Original subtitles

Take your hand away, Jody. I can't.

It's stuck.

I told you it was too much glue.

My hand sticks better than the cardboard.

It isn't very pretty.

Time to wash up for dinner. We shall serve the first sitting in precisely ten

minutes. Are we going to have the fancy stuff you fixed for Uncle Bill's party?

No, but I prepared one of your favorite dishes.

Sloppy Sam's?

We shall refer to them as untidy Samuels.

And speaking of untidiness, that clutter should be placed in the waste paper

basket.

This isn't clutter, Mr.

French. It's Mackenzie Dam.

It's our school project.

Mackenzie Dam.

Fascinating. Well, whatever it is, don't leave it lying about.

Hi, French.

Good evening, son.

Can I tell you to help tonight? Yes, sir. The agency assures us of a

serving girl. Oh, hi, Uncle Bill. Oh, you're lovely.

Is this my hostess for tonight?

Hey, listen. In an hour, you won't recognize me. I'll be gorgeous.

Hi, Uncle Bill. Hi, Uncle Bill.

Hi. Well, what's, uh, what's with the long faces?

Mackenzie Dam fell down.

Mackenzie Dam?

Laugh.

to build it.

It's their school project.

And it didn't even look good before it fell down.

Well, now listen, maybe I can help you rebuild it, huh?

Would you, Uncle Bill? That would be great.

Not tonight.

We don't turn it in till next week.

Oh, well, fine.

I think between the three of us, by then we can make Mackenzie Dam stand up.

Gee, thanks, Uncle Bill.

Feeling down sure makes you hungry. We're going to go eat now so we don't

your party.

I bet I can eat about six untied sandwiches.

Davis residence?

From the agency?

Adele Prentice. You're late.

My watch stopped.

I never remember to wind it.

Then I rode past the bus stop. I depended on the driver to tell me, and

forgot. So it's actually his fault.

Well, you're here.

And so are the guests.

Well, will you please whip these egg whites for my meringue and take the ice

shrimp out of the refrigerator?

And when the oven alarm sounds, you'll know my barquettes au meringue are

Good evening, Fred. Good evening, madam. Good evening, Fred. Hi, Sheila.

Hello, Bill.

Hello, Bill. How are you?

Oh,

your suit is beautiful.

Well, thank you.

French,

I am desperate.

I must find a cookhouse.

Well, has your Mrs. Elkins? I fired her last week.

French, there's no way that I might lure you?

No, madam.

Well, if you ever do change your mind.

Meanwhile, if you hear of anyone... We shall certainly inform you, madam.

You're not going to be displeased.

You should have been here.

I needed help.

Mrs. Mendes, you may consider yourself dismissed.

How anyone of your background and experience could be so inept?

I don't have any background. I don't have any experience.

Oh, impossible, madam.

The agency wouldn't dare send us an unqualified person. I lied to them.

I lied to them because I needed the job.

I think the man at the agency knew I was lying, but he was so kind, he wanted to

help me.

Madam, this is no place for inexperience. I mean, I suggest you find

some other line of work.

But there isn't anything.

This was my last hope.

But I understand.

Why should you risk your job to assist a helpless woman?

But, Mrs. Prentiss, you see, I... I mean... Oh, crackers.

Let's have another go at it.

How can I ever thank you?

With a minimum of violence to my kitchen.

Uncle Bill says you can start serving dinner now.

And the hors d 'oeuvres were just great.

Not quite service, is it?

Oh, and Adele, you've certainly made a good impression.

I have?

Mm -hmm.

Mrs. Bicknell says that it isn't fair for Uncle Bill to have two perfect

servants when she can't even find one.

The signals live.

Two floors below.

We shall now serve the soup.

The bowls are in the lower oven.

I'm so sorry.

No harm done.

But I must say you do keep one on the alert.

Adele?

Yes, madam.

Adele, Mr. Bicknell and I live in this building, and we've been looking for a

suitable cook housekeeper.

I wonder if you'd be interested.

You do cook.

Well, I have cooked.

Will you think it over and phone me?

But you're not qualified.

I know.

So you refuse.

I'm thinking it over.

What is there to think over?

I could learn.

So who would teach you?

Ah.

Prince, surely you're not suggesting that I... Oh, no.

Of course not.

Don't worry, Mr. French. I won't impose further on your kindness.

Please, don't give it another thought.

Something will turn up.

Somewhere. It always has.

Not your responsibility.

The job was a temptation.

Only the two of them.

Distinguished atmosphere, suitable neighborhood.

But... Can you cook at all?

It's not my specialty.

Please don't feel badly about me, Mr. French. I have the $15 I earned tonight.

Madam, do you think if I were to help you make a... heart.

You could take over in a short while.

Oh, I'm sure I could.

I shall probably regret it.

You may tell Mrs.

Bicknell you'll accept the job.

Oh, Mr. French, I can't.

It's good of you to be so understanding, sir. Well, everybody needs helping hand

now and then.

When's she start?

This morning, sir. I think she's going to be pretty quick to catch on, do you?

hope so, sir. Well, she's most eager.

Well, she's got a good teacher.

I assure you, sir, this arrangement in no way will upset the routine of our

family. Oh, I'm sure it won't.

Now, whatever you want to do to help this poor woman out, why, just go ahead

do it.

Hey, what's that? What smells so good?

Scones in the oven, sir. Excuse me.

I can't leave now. I must serve Mr. Davis's breakfast. Please, it was

high as the third drawer.

Oh, really?

Madam.

Uncle Bill?

Huh?

When are we going to start building the McKenzie Dam?

Today.

Today? After you get home from work?

No, today in the office.

You just leave it to me, seeing you're going to have a McKenzie Dam you're

of.

Come on, let's go get some breakfast.

Morning,

Sissy. Morning, Uncle Bill. Morning.

Uncle Bill?

Mm -hmm?

Isn't that...

forced to abandon the scones.

I'll put in a fresh batch.

No, never mind. I haven't got time. Just give me some juice and coffee. Come on,

Sid.

Are we ready, Mr. French?

Quite, Mrs. Prentiss.

Was it necessary for you to have brought the menagerie?

They were my excuse for leaving the apartment.

I told Mrs. Bicknell I was taking them for a walk.

The curry chicken.

Mr. Bicknell is very fond of curry chicken. I asked Mrs. Bicknell.

I presumed you'd be here to observe my preparation.

It was impossible.

I was exhausted after all the soap said this morning. I simply had to have a

little rest.

I knew I'd just be in your way.

But the entire point was that I should instruct you. And I'm so grateful.

How can I ever repay you?

Perhaps by learning to cook.

I'm sure.

Just leave this model to me and we're going to have the best looking project

the whole class, okay?

But when are we going to build it, Uncle Bill?

Just a couple of days. I'm going to let you help me put on the finishing

touches, okay?

Okay. Okay.

Hi, French.

Good evening, son.

What's on the menu?

Your favorite, son.

Curried chicken. Curried chicken.

What's the occasion?

Reparation for the scum, sir.

How's it going with your student?

Well, as well as could be expected, sir. She's, well, she's still employed.

That must make you feel pretty good, huh?

Yes, sir.

Mrs. Prentiss, what is it now? The curried chicken.

When I got back to the apartment, I put the casserole down for just a second to

unlock the door, and the dogs... The dogs! They didn't.

They did.

All of them.

Mrs. Beckman wants me to serve dinner in five minutes, and I don't have anything

to serve.

I suggest the truth.

Accuse the dogs.

Well, I've done my best, Mrs. Prentiss, but I'm rarely at a loss now.

Mr. French!

Absolutely not. That's Mr.

Davis's dinner. But he's a kind man.

He wouldn't want me to lose my job. He'd understand.

A helpless woman's future is at stake.

Once in Terre Haute, we carried a horse.

I think that's different.

I think so.

Excuse me, sir, but we're faced with another emergency.

And Mrs. Prentice again.

What's she want this time?

Mr. Davis, we regret we will not be serving curried chicken tonight.

Sir, the dogs ate hers. It was necessary to give her ours.

Her future was at stake.

Yeah, well, what's that leave for us?

Well, perhaps a nice omelette, a frozen dinner, peanut butter,

jelly.

All right, Sheila.

Oh, I'm never better.

Bill, I wanted to tell you how grateful we are to you for bringing Adele into

our lives. Oh, that's good.

She is a jewel.

Dinner last night, well, it was an occasion.

I wish you could have tasted that curried chicken.

I wish I could have, too.

You know, actually, I think French could learn a few things from Adele.

Well, we're going to give a dinner party next Wednesday night, and just to show

her off, and I thought maybe you'd come.

It's Wednesday. Oh, I can't. I got a date.

Thanks, then. I'm sorry.

Maybe next time. Sure.

Oh,

allow me, sir. No, it's all right. It's a little surprise for the kids.

Listen, French.

I just was talking to Mrs. Bicknell. She says she's having a dinner party on

Wednesday. Yes, sir. I've worked out a suitable menu for Mrs. Prentiss. I mean,

it's a very nice thing to give somebody a helping hand when they're down, but

also there's a time to, I think, let them stand on their own.

You echo my sentiments. It's high time she flew out from under our wing.

But I assure you, sir, this dinner party will be her private affair.

Uncle Bill!

Why are you hiding, Uncle Bill?

Well, that's a surprise. It's what it is.

Now, ready?

There you are.

McKenzie Dam.

It's beautiful.

Who built it?

Well, I started to, but the people in the office finished it.

For us?

Sure. I bet none of the other kids in school got one like that.

No, Uncle Bill.

I'll bet so, too.

Gee, thanks.

Thanks a lot.

That's okay.

Any time you need any help, just let me know.

Come on, Mrs. Brenton. Here are your cookbooks. Thank you. I hope last

dinner party was a success. It was a disaster.

I made hamburgers and spaghetti.

Mrs. Bicknell wept and Mr. Bicknell started shouting.

They all went out to a restaurant.

That was after the fire department came and before Mrs. Bicknell fired me.

I should never have let you talk me into taking that job.

I've learned my lesson. Never listen to a man.

From here on, I'm on my own. Make my own decisions.

You men are all alike.

The minute a woman is foolish enough to rely on you, you let her down.

Never again.

Good day.

Well, hi, kids. How'd the teacher like your project?

She liked your project just fine.

From the teacher.

Dear Mr. Davis, after seeing this model, I can understand why your engineering

firm is one of the best in the business.

You do beautiful work.

However, since this was supposed to be an assignment for the children, I cannot

accept this very handsome model.

Helping them through encouragement and direction is one thing. Mr. Davis, doing

their work for them is quite another.

Sincerely, Mr. Friendly.

Excuse us, Uncle Bill.

We have to go do our project.

all by ourselves.

Come on, you pieces, come in.

Well, I did it again.

Yes, I quite understand, sir. My good deeds have also come to no good end.

Mrs. Prentiss has been dismissed.

Oh, that's too bad.

Well, she can't blame you. You meant well.

This teacher acts like I was trying to pull something shady.

We meant well, sir.

Oh, all disasters were meant well.

All right, that can be a lesson to us. From now on, the family motto is going

be don't get involved.

I agree, sir. I shall have it engraved and emblazoned on my wall.

Don't get involved.

Right. From now on, when somebody hollers for help, just keep moving.

I shall not even turn my head, sir.

Well, we got no business.

Fool around with kids' projects, anyway. For that matter, what do we know about

kids in school?

For that matter, female servants, sir.

Right.

All right, French.

I won't be home for dinner tonight.

I'm going to call Miss Foster right now.

I'm going to take her out to dinner, and then we'll take it to a show. A nice,

safe, comfortable evening.

No involvement, sir. Lend it. All right.

Uncle Bill?

I just thought that you ought to know something.

Like what?

Like Buffy and Jody understand why you built the dam.

Sure, I didn't know any better.

No.

Because you love them, and you cared enough to get involved.

And, Mr. French, I think it's great how you help Mrs. Prentice.

Gosh, it's so easy these days to just...

Look away.

Stand aside.

You see, we had nice enough places to live in Terre Haute.

But the difference was that nobody really cared very much. And,

well, you know...

If I may say so, sir.

There goes the family motto.

Well, dinner at home tonight, French.

I've got to keep an eye on those kids, you know, so they don't foul up their

project. May I volunteer to assist, sir?

Naturally.