# Goodbyyyyyyye, Mr. Wilson! \[Dennis the Menace actor Jay North has died.\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 6, 2025, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713 "2025-04-06T21:26:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/1 "2025-04-06T21:26:10Z")
> **['Dennis the Menace' Actor Jay North Dead at 73](https://www.tmz.com/2025/04/06/dennis-the-menace-jay-north-dead/)** > > Jay North -- a veteran actor who played the eponymous character in the 1960s sitcom "Dennis the Menace" -- has died ... TMZ has confirmed. He died at 73, of colorectal cancer. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/2 "2025-04-06T22:40:13Z")
He had a terrible childhood. His aunt was his “stage mother” and treated him with great physical and mental cruelty. He said she would take him off set and beat him if he blew a line. Long ago I saw him on an “Oprah” show about troubled former child stars and he said he harbored so much anger over his lost childhood that he often fantasized about climbing a tower (ala Charles Whitman) and shooting people. Not long after I saw him signing autographs at a memorabilia show and stayed far away from him. But his later life was reportedly a good one, serving as a youth counselor in Florida, and putting his anger behind him. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/3 "2025-04-07T00:20:26Z")
Poor guy was stuck to that role, like Jethro. And by the time the series ended, he just about had facial hair, and had to wear the stupid coveralls. ---
**Author:** ![Newtosite](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/newtosite/32/8623_2.png) [@Newtosite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Newtosite)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/4 "2025-04-07T00:30:20Z")
This hit home. My dad wrote for his show. Jay and I went to the same orthodontist and I was proud to have my picture taken with him at a church bazaar. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/5 "2025-04-07T00:31:48Z")
He was already too old (or big) for the role when he was cast. In the comic books, Dennis looks like he’s around three. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/6 "2025-04-07T02:09:51Z")
Holy smokes, he’s only 2 years younger than me. When that show came out, I remember regarding it as a show for little kids, and never watched it. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/7 "2025-04-07T02:14:29Z")
MAD magazine published what may be all time favorite one-panel cartoon. Dennis is walking into the kitchen holding a human skull. He tells his mom, “Look what I found in Mr. Wilson’s head!” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/8 "2025-04-07T02:17:59Z")
Brilliant! Got an image? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/9 "2025-04-07T02:33:23Z")
Let’s hope this works. [Here you go!](https://x.com/alyankovic/status/610533517450215424) It’s on Xitter, though. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/10 "2025-04-07T02:40:45Z")
I always wondered whether it meant Dennis was a murderer, or merely happened upon a crime scene and took home a trophy. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/11 "2025-04-07T02:44:43Z")
Maybe your dad wrote the only DtM I remember: Dennis, for some reason, partially rotates a street sign, and a hole for a pool gets dug in the wrong yard. I’m cursed to remember the stupidest things. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/12 "2025-04-07T02:45:27Z")
It did! 😅 ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/13 "2025-04-07T02:47:44Z")
I like to think he got tried as an adult. ---
**Author:** ![Newtosite](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/newtosite/32/8623_2.png) [@Newtosite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Newtosite)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/14 "2025-04-07T03:45:11Z")
It doesn’t sound familiar. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/15 "2025-04-07T05:51:19Z")
It would have been bizarrely appropriate if the star of the television show based on the other _Dennis the Menace_ cartoon had died on the same day. For those of you who don’t understand this, look up the two cartoons called _Dennis the Menace_. Two cartoons with the same name appeared on the same day. Neither one had inspired the other. Unfortunately for the joke I’m trying to make, the other cartoon never had a television show based on it. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/16 "2025-04-07T06:22:29Z")
At first, I thought you were referring to these cartoons, where the captions were switched: [Far Side & Dennis the Menace’s Caption Swap Created Surreal Genius](https://screenrant.com/far-side-dennis-the-menaces-caption-swap-error/) My favorite Dennis the Menace stories in comic books (not the newspaper) are: (a) the one where his two teenage babysitters are listening to “cool jazz” on their portable record player, and he’s imagining what the instruments must look like from their comments (e.g., “Mighty hot licks on that liquorice stick (clarinet)!” and “Play that slush pump (trombone)!”) (b) Dennis’s school teacher orders that everyone have a “quiet time,” but he doesn’t want to. So he goes outside and is riding on a swing when a cop comes up and asks why he’s all alone. **DENNIS:** _My teacher and the other kids are inside lying down. I don’t know why._ **COP:** (freaking out) _What?!? They must be ASPHYXIATED!!!_ **DENNIS:** _Yeah. Whatever that means._ The cop calls emergency services and hilarity ensues. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/17 "2025-04-07T13:36:13Z")
> [@XOldiesJock](#): > > He had a terrible childhood. His aunt was his “stage mother” and treated him with great physical and mental cruelty. He said she would take him off set and beat him if he blew a line. The “real” Dennis the Menace. had it even worse. The cartoonist Hank Ketcham (who looked just like the TV dad) was a monster. When Dennis Ketcham’s mom (Alice) died of a drug overdose when he was just 12, his dad didn’t tell him she died until she was buried. Three weeks later his dad sent him off to boarding school and moved to Switzerland with his new wife. As a US Marine, Dennis came back from Vietnam with PTSD ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/18 "2025-04-07T14:02:31Z")
I watched the show when it was new on TV, but I never really got the sense that Jay North was the same Dennis the Menace I read in the comic books (which were very different from the daily and Sunday comic strips). I liked the comic books and collected several of them (easy to do, because they got reprinted often). Jay North later starred in a movie, **Maya** , that involved an Indian elephant , and was set in India. He later reprised the role in a TV series of the same name. But I can’t recall much about either of them. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/19 "2025-04-07T15:12:31Z")
I watched because ‘it’s a kids show, you’ll like it’. Irritated the hell out of me that he was so TALL and gangly. And he would just stand there with his arms hanging at his side spouting lines. “Gee Mr. Wilson!” No, not at all like the comic strip Dennis the Menace. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2025, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbyyyyyyye-mr-wilson-dennis-the-menace-actor-jay-north-has-died/1016713/20 "2025-04-07T16:18:19Z")
> [@XOldiesJock](#): > > But his later life was reportedly a good one, serving as a youth counselor in Florida, and putting his anger behind him. That’s good, because we have seen just how destructive such an upbringing can be in cases such as Anissa Jones, Lindsay Lohan (who does seem to be turning herself around) and even Judy Garland.