Original subtitles

- Jeepers, Santa.

Can't I have that either?

Then how about a BB gun?

Then how about a real loud siren for my bike?

Jeepers.

Well, now I'm gonna ask you for the one

thing I want more than anything in the whole world.

I ask every store Santa Claus I see about it.

You know what it is?

A horse.

Can I have a horse?

Boy, I'm gonna go home and write a letter to the real Santa

Claus.

Merry Christmas.

- Merry Christmas!

Oh, if Dennis Mitchell gets a horse for Christmas,

I'll move to the North Pole!

Great Scott!

[theme music]

- Man, what a Christmas.

- Oh, it's the best one we've ever had.

I love my bracelet, honey.

- Good!

- My presents were swell, too.

The only thing is, I can't find my horse!

- Son, we've told you and told you.

You're not getting a horse.

- Sure I am, Dad.

Santa Claus has never let me down yet.

- Well, he didn't let you down, honey.

He brought you a record player.

- Yeah, but I didn't ask for a record player.

I asked for a horse.

- Well, Dennis, in the first place,

you're too young for a horse.

- No, I'm not.

I can comb him, and brush him, and take care of him.

- Well son, you're not getting one.

So you might as well forget it.

[horse hooves clattering]

- Sure, I am!

And here he comes now!

- Oh, Dennis.

That's just Mr. Maguire and his Christmas trees.

- Oh, Mr. Maguire!

Mr. Maguire!

Hold it! Hold it!

- Whoa, my Cherry.

Well, Merry Christmas Mr. Wilson.

- Well, Merry Christmas, Mr. Maguire.

- Was Santa Claus good to you?

- Oh, yes, very generous.

- Oh, how did he treat little Dennis Mitchell?

Did he get his horse?

- Oh, of course not.

Great Scott!

Well, now let's get down to business.

Shopping has kept me so busy I haven't

had a chance to get my tree.

- This is the fifth year in a row.

You've become one of my regulars.

And I saved one of my finest trees for you.

- Well, that's very nice.

- Oh, say, that's a beautiful tree.

- Nothing like it.

Smell.

- Ah, yes, the smell of Christmas, the time of giving,

of goodwill toward man, of charity--

you've forgotten to lower your price.

- No, that's correct, $5.

- But that was your price before Christmas.

Why do you think I waited?

- You hoped to get another tree for $0.50.

- Well, of course.

- The price to you is $5, Mr. Wilson.

- Mr. Maguire, I have always paid $0.50 on Christmas day.

I've become a regular.

- Well, that's why I've had to keep my price up

on Christmas day.

I can't afford all you regulars.

- Oh, well, stop calling me a regular then.

I would have gotten one earlier, but I just

didn't have the time.

- Yeah, well, I'll throw in a few sprigs of mistletoe.

- Well, I should hope so.

That's the least you could do.

You know, next year I may give my business to someone else.

- Oh, I'm afraid you'll have to.

You see, I'm retiring.

- Really, Mr. Maguire?

- Mmhmm.

- Well, I'm very sorry to hear that.

- Well, that's nice of you to say so.

- Hmm.

Well, you've always had the prettiest trees in town.

Oh, yes, Mrs. Wilson and I want you to have this.

Merry Christmas.

- Well, thank you, Mr. Wilson.

- Well, go on, open it.

- Oh, oh yeah.

Ahh.

It's a pipe.

Why, it's a beauty.

- Oh, yes.

You see that little band that right there on the stem?

- Yes. - That's real silver.

- You don't say.

- Oh, yes, yes.

You see it says right here.

It says, made in Japan.

Great Scott.

Well, smoke it in good health, Mr. Maguire.

Merry Christmas to you.

Merry Christmas.

[doorbell ringing]

- Hi, Tommy.

Come on in.

What'd ya get?

- Some swell toys and a lot of dumb old underwear.

- Merry Christmas, Mrs. Mitchell.

- Merry Christmas, Tommy.

Take off your things.

- I think I better leave them on, Mrs. Mitchell.

I just came over to have a ride on Dennis's horse.

- Dennis didn't get a horse, Tommy.

- He hasn't gotten here yet.

- And he isn't going to get here.

Dennis, I wish you'd stop talking about it.

- But, Mom wait a minute, I--

- I can't argue now.

I have to make the beds.

- If you hear anything on the roof, give me a yell.

First I'll show you my stuff.

Then we can go over at your house

and play with your electric train.

- I didn't get it.

- Jeepers, what's the matter with Santa Claus this year?

- I got a microscope, though.

- A microscope?

What do you do with it?

- You look through it, and it makes things bigger.

I didn't even ask for it.

- Is it any fun?

- Dad thinks so.

- Look at this swell wallet my dad

gave me, because my mom gave him a new one.

- It's coming apart.

- Only on the sides.

And look what I've got in it.

$10 from my grandpa!

- Wow!

Do you have to save it?

- Nope, that's the best part.

Grampa's note said it was spending money.

Boy, if my horse would only get here,

this Christmas'd be perfect.

- Deck the halls with boughs of holly.

[hums "deck the halls"] Martha, you're first in line.

- Oh, oh!

- Merry Christmas.

DENNIS AND TOMMY (OFFSCREEN): Hey, Mr. Wilson!

Merry Christmas!

- Oh, Merry Christmas, boys.

- Merry Christmas.

Come in, boys.

- Thanks for the paint box, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson.

Here's something for you.

- Oh, well.

- Thank you, Dennis.

- You know the first thing I painted, Mr. Wilson?

A picture of you.

- Oh, really?

- Sure, I did it before breakfast.

When I got through, Dad said you looked like a Cocker Spaniel.

- Oh, for Pete's sake.

- Open your present, George.

Oh, this is lovely.

- Yeah, it's beautiful.

- What is it?

- It's a bookmark, so you won't have

to turn down the corners on that book Mom and Dad gave ya.

- Well, I know I'm going to enjoy it very much.

Thank you, Dennis.

- What's this?

- They're tickets.

I got some too.

- Each one gives ya a free ride on my horse.

- Horse, what horse?

- The one Santa Claus brought me.

Only I haven't found it yet.

- But when he does, he's gonna take everyone on a hayride.

- And you're invited, Mr. Wilson.

- Do you have any horse around here?

- No, I haven't.

- Can we look in your garage?

- There's no horse in our garage.

- How 'bout your basement?

- No.

MARGARET (OFFSCREEN): Dennis!

- Oh, thank heaven.

Somebody's calling you.

- That's just dumb old Margaret.

If we keep quiet, she'll go away.

- Oh, Martha.

Great Scott, my stomach's beginning to grind.

- Boys, why don't you ask Margaret if she's seen a horse.

- Hey, that's a good idea.

- I think so too.

- Hey, Margaret!

Have you seen a horse?

- Yes, I have.

Come on out.

I want to show you my new doll.

- I don't want to see it.

Now where'd you see the horse?

- I won't tell you unless you come out and look at my doll.

- Great Scott!

Has she seen a horse?

- Yeah, and now I've got to go out and look at a dumb doll.

Come on, Tommy.

Oh!

Mom said to remind you about dinner tonight, Mrs. Wilson.

- We'll be there.

- OK, I've look at your doll.

Now where'd you see the horse?

- You've got to say something nice about her.

- OK, she's got nice buttons for eyes.

Now where'd you see the horse?

- You'd make a terrible father, Dennis!

That wasn't nice!

- Who cares?

I'm not going to have children.

I'm going to have horses.

Now where'd you see it?

- Say something nice.

- Jeepers.

- Better do it, Dennis, or we'll never find out.

- I can't think of anything.

- You want to hold her?

- No!

How 'bout this?

It's better than a baby, 'cause it's quieter.

- Well, if that's the best you can do, I saw a horse.

Only it's a pony, over at Johnny Fleming's house.

- Johnny Fleming's?

- Yes, he got it for Christmas.

- Jeepers, Tommy!

Santa left it at the wrong house!

Come on!

- Give him the sugar, Johnny.

- He'll bite me!

- No, he won't bite you.

This is a very tame, gentle pony.

Here, watch how I do it.

There, now, wasn't that easy?

- Did it hurt?

- Of course not!

Here, you do it.

- He'll bite me!

- Johnny, for the hundredth time, he won't bite you.

You-- here, I'll do it once more for you.

Uh, well, we're out of sugar.

Now come around here and I'll put you in the saddle.

- He'll kick me.

- Johnny, come here.

Don't you like your pony?

- I guess so.

- Of course you do.

Every kid likes a pony.

- Why, when I was your age, I was crazy to have a pony.

- Why didn't you ask Santa Claus?

He gives them away whether you want them or not.

- Because-- because my father couldn't afford to keep one.

When I was your age, I had to have a paper route just

to get spending money.

- Can I have a paper route?

- No!

Look, come on now.

Get on your pony.

- Bert, don't force the boy.

Give him time to get used to it.

- Why does he have to have time to get used to a pony?

When I was a boy--

- I know all about it, Bert.

Come on in and make the egg nog.

The people will be arriving soon.

- All right, honey.

Johnny, I don't want you to ride your pony if you don't want to.

Now all I ask is that you give yourself a chance to like him.

Will you do that?

- OK.

- Good.

Now you stay out here in the yard, while I--

- Alone? - Yes!

He won't hurt you, I promise!

- OK.

- All right, good.

And I'll be back out a little later.

- Wow!

There he is!

Isn't he swell? Hi, Johnny.

- Yeah, look at that saddle. Hi, Johnny.

- I think I'll call him Prince.

- My dad says his name is Seabiscuit.

- Seabiscuit?

What kind of a name is that for a horse?

I'm gonna call him Prince.

Hold still, Prince.

- Gosh, aren't you scared, Dennis?

- Heck no.

I've had a lot of experience with horses.

I watch them on television.

- Well, gee, you can ride him any time you want to, Dennis.

- That's what I want to talk to you about, Johnny.

Where'd you get this swell horse?

- From Santa Claus.

- Did you ask for it?

- Heck no.

- Well, I did.

What happened was that good old Santa Claus brought him here

by mistake.

- Then why was my name on him?

- Santa just got the tags all mixed up.

- I asked for an electric train and got a microscope.

- And I wanted a horse, and I got a record player.

So how about if I trade my record player for your horse?

- I've already got a record player.

What I wanted is a typewriter.

- Say, if I can get a typewriter, would you

trade me the horse for it?

- Sure!

- OK, I'll be right back.

Don't go away or anything.

- I can't go away.

Now that I've got this horse, they

won't even let me in the house.

- I'll be right back.

- I'm sorry, Margaret.

I heard him in there, talking with Tommy a little while ago.

But I guess he went out again.

- That's all right, Mrs. Mitchell.

I've learned to expect it.

Would you please give him this letter for me?

I'm taking our engagement.

- Oh, I'm sorry.

- I just can't go on like this, Mrs. Mitchell.

He hasn't even shown me what he got for Christmas.

- Well, I'd be happy to show you his presents, Margaret.

- OK, but our engagement is still broken.

I'd give him back his ring, but he never gave me one.

- I understand.

Come on in the living room.

Here are things, right under the tree.

Well, that's funny.

I wonder where his record player is.

- Hey, Mr. Wilson.

- What now?

- Well, I've been going all over the neighborhood,

trying to find a typewriter.

And I remember yours that Mrs. Wilson

has to change the ribbon on it for ya.

- What about?

- How'd you like to trade it for my record player

so I can get my horse?

- Of course not.

If you get a horse, I'll need the typewriter

to write a letter to my lawyer.

- Hi, son.

- Hi, Dad.

- You been out showing off your new record player?

- I sure have.

Boy, I must've showed it to 50 people.

- Did I hear Dennis?

Oh, Dennis, Margaret was here.

- Oh, she's always hanging around.

- Yes, and you haven't been very nice to her.

- Jeepers, Mom, she's a girl.

- Well, that doesn't make any difference.

- Besides, you've hurt your feelings.

- Here, she left you this letter.

- Hmm, at least be nice to her on Christmas day.

- Jeepers!

She's broken our engagement!

I better call her up and apologize!

- Oh, that would be a fine idea.

That was an abrupt change of attitude.

- A little boy's mind, honey, always

changing ideas and interest.

Remember this morning?

All he could talk about was that horse.

- Yes. - Ah.

- Ohh.

- Hello, Margaret.

This is Dennis.

Hey, you know that letter you sent me?

Whose typewriter did you type it on?

- Honey, I don't know

another hour for dinner.

The smell of that turkey's driving me out of my mind.

- You'll just have to.

[urgent knocking]

- What in the world?

- Mitchell!

Mitchell, I want to talk to you.

- Mr. Wade, what is it?

- Well, merry Christmas, Mr. Wade.

- Don't you merry Christmas me.

I want Margaret's typewriter.

- I don't have it.

Isn't that Dennis's record player?

- Yes, it is.

He swapped it for Margaret's typewriter.

- What in the world would Dennis want

with Margaret's typewriter.

- He's going to trade it for the pony Johnny

Fleming got for Christmas.

- Oh, for Pete's sake.

- That boy of yours is juggling every gift in the neighborhood.

- Well, I'll put a stop to that, Mr. Wade.

- Yes, and Margaret will get her typewriter back.

I assure you of that.

- Well, I should hope so.

- I'll call Mr. Fleming right now.

Excuse me.

- So you know that little girl of mine is crazy about Dennis.

They're engaged again, you know.

- Yes, I heard him saying something

about it on the phone.

- He's going around showing everybody

her engagement string.

- You mean engagement ring, Mr. Wade?

- No, no, string.

He just tied a string on her finger.

- Mr. Fleming?

This is Henry Mitchell.

I don't want to alarm you, but I think my boy is on his way

over to your house to trade a typewriter for your boy's pony.

- [laughs] I wouldn't worry about that, Mr. Mitchell.

Naw, Johnny loves his pony.

He wouldn't think of trading it.

Why, a pony's every boy's dream.

Well, I remember when I was a boy--

- Hey, Dad. Guess what?

- What's that?

- My typewriter.

- That's not his horse!

That's my horse!

HENRY MITCHELL (ON THE PHONE): Hello?

Hello? Hello?

- Hi, Mr. Maguire.

- Merry Christmas, Dennis!

Why it looks like you're quite alone.

Do you want a lift?

- Yeah, thanks, Mr. Maguire.

I have to take Margaret's typewriter back to her.

- Yeah, there we are.

- Boy, you're sure lucky.

You've already got your horse.

- Yeah.

You certainly like horses, don't you?

- Like em?

I love em.

I've loved them all my life.

I was supposed to get one for Christmas.

- Yeah, I know.

You told me.

Have you ever ridden one?

- Oh, sure, a million times.

Every time I go to my grandpa's farm,

I go horseback riding on his cow.

- I think a cow was the first horse I ever rode too!

- I like cows.

The only trouble is they're too wide.

- Oh, yeah.

And their spines are too sharp.

- Yeah, if you bounce, it hurts.

It milks good, though.

- Oh, that's true enough.

- Do you have a cow, Mr. Maguire?

- Well, I had one.

But I sold it, now that I'm retiring.

- Are you retiring, Mr. Maguire?

Aren't you gonna sell Christmas trees anymore?

- No, this is my last year.

- Jeepers.

What are you going to do with good old Mercury there?

- Oh, Mercury's retiring too.

I'm gonna put her out to pasture.

- Jeepers.

If you sold your cow, did you ever

think about selling your horse?

- Oh, Mercury.

Mercury is a little bit special.

- I'd buy her from ya.

I've got $10 and a nickel.

- Is that money yours to spend?

- Sure.

My grandpa sent me the $10 as a Christmas present.

I'll bet this is just the way Santa

Claus wanted me to get my horse.

So will you sell me good old Mercury?

- Well, I don't know.

- I'd take awful good care of her.

Please, Mr. Maguire.

- All right, Dennis.

You bought yourself a horse.

- Wow!

I'm the first kid on my block to have one!

- Yeah, I imagine you are.

- So here's the $10.

- Oh, no.

The price to you is only a nickel.

You might need that $10 for feed.

Whoa, Mercury.

- Gee, thanks, Mr. Maguire.

Here's the nickel.

- Oh, well, thank you.

Thank you, Dennis.

And now I'll just to make this all legal and proper,

I'll write you out a bill of sale.

- Boy, I've never had a bill of sale before.

- Sold to Dennis Mitchell for the sum of $0.05 one

horse named Mercury.

Now I'll sign it.

There.

The horse is now legally yours.

- Gee, is Mr. Wilson gonna be excited.

Say, where you gonna keep her?

- In the garage next to the lawn power.

- Plenty of room?

- I think so.

- Well, at least she'd be able to stretch her legs, roaming

around the neighborhood while you're in school.

- Jeepers!

She can't do that.

Mr. Wilson'd be awfully mad if she got in his flowers.

- Oh, well, I suppose she'll get used

to being kept in the garage all day.

- Where'd you keep her when she was your horse?

- Well, at night I kept her in the barn.

But during the day, I let her run in the pasture.

Oh, you ought to see our pasture in the spring time.

It's just full of buttercups.

- Really?

- Yeah, oh and does Mercury love em.

- Say, Mr. Maguire, you think I could

rent that pasture from ya?

I've still got my $10.

- Oh, well, as a matter of fact, that pasture

is going to be quite a problem to me.

- Why's that, Mr. Maguire?

- The weeds.

Yeah.

You know, I may have to hire a horse from somebody

to keep those weeds down.

- Jeepers, why don't you rent good old Mercury from me?

You could keep her in the pasture,

and I could come out and visit her whenever I wanted.

- Well, I don't know.

She might be too expensive.

See, all I can afford is a nickel.

- Really, Mr. Maguire?

You know something?

That's just my price.

- Well, there you are.

[laughs]

- Look at this thing.

Isn't that clever?

- You know, George hasn't eaten a think since breakfast.

He's been saving his appetite for your dinner.

- Oh, that's right, Alice.

I'm--

- I got it!

I got it!

I got my horse!

- What?

- I bought it from Mr. Maguire.

Here's a bill of sale.

- I told you so much.

I told you!

I'll tell you one thing, Dennis.

I am not going on any hayride.

[laughter]

- How do you like my driving?

- It's fine, son.

But shouldn't we be thinking about getting back?

We've been out several hours already.

- Aw, jeepers.

- Aw, jeepers, Mr. Mitchell.

Can't we sing just one more carol?

- What do you say, Annie?

- Oh, jeepers, Mr. Mitchell, why not?

- OK.

One more!

- And Mr. Maguire gets to pick it.

- Well I guess my favorite has always been "Silent Night."

- Mine too.

- (SINGING) Silent night, holy night.

All is calm.

All is bright.

Round yon virgin, mother and child.

Holy infant so tender and mild.

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Sleep in heavenly peace.

[theme music]

NARRATOR: This has been a Screen Gems film production

from the Hollywood studios of Columbia Pictures.