Hugh Beaumont

Hugh Beaumont

Birth name: Eugene Hugh Beaumont
Born: February 16, 1909
Died: May 14, 1982 (at age 73)
Birthplace: Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.
Popularity:
Biography

Eugene Hugh Beaumont (February 16, 1909 - May 14, 1982) was an American actor and television director. He was also licensed to preach by the Methodist church. Beaumont is best known for his portrayal of Ward Cleaver on the television series Leave It to Beaver (1957-1963). He had earlier played the role of the private detective Michael Shayne in a series of 1940s films.

Biography

Early years

Beaumont was born in Lawrence, Kansas. His parents were Ethel Adaline Whitney and Edward H. Beaumont, a traveling salesman whose profession kept the family on the move. After graduating from Baylor School, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he attended the University of Chattanooga, where he played football. He later studied at the University of Southern California and graduated with a Master of Theology degree in 1946. He married Kathryn Adams in 1942, and the pair had three children.

Career

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 these were bit parts and minor roles and were not credited. He worked along with another future TV dad, William Bendix, who would star in The Life of Riley in the 1946 film The Blue Dahlia along with Alan Ladd. In 1946-1947, Beaumont starred in five films as private detective Michael Shayne, taking over the role from Lloyd Nolan. In 1957, he acquired his best-known role as the archetypal philosophy-dispensing suburban father, Ward Cleaver, on the popular sitcom television series Leave It to Beaver.

A precursor to his role as the kindly father figure came in Adventures of Superman. In a 1953 episode called The Big Squeeze, he played an ex-convict with a wife and son whose trust he must win back after an apparent return to his criminal past. In 1952, he played the role of Rev. Randy Roberts in an episode of The Lone Ranger.

From 1950 to 1953 Beaumont was the narrator of the Reed Hadley series, Racket Squad, based on the cases of a fictional detective, Captain John Braddock, in San Francisco. In Hadley's second series, The Public Defender, which aired on CBS from 1954 to 1955, Beaumont appeared three times in the role of Ed McGrath.

Before Beaumont and Barbara Billingsley were cast as the concerned parents on Leave It to Beaver, each had appeared separately in the early 1950s on Rod Cameron's syndicated detective series City Detective. Consistent with his interest in the clergy, Beaumont played the Reverend Clifton R. Pond in an episode of the religion anthology series Crossroads.

He also appeared in one of the early episodes of the CBS western series, My Friend Flicka and guest starred in an episode of Frank Lovejoy's detective series, Meet McGraw.

On July 1, 1957, two months before the premiere of Leave It to Beaver, Beaumont played a sympathetic characterization of the western bandit Jesse James on Dale Robertson's NBC series, Tales of Wells Fargo. Bobby Jordan played Bob Ford, the James assailant, but this episode ends some two months before the shooting of James in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Not only did Beaumont act in Leave It to Beaver but he also wrote and directed several episodes, including the retrospective "Family Scrapbook." His portrayal as head of the Cleaver household ranked #28 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" in the June 20, 2004, issue.

After Leave It to Beaver ended production and went into syndication in the fall of 1963, Beaumont appeared in many community theater productions and played a few guest roles on such television series as Mannix, The Virginian, Wagon Train and Petticoat Junction.

Retirement and death

Beaumont retired from show business in the late 1960s, launching a second career as a Christmas-tree farmer in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. He was forced to retire in 1972 after suffering a stroke from which he never fully recovered. Beaumont and Kathryn Adams divorced in 1974. On May 14, 1982, Beaumont died of a heart attack while visiting his son, a psychology professor, in Munich, Germany. His body was cremated and the ashes were scattered on the then family-owned island on Lake Wabana, Minnesota, near Grand Rapids. The 1983 telemovie Still the Beaver was dedicated to Beaumont's memory.

Acting credits

Feature films

Feature films of Hugh Beaumont
Year Title Role Director Producer Studio/Distributor Other cast members Refs.
1940 Phantom Raiders Seaman (scenes deleted) Tourneur !Jacques Tourneur Stephani !Frederick Stephani MGM Walter Pidgeon
Secret !The Secret Seven Southern Racketeer (uncredited) Moore !James Moore Cohn !Ralph Cohn Columbia Pictures Barton MacLane, Florence Rice
1941 Cowboy !The Cowboy and the Blonde Sound Man (uncredited) McCareu !Ray McCarey Dietrich !Ralph Dietrich 20th Century Fox George Montgomery, Mary Beth Hughes
Private Nurse McDonald (uncredited) Burton !David Burton Wurtzel !Sol M. Wurtzel 20th Century Fox Jane Darwell
South of Panama Paul Martin Yarbrough !Jean Yarbrough Shyer !Melville Shyer Producers Releasing Corporation Duncan Renaldo, Virginia Vale
Unfinished Business Groom (uncredited) LaCava !Gregory La Cava Universal Pictures Irene Dunne, Robert Montgomery
Week-End in Havana Officer (uncredited) Lang !Walter Lang Zanuck !Darryl F. Zanuck 20th Century Fox Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, John Payne, Cesar Romero
1942 Canal Zone Radio Operator (uncredited) Landers !Lew Landers Briskin !Irving Briskin Columbia Pictures Chester Morris, Harriet Hilliard, Lloyd Bridges
Flight Lieutenant John McGinnis (uncredited) Salkow !Sidney Salkow Schulberg !B. P. Schulberg Columbia Pictures Glenn Ford, Pat O'Brien, Evelyn Keyes
Right to the Heart Willie Donovan Forde !Eugene Forde Wurtzel !Sol M. Wurtzel 20th Century Fox Brenda Joyce
To the Shores of Tripoli Orderly (uncredited) Humberstone !Bruce Humberstone Zanuck !Darryl F. Zanuck 20th Century Fox Maureen O'Hara, Randolph Scott
Unseen Enemy Narrator Rawlins !John Rawlins Grant !Marshall Grant Universal Pictures Leo Carrillo, Irene Hervey, Don Terry
Wake Island Captain (uncredited) Farrow !John Farrow DeSylva !B. G. De Sylva Paramount Pictures Brian Donlevy, Macdonald Carey
Wife !The Wife Takes a Flyer Officer (uncredited) Wallace !Richard Wallace Schulberg !B. P. Schulberg Columbia Pictures Joan Bennett, Franchot Tone
Young America G-Man King !Louis King Wurtzel !Sol M. Wurtzel 20th Century Fox Jane Withers
1943 Bombardier Soldier (uncredited) Wallace !Richard Wallace Fellows !Robert Fellows RKO Pat O'Brien, Randolph Scott
Du Barry Was a Lady Footman (uncredited) Del Ruth !Roy Del Ruth Freed !Arthur Freed MGM Red Skelton, Lucille Ball
Fallen !The Fallen Sparrow Otto Skaas Wallace !Richard Wallace Fellows !Robert Fellows RKO John Garfield
Flight for Freedom Flight Instructor (uncredited) Mendes !Lothar Mendes Hempstead !David Hempstead RKO Rosalind Russell, Fred MacMurray
Good Luck, Mr. Yates Adjutant (uncredited) Enright !Ray Enright Chatkin !David J. Chatkin Columbia Pictures Claire Trevor
He Hired the Boss Jordan Loring !Thomas Z. Loring Wurtzel !Sol M. Wurtzel 20th Century Fox Stu Erwin
Mexican Spitfire's Blessed Event George Sharpe Goodwins !Leslie Goodwins Gilroy !Bert Gilroy RKO Lupe Vélez
Northwest Rangers Mountie who finds Fowler's body (uncredited) Newman !Joe Newman Marx !Samuel Marx MGM James Craig, John Carradine
Salute to the Marines Sergeant (uncredited) Simon !S. Sylvan Simon Considine !John W. Considine Jr. MGM Wallace Beery
Seventh !The Seventh Victim Gregory Ward Robson !Mark Robson Lewton !Val Lewton RKO Tom Conway
There's Something About a Soldier Lt. Martin Green !Alfred E. Green Bischoff !Samuel Bischoff Columbia Pictures Evelyn Keyes
1944 I Love a Soldier John (uncredited) Sandrich !Mark Sandrich DeSylva !B. G. De Sylva Paramount Pictures Paulette Goddard, Sonny Tufts
Mr. Winkle Goes to War Ranger Officer (uncredited) Green !Alfred E. Green Moss !Jack Moss Columbia Pictures Edward G. Robinson
Practically Yours Cutter (uncredited) Leisen !Mitchell Leisen DeSylva !B. G. De Sylva Paramount Pictures Cecil Kellaway
Racket !The Racket Man "Irish" Duffy Lederman !D. Ross Lederman MacDonald !Wallace MacDonald Columbia Pictures Tom Neal
Seventh !The Seventh Cross Truck Driver (uncredited) Zinnemann !Fred Zinnemann Berman !Pandro S. Berman MGM Spencer Tracy, Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn
Story !The Story of Dr. Wassell aide to Admiral Hart in Surabaya DeMille !Cecil B. DeMille DeSylva !B. G. De Sylva Paramount Pictures Gary Cooper, Signe Hasso
Strange Affair Detective Carey (uncredited) Green !Alfred E. Green Kelly !Burt Kelly Columbia Pictures Allyn Joslyn
They Live in Fear Instructor (uncredited) Berne !Josef Berne Fier !Jack Fier Columbia Pictures Otto Kruger
1945 Apology for Murder Kenny Blake Newfield !Sam Newfield Neufeld !Sigmund Neufeld Producers Releasing Corporation Ann Savage
Blonde from Brooklyn Discharging Lieutenant (uncredited) Lord !Del Lord Briskin !Irving Briskin Columbia Pictures Lynn Merrick, Robert Stanton
Blood on the Sun Johnny Clarke (uncredited) Lloyd !Frank Lloyd Cagney !William Cagney United Artists James Cagney, Sylvia Sidney
Counter-Attack Russian Lieutenant (uncredited) Korda !Zoltan Korda Columbia Pictures Paul Muni, Marguerite Chapman
Lady !The Lady Confesses Larry Craig Stern !Alfred Stern Neufeld !Sigmund Neufeld Producers Releasing Corporation Mary Beth Hughes
You Came Along Chaplain (uncredited) Farrow !John Farrow Wallis !Hal B. Wallis Paramount Pictures Robert Cummings, Lizabeth Scott
1946 Blonde for a Day Michael Shayne Newfield !Sam Newfield Neufeld !Sigmund Neufeld Producers Releasing Corporation Kathryn Adams
Blue Dahlia !The Blue Dahlia George Copeland Marshall !George Marshall Houseman !John Houseman Paramount Pictures Veronica Lake, Alan Ladd, Howard Da Silva, William Bendix
Johnny Comes Flying Home Engineer (uncredited) Stoloff !Benjamin Stoloff Schenck !Aubrey Schenck 20th Century Fox Richard Crane
Larceny in Her Heart Michael Shayne Newfield !Sam Newfield Neufeld !Sigmund Neufeld Producers Releasing Corporation Cheryl Walker
Murder is My Business Michael Shayne Newfield !Sam Newfield Neufeld !Sigmund Neufeld Producers Releasing Corporation Cheryl Walker
1947 Bury Me Dead Michael Dunn Vorhaus !Bernard Vorhaus Riesner !Charles F. Riesner Eagle-Lion Films Cathy O'Donnell, June Lockhart
Guilt !The Guilt of Janet Ames Frank Merino (uncredited) Levin !Harry Levin Deutsch !Helen Deutsch Columbia Pictures Melvyn Douglas, Sid Caesar
Railroaded! Mickey Ferguson Mann !Anthony Mann Riesner !Charles F. Riesner Eagle-Lion Films John Ireland
Three on a Ticket Michael Shayne Newfield !Sam Newfield Neufeld !Sigmund Neufeld Producers Releasing Corporation Cheryl Walker
Too Many Winners Michael Shayne Beaudine !William Beaudine Sutherland !John Sutherland Producers Releasing Corporation Trudy Marshall
1948 Counterfeiters !The Counterfeiters Phillip Drake Newfield !Sam Newfield Conn !Maurice H. Conn 20th Century Fox John Sutton
Money Madness Steve Clark (previously known as Freddie Howard) Newfield !Sam Newfield Neufeld !Sigmund Neufeld Sigmund Neufeld Productions Frances Rafferty
Reaching from Heaven Bill Starling Strayer !Frank R. Strayer The Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod Cheryl Walker
1949 Tokyo Joe Provost Marshal Major (uncredited) Heisler !Stuart Heisler Lord !Robert Lord Columbia Pictures Humphrey Bogart, Sessue Hayakawa
1950 Second Chance Dr. Emory Beaudine !William Beaudine Heard !Paul F. Heard Protestant Film Commission Ruth Warrick
1951 Callaway Went Thataway Mr. Adkins, Attorney (uncredited) Panama !Norman Panama Panama !Norman Panama MGM Dorothy McGuire
Danger Zone Dennis O'Brien Berke !William Berke Berke !William Berke Lippert Pictures Edward Brophy
Flying Missile !The Flying Missile Major Wilson (uncredited) Levin !Harry Levin Bresler !Jerry Bresler Columbia Pictures Glenn Ford
Go for Broke! Chaplain (uncredited) Pirosh !Robert Pirosh Schary !Dore Schary MGM Van Johnson
Home Town Story Bob MacFarland (uncredited) Pierson !Arthur Pierson Pierson !Arthur Pierson MGM Donald Crisp
Last Outpost !The Last Outpost Lt. Fenton Foster !Lewis R. Foster Pine !William H. Pine Paramount Pictures Ronald Reagan
Lost Continent Robert Phillips Newfield !Sam Newfield Lippert !Robert L. Lippert Lippert Pictures Caesar Romero
Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell Policeman (uncredited) Koster !Henry Koster Hakim !André Hakim 20th Century Fox Clifton Webb
Overland Telegraph Brad Roberts Selander !Lesley Selander Schlom !Herman Schlom RKO Tim Holt
Pier 23 Dennis O'Brien Berke !William Berke Berke !William Berke Lippert Pictures Edward Brophy
Roaring City Denny O'Brien Berke !William Berke Berke !William Berke Lippert Pictures Edward Brophy
Target Unknown Colonel (uncredited) Sherman !George Sherman Schenck !Aubrey Schenck Universal Pictures Mark Stevens
1952 Bugles in the Afternoon Lt. Cooke (uncredited) Rowland !Roy Rowland Cagney !William Cagney Warner Bros. Ray Milland
Night Without Sleep John Harkness Baker !Roy Ward Baker Bassler !Robert Bassler 20th Century Fox Linda Darnell
Phone Call from a Stranger Dr. Tim Brooks (uncredited) Negulesco !Jean Negulesco Johnson !Nunnally Johnson 20th Century Fox Shelley Winters
Washington Story Chaplain (uncredited) Pirosh !Robert Pirosh Schary !Dore Schary MGM Van Johnson
Wild Stallion Capt. Wilmurt Collins !Lewis D. Collins Mirisch !Walter Mirisch Monogram Ben Johnson
1953 Member !The Member of the Wedding Minister (uncredited) Zinnemann !Fred Zinnemann Anhalt !Edward and Edna Anhalt Columbia Pictures Ethel Waters
Mississippi !The Mississippi Gambler Kennerly (uncredited) Mate !Rudolph Mate Richmond !Ted Richmond Universal Pictures Tyrone Power
1955 Hell's Horizon Al Trask Gries !Tom Gries Davis !Wray Davis Columbia Pictures John Ireland
Indian American Sadio !Jan Sadio Cathedral Films Inc. Tom Selden, Michael Whalen
1956 Mole !The Mole People Dr. Jud Bellamin Vogel !Virgil Vogel Alland !William Alland Universal Pictures John Agar
Revolt !The Revolt of Mamie Stover San Francisco Policeman (uncredited) Walsh !Raoul Walsh Adler !Buddy Adler 20th Century Fox Jane Russell
1957 Night Passage Jeff Kurth Neilson !James Neilson Rosenberg !Aaron Rosenberg Universal Pictures Audie Murphy, James Stewart, Dan Duryea
1965 Human !The Human Duplicators Austin Welles Grimaldi !Hugo Grimaldi Grimaldi !Hugo Grimaldi Hugo Grimaldi Productions George Nader, Barbara Nichols

Television

Television episodes
Year Title Role Notes Refs.
1950 Silver !The Silver Theatre Harry Hamilton Lady with Ideas
1951 Bigelow !The Bigelow Theatre Harry Hamilton Lady with Ideas
1952 Dangerous Assignment Dean The Piece of String Story
Dangerous Assignment Saunders The Manger Story
Dangerous Assignment Bill Kane The Assassin Ring Story
Hopalong Cassidy Hank Scofield The Feud
1952-1953 Racket Squad Narrator 33 episodes
1953 Ford Theatre Sheriff Burns The Trestle
Letter to Loretta Arthur Nicholls The Bronte Story
Big Town Carl Kesten / Rodney Mitchell The Eliminator
Chevron Theatre The Worthless Thing
The Lone Ranger Rev. Randy Roberts The Godless Men
Topper Ed Merrill The Spinster
Adventures of Superman Dan Grayson The Big Squeeze
Fireside Theatre The Traitor
Four Star Playhouse No Identity
Four Star Playhouse Albert Woods The Adolescent
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars John Harris Vacation for Ginny
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Guardian of the Clock
1954 Fireside Theatre Fight Night
City Detective Philip Merriam The Blonde Orchid
Waterfront Roy Martin Backwash
Lineup !The Lineup Charles Lanski Cop Shooting
Studio 57 Charles Crane Trap Mates
Public !The Public Defender Ed McGrath Think No Evil
Public !The Public Defender Gil Bowman Lost Cause
Cavalcade of America Lewis Graham The Paper Sword
Lux Video Theatre George Call Me Mrs.
1955 Letter to Loretta Arnie Man in the Ring
Letter to Loretta Rev. Bell Dateline: Korea
Letter to Loretta Henry Preston The Refinement of 'Ab'
Letter to Loretta Editor of Manhattan Magazine The Girl Who Knew
Four Star Playhouse Padre The Firing Squad
Four Star Playhouse Dr. Lindell The Frightened Woman
Four Star Playhouse Padre The Firing Squa
Public !The Public Defender Ed McGrath A Knowledge of Astronomy
Medic Col. Will Roberts The World So High
Crossroads Rev. Clifton R. Pond With All My Love
Science Fiction Theatre Dr. Guy Stanton Conversation with an Ape
Millionaire !The Millionaire Dr. Porter The Walter Carter Story
Pepsi !The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse Jeff Stake My Life
Touch !The Touch of Steel Col. Lander TV movie
Cavalcade of America Coach Jack Cody A Time for Courage
Climax! The Leaf Out of the Book
Lassie Mr. Saunders The Well
1956 Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Tom Sutton Web of Circumstance
Climax! Savage Portrait
Four Star Playhouse Doctor Command
Ford Theatre Marshal Ferguson The Silent Strangers
Lux Video Theatre Larry The Unfaithful
Cavalcade of America Father Werr The Boy Who Walked to America
Letter to Loretta Chris Palmer Take Care of My Child
Letter to Loretta Jack But for God's Grace
My Friend Flicka Simmons One Man's Horse
My Friend Flicka Night Rider
Alias Mike Hercules Mike Hercules Pilot
Matinee Theatre The 25th Hour
Celebrity Playhouse Home Is the Soldier
1957 Meet McGraw Clay Farrell Border City
Tales of Wells Fargo Jesse James Jesse James
1957-1963 Leave it to Beaver Ward Cleaver Run of the series
1964 Wagon Train Jed Halick The Pearlie Garnet Story
1966 Lassie Jim / Mr. Saunders Cradle of the Deep
Virginian !The Virginian Maguire Girl on the Glass Mountain
Petticoat Junction Ronnie Beckman Every Bachelor Should Have a Family
1967 Petticoat Junction Mr. Donald Elliott With This Gown I Thee Wed
Petticoat Junction Mr. Donald Elliott Meet the In-Laws
1968 Virginian !The Virginian Maj. James Carlton Nora
Virginian !The Virginian Charles Martin With Help from Ulysses
Mannix Frank Abbott To the Swiftest, Death
1970 Mannix Hammond The Mouse That Died
Mannix Mr. Calder War of Nerves
Medical Center Dr. Simpson Death Grip
Marcus Welby, M.D. Jim Wagner The "Merely" Syndrome (1970)
1971 Most !The Most Deadly Game Dr. Dominick The Classic Burial Position

In popular culture

In the early 1980s, a Texas punk rock band combined this actor's name with the name of Jimi Hendrix's band to form The Hugh Beaumont Experience.

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Citations

[ Source: Wikipedia ]


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