Original subtitles

- Boy, have me and Mr. Wilson been having fun.

- Oh, Dennis, I hope you haven't been bothering Mr. Wilson.

- Heck, no.

He was glad to see me.

He said let's play a game.

- Mr. Wilson said let's play a game?

- Sure.

I guess he has more fun with me than with anybody.

- And what game did you play?

- Hide and seek.

Mr. Wilson said, I'll hide first, if you can't find me,

the game's over and you go home.

So here I am.

- What do you mean you can't get out?

GEORGE (BEHIND DOOR): I can't open the door.

- Well, what were you doing in there anyway?

- Well, Dennis and I were playing-- Oh, never mind.

Just go get Mitchell.

He can take the door off the hinges.

[theme music]

- You're almost a free man, Mr. Wilson.

GEORGE (BEHIND DOOR): Oh, good.

Mr. Kramer's due any moment.

Oh, Kramer, he was your old boss, wasn't he?

- Oh, indeed, he was.

He's the president of the company.

- He was very unhappy when George decided to retire.

GEORGE (BEHIND DOOR): Uh, tell him what Mr. Kramer said, dear.

- He said the Kramer Business Machine

Company was losing a valuable employee.

- It's most valuable employee.

Ha, OK, Mr. Wilson, push on the door.

There we are.

- Ah, thank you, Mitchell.

Oh, great Scott, I feel like the prisoner of Zenda.

- What's Mr. Kramer doing in town?

- Well, I don't know.

He called me long distance, said it was very important

that he talk to me right away.

He was, why, he was quite mysterious.

- George, you know what I think?

- Oh, now, Martha, I've been retired for five years.

An important man like Mr. Kramer isn't

going to waste his time checking up on a dozen pencils.

- Do you want me to put that door back before Kramer gets here?

- Oh, no, no, just leave it there, Mitchell,

I'll take care of it.

- OK, in that case, I'll run along.

I wouldn't want Kramer seeing me dressed like this.

- Well, thanks again, Mitchell.

Bye.

- Bye.

- My we're lucky to have such nice neighbors.

- Well, two-thirds of them are nice.

That other third's driving me off my rocker.

- George, what's your old top hat doing down here?

- Oh, Dennis must have found that up in the attic.

Heh, heh.

Well, say, you know, Martha, it takes a certain flair

to wear a top hat.

- It certainly does, and you have it more than anyone.

- Aw, thank you my dear, but I don't

think I'd give Fred Astaire much to worry about.

Do you?

- Well, I don't know, dear.

When you used to do your Fred Astaire imitations--

- Oh, you remembered.

- Well, of course, I do, dear.

Do it for me now.

- Oh, no, no.

- Oh, go on, George, do it.

- Oh, Martha, don't be silly.

It's been too many years ago.

Well, what would I use for a cane?

- Use this.

- All right, you be Ginger Rogers.

- Oh, go on, George.

Well, let's see if I can remember it.

Ah, rump, ba-bump, bump, ba.

[clapping]

- Oh, George, that was wonderful.

- Well, the old legs are still pretty spry, eh?

- They certainly are.

Do it up and down the stairs for me.

- Well, all right.

Say, you know, it's too bad you don't have the camera out.

[doorbell ringing]

- Oh, great Scott!

Mr. Kramer.

- George Wilson, I remember the Fred Astaire

imitation from the office party.

- Oh, heh, heh, Mr. Kramer.

Well, this is no party.

You see the little neighbor boy-- eh, oh well, never mind.

If I told you about him, you wouldn't believe it.

Oh, yes, he's responsible for that door, too.

- My it's good to see you again, Mr. Kramer.

- Good to see you, Mrs. Wilson.

- Won't you come in?

- Yes, thank you.

- My, it certainly is, well, this is just like old times.

How have you been, Mr. Kramer?

- Oh, fine, Wilson, fine.

How about you?

Has your retirement been everything you expected?

Oh, Oh yes, yes sir.

It's been marvelous, yes, indeed.

I spend most of my time working in the garden.

- You'd be amazed how much time he spends out there.

He's turning our yard into a regular showplace.

- Oh, my latest project is right by this window here.

Yes, I have some prize periwinkles.

They're just beginning to poke their little heads up

above the ground.

Well, I'm eagerly awaiting the moment

they burst into glorious bloom.

- Well, frankly, Wilson, I was hoping

you were missing the company.

It certainly misses you.

- Oh, oh, well, I do.

Yes, Mr. Kramer, indeed.

That was a big part of my life for many years.

Ho, a man doesn't forget that overnight.

- How would you like to come back to work?

Come back to work? - Um-hmm.

- Mr. Kramer?

But why would you want an old duffer like me back in harness.

Why you have plenty of young men coming up.

- Well, they haven't any experience or judgment,

or your executive ability.

- Well, that's very nice of you, but--

- The Pittsburgh office has gone to pot, Wilson.

The sales have fallen off to the point where

it's either close the office, or bring

in a man who knows what he's doing.

And I think you're that man.

- Pittsburgh's in Pennsylvania.

- Yes, it would mean moving.

- Moving?

- Oh, moving?

Oh, well, I don't know, Mr. Kramer.

- Well, now, think of the financial end of it, Wilson.

Your investment income can't be too much,

and we're prepared to make you a very attractive deal.

Now, will you think it over?

- Well, I don't know, Mr. Kramer.

DENNIS: Hello, Mr. Wilson.

Yes Mr. Kramer I will think it over.

How soon do you need my decision?

- Well, fast, Wilson.

I have a board of directors meeting coming up.

I can only give you 24 hours.

- 24 hours?

Well, that's not much time.

- Hey, Mr. Wilson, want to play some more hide and seek?

- 24 hours will give me plenty of time, Mr. Kramer.

- Well, naturally, I'll do whatever George wants.

- But you'd rather stay here.

Oh

- Alice, this is our home.

This is where our friends are, our neighbors.

- Well, Mr. Wilson hasn't made up his mind yet, has he?

- No.

He's out in the hammock thinking it over.

- Hi, Mr. Wilson.

How come you're taking your nap with all

that stuff in your hand?

- I am not taking a nap.

And I have the flyswatter, because I

can't stand flies on me.

And the lemonade, because I'm thirsty.

Now are you satisfied?

- Sure.

Did you make the lemonade like you usually

do with about 10 spoons of sugar in it?

- Yes, I did.

Now if you don't mind, Dennis, I'm trying to think.

- What are you thinking about?

- Drat. - There's some on your chin.

- Oh.

Well, I'm thinking about grave issues and large sums of money.

- Didn't Mrs. Wilson give you your allowance?

- I don't have an allowance.

- You haven't? Jeepers.

I have.

- Great Scott.

- Do you want me to lend you a nickel?

- No. - A dime?

- A dime? - No.

Now, look, Dennis, I am trying to think.

If you're going to stay here, you

have to be absolutely quiet.

- OK, Mr. Wilson. - OK.

- Hey, Mr. Wilson, give me your flyswatter.

- What?

- Give me the flyswatter.

- Oh!

For Pete's sake.

- He was right on that spot where you spilled

the lemonade with all the sugar in it.

- Well, I don't care where he was, never

hit them when they're on me.

- Never?

No, never.

- OK, Mr. Wilson.

I'll just stand here and wave at him.

- Of course, he is interested.

It makes him feel important.

And bless his heart, George likes to feel important.

- What in the world?

- You'd think someone was after him.

- Where is he?

Where is he?

- George, what's the matter?

- I'll tell you what's the matter.

It's that boy.

- Well, now, hold on, Mr. Wilson.

What did he do?

I was out in the hammock, and Dennis was hanging around.

- Well, what's the matter with that?

- Oh, good gravy, Martha, sometimes I

think you and I don't know the same boy.

I was lying there.

I was thinking about Pittsburgh and my eyes were closed.

- Well, was he making noise?

- No, he wasn't making a sound.

But I heard a buzzing.

- A buzzing?

- Yes.

And I opened my eyes, and three honeybees right

on the front of my shirt, and a couple more

coming in for a landing.

- Well, I wonder what was attracting them?

- Well, uh, oh, never mind what was attracting them.

The point is Dennis had the flyswatter.

When I said, hit them.

He said, oh, I'd better not.

You'll get mad.

And so he just waved at them with the flyswatter.

- Well, he was trying to get them off you.

- Oh, sure.

Then the bees got mad, and I had to run for my life.

- Well, were either one of you stung?

- Yes, I was.

- Oh, George, where?

- Well, just never you mind.

But I'll tell you one thing, if we move to Pittsburgh,

it will be because of Dennis.

- George, you don't mean that.

- Oh, I most certainly do.

- George isn't himself.

- Well, you can't blame him.

Bee stings are no fun.

- It's their chemistry.

You mix Dennis with Mr. Wilson, and you get dynamite.

- Well, if we move to Pittsburgh--

- Jeepers, Mrs. Wilson.

You can't move to Pittsburgh.

Mr. Wilson's one of my best friends.

- Now, Dennis-- If he's mad at me,

tell him to hit me or something.

But don't move away.

- Dennis.

- Tell him I'll stand out in his front yard,

and he can throw rocks at me.

- Dennis, don't be silly.

- Now, Dennis, listen to me.

Mr. Wilson doesn't want to hit you.

He's very fond of you.

- Then how come he's moving to Pittsburgh?

- Well, if we move to Pittsburgh, it won't be because of you.

- That's not what Mr. Wilson said.

Well, Mr. Wilson was upset.

Just forget he said it.

- That's right, son.

- Run out and see what Tommy's doing, dear.

- OK.

From now on, I'm going to be different.

I'm going to stop making dynamite,

and I'm going to start closing doors,

and all that kind of stuff.

[door slams]

- Oh, fine, now he's back to slamming them.

- Where is Pittsburgh.

- Jeepers, Tommy, don't you know anything?

It's in Philadelphia.

And I got to think of something so Mr. Wilson will stay here.

- Yeah, we had a lot of fun with Mr. Wilson.

- Remember last summer when we had

that taffy pull at his house?

That was one of the swellest times I ever had.

Boy, I was sick all night.

- Yeah, and me, too.

Did you ever get it out?

- Oh, sure, a long time ago.

I've got to think of something so Mr. Wilson will like me

again, and then he'll stay.

- Um-hmm.

Yes, you're right, Martha, absolutely right.

I mustn't make an emotional decision.

I must approach it logically.

- That's my George.

- You know, Martha, I am blessed with an analytical mind that

is capable of getting right to the bones of an issue.

Should I say bones?

To the marrow, my dear.

The very marrow.

- You certainly are, George.

- Now, let us consider Pittsburgh as a place to live.

- I hear it's smoggy.

- Oh, Martha, that's all in the past.

Why the air in Pittsburgh's like sparkling wine, exhilarating,

my dear.

Why the city is clean, progressive, forward-looking.

Looking

- I'm going to miss our friends and neighbors.

I'll miss Alice, and Henry, a little--

- Ah, don't say it, Martha.

I am trying not to be emotional. [kids singing]

Now, what in the world is that?

[singing jolly good fellow]

- It's Dennis and his little friends singing to you.

- Why, so it is.

- Oh, Dennis is so fond of you.

He told me once that he wanted to be just

like you when he grows up.

- Oh, really?

Basically, Dennis is a fine boy, has high ideals.

- Go to the window and tell him you're not angry with him.

- Well, all right.

Great Scott!

You're standing in my new periwinkle bed.

That settles it, Martha.

We are moving to Pittsburgh.

- I'm sure going to miss Mr. Wilson.

- We all are.

- Well, maybe some nice new neighbors

will move in next door.

- I don't want nice neighbors.

I want good old Mr. Wilson.

- He has been a good friend.

Remember last winter when he shoveled the driveway,

so I wouldn't be late for work?

- And Mrs. Wilson.

I don't know what we'd have done when

I had the flu if she hadn't done all the cooking.

- Mr. Wilson's been a good fishing buddy.

Nobody can tie a flat like George Wilson.

- And I can't remember all the times they babysat for us.

- Excuse me.

- He's taught me all I know about gardening.

- I'm going to go write a letter.

- A letter, who to?

- To Mr. Wilson.

- Poor kid, he's probably going to say goodbye.

- Yours truly, Dennis Mitchell.

- There.

Martha?

- Yes, George.

Oh, come here, dear, I want to show you something.

Now look, I put this door back just for appearances sake,

but the latch, it still isn't fixed.

- Well, you can't expect the real estate people

to send anyone so soon.

You only called them an hour ago.

- Now, my dear, preparedness is the hallmark

of a good executive.

Someone might come.

The point is, don't ever try to close that door.

We'll never get it open again.

- All right, George.

What's that?

Hmm?

Oh, well, it looks like it's from Dennis.

Dear Mr. Wilson, me and Mom and Dad are down in the dumps,

because we're going to miss you if you move.

Everybody is.

I know you're moving because of me, so don't do it.

I've moved instead.

Now Mom and Dad can get out of the dumps.

I've moved.

Yours truly, Dennis Mitchell.

- Hey, George, he's left home.

- Oh, great Scott.

Run away, and he did it because of me.

Oh, I feel awful.

- Don't blame yourself.

- Well, I do, Martha.

We've got to go over and tell the Mitchells about this.

Well, there's no telling what kind of peril

that boy might be in.

- Sure, Dennis, I'd be glad to have you move in here with me.

But we'll have to ask my Mom first when she gets home.

- Do you think your Mom will let me stay?

Have I been in any trouble around here lately?

- No.

Not lately.

She had the lamp fixed a long time ago.

Aren't you going to miss your folks?

- Well, I'll be seeing them.

I'll go over and watch television with them

every night after it gets dark.

That way, Mr. Wilson won't see me.

- Now Mom and Dad can get out of the dumps.

I've moved.

Yours truly, Dennis Mitchell.

- Well, Henry, my little baby.

- Take it easy, honey.

We'll find him.

- Oh, I feel responsible for the whole thing.

- It isn't your fault.

- Of course not.

- It was the talk about moving that did it.

- Now, George.

- Well, we are not moving to Pittsburgh.

Now you just get that idea right out of your head, Martha.

- Operator, please give me the police department.

Hello, sergeant, I'd like to report

a little boy who's run away from home.

- Oh, here, Mitchell, let me have that phone.

I can get right through to the chief, Foster Stewart.

- That would be wonderful, Mr. Wilson.

- Sergeant, this is Mr. George Wilson speaking.

Put me through to the chief.

Thank you.

They all know me.

Foster?

George.

Look Foster, we need your help.

Our little neighbor boy's has run away, Dennis Mitchell.

Yes.

That's the one.

Blond hair, blue eyes, striped shirt and overalls.

Right.

And I'll give a $100 reward to the officer

that brings him home.

The address is 627 Elm Street.

Thanks, Foster.

Yes, goodbye.

- That's very generous of you Mr. Wilson.

- Oh, nonsense, I want to give the officers an incentive

to really keep their eyes open.

- How soon before they start looking?

- Oh, in a matter of minutes.

And you see the patrol cars will be alerted by radio.

- I suppose all we can do now is wait.

No, no, no, I'm not finished yet.

- Who are you calling?

- I'm calling the radio station.

Yes, I'll have them broadcast the same offer

to the general public.

- Aha, you're dead. - Ohh.

How come I'm always the one that has to be dead?

- Because I'm the fastest draw on this block, that's why.

Uh, you know, uh, I used to put notches

in the barrel of my old gun.

But once I filed too deep, it fell off.

- Let's do something else for a while.

I'm tired of being the Indian.

- OK.

- What you want to do?

- Let's go look in your refrigerator.

- We'd spoil our dinner.

It's almost five.

- Hey, at five, we can turn on the radio.

The lady in blue will be reading the funnies.

- OK.

What do you want to do until five?

- Why don't we go to your refrigerator and just look.

- But Henry, where will he eat tonight?

And sleep?

- I don't know, but I can't stand to sit around

here and wait any longer.

I'm going to go get in the car and find him.

[police siren]

- It's a police car.

- They found him! - Hallelujah.

- Where's my checkbook?

- I want to go home.

- You are home.

Well, I found him.

But he sure put up a fight.

- Officer, that's not Dennis.

- He isn't?

- I told you and told you.

I'm little Ricky Thompson.

Uh-oh,

- Uh-oh, well, I'll take you right back where I found you,

son.

- My mom's going to be mad.

She told me not to leave the block.

- I'm sorry to trouble you folks.

Well, come on.

STORYTELLER (ON RADIO):

do you know what Betty and Bob found when they got home?

- They found the scooter.

STORYTELLER (ON RADIO): They found the scooter.

ANNOUNCER (ON RADIO): We interrupt this program

to bring you this bulletin.

A $100 reward is offered for the return of Dennis Mitchell

to his home at 627 Elm Street.

It is requested that anyone seeing this boy, tell him

the Wilsons are not moving to Pittsburgh.

- Oh, boy!

ANNOUNCER (ON RADIO): The Mitchell's boy's description

is as follows.

- Blonde, blue-eyed, striped shirt, are you sure?

- Officer, I ought to know my own boy.

- We most certainly should.

- My dad's an alderman.

He'll fire you.

- Yeah, sonny, come on, I'll take you home, huh?

Sorry Mr. Mitchell.

- Your offer of a

put the police on their toes.

- Oh, yes, every blonde, blue-eyed boy in the city

gets a free ride in a police car.

- I'm home!

- Dennis!

Oh, Dennis, where have you been?

- Over at Tommy's house.

Did you miss me?

Of course, we did.

- Dennis, you must never do that again.

I should say not.

Why, I've been worried sick.

- We all have.

Hey, guess who was on the radio?

Me and good old Mr. Wilson.

You're not moving to Pittsburgh, did you know that?

- Well, of course, I knew it.

- So me and Tommy are splitting a $100 reward.

- What? - He brought me home.

- Now just a minute.

- Now hold on, Dennis.

You can't take a reward for bringing yourself home.

Besides it's from Mr. Wilson.

- Mr. Wilson put up a reward for me?

- Well, I guess I did, Dennis.

- Boy, I love you, too, Mr. Wilson.

- Well, that's fine.

- And I wouldn't take a reward from you

even if you told me to.

All the reward I want is that you're not moving.

- Oh, oh, oh, well, you're a good boy, Dennis.

- So you can give it all to Tommy.

- What?

- Jeepers, Mr. Wilson, I don't want it either.

- Martha.

Aren't these the nicest boys?

- Aw, it's so nice of you to have us all over.

- Well, it's a joyous occasion having little Dennis back.

- Yes.

- Come on, Dennis.

DENNIS: I'm coming.

- Oh, let me have your wrap, Alice.

- Oh, thank you.

- Come on in, dear.

It's just a simple dinner, but I thought

you enjoy not having to cook.

- Oh, I certainly will.

- Here I am.

- Come on in, Dennis.

- But I'm going to stay and help you with the dishes.

- Did you notice, Mrs. Wilson?

I didn't forget to close a single door.

Hey, where's Mr. Wilson?

[door rattling]

GEORGE (BEHIND

[theme music]

- This has been a Screen Gems Film Production

from the Hollywood studios of Columbia Pictures.