Remembering the Dads of the 50's and 60's

photo from findagrave.com

Fifties and early sixties TV usually portrayed fathers as problem solvers and hard-working professionals charged with "bringing home the bacon."  Robert Young, pictured above, could seemingly do no wrong as Jim Anderson on Father Knows Best.  Jim had an answer for every question and no situation stumped him.  He worked his magic with an unflappable smile and charm that made everything turn out well in the end.  Somehow, though, just the title alone irked me as a young kid.  My life did not always include a happy ending.

Another TV staple presented Ozzie Nelson playing himself, well at least a reasonable imitation of himself, on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, along with his wife Harriet and sons David and Ricky.  Ozzie lacked the infallible judgment of Jim Anderson, and his type of father more closely resembled some of the dads that populated my hometown.  Frequently, his wife stepped in and saved the day, and that struck a familiar note in my experience.

Leave it to Beaver offered a view of life from the perspective of a young boy, Beaver Cleaver, played by Jerry Mathers.  Tony Dow played his older brother Wally with Hugh Beaumont as Ward Cleaver and Barbara Billingsley as his wife June.  This series, like The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, approximated a typical middle class family of that era.  Ward and June often collaborated on finding a solution to the dilemmas their children faced.

Although The Donna Reed Show featured an upper middle class family with a pediatrician dad, just the show's title alone reflects that "the times, they were a changing."  Reed's character Donna Stone offered a depiction of a strong, decisive woman involved in many activities outside of her home.  The family's monetary status allowed her to have help at home, and she didn't rely solely on her husband to handle difficult situations.

The real dad's of that era worked long hours and came home exhausted, just wanting to relax until they started the whole process again the next day.  My dad was no exception to that, but he always found time to play a few games before my bedtime.  He had high expectations for my achievements at school, and both my parents strongly urged me to prepare for college.  I only wish Dad had been around long enough to see more of my accomplishments as an adult. 

For all of the readers who watched those shows and are reminded of fond memories of their fathers, I close with the following wish:  Happy Father's Day to the dads of my youth.  None of you matched the perfection of Jim Anderson, and for that, I'm thankful.