Yes, the real-life Ken Osmond was none other than the fictional ingratiating character of Eddie Haskell on “Leave it to Beaver”. Eddie was a “suck up” to Mr. & Mrs. Ward & June Cleaver and a bully to their young son Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver and a friend of Beaver’s older brother Wally.
This family rated TV show ran from 1957 to 1963. Quite a few of us “Baby Boomers” watch the adventures of the “Beev” and Gumshoe can still whistle the theme song.
Okay, now all of you kind readers may leave you a wondering how this look back at “Leave it to Beaver” relates to Gumshoe’s tale beyond the old black and white TV screen.
Back in the first part of the 80’s, Gumshoe and his fellow City of Orange Police Officer “TJ” Jordan volunteered to become a swing shift DUI (Driving Under the Influence) Team. Accordingly, we received a week’s worth of daytime classroom instruction as well as practical nighttime field training sponsored by LAPD.
Tommy and Gumshoe would learn the in’s and outs of lateral nystagmus along with specific series of FST’s (field sobriety tests) in order to become certified court experts in DUI investigations and enforcement protocols. Our training was held at Parker Center, LAPD Headquarters, Central Division. Known by LAPD Officers as “Fort Fumble” as well as “The Puzzle Palace”. Go figure?
Tommy and Gumshoe were the only non-LAPD officers assigned to the class. The LAPD Officers were from the traffic division and they were all motorcycle officers known in police parlance as “motor officers”. The game plan after the daytime classroom instruction called for a short Code 7 (meal break) and then we all hit the streets.
Two of the motor officers would become the drivers of two individual “B-wagons” and Tommy & I would each be assigned as their respective partners.
Note: The term “B-wagon” comes from cop jargon for a transportation van that would customarily pick up prostitutes (during vice sweeps) who had been arrested under the California Penal Code, 647(B) violations for prostitution. Hence the term “B” for the wagon designation.
The motor officers would make the traffic stops of suspected DUI’s and the “B-wagons” would be summoned to pick up the arrested quarry. Once the “B-wagon” was filled to capacity, it would proceed to Central Booking for further DUI suspect processing (Breath-o-lizer) and then subsequent DUI jail bookings.
Rearing to try out “follow-my-finger- nystagmus test-Gumshoe” was paired-up inside the “B-wagon” with LAPD Officer Ken Osmond who played Eddie Haskell on “Leave it to Beaver”. Happenstance for sure! He looked exactly the way Gumshoe remembered him from the television series but just slightly an older version.
As we cruised portions of Boyle Heights we had several hours to chat. He told me that he still received residuals from the series that barely covered the cost of his Code-7 meal breaks.
Eddie, errr Ken told me that he garnered quite a bit of good natured ribbing starting from his LAPD Academy days and even to the present by occasionally being recognized by the Baby Boomers as Eddie Haskell. He took it all in stride with a hint of professional pride.
Since he was always “type-cast” as Eddie it put a definite kibosh on his TV career. It was okay with him since he loved being a cop in a career that paid him personal dividends.
Gumshoe came to know Officer Osmond as an unpretentious and down to earth guy in spite of his past claim to fame. He was good enough to echo Eddie Haskell’s memorable and ingratiating line to Mrs. June Cleaver for Gumshoe:
“It’s a pretty dress you’re wearing Mrs. Cleaver”.
Eddie then gave Gumshoe a slight smile and a wink as we proceeded to Central Booking. Gumshoe laughed all the way! Our inebriated passengers didn’t get the humor. Lo siento mucho!
Well there you have it folks. A fictionalized “kiss ass bully” who was just the opposite in real life as a hard-charging and a truly dedicated LAPD Officer. God bless the late Ken Osmond!
In closing gentle readers, always remember to love the ones who love you, and try to love the ones who don’t.
Coram Deo!
PS: Now let’s all whistle or hum that “Leave it to Beaver” theme melody . . .
ABC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Gumshoe first and foremost Happy Thanksgiving to you and Lynn. Another great article.
Although I didn’t get to meet any movie or TV personalities there was two famous people that did live and visit Syracuse back in the 60’s. Annette Funicello of Mickey Mouse Mouseketeer fame was born in Utica, NY and although her family moved to California at an early age, her grandmother lived in Mattydale, NY where I grew up and she would come to visit from time to time. Unfortunately I did not meet her. The other famous person was Richard Gere. He attended North Syracuse High School in 1967 graduating two years after me. I did not know him personally but my sister who graduated in 1966 remembers him from some High School Plays he acted in.
I used to watch Leave it to Beaver. Unfortunately we don’t have that type of TV any more.
Enjoy the upcoming Holidays and hopefully things will remain somewhat calm.
Semper Fi
Happy T-day to you and Deborah my LEO brother in blue & Marine green.
Ahhh, my first adolescent crush was on Mouseketeer Annette. Great childhood memories of the Mouseketeer Club. Not so much for Richard Gere . . . although I loved his spinning heel kick in “An Officer and a Gentleman”. That move served me well on a few occasions of derring-do.
Semper Fi!
We shared cop stuff and had a good shift.
Great article and I can see you both riding together! Such a privileged to know someone in the real world!