Jeannie Russell (born Jeanne K. Russell; October 22, 1950) is an American actress best known for playing Dennis's playmate, Margaret Wade, in the television series Dennis the Menace, which was based on the Hank Ketcham comic strip of the same name and aired from 1959 to 1963 on CBS.
Russell was chosen at the suggestion of Jay North, who starred in the role of Dennis, to play his nemesis playmate. She appeared in 31 of the series' 146 episodes over the four-year run of the show.
Career
Russell also appeared in other popular TV shows of the era, including The Deputy (1959), Assignment: Underwater (1961), Death Valley Days (1961), and The Dinah Shore Show. Russell provided a singing voice in the 1961 Disney movie Babes in Toyland and made an uncredited appearance in the 1963 popular suspense horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, The Birds, in which she played a school child. In 1993, she made a cameo appearance in the film version of Dennis the Menace playing one of the Mitchells' neighbors.
She has done live theater and sound track work, as well as performing as a singer. In the 1990s, Russell was active on the national talk-show and news-feature circuit.
Personal life
Since 1978, Russell has been practicing chiropractic medicine in the North Hollywood/Toluca Lake (California) area. She also counsels and coaches patients, assisting them with "intuitive eating" skills to embrace a healthy lifestyle. Russell had developed a powerful posture building series of movement and strengthening exercises, which draw from her career in show business.
She is also trained in ballet and jazz dance. North and she occasionally appear together at celebrity events.
Russell co-chaired the Screen Actors Guild Young Performers' Committee for several years.
Russell is the sister of Bryan Russell, who was also a child actor from 1959 to 1967. She currently resides in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, California.
Jay North (born August 3, 1951) is an American actor. His career as a child actor began in the late 1950s with roles in eight TV series, two variety shows and three feature films. At age 7 he became a household name for his role as the well-meaning but mischievous Dennis Mitchell on the CBS situation comedy Dennis the Menace (1959-1963), based on the comic strip created by Hank Ketcham.
As a teen North had roles in two Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature films: Zebra in the Kitchen and Maya. He also starred in the NBC television series adaptation of the latter film, also titled Maya. As an adult he turned to voice acting for animated television series, voicing the roles of Prince Turhan in the Arabian Knights segment of The Banana Splits Adventure Hour and a teenaged Bamm-Bamm Rubble on The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show.
After leaving show business he disclosed the truth about the difficulties he dealt with as a child actor. He began working with fellow former child star Paul Petersen and the organization A Minor Consideration, using his own experiences as a child performer to counsel other children working within the entertainment industry.
Early life
North was born in Hollywood, the only child of Jay and Dorothy (née Cotton) North. North's father was an alcoholic, and his parents' marriage was stormy. When he was 4, his parents separated, and North never saw his father again. For a short time Jay resided happily in Birmingham, Alabama. Later, as a single mother, Mrs. North went to work as the secretary to the West Coast director of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) to support Jay and herself.
From a young age, North was a fan of television, and when he was 6, his mother used her connections at AFTRA to arrange for him to appear on his favorite television program, local Los Angeles children's show Cartoon Express, hosted by "Engineer Bill".This appearance caught the attention of prominent Hollywood talent agent Hazel MacMillan, who, impressed with North's photogenic looks, contacted his mother the following day offering to represent him. Mrs. North, who was aware of the stories of troubled former child stars, had reservations, but eventually gave her approval.
Career
Early years
North's first professional acting job was a live appearance on the gameshow Queen for a Day, hosted by Jack Bailey. He continued to work as a child model and actor in commercials, and landed small parts on a number of popular NBC variety shows of the 1950s, such as The George Gobel Show, The Eddie Fisher Show, and The Milton Berle Show, before auditioning for the role that made him a star.
In June 1958, Columbia Pictures' television division Screen Gems was holding a nationwide search for a boy to play the title character in their television adaptation of the popular Dennis the Menace comic strip created by Hank Ketcham, and 6-year-old North was brought in to audition. After receiving news that his first audition had not gone well, agent Hazel MacMillan pressed the studio to see him again. The studio agreed and was impressed with his second audition. After the studio saw hundreds of boys for the role, North was asked back to screen test with Herbert Anderson, Gloria Henry, and Joseph Kearns. A pilot was filmed later that summer.
The summer passed, and North heard nothing more from Screen Gems, but continued to work, appearing in a Christmas-themed episode of the CBS Western series Wanted: Dead or Alive entitled "Eight Cent Reward". In the episode, he portrayed Laddie Stone, a young boy who pays bounty hunter Josh Randall (Steve McQueen) eight cents to find Santa Claus. Over the next several months, North made television appearances on such shows as 77 Sunset Strip, Rescue 8, Cheyenne, Bronco, Colt .45, and Sugarfoot, and broke into feature films with roles in The Miracle of the Hills and The Big Operator until, in the spring of 1959, almost a year after he had first auditioned, MacMillan contacted North's mother to tell her that her son had been chosen to play the role of Dennis "The Menace" Mitchell.
Dennis the Menace
Dennis the Menace premiered on CBS on Sunday, October 4, 1959, and quickly became a hit with audiences. North was paid $500 per episode, his strawberry red hair was bleached platinum blonde for the role, and the 8-year-old was instructed to "shave" a year off his age when speaking with the press. North's mother continued to work at AFTRA full-time to support the two of them, and hired business managers to invest North's earnings for him. In a 1993 interview with Filmfax magazine, North spoke highly of his mother, saying: "I want to make it very clear about one thing. I never supported my mother during (Dennis the Menace). She earned her own money from AFTRA. She never lived off my earnings. I know that sometimes happens with child actors, but it was not true in my situation."
While Mrs. North worked, her sister Marie Hopper and brother-in-law actor-composer Hal Hopper served as North's on-set guardians during filming for Dennis The Menace. In addition to filming the series, North appeared as Dennis in commercials for the show's sponsors, Kellogg's cereals, Best Foods mayonnaise, Skippy peanut butter, and Bosco chocolate milk, and regularly traveled around the country with his aunt and uncle on the weekends to promote the show. These obligations, combined with the required three hours a day of school, took their toll on North, and by the end of the first season, the 8-year-old had begun to feel the pressures of being the lead star of a popular show.
In the fall of 1960, the second season of the series was ranked among TV's top 20 shows, and North's portrayal of Dennis had become a beloved pop culture icon. North made crossover guest appearances as Dennis on such television shows as The Donna Reed Show and The Red Skelton Hour, and in the feature film Pépé. That same year, North recorded "The Misadventures of Dennis the Menace" soundtrack stories on LP, as well as an LP album of songs titled Jay North - Look who's singing! With the success of the series, North's guardians, Marie and Hal Hopper, had become strict taskmasters and stern disciplinarians. He was not allowed to socialize with other cast members on the set and missed being around children his own age. His only opportunity to relax was the occasional "free day" when he could play baseball with other children or when his uncle would take him to see horror films. His favorite films at that time were The Pit and the Pendulum and Village of the Damned.
By the fall of 1961, the series was in its third season, and North was earning $2,500 an episode. The show remained in the top 20, but North had grown tired and frustrated with the pressures of carrying a hit show and the long work hours. Complicating matters was his relationship with his Aunt Marie. Many years later, North revealed that his aunt physically and verbally abused him when he made mistakes on the set or did not perform to her standards. North's mother, Dorothy, and the rest of the Dennis The Menace cast were unaware of the abuse, and North concealed his unhappiness for fear of retribution from his aunt. In July 2007, North's childhood co-star, Jeannie Russell, who portrayed Margaret Wade on the series, told radio host Stu Shostak in a radio interview: "'The show comes first.' This was the ethic that we were raised in. Had I seen any abuse or any horrible upset on Jay's part, I would have noticed. It would have impacted me. It would have upset me terribly."
By the fourth season, North was earning $3,500 an episode; but by 1962, the 11-year-old had begun to outgrow the childish antics for which the character was known. This, combined with the unexpected loss of Joseph Kearns near the end of season three, had changed the dynamic of the show. During his interview with Filmfax, North recalled: "Between the pressures of the business and Joe's dying, I became very serious, very morbid, and very withdrawn from the world. I was the antithesis of the little kid that I played on the television show." By the end of the fourth season, ratings were down, and in the spring of 1963, much to the relief of its young lead star, Dennis The Menace was cancelled.
Teen years
In the fall of 1963, North's mother enrolled him in prep school, but due to his part-time education while filming Dennis The Menace, combined with not having been allowed to socialize with other children, he struggled to keep up with his studies at his new school and was nervous interacting with the other students. North continued to audition, and in 1964, he appeared in an episode of Wagon Train, but found himself typecast as the impish Dennis Mitchell and had trouble finding steady work. In 1999, North told the E! network, "I had to fight the ghost of Dennis the Menace, and I was typecast. I still had the face, and that's what casting directors, producers and directors saw when I would go in to read for a role."
In 1965, he landed the lead role in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer family comedy film Zebra in the Kitchen as Chris Carlyle, a boy who, unhappy with the living conditions he finds at his local zoo, decides to set the animals free, causing chaos throughout the town. Over the next year, he continued to appear in small television roles, guest-starring on the MGM TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and reuniting with his former Dennis the Menace co-star Gale Gordon on The Lucy ShowIn 1966, North landed the starring role in another MGM family adventure film, Maya. In the movie, which was filmed on location in India, North played Terry Bowen, a boy who navigates the Indian jungle with a Hindu boy and an elephant and her baby calf, the latter a sacred white elephant. He continued to appear in small guest-starring roles on television shows such as My Three Sons and Jericho, and in 1967, NBC decided to make a television series adaptation of Maya. North agreed to reprise his role and was soon back filming on location in India.
The feature film Maya and subsequent television series made North a popular teen idol of the era, featured in numerous teen magazines such as Tiger Beat, 16 Magazine, Teen Datebook, and Flip, While Maya proved popular with teen audiences, the NBC series struggled in its time slot against popular shows of the time, CBS's The Jackie Gleason Show and ABC's The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game, and was cancelled after one season. Years later, North spoke fondly of his experience on the series, saying, "I can say that I'm really proud of my work on Maya, from a professional standpoint. I got to play an adult role and it was a challenge." North had missed a full year of school while filming Maya in India, and after returning home to Hollywood, began a normal life in high school, graduating from Rexford Senior High School in Beverly Hills in 1969. North narrated the surf film, The Fantastic Plastic Machine, in 1969
Adult years
After completing filming on the Maya television series, North found work as a voice actor for animated television series, providing the voices of Prince Turhan in the Arabian Knights segment of The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, Terry Dexter in Here Comes the Grump, and a teenaged Bamm-Bamm Rubble on The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show. In 1971, he decided to leave Hollywood and moved to Chicago to perform in dinner theatre, appearing in several stage productions, including principal roles in Norman, Is That You? and Butterflies Are Free. In January 1972, while appearing in Butterflies Are Free, 20-year-old North met actress Kathleen Brucher, who had a four-year-old son from a previous marriage. After touring with the production for over a year, the two returned to Los Angeles and were married on July 20, 1973, but the marriage lasted less than a year. The young couple separated in April 1974, and on October 21, 1974, their divorce was finalized. In 1974, North appeared in his last starring role in the R-rated coming-of-age suspense thriller The Teacher, opposite Angel Tompkins.
The plot of The Teacher isn't worth outlining, yet it develops a relationship between a 28-year-old woman and an 18-year-old high school boy with sensitivity and credibility unusual for an exploitation film. Avedis displays much concern for his people and allows Miss Tompkins and North plenty of room to give fresh, spontaneous performances."
Over the next several years, North held onto the hope of being rediscovered by Hollywood and continued to take acting classes, but by early 1977, disillusioned with his career in show business, he left acting and enlisted in the US Navy. In January 1977, he reported to Navy boot camp at NTC Orlando. He was later assigned to the USS Iwo Jima, stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, as a seaman recruit bosun's mate, the Navy's lowest rank. North received good evaluations for his work, but was unprepared for the harsh treatment he received from his shipmates and superiors for being a former child star. Within a year, he wanted out of the Navy. He then began his administrative process and was temporarily assigned on board the destroyer tender USS Dixie stationed in Long Beach, California. On August 10, 1979, he left the Dixie and the Navy with an honorable discharge and returned to Los Angeles.
In 1980, North appeared in a cameo role in the television movie Scout's Honor, which featured appearances of other former child stars Angela Cartwright from The Danny Thomas Show, Lauren Chapin from Father Knows Best, and Paul Petersen from The Donna Reed Show. In 1982, he landed a week-long stint on the daytime soap General Hospital, but steady work in show business continued to elude him. Financially secure from real estate investments his mother had made with his earnings from Dennis The Menace and frustrated by the direction his career had taken, North retreated from public life for the next several years and found work in the health food industry. In 1984, he optioned the book Burn Judy, Burn for $5,000, hoping to play the lead role of executed killer Steven Judy. In his 1999 interview with E!, North spoke of his desire to play darker roles: "I was ready to play very dramatic, scary type characters. I thought maybe if I played some villains and scared the pants off of people, maybe Hollywood might take me seriously." However, the Steven Judy story never made it to the screen.
In January 1986, North landed a small role in the Yugoslavian feature film Dikiy veter (Wild Wind). Later that year, he read for the role of serial killer Ted Bundy in the television miniseries The Deliberate Stranger, but lost the part to Mark Harmon. Still interested in stories about serial killers, North decided to try his hand at screenwriting. His first script was about a 1984 prison break by six death-row inmates from Virginia's Mecklenburg Correctional Center, but the screenplay was never completed. Throughout the rest of the 1980s, North appeared with other former television stars on news and talk shows such as Good Morning America, Donahue, and Oprah. In October 1988, he acted out his frustrations towards Hollywood in a comedy sketch on an episode of HBO's Not Necessarily the News, spoofing his role as Dennis the Menace. Dressed in the trademark overalls, striped t-shirt and cowlick, 37-year-old North portrayed an angry adult Dennis, taking revenge on "Hollywood pigs" with a telescopic rifle.
Personal life
On March 2, 1991, North married his second wife, Rositia. The couple had met on a blind date and separated only 3 months after their wedding. On April 14, 1992, North met caterer Cindy Hackney at a party after a charity event for pediatric AIDS in Gainesville, Florida. On March 3, 1993, the two were married, and three months later, still financially well-off as a result of his mother's investments of his earnings as a child star, North left Los Angeles and moved to Hackney's hometown of Lake Butler, Florida, becoming stepfather to her three daughters. That same year, with the release of the 1993 feature film Dennis the Menace, North was sought out by the media looking to find out what had become of the "original" Dennis. This renewed interest prompted him to publicly disclose the abuse he had experienced as a child star.
In May 1997, having come to terms with the physical and emotional abuse he had suffered at the hands of his aunt and uncle, North began attending memorabilia shows to meet with fans. After moving to Florida, he began working as a correctional officer, reportedly working with troubled youth within Florida's juvenile justice system and as of 2011, continued to work for the Florida Department of Corrections.
Since the early 1990s, North has made occasional appearances on talk shows and in documentaries, as well as cameo appearances as "himself" on the animated television series The Simpsons and in the comedy feature film Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star. In 1999, he concluded his E! interview by saying, "I am so happy that I was able to have such a positive impact on people's lives. I'm going to write my autobiography and then I'm just going to live a contented, happy life here in Lake Butler with the people I love, and kind of just vanish into the mists of time."
Filmography
Television
North as Dennis Mitchell, 1959
Film
Dennis the Menace is an American sitcom based on the Hank Ketcham comic strip of the same name. It preceded The Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday evenings on CBS from October 1959 to July 1963. The series starred Jay North as Dennis Mitchell; Herbert Anderson as his father, Henry; Gloria Henry as his mother, Alice; Joseph Kearns as George Wilson; Gale Gordon as George's brother, John Wilson; Sylvia Field as George's wife, Martha Wilson; and Sara Seegar as John's wife, Eloise Wilson.
Originally sponsored by Kellogg's cereals and Best Foods (Skippy peanut butter), the series was produced by Dariell Productions and Screen Gems.
Plot summary
The show follows the lives of the Mitchell family – Henry, Alice, and their only child, Dennis, an energetic, trouble-prone, mischievous, but well-meaning boy, who often tangles first with his peace-and-quiet-loving neighbor, George Wilson, a retired salesman, and later with George's brother John, a writer.
While the series was based on the Dennis the Menace comic strip, differences exist between the two. On the sitcom and in the comics, Dennis is basically a good, well-intentioned boy who always tries to help people, but winds up making situations worse – often at Mr. Wilson's expense. In early episodes of the first season, more outlandish disasters occurred as a result of his actions. The character of Dennis was toned down by the sixth or seventh episode. Instead of Dennis's dog Ruff, a smaller Cairn Terrier (per the episode "Miss Cathcart's Friend") named Fremont belonged to George and Martha Wilson. He did not appear during the fourth season, when John and Eloise Wilson moved into 625 Elm Street.
First season
The cast of Dennis the Menace, (clockwise from front center) Jay North, Herbert Anderson, Gloria Henry, Sylvia Field, and Joseph Kearns, 1960
With CBS seeking to replace the hit show it had lost when it allowed Leave It to Beaver to migrate to ABC, a pilot episode titled "Dennis Goes to the Movies" was filmed in late 1958. In the pilot, Dennis was younger and his speech, voice tone, and character had not been as developed as in episodes later in the 1959–1960 season. In the episode, Dennis causes much destruction such as burying a hose (installing an automatic sprinkler system), trying to repair a leg on the kitchen table and causing it to collapse, and almost knocking Mr. Wilson off the ladder and causing him to ruin his shoes as he steps in a can of paint, among other things. Dennis's parents then announce that they are going to the movies to see a Western (that Dennis wanted to see "all my life") and that Dennis would stay home with a sitter.
Because none of the babysitters in the neighborhood would help out because of Dennis's mischief, the Mitchells find an older lady, Mrs. Porter (Madge Blake), who has never met Dennis. Dennis then switches places with Joey and sneaks out to the same movie his parents are seeing. Joey stays home and Mrs. Porter thinks he is Dennis. Meanwhile, Dennis causes havoc at the theater, even demanding that the projectionist repeat a scene. His parents suspect that Dennis is there causing these problems and call Mrs. Porter at the house; she assures them that Dennis has been good. Dennis beats his parents home and is in bed by the time they return, but he makes noises trying to borrow Mr. Wilson's ladder to climb back into his upstairs bedroom window. This causes Mr. Wilson to go outside to see what is wrong. Mr. Wilson is arrested for armed robbery when he is found with Dennis's toy gun. The final scene where Joey jumps into bed with Dennis was filmed in the summer of 1959, after half a dozen episodes had been filmed (Dennis was several months older, has a different hairstyle, and is wearing different clothes) to make the episode fit the half-hour time segment.
In early 1959, several other episodes were filmed, including "The Fishing Trip", "Dennis Gets a Duck", "Dennis Runs Away", "The Cowboy", "Open House" (Margaret's debut; this episode was made before, but aired after, "The Sign Post"), and "Dennis Becomes a Babysitter" (in which Margaret also appears). At that point, CBS consented to air the program at 7:30 pm EST on Sunday evenings after Lassie. After viewing these episodes, CBS determined that Dennis's antics had to be toned down lest his actions would encourage children watching the show to imitate Dennis.
Several weeks before the series debuted, the episode "The Sign Post" was produced in which Tommy made his debut. Margaret, who appeared in two episodes made before but aired after, appeared along with Joey. After the pilot aired as the first episode, "The Sign Post" aired and after that "Fishing Trip", the second episode, aired. After that, newly made episodes aired mixed in with the initial batch made earlier in 1959, which explains why "Dennis Runs Away", which was the fourth or fifth episode was run later in the first run, and shows an obviously younger Dennis as in the earlier episodes. Also, the episode "Dennis and the Rare Coin" was made before "Dennis Runs Away", but aired after. On both episodes, Dennis is at the police station. On "Dennis and the Rare Coin", where Dennis is given milk, he states, "last time I came here I got ice cream", referring to the episode "Dennis Runs Away", where he got an ice-cream cone at the police station, which was made before, but aired after. Joey was gradually phased out in season one. Dennis's friend Stewart appeared in a few episodes in the first season, played by Ron Howard, who soon after became Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show.
Later seasons
Jay North as Dennis and Jeannie Russell as Margaret Wade, 1963: In this final fourth season, Dennis no longer wears his trademark overalls.
Dennis and Mr. Wilson had a love-hate relationship, with Dennis always aggravating Mr. Wilson, but usually without realizing it. He would call Mr. Wilson his "best friend", and often referred to him as "Good Ol' Mr. Wilson", while on many occasions, Mr. Wilson would tell Dennis, "You have far better friends than me." Mrs. Wilson, however, loved Dennis in a grandmotherly way and tried to make the situation better between the two. Other neighbors and townspeople aired on a recurring basis included Mrs. Lucy Elkins (a widowed neighbor and the town gossip), Mrs. Dorothy Holland (another widow who aired on a recurring basis in season one only), Miss Esther Cathcart (a lonely spinster), Mr. Otis Quigley (the grocer), Opie Swanson (the TV/appliance store owner), Mr. Lawrence Finch (the druggist), Sgt. Harold Mooney (the policeman), Mr. Krinkie (the newspaper editor), and Buzz (the local handyman), among others. Dennis also had a nemesis named Johnny Brady, whose father and Henry Mitchell also were sometimes at odds.
Second- and third-season episodes began to focus on Dennis at school learning to read, going to camp, playing baseball, being in scouting, and trying to help Mr. Wilson. Dennis was gradually maturing, and at times, Mr. Wilson is revealed to like Dennis deep down. In the fourth season, Dennis is no longer seen in his trademark overalls, and is instead wearing regular pants. Also, the famous striped shirt goes from a crew-neck to a "polo"-type shirt with a collar and buttons.
Death of Joseph Kearns
Jay North as Dennis and Gale Gordon as John Wilson, 1962
On February 17, 1962, after filming the show's 100th episode, Joseph Kearns died of a cerebral hemorrhage. In a 2010 interview, actress Gloria Henry revealed Kearns followed a strict six-week Metrecal diet that may have contributed to his death. The following two episodes were filmed without the character of Mr. Wilson. Gale Gordon joined the cast for the last six episodes of the season as Mr. Wilson's brother John. Gordon bore a closer resemblance to the comic strip's Mr. Wilson than Kearns did. It was explained that John was staying as a guest while George was settling an estate back east. Sylvia Field, who played Martha Wilson, was let go at the end of the season. In the fourth and final season, John Wilson purchased the house from his brother, although where George and Martha had moved was never explained. He was joined by his wife Eloise, played by Sara Seegar. Final references to George and Martha Wilson were made early in the fourth season, although they were not mentioned by name after the first episode. George Wilson was referred to as "the other Mr. Wilson" in the second episode, and John Wilson says in the seventh episode that he bought the house from his brother. After that, the original Wilsons were never mentioned again.
Cast
Main characters
Other recurring characters
Guest stars
Others appearing on the series include:
Episodes
Main article: List of Dennis the Menace (1959 TV series) episodes
|
Season |
Episodes |
Originally aired |
||
|
First aired |
Last aired |
|||
|
1 |
32 |
October 4, 1959 |
June 6, 1960 |
|
|
2 |
38 |
October 2, 1960 |
June 25, 1961 |
|
|
3 |
38 |
October 1, 1961 |
July 1, 1962 |
|
|
4 |
38 |
September 30, 1962 |
July 7, 1963 |
|
Production notes
The fictional "Blondie Street" located at Columbia Ranch in Burbank, California (now the Warner Ranch) was the backdrop for the series.
The Mitchells' house was constructed between 1934 and 1935 for the movie Party Wire. It was later moved and became well known as the home of the Stone family on The Donna Reed Show in 1958, before becoming the home of the Mitchell family in 1959.
The Wilsons' house was constructed between 1936 and 1937 for the Blondie film series. This structure, after some transformation, became well known as the home of the Andersons in Father Knows Best before becoming the home of the Wilsons, and later, the home of Major Nelson and Jeannie in I Dream of Jeannie. The house can also be seen in episodes of Bewitched, The Partridge Family and T.J. Hooker.
The Partridge Family house, located on the same street, was used as the home of Mrs. Elkins (a Mitchell neighbor). It can be seen in the episode "The Man Next Door" (season three, episode 30) in which Mr. Wilson and Dennis believe a jewel thief is living next door and climb into a basement window of the home. It was also used as Miss Cathcart's house in the episode "Miss Cathcart's Sunsuit" (season one, episode 32). The corner church, together with The Partridge Family house, burned down in a fire in August 1970. Both were rebuilt to specification, albeit the church was moved further back and in a different configuration and smaller. Prior to The Partridge Family, the house facade was used by the characters of Mr. and Mrs. Kravitz on Bewitched. Now, all of these houses still exist at the Warner Ranch and are used primarily as storage space and production offices across from the suburban park it faces.
The garage of the well-known address, 1164 Morning Glory Circle, used as the Bewitched house, can also be seen in several episodes.
Ratings
|
Ratings |
|
|
Season |
Rank (Rating) |
|
1) 1959–60 |
# 16 (26.0) |
|
2) 1960–61 |
# 11 (26.1) |
|
3) 1961–62 |
# 17 (23.8) |
|
4) 1962–63 |
Not In The Top 30 |
Cancellation
By the end of the show's fourth season, Jay North was nearly 12 years old and was outgrowing the antics associated with his character. CBS cancelled Dennis the Menace in the spring of 1963.
Syndication
In 1963, NBC began airing reruns of the series on Saturday mornings for two seasons – the show entered syndication in 1965. It has run consistently on local stations over subsequent years. On July 1, 1985, the Nickelodeon cable network began airing the series, and continued until October 22, 1994 after Nick Jr. It also aired on TV Land from 2002 to 2003. On January 3, 2011, Dennis the Menace began airing on Antenna TV.
The show was exported to the United Kingdom and shown on the ITV network, with 103 episodes airing in the London region between 1960 and 1966. To avoid confusion with the British comic character, the series was known in the UK as Just Dennis.
Dennis the Menace is currently available in its entirety on the Hulu and Peacock streaming services.
Home media
Shout! Factory has released all four seasons on DVD in Region 1. On August 7, 2012, Shout! Factory released a 20-episode best-of set entitled Dennis the Menace – 20 Timeless Episodes.
|
DVD Name |
Episodes |
Release Date |
|
Season one |
32 |
March 29, 2011 |
|
Season two |
38 |
July 26, 2011 |
|
Season three |
38 |
October 25, 2011 |
|
Season four |
38 |
January 10, 2012 |
|
|
|
|
Buy/ bid with confidence. Total Shipping (USPS Ground/First Class Mail) inside the US is FREE. If SHIPPING IS OUTSIDE THE US: please add $25 (approximately) for First Class International Mail. We will gladly ship to Japan and most countries. We will check with our local post office for the exact price to your address rounded up to the nearest dollar (Please request an invoice after adding to your cart). Bubble mailer or sturdy box and careful packaging are included with all orders. We will ship out your item within two business days after your payment arrives. Check out our other weekly auctions and our eBay store (click on the BLUE door icon next to our eBay ID). Good Luck and Thank You for looking!