Beaver has a book report on "The Three Musketeers" due in two days. And even with this date looming, Ward has to command Beaver to drop his weekend plans and stay at home and read that book. Gilbert tempts Beaver with an alternative - the movie "The Three Musketeers" will be on TV on Sunday night at 8PM. It's not that Beaver isn't tempted by this, but his family being home would make this impossible. No doubt they would figure what he's doing - substituting watching the movie for reading the book.
But then, suddenly, both his parents and Wally have plans for Sunday night. With Beaver having an impossible amount of material yet to read, he gives in, watches the movie, and writes the book report based on the film. He gets about three sentences into his report the next day, before Mrs. Rayburn lets him know that the jig is up. Watch and find out how this concludes.
The film mentioned in the episode actually does exist. "The Three Musketeers" (1939) was a musical comedy misfire by Fox starring Don Ameche and the Ritz Brothers. The latter are an acquired taste. I would expect somebody Beaver's age, about to enter high school, to figure out that this plan would not work just by having read a couple of chapters of the book, seeing the ad for the movie, and having just a modicum of common sense. And what was Gilbert's motive for having Beaver go this disastrous route? It was too late to salvage the weekend. At least Larry Mondello usually had selfishness as a motive when he sent Beaver down the wrong path. Here, Gilbert is displaying an almost Eddie Haskell level of destruction for destruction's sake by giving his "friend" such bad advice.
But then, suddenly, both his parents and Wally have plans for Sunday night. With Beaver having an impossible amount of material yet to read, he gives in, watches the movie, and writes the book report based on the film. He gets about three sentences into his report the next day, before Mrs. Rayburn lets him know that the jig is up. Watch and find out how this concludes.
The film mentioned in the episode actually does exist. "The Three Musketeers" (1939) was a musical comedy misfire by Fox starring Don Ameche and the Ritz Brothers. The latter are an acquired taste. I would expect somebody Beaver's age, about to enter high school, to figure out that this plan would not work just by having read a couple of chapters of the book, seeing the ad for the movie, and having just a modicum of common sense. And what was Gilbert's motive for having Beaver go this disastrous route? It was too late to salvage the weekend. At least Larry Mondello usually had selfishness as a motive when he sent Beaver down the wrong path. Here, Gilbert is displaying an almost Eddie Haskell level of destruction for destruction's sake by giving his "friend" such bad advice.