The Frisbee

This summer kids and adults of all ages will take to the outdoors to take part in a fad that has stretched over decades, throwing a flying disk known worldwide as the Frisbee. It’s a simple activity which you can throw back and forth with friends, play golf with, perform tricks or even play catch with your dog. Over the years over 300 million people have purchased one of these flying disks which has gone through a series of transformations to make it spin and hover better and even glow in the dark, but believe it or not, it came about as a simple game of toss with a popcorn can lid. It was Thanksgiving of 1937 when Walter Morrison and his then fiancé’ Lucile finished their dinner and decided to go outside to relax. Picking up the lid of a popcorn can they jokingly started throwing it back and forth to each other discovering that this was actually pretty fun. So from time to time they continued this activity until one day while throwing to eachother a similarly shaped cake pan at the beach (which flew better than the popcorn lid) someone offered to buy it for 25 cents so they too could throw it back and forth. And then the light bulb hit!!! It cost 5 cents for a cake pan and people are willing to pay so much more to enjoy this novelty game of catch. So there the business started and continued until Walter went into the Army Air Force in WWII. But when the war ended they were back in business with some aerodynamic improvements from Walter which were no doubt due to his flying experience. They even had a new name for it, The Whirlo-Way. But this wasn’t the end to the story. Looking to improve the flying ability of the Whirlo-Way it went through a series of design changes. And with the newly found interests in UFOs once again a new name was given to this simple disk, The Flyin’ Saucer. Well the popularity grew and grew rapidly attracting investors, partners and companies until one day a company called Wham-O came into the picture and has been the name behind the flying disk ever since. They even gave it another new name…The Frisbee. So where did the name come from? Well it seems that tossing a flying disk even made it to Yale where students would toss to each other pie tins from a company called The Frisbee Pie Company. And there you have it. The Frisbee is born. Bet you’re thinking about getting another one right now for the summer.

It doesn't take much to recall special moments in our lives. Sometimes just seeing something from our youth like even a Frisbee can bring back a lot of fond memories. So if you love our history, nostalgia and antiques as much as we do, why not visit one of our great antique stores and take a trip down memory lane.

Back in June of 1948, Sioux City, Iowa, had become the home of its own star by the name of Jerry Mathers who would later be known to us all as Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver from the hit show Leave It To Beaver. The story line is an endearing situation comedy about a young boy Theodore, played by Jerry Mathers growing up in suburban America with his brother Wally, played by Tony Dow, his parents Ward and June Cleaver, played by Hugh Beaumont and Barbara Billingsley, along with a string of school friends who together bring a series of adventures which could be related to by families all across America. The popularity and love for the show was not only in the United States but spread to over 80 countries in over 40 languages. In the Leave it to Beaver show one of the Beaver's funny yet thought provoking lines which was typical of the show was: “You know, working isn’t as much fun as I thought it would be. I wonder why older people do it so much?” ~ Beaver Cleaver Funny when you think about it and even more entertaining when you figure Jerry actually started working in entertainment at only 2 years of age as a model for a child department store ad. He then went on to play in the movies; This Is My Love and Men of the Fighting Lady when he was just 6 years old followed by The Seven Little Foys and The Trouble With Harry one year later. And then in 1957 Jerry won the role which would make him famous, Leave It To Beaver. In a way he won the audition in a manner that would have fit perfectly into the show's script when he told the show's producers he would rather be at his Cub Scout meeting than to do an audition for the part. There's so much that we could tell you about Jerry like he was also in the United States Air Force. But when thinking about the best way to share a bit more about Jerry to you all I thought it would be so much better to reach out to Jerry and share some of his own stories and commentaries with you. I have to tell you Jerry couldn't have been nicer. Just a great guy on screen and in person. So here's a couple of commentaries from Jerry about the 60th Anniversary of Leave It To Beaver as well as a very special Father's Day Tribute to his on screen father, Hugh Beaumont.

"It’s hard to believe that our television show Leave it to Beaver has now been continuously airing since its premier on October 4th, 1957. For me, it has always been a great adventure. At the young age of 8 years old, I was starting on a life’s journey that has not only enriched me, but has brought me countless fans and friends all over the world. Who would have thought that such a simple tv show titled Leave it to Beaver about a boy and his brother growing up in a small town in mid- America in the 50’s and 60’s would ultimately become the longest continuously running show in television history. As I look back over these last 60 years, the greatest gift that this wonderful program has always given me is all of the friends, fans and acquaintances that I have made who were a direct outcome of such a simple show. The Leave it to Beaver story lines were taken from real life and the situations that occurred then are still relevant and happening to children and families today. Lifestyles and fashions may have changed but the perspective of a child’s view of the adult world while growing up, is still relevant, relate-able and fun to watch." I wish to thank all of my many fans over these 60 years for enjoying the show along with me and hope that the family values of Leave it to Beaver will continue to be relevant and timeless." ~

Jerry Mathers

A Father's Day Tribute ~

" I actually worked with Hugh Beaumont even before we started shooting Leave it to Beaver. I was cast with him in a promotional film for Rose Hills Memorial Park. One thing I remember is that during a scene, I was supposed to cry on cue. Hugh asked me if I had ever done that before and I told him, no. He said, “Put your face into your hands and laugh really hard. It’s an old actor’s trick because the sound of laughter and crying are very closely related. Sure enough, I tried it and it worked!

When we shot the pilot of Leave it to Beaver, Hugh was not the original father. But, when they re-cast the role for the series, Hugh was one of several people brought in for an audition. My mother actually suggested for him to go in for the interview! When I saw him, I was so happy because he was the nice man that I worked with on the Rose Hills shoot. So, when we read a short scene together, we had a good chemistry and Hugh got the part of Ward Cleaver. I was very glad that he was picked for the role and we had a wonderful friendship for his entire life until he passed away in 1982 from a heart attack. Hugh and my dad had become friends and he occasionally came to our house to play cards with my father and some of his friends. What most people don’t know is that Hugh was an ordained minister before Leave it to Beaver. He graduated with a Master of Theology degree in 1946 from the University of Southern California (USC). Hugh had a long and illustrious career and did many films and television series in addition to Leave it to Beaver. One of his most famous characters was Michael Shayne who he played in 5 films. He was a hard drinking, heavy cigarette smoking detective in this part, in the style of Mickey Spillane. I think he was much more comfortable as Ward Cleaver because it fit his ‘real life personality so much better!" ~ Jerry Mathers

Thank you Jerry for sharing and here's wishing you a Very Happy Birthday!!