buddahj Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Barbara Billingsley, best known for portraying the quintessential suburban American mom on the 1957-1963 U.S. television comedy "Leave It to Beaver," died on Saturday at age 94. A family spokeswoman said Billingsley, who also played a memorable cameo as a jive-talking elderly passenger in the 1980 hit comedy film "Airplane!," had been in poor health in recent years and died of rheumatoid disease at her Santa Monica, California, home. In her signature role as June Cleaver in "Leave It to Beaver," which ran for six seasons, Billingsley personified the ideal middle-class mother and housewife in an era when relatively few American women with children worked outside the home. Ever patient with the family's rambunctious younger son, nicknamed Beaver, played by Jerry Mathers, and their teenage son, Wally (Tony Dow), June Cleaver was always impeccably stylish, often seen doing household chores in pearls and earrings. Her pipe-smoking TV husband, Ward Cleaver, was played by Hugh Beaumont, who died in 1982. The show aired first on CBS, then on ABC. Reruns are still shown widely in syndication almost half a century after the program went off the air. Billingsley reprised her June Cleaver role in several revivals and TV movie updates of the original show that aired into the 1990s. She complained at times that her association with the character left her forever typecast in Hollywood as the perfect mother. But Dow said in an interview with CNN that Billingsley "was very proud of being June Cleaver." "She was just happy as a lark being recognized as America's mom," he said. It was an image she used to comic effect in "Airplane!" as an elderly passenger who offers to have a word with two upset African-Americans speaking in heavy street slang on the plane after she politely tells the flight attendant, "Oh, stewardess, I speak jive." The daughter of a Los Angeles senior police commander, Billingsley appeared on Broadway during World War Two as a chorus girl and also worked as a fashion model before getting her start in TV. According to the entertainment website IMDB.com, Billingsley was good friends with several other actresses famous for the moms they played on TV, including Florence Henderson ("The Brady Bunch"), June Lockhart ("Lassie," "Lost in Space") and Jane Wyatt ("Father Knows Best"). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 (edited) She was an icon for sure. Edited October 17, 2010 by Chief Dick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeR Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 She'll catch you on the flip side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 She'll catch you on the flip side. Butter was layin' her to the bone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeohiostate Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 "Golly Beaver" "Gee Wolly" Loved that show 20+ years ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuke'em ttg Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 great show Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 Classy lady. Who else wore a pearl necklace and a chiffon dress for dinner every night? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 Who else wore a pearl necklace and a chiffon dress for dinner every night? H8tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebellab Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Classy lady. Who else wore a pearl necklace and a chiffon dress for dinner every night? I was telling the wife today that she could possibly be the reason for so many divorces. She would meet Ward at the door with a drink and looking all hot with supper on the table. Guys had this vision of that their wives should all be like that and the let down leads them to divorce. Just a thought, she was smoking hot. RIP Mrs Clever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 H8tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEC=UGA Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 She was hot... If only I could get my wife to do some of the things Mrs. Clever did... Cook, clean, bring me drinks, wash clothes, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE SIX KINGS Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 "Ward, you were pretty hard on the Beaver last night" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Mr. Cunningham died today to join her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerz Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 Classy lady. Who else wore a pearl necklace and a chiffon dress for dinner every night? Not to mention vacuuming the house in high heels! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerz Posted October 20, 2010 Share Posted October 20, 2010 Mr. Cunningham died today to join her. Another great character actor. R.I.P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeeR Posted October 21, 2010 Share Posted October 21, 2010 Two great great TV parents. RIP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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