Original subtitles

- And who'll say $5.00?

$5 for this excellent pair of field glasses, practically

brand now.

Remember this is for charity.

$5, $5 to the man in the grey hat, going once, going twice,

sold.

And now, I have something very nice

donated by a wonderful lady for the benefit of our children's

orphanage.

12, one dozen, 12--

- Well, hi, Mr. Wilson.

AUCTIONEER (OFFSCREEN): Take my word for it.

- Oh, hello, Dennis.

What are you doing here?

- I went to the meat market for Mom.

AUCTIONEER (OFFSCREEN): Do I hear $6?

- What are we watching, Mr. Wilson?

AUCTIONEER (OFFSCREEN): $6.

- I'm watching an auction.

AUCTIONEER (OFFSCREEN): No takers at $6?

- Oh.

I'd rather watch television.

You can see better.

You want to lift me up so i can help you watch?

- No, can't you see I'm loaded down with groceries?

- Do you want me to help you carry some?

- I should say not.

Don't your remember what happened the last time?

- Oh, eggs again?

- Yes.

- Do I hear $3.50?

- I won't drop them this time.

- No, Dennis.

- Sold to the man holding up the paper bag.

- Hey, you made a good buy on them table napkins.

- What's that?

- Yeah, them-- them table napkins you bid in for $3.50.

I say you made a good buy.

- I didn't make a bid. - Well, sure.

You had your hand up.

Oh-- oh, no.

Oh, oh, Mr.--

[stuttering]

- Mr. Auctioneer?

- Yes, sir?

- There's a mistake.

I didn't mean to put in a bid.

- Please, folks, don't raise your hand

unless you're making a bid.

And then, for goodness sakes, go on with your bargain,

even if you have to put out the princely sum of $3.50

for the orphans of this community.

[theme music]

- And now, something for you collectors, especially

those of you who remember the good old days,

the roaring '20s.

I have here a genuine 1927 10-tube superheterodyne

radio set.

- Oh, Mr. Wilson, I'm so sorry you

didn't take those table napkins.

- Well, you see, Mrs. Schooner, it was a mistake.

- They were donated to us by Mrs. Scott.

And I know she would just have loved

to see them go to Mrs. Wilson.

- Yeah, well--well, you see, I didn't mean to raise my hat.

- Mr. Mooney, our auctioneer, was so disappointed.

AUCTIONEER (OFFSCREEN): $4.00--

- He's giving his time free, and he works so hard.

- Well, if you'd just let me explain.

Now you see, I was trying to keep my eggs from him.

He wanted to carry them for me.

- That's right, Mrs. Schooner, it wasn't his fault.

I tried to take his eggs like this.

- Dennis, no!

- Sold to the man holding up the bag.

- And you'd better take it this time, Buster.

- Wha?

- You just bought a junky, old radio $4.50.

[eggs cracking] Great Scott!

- Is it all right?

- Well, you're doing better, dear.

You're only $20 off this month.

- Hi, ma.

Hi, dad.

Look what I have.

- Oh, where on earth did you get that?

- Mr. Wilson gave it to me.

- Well, I should think he would.

Now who do we give it to?

- But it's a super radio set, Mom.

Can I keep it?

- My, it's an old superheterodyne.

- Oh, what a monstrosity.

- My dad used to have one of these remarkable old sets.

Boy, did it get distance.

- Can I keep it?

- Well, I--

- Dennis, we have a nice modern radio in the kitchen.

And there's another pretty one upstairs.

- Your Mom's right, son.

It probably won't play anyway.

- Sure it'll play, Dad.

The man wouldn't sell Mr. Wilson something that wouldn't play.

- Mr. Wilson bought it?

I-- I thought he found it in his attic or some place.

- The man at the auction sold it to Mr. Wilson.

And he gave it to me.

Can I keep it?

- Well, Dennis, I-- - Please?

- Well, what do you say, honey?

I don't think it can do any harm.

- OK.

But let's put it out on the patio that way

it'll be handy for the junk man when he gets tired of it.

- Gee, thanks, dad.

Thanks, mom.

- All right.

- I'll take it out to the patio and plug it in for you.

- Honey, dinner's about ready.

Would you call Dennis?

- OK.

- Hey, the radio works.

I got it to work.

- You did?

- I sure did, boy, right after I took those bills out

of the inside.

- Bills?

- Money bills-- the insides are just full of them, like this.

- That's a $20.

- Oh, I've got to see this.

[hollering]

- Henry, look at this!

- $5s, $10s--

- $20s.

Well, the--there's hundreds of dollars here.

- Dennis, you're rich.

- I am?

Jeepers!

Mr. Wilson, Mr. Wilson!

Come see what I found in my radio!

- Now, why would I care what he found in his radio?

- I never thought you'd get here, Mr Wilson.

I called, and called, and called.

- Well, you could've mentioned money

in the first place, Dennis.

- There's $1,650.

- And in this old radio I bid for.

Well, it's like I always say, Martha.

It pays to give to charity.

- Did you say that, George?

- Why, there's enough here for that electrical golf

cart plus a set of match clubs.

Oh, and more.

- Or enough for the start of a college education

fund for someone I know.

- You did give the set to Dennis, remember?

- I did?

- Yes, you said he's the legal owner now

and that he couldn't give it back to you.

So don't you have something to say to Alice and Henry?

- Yes, I'm sorry.

O-Oh, I mean I'm sorry I got carried away thinking about

that new electric golf cart I saw this morning.

No, no, the set belongs to Dennis.

I gave it to him.

It's his without any strings.

- I've been thinking about that, Mr. Wilson.

It's true.

You did give the set to Dennis, but you

bought it in the first place.

- Uh, well yes, that's right.

- So I think it ought to be a 50/50 split.

- I should say so.

- Oh, Alice, you and Henry are such good neighbors.

- Well, you certainly are!

Well, shall we split the melon?

- There's no time like the present.

[mr. wilson chuckling]

- But Dad, aren't we going to find the owner

and give it back for a reward?

- Oops.

- Mrs. Morrison says you always return

money and stuff if you find it.

- Mrs. Morrison?

- Well, that's his school teacher.

- Oh, Dennis, you're right.

What in the world were we thinking of?

Of course we have to find the owner.

- Well, that's for your half, Dennis.

Mr. Wilson can spend his or do whatever he wants with it.

- Well, there's this electric golf cart on sale.

It's a steal for $800.

- No sir, Dad.

Mr. Wilson's my honest friend.

He wouldn't spend it.

[mr. wilson chuckling]

- Yes, thank you, Dennis.

It's all right, Mitchell.

I don't think we'll ever find the owner, anyway.

Why, from the looks of that old set,

the money was probably left there

by some old miser who's dead and buried by now.

- Dennis, tonight we'll write out an ad for the newspaper.

- Boy, I sure hope we get a big reward.

- You're sure this is the way you want it, Mr. Wilson?

- Oh, yes, Mitchell.

I mustn't set a bad example for Dennis.

And as I say, I doubt that we'll find the owner anyway.

As a matter of fact, I feel so sure about it

that I'm going back downtown and snap up

the bargain on that golf cart.

[mr. wilson chuckling]

- No more tramping up and down those fairways for me.

No sir.

[mr. wilson chuckling]

- I'm sorry I'm late, Mr. Wilson.

I found I could make an early call on a customer

before going to the office.

- Oh well.

That's all right, Mitchell.

- Here's the ad that Alice and Dennis drew up.

- Oh, fine.

Oh, say, by the way, did you see my new electrical golf

car this morning?

- No, I didn't.

- Well, I rode it past your house twice.

I thought you might have seen it.

- Sorry.

- Well, anyway, it's a beauty. [mr. wilson chuckling]

- Will I be able to speed down those fairways now!

A-- oh, Mitchell, you're saying too much here.

- You know, I think you're right, Mr. Wilson.

- Oh.

- It's the first time I've read this.

- Sure.

You know, the problem with returning

found money is to make absolutely sure

that only the real owner gets it.

Why, with this description you'd have every fortune hunter

in the country hammering at your door.

- I agree.

- But you wouldn't want that, would ya?

- No. - No.

Now, listen to this first part.

"Found $1,650 in old paper currency consisting of 5, 10s,

and 20s," or just cut that out and say money.

Money.

Listen to this next part.

"Stuffed in the back of a superheterodyne 1927 radio

set with mahogany cabinet."

[mitchell chuckling]

- I'm sorry about that, Mr. Wilson.

Why, with this ad, anyone could claim the money,

we'd have to give it to them.

- Why, of course.

Let's just cut this down to size, shall we?

- Oh, excuse me, is Mr. Krinkie around?

- He went down to the City Hall.

Could I help you?

- Oh, yes, we'd like to place an ad.

Could it get in the afternoon paper?

- Yes, sir. - Good.

- It looks like it's going to rain.

- Huh, rain?

Well, by golly, it does.

Say, I intended to play some golf today.

Instead, I better go home and get my patio furniture

under cover.

- That'll be $2.30, sir.

- Oh.

- I'll split it with you, Mitchell.

- Hi, Mr. Krinkie.

- Hello, Dennis, Tommy.

- You in there getting a story for your paper?

- Yes, my reporter's on a vacation.

- He is?

Could I have a job while he's away?

- Oh, I'm afraid not, Dennis.

- But when I was a little kid, you

said you might let me report for you someday.

Now I've got a report card and everything.

- I know you're learning to write and spell,

Dennis, but I need someone who is a little bit more

experienced who has a nose for news, as the saying goes.

- That's me.

I can smell real good.

- That's not exactly what I meant.

Anyway, as I told you before, I'll

always print a good story if you bring it in.

- If I told you I found $1,650 in an old radio set,

would that be a story?

- Why, yes Dennis, if it were a true story.

- This really happened.

- Really?

Honest engine?

- Yeah.

Both really and honest engine.

- Well, that's sounds like a good news item, Dennis.

Tell me about it.

[laughing]

- The way I got it to work was to tap it three times right here

and hook these two wires together.

- Boy, it sure plays good for so old.

- That's because my Dad worked on it last night

and put in some new tubes.

- He said I might get some station far off.

ALICE (OFFSCREEN): Dennis, go straighten up your room.

- OK, Mom.

Come on, Tommy.

MALE SPEAKER (ON RADIO): Clearing skies and sunshine,

a forecast for [inaudible].

Yes, our local weatherman has a surprise for us.

Sunshine.

Sunshine within the next hour and throughout the rest

of the day.

Therefore, if you're planning a hunt, a spot of fishing,

boating, or a day of golf, you can go out

with the weatherman's assurance of glorious sunshine.

Thus, it appears that hunters should

have good shooting in the interior,

a rapidly diminishing low pressure area

should clear things up.

This concludes our summary of local sports news and weather

for Kenya Colony, East Africa.

Now for the translation in Swahili.

[speaking swahili] - Who are you calling?

- Uh, Mr. Moorhead.

- The President of the bank?

- Uh, yes.

It's his afternoon to play hookie,

so I've inviting him to play golf in my new cart.

- It was going to pour.

- Oh no, dear.

We'll have sunshine within an hour.

And then it'll be fine for the rest of the day.

I just heard it over the radio.

- I'm sorry, Mr. Moorhead, but the weatherman distinctly

promised sunshine.

- Now if someone lost some money in a radio set,

and he reads this, he'll know whether it's his or not.

- Yeah, and if it isn't his, he won't

to have to bother in coming over.

- And if it is his, he'll say boy, they found my money.

I've gotta go right over and give Dennis a reward.

Boy, I'm sure glad it stopped raining.

- It sure tells a lot more than this dinky little ad here

in the back.

- Yeah, somebody took out all the words me and Mom put down.

Boy, I bet my Dad and Mr. Wilson are

going to be mighty mad when they see it.

- Thanks for the eggs, Alice.

I'd planned to go to the store this afternoon,

but I got bogged down with other things, that is.

- You're welcome.

- Oh, by the way, I brought over my newspaper.

- Oh good.

We haven't seen ours yet.

Dennis must have it.

- Ah, let's look for our ad, huh?

Eh.

Oh, yeah, there it is right there.

- Is that all it says?

- Well, honey, when we got down to the newspaper office

we cut out a little of the description.

As it was, we would have had half the fortune hunters

in the country pounding on our doors.

[doorbell rings] DENNIS (OFFSCREEN): I'll get it.

- OK.

- Oh, yes.

You see, Alice, the burden about finding money

is that you have to be so careful and cagey not

to give it to some crook who comes claiming.

Why, the less you describe it, the better.

- Well, I just hope the real owner

can even recognize it from that.

- Oh, we did the smart thing all right, Alice.

Now, from the little information we've

given, we'll know the real owner the minute

he describes the money in the set, if the owner's alive,

which I doubt. [alice sighs]

- You may be right.

- It's too bad you didn't get to use your new golf cart today.

- Oh, I did.

- Really?

In all that rain?

- You know, Mitchell, there are two things badly

needed in this community, new weatherman and harder fairways.

- Where's the money, Mom?

- Why?

- Because the man that lost it has come here to get it.

- What?

- Now, uh, Mr. Brown, you understand

that I'll have to ask you some questions?

- Well, it's my money and my radio all right.

- What year model?

- 1927.

- That was in the ad.

Uh, just what did we find in the radio?

- Money.

- That fact was also in the ad.

- Describe the money.

- Paper money.

- Well, you wouldn't hide silver in a radio.

So the only assumption you could make is that it's paper money.

Oh, no.

I'm afraid if you can't tell us more than that, we'll

have to assume it was some other radio that you lost.

Sorry.

- $1,650, that's what it is.

There's 50 fives, 50 tens, and 20 twenties.

[eggs cracking]

- Great Scott!

- And you found it in the back of a Saturn

superheterodyne 10-tube set.

- Take it, take it.

- It's his, all right.

- Yes.

- Shouldn't we ask about a reward?

- Well, you seem to be the true owner, Mr. Brown.

- And I'll tell you something else.

It was a table model, mahogany cabinet.

- That it is.

That it is.

- We're sure glad we could find you, Mr. Brown.

Can I ask you something?

- Not now, Dennis.

- I was just going to ask about those initials on the back.

- Oh, all right, Dennis.

- Now, uh, Mr. Brown, about the reward--

- How about 5%?

- Well, shouldn't we say 10%?

- OK, I'll be a sport, 10%.

- I'll go get the money.

- Mr. Brown, did you like my picture in the paper?

- What picture?

- My picture in tonight's paper that Mr. Krinkie

put in telling all about the money.

- What's this?

- I guess I'm a celebrity, huh?

- Here's your money.

- Just a minute! - Well, yes.

Let's not be hasty, Mitchell.

Dennis just gave all the facts to the newspaper.

- And Mr. Brown hasn't told us one thing

that isn't in the article.

- Dennis, uh, what were you saying about some initials?

- They're on the back of the set.

There's three of them, and they say--

- Oh, don't tell him.

I'm sorry, Mr. Brown.

You may be the true owner, but you

will have to give us the initials

on the back of the set.

- Initials?

Well, they must have been scratched on

after I lost the set.

- But it isn't scratched on.

It's on a little metal board.

- A metal plate.

- Is that what you call them?

- What year did you say you lost the radio, Mr. Brown?

- Well, I didn't say, but it must've

been around 1929 or 1930.

- That's very strange.

There's a bill here issued 1935.

How do you account for that?

- Well, uh--

[mr. wilson chuckling]

- Well, I guess that just about does it, doesn't it, Mr. Brown?

- I guess it does.

I guess I must've been mistaken.

- It must've been some other 1927 radio

that you lost with $1,650, huh, Mr. Brown?

- That's it, kid.

That's it.

Say, could I speak to you for a minute?

- Hm?

- Could you spare $0.50 for a cup of coffee?

- Oh, for Pete's sake, here.

- Thank you.

- Well, you certainly saved the day, boy.

- I did?

- You certainly did, even though you

did give the fortune hunters all the facts.

- I've got to go back and see Tommy, OK?

- OK, dear.

- Dennis, just where are those initials, huh?

- Right here.

- Oh, yes.

- Here are your eggs, Mr. Wilson.

- Oh.

Ah yes, coming Mitchell.

Thank you.

Oh, I'll really be careful with them this time.

Now, when the next fortune hunter shows up,

I suggest that you ask right off about the initials.

No sense wasting time.

- You're absolutely right.

[doorbell rings]

- Well, what have we here?

- I've come about the ad.

- How about you two?

The ad also?

- Well, gentlemen, there was a mistake

and full details were printed in the paper.

So there's no point in having you describe the find.

However, there's one important clue, a special identification

on the back of the set.

Now, can any one of you tell me what it is?

Some initials.

Well, if you can't give them to us

you might just as well run along.

- Well, I um--

- You two?

OK, sorry.

This only confirms what I've said all along, Mitchell.

The real owner will never show up.

Oh, it's clearing up nicely.

Should be a fine day for golf tomorrow.

- Yeah, it should be.

Well, thanks for everything, Mr. Wilson.

- Oh, not at all, Mitchell.

- Is this 627 Elm?

- Yes.

- Well, I came about the ad.

Are you the person that found the radio?

- Well--

- You didn't come to claim it yourself, I hope.

Because if you did--

- Oh, no, no, no, no.

The little boy and I found the radio set.

- Well, let me see it, make sure it's mine.

- Oh, well, that won't be necessary.

Now, you just tell me if there's some special identification

on the back.

Otherwise, you might just as well be on your way.

- There was a little metal plate with mother's initials on it.

Well, she marked all over furniture that way.

Her initials are J-M-D.

[eggs cracking]

- Great Scott!

Alice! Mitchell!

- Well, uh, how did the bills get in there in the first place?

- Well, before she died, mother started hiding money.

Well, I thought I'd found it all.

It never occurred to me to look in a radio.

- Well, here it is, Miss Douglas, $1,650.

I guess you can use it?

- Oh, yes.

Charity, you know?

- You aren't going to keep it?

- Oh, no.

No, I help maintain a home for lonesome animals,

and any extra money I get goes for that.

This goes into that new wing we're building.

- Do we get a reward?

- Dennis!

- Sure ya do, sonny.

Now, if I get this straight, you gave the radio to Dennis?

- Eh, yes.

Then that makes him the legal owner.

Here's $100 to start a college education

fund for that smart boy.

- Well, thank you, Mrs. Douglas.

- That's very generous of you.

- As for Mr. Wilson--

- Yes?

- and in return for your efforts--

- Yes?

- I'm, uh, giving the remainder-- let's see, that's $1,550--

- Yes?

- into that new wing, which I'm going to dedicate in your name.

Mr. Wilson Wing for lonesome animals.

Well, goodbye all, and thank you.

Aren't you going to take your radio?

- No, sonny, you keep it.

- Are you sure you wouldn't like to take it back

for sentimental reasons, or something?

- No, goodbye all.

- She didn't even give me enough to pay for the ad.

- I'm sorry about this, Mr. Wilson.

- Doh, if I'd only let Dennis hold

my eggs in the first place.

- It isn't fair.

After all, you've laid out $800 for a golf cart,

gone to a lot of trouble, besides.

Why don't you take half of Dennis' money?

- Oh, no, no, Mitchell.

I wouldn't think of it.

- Truthfully, I'm glad I have my own cart.

Probably would've bought one anyway, sooner or later.

And you know, I did get a reward.

Someday Dennis will leave here and go off to college.

MR. WILSON: [singing] I dream of Jeanie

with the light brown hair.

MALE SPEAKER (ON

from the local sports feed.

And I might add irritating news for golfers.

Caddies on our local golf course went on strike this morning

for double play as a lion had been seen on the 14th fairway.

- Dennis, is that you playing the radio?

- Yes, Mr. Wilson.

- Well, get in the house.

There's a lion lose in the city.

- Is it dangerous?

- Very dangerous.

Get in the house!

- OK, Mr. Wilson.

- And this concludes our local news and weather

from Kenya Colony, East Africa.

- What in the world are you doing with that?

I thought you were going to play golf.

- I am.

There's a lion lose on the course.

But I'm going to play golf today, lions or no lions!

[theme music]

This has been a Screen Gems Film Production from the Hollywood

Studios of Columbia Pictures.