LOS ANGELES – MAY 2: Dennis The Menace, a CBS television situation comedy. Pictured from left is … More Gloria Henry (as Alice Mitchell), Herbert Anderson (as Henry Mitchell), Jay North (as Dennis Mitchell). May 2, 1960. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)
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Sadly, we lost a legendary former child star, Jay North, who died at his home in Lake Butler, Florida on Sunday from colorectal cancer. He was 73.
North, of course, is remembered as that All American boy who always seemed to get in trouble in the 1959 to 1963 comedy Dennis the Menace. In honor of Jay North, here are 10 fascinating facts of note about Dennis the Menace:
1) After prematurely canceling Leave it to Beaver at the end of its freshman season (which moved to ABC for five additional seasons), CBS was in search of a new family-themed comedy. Dennis the Menace, based on the Hank Ketcham comic strip of the same name, fit the bill.
circa 1957: American actors (clockwise, from left) Tony Dow, Hugh Beaumont (1909 – 1982), Jerry … More Mathers, and Barbara Billingsley pose together in a promotional portrait for the television series, ‘Leave It to Beaver’. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
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2) Dennis the Menace aired in the Sunday 7:30 p.m. ET half-hour out of Lassie and into The Ed Sullivan Show for its entire four-season run. The prior time period occupants the season before Dennis the Menace were sitcoms The Jack Benny Program (fall) and Bachelor Father (winter).
Lassie co-star June Lockhart turns 100 on June 25.
Lassie with Jon Provost, US child actor, June Lockhart, US actress, and Hugh Reilly (1915-1998), US … More actor, pose for a group portrait issued as publicity for the US television series, ‘Lassie’, USA, circa 1955. The television drama starred Provost as ‘Timmy Martin’, Lockhart as ‘Ruth Martin’, and Reilly as ‘Paul Martin’. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
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3) At the time, four seasons of Dennis the Menace translated into 146 episodes. A full season order at present on a broadcast network is traditionally 22 episodes. On streaming, an average season for any series normally ranges from just 6 to 10 episodes.
LOS ANGELES – MAY 2: Dennis The Menace, a CBS television situation comedy. Pictured from left is … More Sylvia Field (as Martha Wilson), Joseph Kearns (as George Wilson), Jay North (as Dennis Mitchell), Herbert Anderson (as Henry Mitchell), Gloria Henry (as Alice Mitchell. May 2, 1960. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)
CBS via Getty Images
4) Dennis’s parents Henry (Herbert Anderson) and Alice Mitchell (Gloria Henry) were named after the creator of the franchise, Hank Ketcham, and his first wife Alice Ketcham.
LOS ANGELES – JANUARY 1: DENNIS THE MENACE Gloria Henry as Alice Mitchell, Herbert Anderson as … More Henry Mitchell and Jay North as Dennis Mitchell. 1960 (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)
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5) Next-door neighbors George (Joseph Kearns) and Martha Wilson (Sylvia Field) were named after the first president George Washington and his wife Martha.
LOS ANGELES – MAY 2: Dennis The Menace, a CBS television situation comedy. Pictured from left is … More Joseph Kearns (as George Wilson), Sylvia Field (as Martha Wilson). May 2, 1960. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)
CBS via Getty Images
6) The exterior of the home of the Wilsons was also used for the fictional Anderson clan (Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin) on the family-themed comedy Father Knows Best.
February 1965: Promotional portrait of the cast of the television series, ‘Father Knows Best’. … More Clockwise from lower left: Billy Gray, Elinor Donahue, Robert Young, Jane Wyatt and Lauren Chapin. (Photo by Screen Gems/Getty Images)
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7) After the sudden death of Joseph Kearns in 1962, Gale Gordon joined the cast of Dennis the Menace as Mr. Wilson’s brother John for the last six episodes of the third season. At the time, John Wilson was living with George’s wife Martha (and it was explained that George had to leave town to settle an estate). By season four, Martha was gone and John Wilson suddenly had a wife named Eloise (Sara Seegar).
LOS ANGELES – MARCH 12: Gale Gordon portrays Mr. John Wilson in the television series Dennis the … More Menace. Image dated March 12, 1962. Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)
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8) Following Dennis the Menace, Gale Gordon joined the cast of Lucille Ball’s The Lucy Show as Theodore J. Mooney, the local banker. In Lucy’s next sitcom, Here’s Lucy, Gordon portrayed Lucy’s brother-in-law and employer, Harry Carter.
LOS ANGELES – OCTOBER 1: The Lucy Show. A CBS television situation comedy. Premiere episode … More broadcast October 1, 1962. Pictured is Gale Gordon (as Mr. Theodore J. Mooney), Lucille Ball (as Lucy Carmichael). (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)
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9) In a rare crossover episode, Jay North as Dennis Mitchell showed up on The Donna Reed Show in the third season episode “Donna Decorates.” Needless to say, complete chaos ensued! North also made guest appearances as Dennis on The Red Skelton Hour and in the theatrical musical comedy Pepe.
THE DONNA REED SHOW – “Donna Decorates” – Airdate: September 29, 1960. (Photo by ABC Photo … More Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) DONNA REED;JAY NORTH
Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
10) Prior to The Andy Griffith Show, Ron Howard, then age five, played Dennis’ friend Stewart in six episodes of Dennis the Menace.
Ron Howard, US actor and director, wearing a grey hat and checked jacket, with a blue shirt and a … More red tie, in a studio portrait issued as publicity for the US television series, ‘The Andy Griffith Show’, USA, circa 1960. The sitcom starred Howard as ‘Opie Taylor’. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
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All four seasons of Dennis the Menace are currently available to stream on Peacock.
R.I.P. Jay North.
