Joseph Kearns of "Dennis the Menace"

He was also the doorknob in [italic]Alice in Wonderland[/italic].

There's a scene where Mr. Wilson crawls into the basement window and falls to the floor. It's actually a funny fall but Kearns got hurt. They sent him home where he promptly dropped dead.

R2 "Accidents" happen.

Unfortunately they had to fire the actress playing his wife because they thought the audience would find it scandalous and creepy her living with her brother-in-law.

Kearns brought a lot of warmth to the Mr. Wilson character that was missing when Gale Gordon took over. It was like Kearns really cared about what happened to Dennis, while Gordon was just aggravated by him.

Did he really die from that accident on the set?

It was probably related. Kearns went home, which he shared with his mother, and promptly died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

R8 is an attention-troll; please ignore him or F&F.

You obviously don't share his "high standards".

R8 Was he known as Great Uncle Bottom?

I don't think he died from that fall or b/c of it, but I'm too lazy to wiki him.

The lady who played Martha was married something like six times in real life. Interesting.

Mary Wickes played Miss Cathcart, a funny, man hungry neighbor, several times. Alice Pearce also played an old maid type at least once, and she lived in the future Bewitched house.

Dennis's friend Tommy died in real life fairly young. So did his tv dad, who was quite a hunk when he was a young man.

Herbert Anderson, the dad, died at age 77. Bill Booth, who played Tommy died at age 57. I think Joseph Kearns' Mr Wilson is one of the funniest TV characters ever, so of course it was devastating to the show that he died unexpectedly. He and Jay North together were the true stars of this classic sitcom.

Kearns never married.

He did R12 Kearns, who never married or had any children, died of a cerebral hemorrhage[4] during the third season of Dennis the Menace at the age of 55. He died on February 17, 1962, five days after having turned 55.

Gee R8 I'm sorry your uncle fell down and broke his crown.

I read in some books years back that he was trying to lose weight and was on liquid diet of Metracal. It was a diet drink that a lot ppl got sick from

Interesting TV Guide article about Kearns.

He was very proud of his organ.

The last DTM episode that aired before his death was called "Where There's a Will" wherein Mr. Wilson explains to Dennis that when he passes away, Dennis will get his gold watch.

His last filmed episode was broadcast May 6, 1962, and the insufferable Gordon showed up three episodes later.

What a fucked up way to die! Why wasn't he sent to a hospital for observation? They just sent him home to let his mother take care of him?

Sound exactly the same as Natasha Richardson's death.

Joseph Kearns died far to young and was way under-appreciated. He was one of the best character actors of all time. Check out any old TV shows from the '40's-'50's and you're apt to see Joe Kearn as a guest.

The kid who played Tommy was the cutest kid on TV. Ever. The dad had classic big dick face.

R8, you tight-sphinctered, inartuculate twat, your precious great uncle worked as an actor for decades. There's no question that he associated with gays. Gays often work in entertainment, Pumpkin. Whether or not he spilled his seed on them is a matter of debate. You should be glad he is being discussed here because we are among the few demographics who even remember this C-list character actor. I seriously doubt 1 Million Moms or The Church of Christ Who, Incidentally, Wasn't Born on December 25 have discussions about this quickly-forgotten Screen Gems star who died a grown man living with his mama.

If you check out the last of his filmed episodes "The Man Next Door", although there is a fall through the window, it is obviously a stuntman taking the fall.

Massive cock hound.

Big Nixon supporter.

Joesph Kearns died at 55 unmarried and living in his mother home ?

GAY! GAY GAY!

Why there's not a cynical, sour, supercilious affectation to be found in that big hunk of str8 man.

Heavens !

Gale Gordon really wasn't very good as a replacement.

[quote]I read in some books years back that he was trying to lose weight and was on liquid diet of Metracal. It was a diet drink that a lot ppl got sick from.

He should've tried my watermelon diet!

I liked when Miss Cathcart would pop up.

Dennis: Can I watch you spin?

Miss Cathcart: Spin?

Dennis: Yeah, I heard my dad say you're a spinster!

I bet he was a good guy.

Remember when Hollywood was more than some half-baked Jewish guys' kids?

[quote]Remember when Hollywood was more than some half-baked Jewish guys' kids?

You mean when it was actually run by Jews and not Scientologists?

Joseph Kearns was gay. He lived with a partner, and there was a house on his property that the partner would retreat to whenever someone came over. Those were the times, unfortunately. Sadly, Mr. Kearns never put together a will, so when he died, relatives he hardly knew glommed onto his belongings. He did die suddenly of a stroke, but it had nothing to do with a fall he took on the set. He was a very funny character actor and it is too bad he did not live to see an America where 37 states allow same sex marriage -- a great progression from having to hide your partner in a nearby house when someone came to visit.

I don't care if Joe Kearns was gay or not. He was absolutely one of the best character actors of all time. I remember two Dennis the Menace shows vividly: One where he goes to show Dennis how to sit in a go-kart to go faster and he actually begins speeding down the hill. Another where he's taking a picture of everyone and starts walking backward to get a better angle and falls into a water fountain. Funny stuff.

I wish he had given interviews back in the day. I would have enjoyed seeing or reading what the real Joseph Kearns was really like.

"Gale Gordon really wasn't very good as a replacement."

Gale Gordon did bluster well, but that's about it. He was very one-note.

Gale Gordon was by all accounts a real mensch.

Very unlike his TV characters.

Married to the same WOMAN for over 50 years. No kids.

And Gordon did resemble the comic strip Mr. Wilson more. But Kearns was so much funnier.

[quote]You should be glad he is being discussed here because we are among the few demographics who even remember this C-list character actor

This. This is what I love about DL.

Speaking of Lucille Ball, Joseph Kearns also played the "phys-i-a-chia-trist" who tried to cure Lucy of her kleptomania. He also played the theater manager in the "ILL" episode where the gang goes to see "The Most Happy Fella."

So sad the way he died.

Eldergays, how shocking was it at the time when Jay North showed his bare ass in a movie?

My sister said she could tell he was a big ol' queen by the way he held his wrist.

My mom used to call Joe Kearns, "Queen For A Day"! She's hilarious!

He was apparently a devout Mormon as well.

Yet Walt Disney could cast both him and the actually gay Richard Haydn in [italic]Alice in Wonderland[/italic] while making the Mad Hatter Jewish and the March Hare Italian.

Watched a few Dennis the Menace reruns.

Kearns would ping from outer space.

I just realized he was only in his early 50s when he shot Dennis the Menace. As a kid, he seemed at least 70 to me.

I always got him confused with Joseph K Vern and Joseph V Kern.

[quote]he was only in his early 50s when he shot Dennis the Menace.

"Gee Mr. WIlson, why do you have a gun?"