Dennis the Menace Dennis at Boot Camp (1959–1963) Online
- Original Title :
- Dennis at Boot Camp
- Genre :
- TV Episode / Comedy / Family
- Year :
- 1959–1963
- Directror :
- Charles Barton
- Cast :
- Jay North,Gale Gordon,Herbert Anderson
- Writer :
- John Elliotte,Hank Ketcham
- Type :
- TV Episode
- Time :
- 30min
- Rating :
- 6.5/10
While still in San Diego, the Wilsons receive a visit from their nephew, Ted, a young sailor. When Dennis and Mr. Wilson get stuck in back of a laundry truck returning to the Naval base, their attempt to escape leads to the confusion of Mr. Wilson's being mistaken for an expected demolitions expert.
| Episode cast overview: | |||
 | Jay North | - | Dennis Mitchell |
 | Gale Gordon | - | John Wilson |
 | Herbert Anderson | - | Henry Mitchell |
 | Gloria Henry | - | Alice Mitchell |
 | Roy Roberts | - | Capt. Stone |
 | Allan Hunt | - | Ted Wilson |
 | John Cliff | - | Chief Bundy |
| Howard Redman | - | Recruit |
| Robert Dornan | - | Lt. Alden |
 | Sara Seegar | - | Eloise Wilson |
Two things: when Dennis gets out of a swimming pool in the first minute of the episode, as he climbs the ladder he hoists up his trunks in an almost unnaturally strong way, suggesting instructions from censors not to let his navel show. Then, on a naval note, he tells his parents "boy, that's the first thing I'm gonna do when I get old, join the Navy." Actor Jay Waverly North DID join the United States Navy but not "first thing" when he got old, rather about 1977, at the age of 25-26 years.
The submarine is the USS Trepang (SSN-674), a Sturgeon-class attack sub, it was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Trepang, (Holothuroidea), which is a marine animal having a long, tough, muscular body, sometimes called a 'sea slug' or a 'sea cucumber', found on coral reefs.
The U.S. Navy ship in background at the end of the show is; USS Lucid (MSO-458), an aggressive class minesweeper in service from shortly after the Korean Conflict until 1970.
In the last scene Dennis (Jay North) says; 'I can't wait to get old a join...the Navy'. In reality Jay North did join the Navy in later life. He served in the U.S. Navy (1/16/1977-8/10/1979). He was a seaman stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. He did a lot of manual labor and left with an honorable discharge.