UHF stations back in their glory days would create blocks of programming based on similar themes and era. The morning schedule included plenty of family shows from the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. Father Knows Best, My Three Sons, Hazel, The Donna Reed Show and Leave It to Beaver were exposed to a new generation. These were safe shows complete with family friendly messages and nothing that pushed the envelope. Dennis the Menace was from the era but went beyond the cute kid cliches. Dennis (Jay North) was a blond haired wrecking ball in overalls. Even though Beaver Cleaver got into trouble, he rarely got the police involved. The same goes with the kids on the other shows. None could came close to the super destruction left in the wake of Dennis’ visits to Mr. Wilson’s house. Dennis the Menace: Season One contains the first 32 episodes that adapted the single panel comic strip into a sitcom.
Dennis wasn’t a juvenile delinquent out to cause mischief. This wasn’t a Vic Morrow troubled teen rebelling against the man. Dennis meant well in most of his havoc. He was only trying to help his mom (Gloria Henry), dad (Herbert Anderson) and especially Mr. Wilson (Joseph Kearns). The next door neighbor wanted to be ignored by the kid. But that wasn’t going to happen. Dennis is too sweet of heart and oblivious to his limitations. Nothing sounded like a bad idea in his head. He unleashed unwanted acts of charity on unwilling participants.
“Dennis Goes to the Movies” introduces us Dennis’ kindness attack. He attempts to fix a wobbly leg on the kitchen table. A seven year old kid doesn’t quite get carpentry. So he sticks his friend Tommy under the table to reinforce it before he’s about to hammer it together. The project abruptly ends without a visit to the emergency room, but the need for an industrial cleaning. Later in the episode, the folks want to see a new Western at the cinema. Dennis wants to go along, but he gets stuck at home with a celebrity babysitter. It’s Aunt Harriet (Madge Blake) from Adam West’s Batman. Dennis pulls several switcheroos to get out of the house and into the movie theater. He’s out of control to the point of getting into the projection booth. Luckily mom and dad don’t have clue that their viewing pleasure is being screwed up by their own offspring.
“Dennis and the Signpost” twists the directions on the road. This nice action by Dennis leads to a pool being dug in Mr. Wilson’s backyard. “Dennis and the Rare Coin” starts off with Dennis addicted to tossing pennies into a wishing well. He gets Mrs. Wilson to give him some spare change. Trouble is one of the coins turns out to be a $250 coin that Mr. Wilson just bought from a visiting collector. Mr. Wilson gets busted by the cops for going into the fountain. Dennis might be his only hope for avoiding a visit to lock up. “Dennis Runs Away” puts him on the road to visit grandpa. They have to hunt him down even though part of the town wishes he would take a ride with the ice cream truck driver.
Black and white family shows vanished off the schedule when UHF stations became over run by judge shows, talk shows and infomercials. This was a shame since it took away the fun filled family shows and replaced them with dysfunctional maniacs. Dennis might have caused enough damage to be a weekly feature on Judge Judy or Maury, but he was merely a menace and not malicious. Dennis the Menace: Season One brings back the joy of a kid smiling as he makes everything around him collapse.
The Episodes
“Dennis Goes to the Movies,” “Dennis and the Signpost,” “The Fishing Trip,” “Grandpa and Miss Cathcart,” “Innocents in Space,” “Dennis’ Garden,” “The New Neighbors,” “Tenting Tonight,” “Dennis Sells Bottles,” “Mr. Wilson’s Award,” “The Christmas Story” (aka “Dennis & Christmas,” “Dennis and the Cowboy,” “Dennis Haunts a House,” “Dennis’ Tree House,” “Dennis and the Rare Coin,” “Dennis and the Bike,” “Dennis and the Open House,” “Dennis and the Duck,” “Dennis and the Swing,” “Dennis and the Dog,” “Mr. Wilson’s Sister,” “Dennis and the TV Set,” “Dennis Creates a Hero,” “Dennis’ Paper Drive,” “Dennis and the Bees,” “Alice’s Birthday,” “Dennis Becomes a Baby Sitter,” “Dennis and the Starlings,” “The Party Line,” “Dennis by Proxy,” “Dennis Runs Away” and “Miss Cathcart’s Sunsuit.”
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The black and white transfers are fine. While there are little bits of debris and an scratch, the black and white doesn’t make it irritating. The audio is mono. The levels are fine as long even when Dennis gets loud and Mr. Wilson gasps in horror.
A Conversation with Gloria Henry and Jeannie Russell (39:03) lets Mrs. Mitchell and Margaret discuss their four seasons on the show. They talk a little bit about Jay North. One great tale involves Hank Ketchum’s visit to the set.
Audio interview with Jeannie Russell and Gloria Henry is from Stu’s Show on Shokus internet radio. This was taken in 2007 before they knew the show was coming out on DVD. The audio plays along with four episodes of the series, but it isn’t a commentary track.
The Donna Reed Show “Donna Decorates” (25:49) features a guest visit from Jay North and Joseph Kearns. What happens when Donna meets Dennis? Mayhem as usual.
Original Promo (0:20) lets us know trouble is coming.
Commercials with Original Opening and Closing Credits (6:04) contains plugs for Skippy Peanut Butter and Bosco.
Dennis the Menace: Season One brings back the raggamuffin mayhem. The series works because Jay North really does have good intentions as he destroys the lives of all around him. It’s a relief to watch a ‘50s family show where mom and dad didn’t truly correct the kids with the moral talk at the end. Dennis’ desire to do good couldn’t be broken. This makes the show still enjoyable rather than a relic of its time.
Shout! Factory presents Dennis the Menace: Season One. Starring: Jay North, Joseph Kearns, Gloria Henry, Herbert Anderson and Jeannie Russell. Boxset Contents: 32 episodes on 5 DVDs. Released on DVD: March 29, 2011.
