadly Game
|
Dr. Dominick
|
episode: "The Classic Burial Position"
|
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
- ^
"Today's Birthdays"
.
The Capital Times
. February 16, 2002. p. 13
. Retrieved
19 May
2023
.
- ^
"Hugh Beaumont"
, filmography, catalog of the
American Film Institute
(AFI), Los Angeles, California. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
- ^
"Google News Archive"
.
Lawrence Journal World 2/9/1937
.
- ^
Murray, Noel (9 June 2011).
"Leave It To Beaver, "The Last Day Of School"
"
.
The A.V. Club
. G/O Media. Archived from
the original
on 4 February 2023
. Retrieved
5 April
2023
.
- ^
Weiner, Robert G.; Barba, Shelley E. (4 March 2011).
In the Peanut Gallery with Mystery Science Theater 3000: Essays on Film, Fandom, Technology and the Culture of Riffing
. McFarland. pp. 148?.
ISBN
978-0-7864-8572-7
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Applebaum, Irwyn (1998).
The World According to Beaver
.
Simon & Schuster
. pp. 18, 312.
ISBN
978-1-57500-052-7
.
- ^
"TV Guide's '50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time'
"
.
TVWeek
. Sherman Oaks, California: Dexter Canfield Media, Inc. January 3, 2014
. Retrieved
January 8,
2019
.
- ^
"Minnesota, Brown County, Obituaries, 1855-1990", database,
FamilySearch
(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-B35S-3SBY?cc=4328761 : 18 July 2022), > image 1 of 1.
- ^
Mathers, Jerry
(1998).
...And Jerry Mathers as The Beaver
. New York City: Berkley Boulevard Books.
ISBN
0425163709
.
)
- ^
a
b
"Hugh Beaumont, Actor Dies"
.
The New York Times
.
UPI
. May 16, 1982
. Retrieved
December 5,
2017
.
- ^
"News Briefs"
.
The Daily Reporter
. Indiana, Greenfield. International News Service. April 14, 1941. p. 4
. Retrieved
October 29,
2016
– via
Newspapers.com
.
- ^
"California Divorce Index, 1966-1984", Kathryn E. [Hohn] from Eugene H. Beaumont, May 1974, Los Angeles, California; Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California.
FamilySearch
, archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^
"HUGH BEAUMONT, ACTOR, DIES"
.
New York Times
. May 16, 1982. p. Section 1, page 44
. Retrieved
23 October
2022
.
- ^
Mathers, Jerry (February 14, 2016).
"My wonderful friend and mentor, Hugh Beaumont"
. Retrieved
September 23,
2020
.
Hugh Beaumont, because of his religious views as an ordained Methodist minister, was a conscientious objector. However, he did serve in WW II as an army medic.
- ^
Urazbakieva, S. V. (1975).
"[Determination of lysozyme in blood serum by the method of diffusion in agar]"
.
Zdravookhranenie Kirgizii
(5): 42?44.
ISSN
0132-8867
.
PMID
1941
.
Further reading
[
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]
External links
[
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]
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