When production of the show ended in 1963, Billingsley had become typecast as saccharine sweet and had trouble obtaining acting jobs for years. She traveled extensively abroad until the late 1970s. After an absence of 17 years from the public eye (other than appearing in two episodes of "The F.B.I." in 1971), Billingsley spoofed her wholesome image with a brief appearance in the comedy "Airplane!" (1980), as a passenger who could "speak jive." She stated that the role gave her as much publicity as "Beaver", and revived her career.