LEAVE IT TO HIM

Ward Cleaver was probably the best tv dad ever. Fred Mac Murray was pretty good in "My Three Sons," but his charm was mostly based on facial expressions, his best being the raising of the left eyebrow.

In yesterday's Beaver, which I caught one small scene while channeling ( a term I prefer instead of surfing, but whatever you call it, it has to be better than all the commercials airing). In it June was asking Ward to call the boys to supper while she was setting the table. Ward declined stating, "I think I'll let them play together a little while longer. It won't be that long until all they do is send Christmas cards to each other."

I guess that's what made him so good. He had knowledge of the future while living the day-to-day hassles of the present. Also he had some sage advice in almost all situations. Timelessness, too.

Like Willy Loman, he was always there for his boys. The only disagreeable thing he ever did, as far as I can recall, was to allow them to call his son Beaver (and with a last name of Cleaver to boot.)