Hugh Beaumont facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hugh Beaumont
Beaumont in 1956
Born	Eugene Hugh Beaumont 1909 or 1910 Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.
Died	May 14, 1982 (aged 72) Munich, West Germany
Education	University of Chattanooga (BA) University of Southern California (MDiv)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1940–1972
Spouse(s)	Kathryn Adams ​ ​ (m. 1941; div. 1974)​
Children	3

Eugene Hugh Beaumont (born in 1909 or 1910, died May 14, 1982) was an American actor. He is most famous for playing Ward Cleaver on the TV show Leave It to Beaver. This popular show was on air from 1957 to 1963. He also played a private detective named Michael Shayne in several crime movies in 1946 and 1947.

Hugh Beaumont's Early Life and Education

Hugh Beaumont was born in Lawrence, Kansas. His parents were Ethel Adaline Whitney and Edward H. Beaumont. His father was a traveling salesman, so the family moved around a lot.

Hugh went to the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He graduated in 1930. After that, he attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he played American football. He later studied at the University of Southern California. He earned a master's degree in theology in 1946.

Hugh Beaumont's Acting Career

Beaumont started his career in 1931. He performed in theaters, nightclubs, and on the radio. He began acting in movies in 1940. He appeared in over three dozen films. Many of these were small parts where he wasn't even named.

He often worked with actor William Bendix. They had important roles in the 1946 film The Blue Dahlia. In 1946 and 1947, Beaumont starred in five films as private detective Michael Shayne. He took over this role from another actor, Lloyd Nolan. In 1950, he also narrated a short film called A Date with Your Family.

TV Roles in the 1950s

In the early 1950s, Beaumont started getting TV jobs. He often appeared as a guest star on shows like Adventures of Superman and The Lone Ranger. From 1951 to 1953, he was the narrator for the show Racket Squad. This show was about a detective solving cases in San Francisco.

In 1954 and 1955, Beaumont appeared in another show called The Public Defender. He played Ed McGrath in three episodes. He also guest-starred in an episode of Lassie called "The Well." He even played the famous Western bandit Jesse James on the show Tales of Wells Fargo.

Becoming Ward Cleaver

In September 1957, Hugh Beaumont was chosen for his most famous role. He became Ward Cleaver, the wise father in the TV show Leave It to Beaver. The show first aired on CBS. It then moved to ABC for its second season, where it became more popular.

Starting with the third season, Beaumont also began directing some episodes. He even directed the very last episode of the series, "Family Scrapbook". This episode is often seen as one of the first "series finales." In 2014, TV Guide magazine ranked Ward Cleaver as number 28 on its list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time."

In 1959, before the third season of Leave It to Beaver started, a car accident happened. Beaumont's wife, son, and mother-in-law were driving. His mother-in-law died, and his son was badly hurt. This tragedy affected Beaumont's work on the show.

Life After Leave It to Beaver

After Leave It to Beaver finished in 1963, Beaumont acted in many local theater plays. He also had a few guest roles on TV shows. These included Marcus Welby, M.D., Mannix, and Wagon Train. In 1966, he appeared on Lassie again, 11 years after his first time.

He also had success as a writer. He sold several TV and radio scripts. He also wrote short stories for magazines. Slowly, he left the entertainment business. He started a new career as a Christmas-tree farmer in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. He officially retired in 1972 after having a stroke. He never fully recovered from it.

Hugh Beaumont's Personal Life

On April 13, 1941, Hugh Beaumont married actress Kathryn Adams. They had two sons, Hunter and Mark, and a daughter, Kristy. They were married for 33 years before they divorced in 1974.

Beaumont was also a lay minister in the Methodist Church. During World War II, he served as a medic because of his personal beliefs.

Death

Hugh Beaumont died on May 14, 1982. He had a heart attack while visiting his son Hunter in Munich, West Germany. He was 72 years old. His body was cremated. His ashes were spread on Balgillo Island (also known as "Beaumont Island") on Lake Wabana, Minnesota. The 1983 TV movie Still the Beaver was dedicated to him.

Filmography

Television credits

See also

In Spanish: Hugh Beaumont para niños