[greymule]

Was Bud played by Billy Gray?

Yes, and Lauren Chapin played Kathy, the younger daughter. After the show ended, she had a rough time with lousy husbands/boyfriends and drug addiction. I think she's doing OK now. The mother was played by Jane Wyatt, the older daughter was played by Elinor Donahue (from an acting family, had a long career in TV), and of course Robert Anderson knew best.

Many people are unaware that the supposedly idyllic 1950s were actually a time of significant social and political turbulence, along with great fears about the Soviet Union and the threat of atomic warfare. The "wholesome TV family" that is so ridiculed today was actually presented to reassure Americans that things were OK.

Ozzie Nelson couldn't have weighed 150 pounds, but he played football for Rutgers.