For the Islander
He was once described as a teen heartthrob before he could even drive a car. Tony Dow went from high school student to household name as soon as the television show “Leave it to Beaver” aired in 1957. Playing Wally, the older brother of the Beaver, Tony Dow, along with his castmates, became one of the most-watched actors in television.
The fame and the moniker of “Wally” brought a lot of perks and, at times, some pressure. Through it all, Dow continued to rebuild himself. July 27 will be the one-year anniversary of his death and his wife of more than 41 years, Lauren Dow, was gracious enough to share some thoughts about Tony and the man, husband and artist he was. And in the beginning, there was Catalina Island.
Tony was just three years old when his parents first rented a tiny ivy-covered cottage across from the Avalon boat landing, according to Lauren. Tony Dow spent every summer on the island, playing volleyball, swimming and diving for coins tossed overboard from the SS Catalina steamer.
He often enjoyed an abalone burger or perhaps a “Rod’s (on the pier) combo half burger, half hot dog and a vanilla malt. Lauren said that Tony and his buddies would meet at the arcade or he might play a round of golf with his dad or cruise around on his bike. Occasionally some bison would wander onto the golf course, causing a ruckus! There was always excitement on the island, he’d tell her.
Later in life, Tony would often return to Catalina. As an adult, one of Tony’s favorite pastimes was sailing the Kirawan, his 55-foot wooden yawl built in 1936, often accompanied by a pet Malayan otter and penguin he’d adopted. Throughout his life, “TD” as he was called on the island, became a true renaissance man. As a teen, he was a highly regarded athlete, setting Amateur Athletic Union records in swimming and diving. In addition to acting, he’s produced and directed and later delved in art, sculpting and remodeling his own home.
“I had the privilege of meeting Tony via his magnificent sculptures, which led to my ‘TD collection’ and our friendship … which meant the world to me,” longtime friend Rob Swan said.
Tony was married to Lauren for 41 years, many of those years spent living in a home in the Santa Monica Mountains. It was there Tony dove back into sculpting, taking hardened burl wood found around his home and sculpting it into artistic figures. At times he would add bronze. One such piece harkened back to his youth in the shape of a diver, entitled “Into the Deep.”
Born to a mother who was a stuntwoman in Hollywood and a father who was a contractor and designer, Tony grew up steeped in the world of art. And the home he shared with Lauren was not only where he created art, but also a home he expanded. Over the years, Tony added a loft, a bedroom and bathroom to the home. Lauren, an artist who created mosaics, often added decorative touches to the additions.
The couple even did some stage productions together and Tony would take an occasional role in a TV show or movie. Later in his life he would say that between the ages of about 20 and 40 he felt like he wanted to shake the “Wally” character, but as he got older he came around to embracing the name of his most famous character.
“At 40, I realized how great the show was and how appreciative I should be for being on that show,” Tony said in an interview on CBS Sunday Morning.
In that same interview, Lauren was asked what she fell in love with about Tony. She noted his kindness and his good heart. The Wally character was a kind-hearted kid. A caring older brother to Beaver, Wally rarely got into any trouble like some of the other teens on the show. When asked if she saw any “Wally” in Tony, Lauren flipped the script.
“I think there’s a lot of Tony in the character, they’re intertwined,” Lauren said.
One of the first perks of working on the show was that young Tony was able to purchase his first car, a 1962 Corvair. He would sell it a few years later, but about seven years ago, the owner decided to will the car back to Tony. In 2020, Tony and Lauren teamed up with publisher Fireball Tim Lawrence to put out the official Tony Dow coloring book.
It was a biographical book with pictures and text about his life. The cover of the book has the Corvair, sandwiched by illustrations of young and elder Tony. In the background were sail boats, an island, and the Catalina Casino, an indication that Catalina never left him.
“He was the most modest egoless person, unaffected by his fame – a beautiful soul and the love of my life,” Lauren said.
