User Reviews

Gilbert's father was supposed to take the boys camping. But he backed out. Alan and Whitey show up to see Beaver, they have a plan, ask Wally to take then in front of Ward and June. He won't be able to get out of taking them if he's asked in front of Ward and June. June, of course it's June, thinks it would be nice of Wally to take the boys camping. Back to the wall, Wally caves. Then Eddie and Lumpy show up with the promise of a hot date on Sunday. No can do, I have promised to take my brother camping.

Eddie tries scaring the guys with a story about the park being ravaged by a bear, but that doesn't work. Next, Eddie figures that he and Lumpy can get to the campsite first and scare the kids so bad that they will run home to mommy Saturday night, thus leaving Wally available Sunday. Wally and the boys arrive at the site. They get set up and have their supper around the campfire. In the bushes, not too far away, Eddie and Lumpy are there with a portable record player and an animal sounds record.

Everyone is in their sleeping bags when Eddie plays a lion sound. Lumpy worries what happens if the kids run into the woods. Eddie increases the volume but as the boys get nervous he halts it. He wants to scare them in increments. Then Eddie and Lumpy hear some real animals and run off. Later Lumpy stumbles into camp. In the dark, Eddie actually fell off a cliff onto a ledge and needs help.

Wally lowers a rope but it's too short. Wally tells Lumpy to go get the ranger but Lumpy won't go alone, he takes Whitey with him. Gilbert remains behind so Eddie won't be alone. The ranger arrives and pulls Eddie up. Eddie tries to laugh it off as a gag, but the ranger isn't buying it. Wally wants to go home the next morning, but the boys want to go see a cave the next day. Wally figures since the creepy little guys behaved better than the creepy big guys, the cave it is.

Ward thinks Eddie will be a laughing stock at school. No, Eddie has his version that makes him a hero. Will Wally rat him out? Nah, Wally says everyone is on to Eddie and his stories except Eddie. Beaver even says he was feeling sorry for Eddie, until the ranger pulled him up and Eddie began to tell him how to run the forest.

Lots of fun episode. Dangerous to go camping without a vehicle and licensed driver in case of an emergency. The ranger is on call in the middle of the night? Eddie takes a hundred foot fall and is virtually unscathed?

Every sitcom of the '50's and '60's had a camping episode, it seems. "A Night in the Woods" is funnier than most and ranks as one of the most memorable episodes of LITB's fifth season. The carefully orchestrated sound-effects prank that Eddie and Lumpy play on Wally and the young kids while they are bedded down for the night in the woods is off-the-wall hilarious. Who ever knew a record called "Jimmy and Jenny Go to the Zoo" would come in so handy? It's rare to see our friends outside of their natural Mayfield habitat, so the episode is worth seeing for that reason (even though the woods and the ravine Eddie gets stuck in are obviously a set).

It's mighty funny - if a touch cruel - when the boys all go off to get help for Eddie, while Gilbert keeps Eddie company by yelling abuse at him ("You're a dumb stupid creep and a big wise guy!") On a certain level, the abuse is well-deserved, but was it necessary? Would Beaver have acted that way towards Eddie? (Most likely not, which just goes to show you the difference in character between Beaver and Gilbert.) In any case, as soon as the forest ranger shows up, Eddie bounces back to his usual cocky self. Meanwhile, Wally's stature as a mature adult grows with his handling of the boys and Eddie's rescue.

This episode of Leave It to Beaver demonstrates the strong writing and laugh-out-loud antics still often being put forth well into its 5th of 6 seasons. Eddie and Lumpy's sound-effects prank with a portable record player is the high point, especially when Lumpy drops the needle in the wrong place. And while Beaver may no longer be the adorable little kid he once was in earlier seasons, (due to actor Jerry Mathers reaching his "awkward years"), the shows creators still keep things thoroughly entertaining.

NOTE: reviewer 'Strictly Confidential' never rates any shows higher than a 7 and never rates LITB higher than a 6. (i.e., a dud episode and a great episode will often both get a 5 rating). So be aware that those reviews are from someone who seems not to be a fan of the show or really any shows for that matter.