Kids are well known to get into hijinks and tomfoolery. It’s part of the beauty and innocence of growing up. Just because you’re a famous child star does not mean you are exempt from said silliness.
According to Jerry Mathers’ memoir, And Jerry Mathers as the Beaver, many child actors on the set of Leave it to Beaver spent their off time on set hanging out with each other.
As a child actor, Mathers and the other kids were required to learn in class as well to ensure they were receiving a proper education, but they were allowed leisurely time as well and were sure to take advantage of it.
In his book, Mathers explained, “When we weren’t shooting scenes or going to class, I was basically having lots of fun every day. Remember there were seventy or eighty people who had a vested interest in keeping me happy.”
The studio was so sure to keep the children on the set of Leave it to Beaver happy that Mathers revealed they set up a basketball court for them to play on, which the kids also used to play other sports like football and baseball.
Mathers recounted that one day, the children’s play and work collided when his onscreen brother, Tony Dow, accidentally launched a baseball into the car of none other than the King of Cool himself, Steve McQueen.
Mathers wrote, “One day we were playing baseball and Tony Dow swung at a pitch. He got good wood on the ball and slugged it, breaking the window of Steve McQueen’s car as he was driving by.”
McQueen, megastar and leading Western man in Wanted Dead or Alive was driving past the set when he had to slow to a halt for a brief moment while a stage nearby was filming a scene, to not cause unnecessary noise.
This attempt, of course, was rendered useless by the sweet sounds of a baseball shattering a window. Mathers recounted that he and his fellow castmates were terrified they might get into trouble.
Luckily, as Mathers explained, “Steve was very nice about it.” The King of Cool, indeed.