Figure 1.-- Jay North as Dennis is shown here with his nemesis--Margeret. Note his Keds, widely worn by American boys in the 1950s.

Jay North started his show business career in commercials. Best known for his TV series, Dennis the Menace (1959-63). He was reportedly chosen personally by creator Hank Ketcham himself to play Dennis in the TV series. Jay appeared in some 146 episodes of "Dennis."Incredibly, even though he began the series when he was about 6 years old, I never once saw him in shorts. Jay landed the Dennis part when he was 7 years old. One fellow child star says that Jay could not be more venomous if he was raised by snakes, and to hear him tell it he was. Jay says now that his years as Dennis were a nightmare of loneliness and "physical and emotional abuse" from his aunt and uncle, who were his legal guardians. His aunt kept him from contact with other kids his age and claims she often beat him when he muffed a line. He took to drawing horrible pictures on the backs of his scripts, people on fire, people being hung, and dismembered. He told one journalist that "Dennis the Menace" was a piece of garbage. Through it all, he was very popular. He had many guest roles in major television shows. He also appeared in many variety Shows: George Goble, Milton Berle, Dinah Shore, Eddie Fisher, and Tennessee Ernie Ford. His film T.V. shows were: Wanted Dead or Alive, Rescue Eight, Robert Taylor's Detectives, Desilu Playhouse, 77 Sunset Strip, Sugarfoot Family Films, Religious Programs, General Hospital, and Scout's Honor (T.V. movie). The flms were: The Big Operator, The Miracle of the Hills, Pepe, Zebra in the Kitchen, Maya, and The Teacher. Jay never made any really good films. He was never one of the more effective child stars. He had blond hair and was a very effective Dennis in his TV series. He also starred in a short-lived TV series spun off from the movie, "Maya" (1967-68). Unfortunately it was a poorly done show and at any rate Jay was growing up. Interestingly he was almost always outfitted in Indian-style shorts. Following the failure of the TV spin off, he was never again able to land an important role. He had trouble adjusting after his child star faded. He says, "I went from being a huge star to being a has-been at age 11. Nobody wanted me for anything because I was so heavily identified with "Dennis the Menace." He faced all sorts of problems adjusting. He served in the Navy. I saw him on a 1994 TV show and he seems to have conquered his "personal daemons". Like many of us in our middle ages, Jay has gained quite a bit of weight.

Childhood

We have few details about Jay's clothing. Jay North was born in Hollywood according to some sources on August 3, 1951, and other sources say August 3, 1952.

Childhood Clothing

We have very little information at this time about how Jay dressed as a boy. Like many child actors, most of the vailable information is about their show business career. Most of the images we have are from movies and TV shows. We note one photograph of Jay wearing a sports jacket with short pants. We don't think it is from a theatrical program.

Television Career

Jay North started his show business career in commercials. Best known for his TV apparances as Dennis the Menace.

Dennis the Menace (1959-63)

Jay sarred as Dennis the Menace from 1959-63. He was reportedly chosen personally by creator Hank Ketcham himself to play Dennis in the TV series. Jay appeared in some 146 episodes of "Dennis." Incredibly, even though he began the series when he was about 6 years old, I only once saw him costumed in short pants. This was contrary to the Dennis character as the cartoonist often drew him wearing shorts, especially when his mother dresses him up for church and other special occasions. There was one imaginative scene where Mr. Wilson and a class of kids were in black suits and knee socks. Jay landed the Dennis part when he was 7 years old. Jay had brown hair that they bleached for the show.

Maya (1967-68)

Jay also starred in a short-lived TV series spun off from the movie, Maya (1967-68). He was almost always outfitted in Indian-style shorts. Jay was by then a teenager and did not prove as ppular as he was in his Dennis role.

Movies

Although best known for his Dennis role and TV appearances, he also appeared in several movies. The flms were: The Big Operator, The Miracle of the Hills, Pepe, Zebra in the Kitchen (1965), Maya (1966), and The Teacher. Jay's films were generally mediocre. His best film was probably Maya whch was set in India. He played an American boy lost in India. Maya was the elephant.

Guest Apperances

Jay had many guest roles in major television shows during the 1960s.

Jay had a notable guest appearance on The Lucy Show about 1965. He played Mr. Mooney's spoiled nephew on this episode, and Lucy was asked to be his sitter one afternoon. Lucy, if memory serves, had a part-time job in this episode, playing a mechanical butler for a department store window display. She takes a lot of abuse from Jay, but finally takes him over her knee and spanks him at the end of the show.

Jay played several episodes in My Three Sons when he was about 14-15 years old. He was a friend of Chip. In one episode Chip, Jay, and another boy (played by a child actor with lots of TV and film credits, Charles Herbert), have grown their hair shoulder length. A school prank gone awry convinces Chip it's time to find new friends and to be clipped. Jay, also shorn once again to familiar length, appears on another episode in a fathers vs. sons team academic challenge, much like the old G.E. College Bowl.

Jay also appeared in many variety Shows: George Goble, Milton Berle, Dinah Shore, Eddie Fisher, and Tennessee Ernie Ford. His film T.V. shows were: Wanted Dead or Alive, Rescue Eight, Robert Taylor's Detectives, Desilu Playhouse, 77 Sunset Strip, Sugarfoot Family Films, Religious Programs, General Hospital, and Scout's Honor (T.V. movie).

Personality

One fellow child star says that Jay could not be more venomous if he was raised by snakes, and to hear him tell it he was.

Experience

Jay says now that his years as Dennis were a nightmare of loneliness and "physical and emotional abuse" from his aunt and uncle, who were his legal guardians. His aunt kept him from contact with other kids his age and claims she often beat him when he muffed a line. He took to drawing horrible pictures on the backs of his scripts, people on fire, people being hung, and dismembered. One interview given by Jay some years back indicates that his years as TV's Dennis the Menace were not very happy for him. He relates that his aunt would accompany him to the studio for filming the series, and she was rather a terror toward Jay, criticizing him severely in every way.

Jay came to hate the one role that most of us remember him as. He told one journalist that "Dennis the Menace" was a piece of garbage. Through it all, he was the most popular child star on TV at the time that Dennis the Menace ran.

Assessment

Jay was not one of the more effective child actors among the major child stars. His blond hair and angelic looks helped to make him effective in his Dennis TV series. He also starred in a short-lived TV series spun off from the movie, Maya (1967-68). Unfortunately it was a poorly done show and at any rate Jay was growing up. Following the failure of the TV spin off, he was never again able to land an important role.

Adult Life

Jay had trouble adjusting after his child star faded. As Jay grew up, TV and film roles disappeared. He says, "I went from being a huge star to being a has-been at age 11. Nobody wanted me for anything because I was so heavily identified with "Dennis the Menace." He faced all sorts of problems adjusting. He tried drugs for a little while. Jackie Cooper, the "Our Gang" graduate, befriended Jay about this time and convinced him to give up drugs. Jackie Cooper then was in the Naval Reserve, and Jay decided to join the Navy, no doubt with Jackie's encouragement. He served in the Navy. I saw him on a 1994 TV show and he seems to have conquered his "personal daemons". Like many of us in our middle ages, Jay has gained quite a bit of weight.

Created: August 21, 2001
Last updated: 11:03 PM 10/27/2005