Everyone has heard of a comic strip named "Dennis the Menace" a boy that gets into mischief with almost with everyone. His parents, his friends and even his next door neighbor Mr. Wilson.
In the UK, they had their own version of Dennis the Menace. He had a dog named Gnasher. I don't remember much of it, but I'm more intrastent in the US version. The UK's version is the longest running strip ever.
The character and comic was created by Hank Ketcham. He created Dennis and his family after his own life. When he retired and passed away, the comic kept going strong with the help of his son Dennis (which the comic was named after) as well as few other people. Still going on today, it still tackles the daily life of a boy getting into mischief and irking his neighbor.
He had friends like Joey and Tommy, but the most memorable friend/enemy is Margaret. She loves to get Dennis and his friends into danger. Secretly loves Dennis but makes his him and his friends lives miserable.
They made an old TV show in the late fifties staring Jay North as Dennis. I think he's still alive, but I remember the cartoon more than the old TV show from the fifties. I guess the premace of it is similar to the comic in many ways.
The show was somewhat depressing by the end of the third season. The actor that portrayed George Wilson passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage. They couldn't get another replacement for him and well... There was no Wilson family in the forth season. I think. I don't remember.
I think I remember the cartoon more than that tv series. It has the same story, boy makes mischief, has friends, Mr. Wilson all that. This cartoon was a part of my childhood. I wouldn't watch every episode, but I found it to be fun
I think I remember the movie from 1993 a lot more than any of the cartoons or live action TV show. Walter Mathau, who looks so much like my grandfather from my mom's side who died that year, plays George Wilson. Dennis is around my cousin's age, so I guess the actor was eight or seven at the time. The who mischief happens, mostly towards Mr. Wilson. He has to spend most of his summer with him when his parents have separate business trips for their jobs.
It was a very memorable movie, with very good actors portraying the adults like Lea Thompson playing his mother and Christopher Lloyd playing a villain played 'Switchblade Sam' It was very good.
There was another movie called "Dennis the Menace' Strikes again. I don't think I remember this movie as well as the other. Betty White portrays Mrs. Wilson and Don Knotts is Mr. Wilson. Again it's a passable movie, but not memorable to me as the other.
Dennis the Menace is still in the comics. Still being his old menace self. I still remember the 1993 movie as well as the cartoon from my youth. He will always be mischievous young boy bothering his next door neighbor, but still a kid at heart.
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