Original subtitles

Robert Young...

and Jane Wyatt... with Elinor Donahue,

Billy Gray, and Lauren Chapin...

Betty!

Betty!

Betty, I need you in the kitchen!

Betty, I need some potatoes peeled!

In a minute, Mother.

I need you now!

I'm halfway there already.

Bud?

Bud, you haven't emptied the waste basket yet.

I'm practically there already.

Kathy, you may start setting the table.

O-kay.

Bud!

I'm on my way.

I gotta finish doing something first.

By all means, get that important work done.

Hi, Dad. You home?

No. I'm in Ethiopia hunting wild goats.

Look, I know I shouldn't bother you when you're so busy,

but if you'll just slow down for a minute,

I'd like to say something.

Bud! Betty!

Can't come now, Mom.

Dad's keeping us here.

What are you doing to my workers?

I'm not doing anything.

And neither are they. Look at them.

I hope they don't get nervous breakdowns from overwork.

I'm talking to you, too, Princess.

Oh, hello, Father.

Daddy, why don't little fish swim backwards?

I don't know, and don't change the subject.

Your mother's been calling for a little help

and none of you have moved.

We said we'd be right there.

You said it, but you didn't do it.

We need a little more action around here.

Active participation is the basis of good citizenship.

Don't you kids realize that the habits

you form here at home are the ones

you're going to take with you into your community life?

A good citizen doesn't shirk his duty.

He does his share to help others.

And what's more, he doesn't have to be asked a hundred times;

he volunteers willingly and cheerfully.

Is that clear?

Mother, do you believe Elizabeth Taylor's waistline

is only 19 inches?

Oh, fine.

Dad? What?

Are the goats really wild in Ethiopia?

How do you like that?

They didn't hear one word I said.

Not one word!

Would you care to volunteer for K.P.?

You can talk to those kids until you're black in the face.

Daddy, I think I understand it now.

You do?

Yes. The reason they don't swim backwards

is because they'll wind up in the same place

going forwards.

Kathy, would you lead us in our closing pledge?

Under the sign of the wigwam,

we, the Little Squaws of America,

Pocahontas Tribe, District 19,

pledge our hearts and our minds

to blaze a trail of goodness,

and to help others along the way.

That's fine.

Kathy, that's enough.

Now, girls, let's be sure and remember

our Little Squaw goodwill box.

It goes to a poor family in town

who needs our help very much,

so let's all bring in our bundles of old,

but useable clothing tomorrow morning.

Gee, Mrs. Davis, do we have to?

Now, Marsha, the spirit of giving comes from the heart.

You do it because you want to, not because you have to.

It's purely a matter of volunteering.

And you do it willingly and cheerfully.

Did you say "volunteering"?

That's right, Kathy.

You know what that means, don't you?

No, but Daddy says we should,

so count me in.

Mommy, I'm leaving!

All right, Angel.

Come right home after school.

But really, I didn't touch the suit.

Now, what would I want with one of your suits?

Well, I know I hung it there!

I'm positive. I took it out of the...

Could I be losing my memory?

I'm still young. Sort of.

Oh, don't worry.

It'll turn up someplace.

What's the matter?

You think it's all right?

It doesn't have any holes.

Oh, Kathy, it's wonderful!

Your father must be a very generous person.

Yes, ma'am.

This will be quite a surprise.

Yes, it will be.

Well, say, now... Say, now!

Hey, Edna, look at this!

Will, look at this!

Are you sure these things came from the Little Squaws?

Oh, Will, I never thought this would happen to us.

Wearing cast-offs.

Aw, now, now, honey, we've got to keep our spirits up.

We'll get something.

At least now I'll look presentable

to go out and hunt for a job.

Pretty good fit, huh?

Not bad.

Tailored for James Anderson, 607 South Maple.

Pretty fancy, huh?

Peanut butter and jelly.

Are you sure you didn't send it to the cleaners or something?

Dear, I tell you I didn't even see it.

Now stop worrying.

But it's upsetting to have something disappear

under your very...

You don't suppose we had a burglar, do you?

I think a burglar would be more selective than that.

What do you mean by that? I mean... Kathy?

Go back to bed.

I can't sleep. I'm hungry.

I want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, please.

Oh, no, you don't.

You're just thinking up excuses.

Now, back to bed.

I thought I'd kiss Daddy good-night first.

Good night, Kitten.

Be a good girl.

Oh, I have been.

Remember what you told us about being citizens

and volunteering and all that?

You mean you heard that?

Oh, yes. The Little Squaws are helping a poor family.

So, I did like you said. I volunteered.

Kathy, I'm proud of you.

I volunteered that... old tan suit of yours.

And everyone would really... You what?

I guess that clears that up.

Kathy, you mean you actually gave away my good suit?

Oh, that wasn't your good suit.

I still wear it.

Did I do wrong, Daddy?

Well...

You said you wanted us to volunteer.

That's right, but...

you better check with me after this

before you volunteer all my clothes.

Does, uh, this man already have the suit?

Yes. And your hat, too.

What hat?

I hope it's that old brown one.

You look just awful in that.

Come on, Kathy. It was comfortable.

Takes a man a long time to break in a hat

to where it feels right.

Up you go, you little volunteer.

And hurry.

Oh, darling, stop worrying about that suit.

I don't know why you kept on wearing the old thing anyway.

Some suits have a certain feel to them,

gives a man a sense of confidence.

I'll never get another one

to hang on me like that one did.

I hope not.

I feel as though I'd lost an old friend.

Hey, Dad?

I've just been to a Junior Hi-Y meeting

and there's something I gotta check with you.

How much will it cost me?

Nothing. That's good.

Yet. Our annual Father and Son Banquet

comes up next week and, well, they have entertainment

and stuff like that, see?

Uh-huh.

And they needed somebody to head up

the entertainment committee.

Nobody said anything.

Then I remembered what you said

about volunteering, so I raised my hand.

You, too?

Yeah, but I told them I'd better check with you first.

Oh, I'm for it, son, 100%.

That was the whole idea of the talk.

Go to it, boy. Swell!

Then I'll call up Joe Phillips and tell him it's all set.

Good.

I'm glad to see Bud take an active part in things.

He's a little apt to sit back and let the others do it.

What amazes me is you try and try

to get a point over to the kids,

and you swear they're not paying any attention

to you at all, and then a few days later...

Hello, Joe?

This is Bud.

You home?

Yeah, I'm home.

I always liked the intelligent conversation he and Joe have.

Yeah, well, Dad said he was for it 100%,

so put him down as head of the entertainment committee.

I'll see you tomorrow, Joe. Bye.

Wait, Bud! Don't hang up!

He already hung up. Something you wanted to ask him?

No, there's something I want to ask you.

What's this about me? I thought you volunteered.

I did. I volunteered you.

You see, for these banquets

the dads always head the committees.

Well, look, can't you, uh, un-volunteer me?

If everyone would do his part willingly and cheerfully...

All right, all right.

Bud, take these upstairs, will you?

And after this, try unbuttoning your shirts

before you take them off.

Okay, Mom.

Dad, who do you think you're going to get

to entertain at the banquet?

Well, um, how about Marilyn Monroe, Bing Crosby,

Betty Grable, The Ritz Brothers,

Roy Rogers, and Trigger.

That'd be swell.

I'm so glad you approve.

You know, this'll be a better program

than Ollie Ziegler's dad got up last year.

And they all said nobody would ever top that.

Dad, how soon are you gonna know

if all these people can come?

Oh, look, Bud, in the first place...

Gotta know pretty soon because we gotta get the names

printed in the program.

Bud, I-I...

I gotta go upstairs and do some homework.

Good night, Dad.

Good night.

Sure was keen of you to volunteer.

Wasn't it?

The good citizen doesn't shirk his duty.

He does his share to help others.

Oh, somebody will want me to be a witness.

I don't want to get dragged into court.

Besides, nobody asked me to be one.

And what's more, the good citizen

doesn't wait to be asked.

He volunteers... willingly and cheerfully.

Oh, miss?

Would you wait a minute, please?

I didn't really see any of it hardly. I-I just...

I sure could use a witness.

Wouldn't you just give me your name?

I'm sorry, I...

Why, yes.

I always believe one to do one's duty.

Willingly and cheerfully.

So I said I would. Witness?

What do you mean you have to be a witness?

Just that, Father.

See, I was coming home from the library,

so I crossed Oak Street, and these two cars bumped into each other.

What two cars?

The two cars in the accident.

Oh, that helps a lot. Was anyone hurt?

No. Some woman was driving one of the cars.

And the other one was driven by... Greg.

Who's Greg? Greg Patterson.

Mother, he has the most wonderful brown eyes

you've ever seen!

All right, we know all about his eyes, but who is he?

A senior in college, but I'd never met him.

Mother, his eyes are actually penetrating, but actually...

You should never have gotten involved in this, Betty.

Well, I started to walk away and...

And then I remembered what Father said

about good citizens always volunteering.

So, without a moment's hesitation,

I marched right back and volunteered to help,

thinking only of my civic duty.

You should never have stopped.

No, she did the right thing, Margaret.

I'm an insurance man.

I know how difficult it is

to get witnesses in these cases.

I'm glad you did it, Betty. It was your duty.

I'm worried, Father.

I don't know how to be a witness.

What do you do first?

You cross your legs, don't you?

Only in cartoons.

I don't think you'll have to go to court.

But if you ever do, just tell the truth, that's all.

That's the trouble.

See, Greg asked me if I saw the woman go through the red light

and I said "yes," and he put that down.

That's all right if that's the way it happened.

But after I got to thinking about it,

I couldn't remember whether it was red or green.

I don't even remember seeing the traffic light.

Fine. I can see you're going to make a wonderful witness.

All I remember are those sweet brown eyes.

Hello?

Yes, this is he.

Oh, hello, Mrs. Paisley.

I'm sorry to disturb you at this hour, Mr. Anderson.

But these things are always such a beastly nuisance to me.

A-And you handle them so beautifully.

That's right.

The left front fender and the grill.

Uh-huh.

Tell me, Mrs. Paisley, did this by any chance

happen at the Oak Street intersection?

Oh, just psychic, I guess.

Wait, don't tell me.

Was his name Greg Patterson?

That's nothing.

I can even tell you what color eyes he has.

I didn't notice his eyes, but I got his license number.

Oh! It was his fault, naturally.

And we can prove it, too.

If we could just locate a girl who saw the whole thing.

Do you, uh, have any idea who that girl might be?

I didn't have a chance to find out.

This... This Patterson person whisked her away in his car

while I was examining my bumper.

We've got to locate her.

Well, we may be able to find her.

You'd better come in tomorrow morning

and make out a full report.

All right, Mrs. Paisley.

Goodbye.

Now... N-Now, Father, it was really your fault!

I... I wouldn't have stopped

if it hadn't been for your lecture!

Yes, and that's the last lecture I ever give.

I make one little suggestion and look what happens.

I'm head of an entertainment committee,

I lose my best suit, and now I'm involved

in an accident case against my best client!

When will I ever learn to keep my big mouth shut?

Uh-huh.

All right, Mr. Potter.

We'll see what we can find for you.

Thanks. You, uh, think it might be soon?

Can't tell. Oh, wait.

You should have put down some references.

Er, uh, references?

I see you're fairly new in town,

but you should list at least one local business acquaintance.

Yes, one... one business acq...

That's right.

Put down my good friend James Anderson.

Okay.

Address?

Uh, 607 South Maple.

607 South Maple.

Phone?

It's in the book.

I never can remember numbers.

Anderson...

Is that the Anderson who's the wholesale grocery distributor?

That's him.

He's one of the biggest distributors of jelly

and peanut butter that I know.

Angel, don't load up no sandwiches now.

It's almost lunchtime and you eat too many of them anyway.

I don't eat so many.

Mostly, I just lose them.

Is Father home yet? No.

And put your sweater where it belongs.

Mother, I've done nothing all morning

but worry about the trial.

If I testify for Greg,

Father's insurance company will lose.

And if I testify for Father, I'll betray poor Greg.

And he has such beautiful eyes.

You can't just testify any way you want to.

You've got to tell the truth.

Oh, that.

Will they put you in jail?

No!

Who's going to put who in jail?

Daddy!

Father, hurry up, tell me.

Is Mrs. Paisley going to sue?

We don't know yet.

There seems to be a big difference of opinion

as to who entered the intersection first,

Mrs. Paisley or Brown Eyes.

Can you remember who did? Uh...

Think hard, now. This is important.

I think it was Mrs. Paisley.

Well, that's good.

♪♪

Or maybe it was Greg.

Oh, fine.

Well, I know it was one or the other.

I'm glad you're sure of something.

Take your sweater and get ready for lunch.

All right, Mother.

Father, about the intersection,

which would be better for Greg?

Betty, trials are not conducted that way.

One switch in your testimony

and you could be convicted of perjury.

Can we visit Betty in jail?

You keep out of this.

Ah, turn blue.

Dad, have you got it?

Got what?

The entertainment for the HI-Y banquet.

Oh, that. Deadline's this noon.

Noon? You mean right now?

Yeah. If I don't get it now, we can't get it printed up in the programs.

The committee's gonna call you.

I just haven't had time to do it, Bud.

You haven't?

Gee, Dad, you promised.

Now, look, Bud...

Seems to me when a fellow volunteers for something...

Bud, have you washed your hands?

Not quite.

Gee, Dad, you gotta think of something, get somebody.

They're depending on you.

Well, maybe we could get that quartet at my lodge.

They have a couple of comedy numbers...

Had them last year.

Oh.

How about the Parker family?

They all play harmonicas.

They... Had 'em last year.

Well, how about, uh... Had 'em last year.

Wait till I tell you who I was going to suggest.

All right, who is it?

Uh, well, I hadn't thought of anybody yet.

Bud, your hands.

I'm going.

Gee, Dad, be thinking.

You just gotta get somebody.

Yeah, yeah.

Jumpin' catfish!

What are you doing in Mom's clothes?

You wouldn't understand.

You've never been on the witness stand.

Hello.

Is, uh, this where Betty Anderson lives?

Yeah.

Well, if she's home, could I see her?

My name is Greg Patterson.

Oh, you're Brown Eyes.

Yeah, I'll tell her you're here.

Oh, Betty, stop dramatizing this thing.

You're not Mata Hari going on trial for her life.

I'm only trying to do my civic duty.

Nobody's gonna believe the testimony

of some little snip of a bobby-sockser.

Hey, Tallulah, guess who's here to see you.

Brown Eyes. Brown Eyes?

Oh, they've come for me! I wouldn't faint.

It's not as serious as that, dear.

What'll I do?

Well, I... I'd go in and talk to him.

I can't. I just can't! I'll go.

I should be handling this business anyway.

Stop interfering. He didn't ask to see you.

Hey, Dad, have you got some entertainment yet?

Oh, Bud, stop needling me.

I have enough problems with Betty and Greg.

This was your idea in the first place.

You said a good cit... I know what I said.

Uh-oh, there they are, Dad. That's the committee.

What are you going to tell them?

Uh, you talk to them, Bud.

Not me.

I'm not head of entertainment.

Well, I'm not either.

Somebody's got to do something.

Hello?

Yes, just a minute.

You may as well face it, dear.

Hey, there's my sandwich!

This is just not my day.

Hello?

Yes, this is Mr. Anderson.

But I've been so busy, I haven't... Who?

State Unemployment Bureau?

No, I don't know anyone by that name.

You must have the wrong Anderson.

Aren't you the Anderson in jelly and peanut butter?

What happened, dear?

Nothing.

Uh, what did you say?

Oh! No, no.

I'm in the insurance business

and I don't know any Mr. Potter.

Potter?

Daddy, that's the man!

Yes, this is 607 South Maple.

Daddy, Daddy! Just a moment, please.

Kathy, don't I have enough trouble

without you pestering me?

But, Daddy, that's the man, Mr. Potter.

What man?

The man we gave your suit to.

Oh, so that's it.

He's not satisfied with the suit,

now he's using my name, too.

But, dear, he's probably desperate.

Anything to get a job.

That's all very well, but...

Now, you know a good citizen

always does his share to help others

willingly and cheerfully.

Hello. I-I'm sorry to keep you waiting,

but I just found out I do have

sort of a connection with this Mr. Potter.

What kind of work is he looking for?

Well, what's his background?

Oh, it is?

Tell you what.

Why don't you have him drop by my office this afternoon.

Commercial building.

Bye. Thank you.

Thank you, dear.

We'll make a good citizen out of you yet.

Dad, what about that entertainment?

You just gotta get somebody.

Oh, Bud, stop worrying.

Have I ever let you down? Well, no.

But gee, Dad, they're depending on you.

Mother, guess what?

I'm going with Greg!

Oh, dear. Is it to court? No!

To jail?

No, to the Terra Supper Club!

Odd place for a trial.

There's no trial. ♪♪

Greg's insurance company's settling that.

Wait a minute. What's that playing?

That's a record Greg made on his home recorder.

He brought it over for me to hear.

Mother, he's a wonderful piano player!

I'll have to have a talk with that young man.

Uh, but Father!

Mother, what's he gonna do?

Who knows.

♪♪

Ladies and gent... Dads and boys...

this is quite a moment for us.

Edna and I...

Edna and I have played to many audiences everywhere,

but you people here...

I just can't express it, but...

it's all in here.

And I want you to know that as long as we live,

we shall always be grateful

to your very fine program chairman

and my very, very good friend...

James Anderson.

I wish you could have been there, honey.

They wouldn't let the Potters off the stage!

I bet they were happy.

It must have seemed as if they were living again.

Well, they were.

And you know what happened right after the banquet? What?

Hal Leonard signed them up for a tour of army camps.

How wonderful!

And what a change it made in them.

It gave them back their self-respect.

I certainly learned tonight how important that is.

You must never take that away from a man.

And you know something else?

That suit of mine never looked better.

Closed-Captioned By J.R. Media Services, Inc. Burbank, CA