Actor hugh beaumont biography tony

American actor (1910–1982)

For the British theatre manager, see Binkie Beaumont.

Eugene Hugh Beaumont (February 16, 1910 – May 14, 1982) was an American actor.

He was best known for his portrayal of Ward Cleaver on the television series Leave It to Beaver, originally broadcast from 1957 to 1963, and as private detective Michael Shayne in a series of low-budget crime films in 1946 and 1947.^[3]

Early life

Beaumont was born in Lawrence, Kansas,^[4] to Ethel Adaline Whitney and Edward H.

Beaumont, a traveling salesman whose profession kept the family on the move. After graduating from the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the class of 1930, he attended the University of Chattanooga, where he played football.

He later studied at the University of Southern California and graduated with a master's degree in theology in 1946.^[6]

Career

Beaumont began his career in show business in 1931 by performing in theaters, nightclub