Ward Cleaver's Occupation?

[plnnr]

Yes, folks, its been one of those days at the office...

Jim Anderson - Insurance Executive
Mike Brady - Architect
Darren Stevens - Advertising Executive
Wilbur Post - Architect
Fred Flintstone - Dinosaur Operator for Slate Sand & Gravel
Ralph Kramden - Bus Driver

So, what did Ward Cleaver do for a living beside read the paper, look swell in a cardigan, and bang the hell out of Barbara Billingsley?

[woodstockbirdybird]

I don't know why, but the first thought that came to my mind was "architect". Maybe I'm confusing him with Mr. Brady. In any case, I know he worked with Lumpy's dad, whatever he did. I remember at least one episode where it showed them in the office together. Insurance, perhaps?

[beagledave]

google is your friend

from http://www.litb.com/LITBFAQ.HTM

"Question:

What was Ward Cleaver's Occupation?

Here again the producers of the show kept Ward's occupation a secret.
On purpose. So you wouldn't know."

[rowrrbazzle]

In an episode I saw today, Ward mentions something about commissions in the office and getting people to sell more (exactly what was not mentioned). So he sells something, and insurance would be one of many possibilities.

[Rilchiam]

They also never said what Ozzie did. And what did the My Three Sons dad do?

[Road Rash]

Originally posted by Rilchiam
They also never said what Ozzie did. And what did the My Three Sons dad do?

The "My Three Sons" dad was an engineer. Not the railroad type.

[slortar]

Originally posted by zgystardst
In an episode I saw today, Ward mentions something about commissions in the office and getting people to sell more (exactly what was not mentioned). So he sells something, and insurance would be one of many possibilities.

He could possibly be a pimp or drug dealer. This is why they never mentioned his job on air. Oh, the possibilities.

Incidentally, anybody recall the episode of SCTV where the cast of Leave it to Beaver reunite for a 25 year anniversary episode. Ward is an alcoholic who eats his Wheaties in the morning with Jack Daniels instead of milk. Beaver shoots his neighbor and winds up going to jail.

[Dinsdale]

I always assumed Ward was an engineer in light of the fact that he was a SeaBee (like my dad, not to mention John "Wedge" Wayne in The Fighting SeaBees!)

[Papermache Prince]

[quote]Originally posted by slortar

Incidentally, anybody recall the episode of SCTV where the cast of Leave it to Beaver reunite for a 25 year anniversary episode. Ward is an alcoholic who eats his Wheaties in the morning with Jack Daniels instead of milk. Beaver shoots his neighbor and winds up going to jail.

I recall that episode. Joe Flaherty was Ward and John Candy was the Beaver. Beaver shoots Eddy Haskell.

More info at

http://www.magma.ca/~ddhodge/SCTVHOME.HTM

[us66man]

Ward cleaver was a stock broker.
In the episode where Lumpy wants to join the merchant marine Fred and Ward are talking in Wards office. The certificate on the wall in Wards office reads

STOCK EXCHANGE
CERTIFICATE OF BROKERSHIP
WARD CLEAVER

[Starving Artist]

Originally Posted by Road Rash

The "My Three Sons" dad was an engineer. Not the railroad type.

An aeronautical engineer, IIRC.

Also IIRC, I think Ozzie was supposed to be a bandleader, though it was seldom mentioned. After I grew older and understood the life of a bandleader I began to wonder how Ozzie could have been home all the time.

[Johnny L.A.]

Originally Posted by slortar

Incidentally, anybody recall the episode of SCTV where the cast of Leave it to Beaver reunite for a 25 year anniversary episode. Ward is an alcoholic who eats his Wheaties in the morning with Jack Daniels instead of milk. Beaver shoots his neighbor and winds up going to jail.

As long as this zombie has been resurrected...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9dKYxkYYXM

(NB: He's eating Weetabix.)

[Stranger On A Train]

Originally Posted by Rilchiam

And what did the My Three Sons dad do?

Serial killer, and possibly cult leader.

Seriously, go back and look at how many characters departed from the show in sudden and mysterious ways, with explanations provided by Douglas that wouldn't hold up to the light of day to an actual investigation, starting with the off-screen death of Steven Douglas' wife. The abrupt departure from fictional Chicago suburb Bryant Park to North Hollywood just after the suspicious and never-again to be referenced departure of the oldest Douglas son and kidnapping of the neighbor child Ernie just goes with the pattern of controlling, manipulative sociopaths. Although Douglas later takes a "beard" wife and adopts the daughter into this increasingly tenuous family, only the most obtuse viewer can fail to acknowledge that cast members have disappeared with frightening regularity, often to be mentioned rarely, as "building a bridge in Peru", "In the Army", if at all.

Ward Cleaver, on the other hand, was just some mid-level executive at a perfectly normal insurance or investment company whose most controversial trait is that he occasionally likes to wear women's knickers under his pants. What he and the audience didn't know is what June is up to during the day. Those pearls and the ever-present vacuum were just a sham; June was the high priestess of a coven of hot lesbian witches in the neighborhood. The Beaver is actually a tamer 'Fifties t.v. version of the creepy future stalker kid Glen on Mad Men and will eventually be elected to the US Senate before getting exposed in a Congressional page molestation scandal. And Wally is so obviously, flamingly homosexual that the only people who don't get it are Ward and Beav.

Stranger

[F. U. Shakespeare]

Originally Posted by Stranger On A Train

Serial killer, and possibly cult leader.

Seriously, go back and look at how many characters departed from the show in sudden and mysterious ways, with explanations provided by Douglas that wouldn't hold up to the light of day to an actual investigation, starting with the off-screen death of Steven Douglas' wife. The abrupt departure from fictional Chicago suburb Bryant Park to North Hollywood just after the suspicious and never-again to be referenced departure of the oldest Douglas son and kidnapping of the neighbor child Ernie just goes with the pattern of controlling, manipulative sociopaths. Although Douglas later takes a "beard" wife and adopts the daughter into this increasingly tenuous family, only the most obtuse viewer can fail to acknowledge that cast members have disappeared with frightening regularity, often to be mentioned rarely, as "building a bridge in Peru", "In the Army", if at all.Stranger

This was examined in detail in an article in the October 1987 issue of Spy magazine, "Situation Tragedy".

"Bub" disappeared suddenly, said to be visiting his mother in Ireland.

Robbie, Katie's husband, went on a 'business trip' and never returned.

And yes, Starving Artist, Steve Douglas was an aerospace engineer, or as he said during an interview to hire a maid (which comically misunderstood that he was looking for a wife), a "missile engineer".

[Stranger On A Train]

Originally Posted by F. U. Shakespeare

"Bub" disappeared suddenly, said to be visiting his mother in Ireland.

Which is curious as Frawley himself (and presumably the character he played) was in his seventies and unlikely to have a living mother. Furthermore, if I recall correctly he ended up eloping with some woman he'd met there and stayed in Ireland despite having no occupation, apparent skill, or assets. "Uncle Charley" conveniently enters from stage right in the same episode to become the caretaker. It was all very suspicious, even at the tender age of eight when I first put it together.

And then there is poor Gilligan, the designated fall guy who was always so curiously placed in a linchpin role to foil the characters' plans for escape. And who placed him in that role or saw to it that Gilligan would be in a position to appear responsible for failure? Could it be the same character that had the only private hut on the island?

Stranger

[Markxxx]

Well we know Ward is not a lawyer, 'cause Wally brings a date over and Wally's dates asks Ward if he is a lawyer and he says, "no."

[Earl Snake-Hips Tucker]

Originally Posted by us66man

Ward cleaver was a stock broker.
In the episode where Lumpy wants to join the merchant marine Fred and Ward are talking in Wards office. The certificate on the wall in Wards office reads

STOCK EXCHANGE
CERTIFICATE OF BROKERSHIP
WARD CLEAVER

Sounds like a one-off prop. Similar to the badge in a Columbo episode that upon close inspections reveals his first name to be "Frank."

[aceplace57]

There was an episode where Ward finds his old Seabees trunk. Tells Beaver about being in the Seabees.

I always thought he was an Architect or some kind of construction engineer. It seems unlikely he would have been in the Seabees unless he had construction experience prior to the war.

[Colibri]

Originally Posted by plnnr

bang the hell out of Barbara Billingsley?

In other words, he was a beaver cleaver?

[Tom Tildrum]

Originally Posted by Stranger On A Train

...and possibly cult leader.

You're thinking of Follow Me, Boys!

[twickster]

Moved MPSIMS --> Cafe Society, a forum that did not exist when this zombie last saw the light of day.

twickster, who has two separate job titles, each with its own email address, and does mysterious things involving writing, editing, project management, etc.

[Chefguy]

Originally Posted by aceplace57

There was an episode where Ward finds his old Seabees trunk. Tells Beaver about being in the Seabees.

I always thought he was an Architect or some kind of construction engineer. It seems unlikely he would have been in the Seabees unless he had construction experience prior to the war.

He could possibly have been an engineer, although Seabees were (and are) enlisted. The officers they work for are part of the Civil Engineer Corps (CEC). Ward could have gotten an engineering degree post-military through the GI Bill, however.

[Bijou Drains]

How come the Bradys only had 3 bedrooms but had the cash for a live in housekeeper? They should have fired Alice and bought a bigger house.

[Spectre of Pithecanthropus]

Originally Posted by Road Rash

The "My Three Sons" dad was an engineer. Not the railroad type.

Aeronautical, according to the Wikipedia article.

I had no clue whatsoever when I watched the show as a kid. In hindsight it's little short of amazing how successful the writers were at keeping work and career issues out of the plot. Or possibly all that just went over my head given that I was eight years old or so.

[Bumbershoot]

Originally Posted by Stranger On A Train

Serial killer, and possibly cult leader.

Seriously, go back and look at how many characters departed from the show in sudden and mysterious ways, with explanations provided by Douglas that wouldn't hold up to the light of day to an actual investigation, starting with the off-screen death of Steven Douglas' wife. The abrupt departure from fictional Chicago suburb Bryant Park to North Hollywood just after the suspicious and never-again to be referenced departure of the oldest Douglas son and kidnapping of the neighbor child Ernie just goes with the pattern of controlling, manipulative sociopaths. Although Douglas later takes a "beard" wife and adopts the daughter into this increasingly tenuous family, only the most obtuse viewer can fail to acknowledge that cast members have disappeared with frightening regularity, often to be mentioned rarely, as "building a bridge in Peru", "In the Army", if at all.



Stranger

And when he was much younger, he helped Barbara Stanwyck get rid of her husband!

[BrotherCadfael]

Originally Posted by Johnny L.A.

As long as this zombie has been resurrected...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9dKYxkYYXM

(NB: He's eating Weetabix.)

Did he mix it into blood to give the blood texture?

[Rocketeer]

Originally Posted by plnnr

...read the paper, look swell in a cardigan, and bang the hell out of Barbara Billingsley?

What more does one need for happiness in life?

[Biffy the Elephant Shrew]

Originally Posted by Rocketeer

What more does one need for happiness in life?

In fact, forget the paper and the cardigan!

[kelly5078]

Originally Posted by Rilchiam

They also never said what Ozzie did. And what did the My Three Sons dad do?

Ozzie Nelson was quite a well-known band leader in his day. He actually got into radio, and later TV, because he didn't want to be away from his family. I don't think anyone of my parents generation would have assumed he was anything other than a band leader.

[davidm]

Originally Posted by slortar

He could possibly be a pimp...

He did spend a lot of time looking for beaver.

[Mama Zappa]

Originally Posted by Stranger On A Train

...
And then there is poor Gilligan, the designated fall guy who was always so curiously placed in a linchpin role to foil the characters' plans for escape. And who placed him in that role or saw to it that Gilligan would be in a position to appear responsible for failure? Could it be the same character that had the only private hut on the island?

Stranger

Gilligan's character explained

[ThelmaLou]

Ward Cleaver and all the Cleavers were in the Witness Protection Program.

[RealityChuck]

Originally Posted by Rilchiam

They also never said what Ozzie did.

Ozzie never did anything. He was always home. The original plan was that he'd be in advertising, but they never showed him going to work, so that was dropped.

[JohnT]

I seem to recall an episode of LitB where some old man was being forceably retired from Ward's office. Hijinks ensued, with the plot being resolved with the old man and Wally teaming up to open their own "office."

While I was watching this episode, I don't recall a single mention of what type of work occurred at the office (other than it being white-collar work).

[cochrane]

Originally Posted by Bijou Drains

How come the Bradys only had 3 bedrooms but had the cash for a live in housekeeper? They should have fired Alice and bought a bigger house.

Wait a minute. Three bedrooms. Mike and Carol in one. Greg, Peter, and Bobby in the second one. Marcia, Jan, and Cindy in the third. Where does Alice sleep? On a hide a bed in the rec room? Or the living room sofa? Surely she didn't sneak off to sleep with Sam the butcher? Was that ever explained?

[Bijou Drains]

Alice had a tent in the backyard.

[alphaboi867]

Originally Posted by cochrane

Wait a minute. Three bedrooms. Mike and Carol in one. Greg, Peter, and Bobby in the second one. Marcia, Jan, and Cindy in the third. Where does Alice sleep? On a hide a bed in the rec room? Or the living room sofa? Surely she didn't sneak off to sleep with Sam the butcher? Was that ever explained?

According to my book of TV floorplans she lived in the maid's room off the kitchen.

[wedgehed]

Originally Posted by Bijou Drains

Alice had a tent in the backyard.

..until she went crazy, served Tiger for dinner, & moved into the doghouse.

[Johnny Q]

Ward Cleaver deals in "wetwork." The office is just a front and actual accounts are settled with sniper rifles.

One day the friendly competition with Fred Rutherford won't be so friendly.

[JoelUpchurch]

Did anybody think it was odd that the Huxtable's didn't have a housekeeper? He is a doctor and she is a partner at her law firm. I would think that somebody coming in twice a week to clean would be the minimum. One billable hour a month would pay for it.

[Starving Artist]

We never saw Cliff's nurses or reception/bookkeeping staff either, so given that even full time staff didn't make it into the show I can see how a part-time maid wouldn't either.

[cochrane]

Originally Posted by JoelUpchurch

Did anybody think it was odd that the Huxtable's didn't have a housekeeper? He is a doctor and she is a partner at her law firm. I would think that somebody coming in twice a week to clean would be the minimum. One billable hour a month would pay for it.

But they had five kids. Cliff and Claire were the types of parents who would insist on the children doing their share of the chores. They were good parents who made sure their kids learned to be responsible.

[Starving Artist]

Yeah, but that house was spotless. I have a hard time imagining Cliff and Claire would be able to get the kids to dust and clean the top of the fridge and keep everything as nice as things were in that house. They had a hard enough time just trying to get their kids through school and not going off on harmful tangents in their social lives.

[Bryan Ekers]

Originally Posted by cochrane

But they had five kids.

Originally there were only four.

[Bijou Drains]

Also why did the Jeffersons need a live in maid when they had a small NY apartment? I guess they just needed someone for George to argue with.

[cochrane]

Originally Posted by Bryan Ekers

Originally there were only four.

Well, yes, in the pilot there were four. Oldest daughter Sondra was added once the series got underway, though. Cosby wanted to establish the Huxtables as successful parents by having an eldest daughter attending college. Still, four kids would have been enough to be responsible for keeping the house clean.

[Markxxx]

Originally Posted by Bijou Drains

Also why did the Jeffersons need a live in maid when they had a small NY apartment? I guess they just needed someone for George to argue with.

They didn't need one. In fact in the beginning it was a battle with Louise NOT wanting a maid and George insisting now that they were rich, Louise needed a maid.

There was even an episode where Mother Jefferson agrees Louise does not need a maid (thinking Louise wants one). Then when Mother Jefferson finds out it is her son George who wants one, Mother Jefferson replies "Well I could understand how George would want someone to keep the house clean." Implying Louise doesn't do a good enough job.

Then at first Florence was a cleaning woman that didn't work full time. Only after awhile did she move in as a full time maid.

[Markxxx]

Originally Posted by cochrane

Wait a minute. Three bedrooms. Mike and Carol in one. Greg, Peter, and Bobby in the second one. Marcia, Jan, and Cindy in the third. Where does Alice sleep? On a hide a bed in the rec room? Or the living room sofa? Surely she didn't sneak off to sleep with Sam the butcher? Was that ever explained?

They had an episode where they show Alice's room. It's a typical maid's room off the kitchen, as was Hazel's room and the maid's room on Diff'rent Strokes

[johnpost]

Originally Posted by Rilchiam

They also never said what Ozzie did. And what did the My Three Sons dad do?

Originally Posted by kelly5078

Ozzie Nelson was quite a well-known band leader in his day. He actually got into radio, and later TV, because he didn't want to be away from his family. I don't think anyone of my parents generation would have assumed he was anything other than a band leader.

he was a band leader for about 15 years before doing radio. his being a band leader was mentioned though infrequently on tv. i don't recall it on the radio shows i've heard (i've heard only a small fraction of the hundreds).

the real kids were not on the first 5 years of the radio show.

[BrainGlutton]

Was it ever specified where the Cleavers lived?