Original subtitles

(phone ringing) (upbeat music)

- I'll get it!

Hello?

Oh, yes, this is Mr. Mitchell.

Oh, the other Mr. Mitchell's upstairs

gettin' ready to go over to Kennedy's Car Lot.

Oh, hi, Mr. Kennedy.

No, Sir, I don't know if he's gonna sell his car.

All I heard him say was that he

was gonna sell and you a lemon.

(audience laughs)

- Dennis!

Give me that phone!

(playful music) (audience laughs)

(upbeat music)

- Dennis won't be home from the park

for at least two hours, dear.

- Ah, peace, it's wonderful.

- So you have a nice nap.

Call me if you want anything.

- All right, Martha.

Life's been good to us hasn't it, honey bun?

- Indeed it has.

- We may not have had fame and fortune.

(gentle music)

(George snoring)

- [Dennis] Oh, Mr. Wilson!

- Martha?

Martha?

(audience laughs)

- Oh, I'm terribly, Mr. Wilson.

I didn't realize you were taking a nap.

- Oh, that's all right, Alice.

I just thought you and Dennis

were still at the playground.

- They locked me out.

- Well, I never hear of such a thing.

- [George] Who would do that no matter what you did?

- I didn't do anything.

- No, it wasn't just Dennis, Mr. Wilson.

All the children.

The playground's been closed except on weekends,

by order of the park commissioner.

I'm just so angry about it, I had to talk to somebody.

- All the children?

Well, that's even worse.

- Close the playground.

Isn't that a shame?

- It's an outrage.

- I thought maybe you could advise us what to do.

Couldn't we sign a petition or something?

- We can do better than that.

You have come to the right man, Alice.

Follow me.

(playful music)

The Park Commissioner's a personal friend of mine.

I'll get him to open up that playground in nothing flat.

Mr. Thorndyke, please.

This is George Wilson calling.

- I told you good old Mr. Wilson would fix it.

(audience laughs)

- T.H.?

George.

George Wilson.

(audience laughs)

George Wilson, taxpayer.

How do you like that?

And I gave $5 to his election campaign.

(audience laughs)

Yes, that George Wilson.

I'm very disturbed, that's how I am.

I wanna know what's the idea of closing

the playground over at the Elm Street Park?

- Yeah.

No, Thorndyke, I do not have any children of my own,

but there are nine families on this block who do,

and unless their kids can play in the park,

they're gonna be playing right outside my window.

(audience laughs)

- Now, George, don't lose your temper.

- Well, I don't blame him.

I try to keep Dennis as quiet as I can but--

- Budget?

What kind of an excuse is that?

- Good old Mr. Wilson.

- Well, don't forget there's an election coming up

in a couple of months and if you wanna

be Park Commissioner for another term,

you had better find the money somewhere

to keep that playground open on weekdays.

Yes, you bet your sweet life I'm threatening you (chuckles).

Why, I've got a good notion to run against you myself!

(George grunts) (receiver thuds)

- Run where?

(audience laughs)

- Mr. Wilson means that he'd be park commissioner instead

of Mr. Thorndyke.

- Oh boy, that would be swell wouldn't it, Mom?

- Anybody'd better than that old T.H. Thorndyke.

(audience laughs)

I mean, I agree with Dennis.

Oh, you'd make a splendid park commissioner, Mr. Wilson.

You really would.

- You sure would, Mr. Wilson.

- Well, I was just talking in the heat of argument.

I wasn't serious.

- Why not, Mr. Wilson?

- You mean me, park commissioner?

Are you joking?

- Are you, Mom?

- Of course not.

This town needs a man like you in public office.

- They couldn't find a better person,

I can tell them that.

- Well, me park commissioner?

- I think you ought to run Mr. Wilson.

- So do I.

- Me too.

- George Wilson, Park Commissioner.

- Every parent in this town would vote for you.

I know Henry and I would.

- So would I.

- George Wilson, Park Commissioner.

You really mean it?

I mean, you really think I could beat T.H. Thorndyke?

- I certainly do. - Sure!

- Well.

(playful music) (audience laughs)

So, if I'm going to win this election for park commissioner,

I'm going to need all the help I can get.

- Well, you can count on me, Mr. Wilson, you know that.

- Well, you're a bright young fellow, Mitchell.

Well, you know everybody in town, everybody likes you.

So, the way I figure,

with you was my campaign manager I've got a chance.

- Campaign manager?

You mean manage your campaign?

- Well, I don't want to rush you.

- He'll do it, won't you, Dad?

- Oh, now, Dennis, you let your father make up his own mind.

Besides, you don't know what being park commissioner means.

- Sure, I do.

It means when you're it, I'll just about own that old park.

(audience laughs)

- Dennis, you go on back to bed.

Alice?

- Now, I know it's a lot to ask Mitchell,

and I certainly don't want to impose upon our friendship.

- Well, Mr. Wilson, you know I'll be glad

to do anything I can to help but--

- Yippie!

(audience laughs)

- But, well, I'm afraid that I just

don't have time to do the job right.

- Jeepers, Dad, remember what you're

all the time tellin' me?

- Alice.

- About putting away my toys?

- Dennis, come to bed.

- If you really wanna do something,

you can always find the time.

He's all the time sayin' that.

(audience laughs)

Huh, Dad?

- Yes, Dennis.

I'm all the time saying that.

(audience laughs)

Okay, Mr. Commissioner.

(playful music)

- Boy, I sure wish I'd hurry up and learn to spell good.

- I can spell.

- I mean real words like commissioner.

- You're just wasting your time, Dennis Mitchell.

Mr. Wilson hasn't got a chance.

- Who says so?

- My daddy says so.

My daddy says you wanna get elected nowadays

you have to go on TV and that takes a lotta money.

- Mr. Wilson's got a lotta money.

He's rich.

Why, he's so rich he doesn't even have to work.

- He's not rich enough to go on TV.

- I'm rich.

I've got great big piggy bank that's almost full.

(audience laughs) (playful music)

- Station WXIU.

May I help you?

(audience laughs)

- [Dennis] Hi.

- Just one moment, I'll connect you.

- Hey.

- Sorry, honey.

Nobody's allowed back here without a pass.

- But I gotta get in.

- Nevermind, Evelyn I'll handle this.

And whom did you want to see, Sir?

- The man puts on the shows.

- Oh, are you an actor?

- Heck no, I'm a sponsor.

(audience laughs)

- Well, I'm always very, very happy to meet a sponsor.

I'm Miss Rawlings, the Program Director.

What's your name?

- Dennis Mitchell.

- Oh, and what do you sponsor, Dennis Mitchell?

- Mr. Wilson for park commissioner.

Here's the money.

(audience laughs)

- Who is Mr. Wilson?

- He's my friend.

- Well, tell me something, Dennis.

Did you think of this all by yourself?

- Well, that dumb old Margaret helped give me the idea.

She said her daddy said that good ol' Mr. Wilson didn't

have a chance unless he went on TV.

So I'm gonna sponsor him.

(audience laughs)

- Evelyn?

Try to locate Mike Thompson.

Tell him I think I've got a great idea

for the "Around the Town" show.

Won't you come in Mr. Mitchell?

(audience laughs)

- "Members of the Garden Club and friends,

"you all know me as a simple man

"who loves the quiet of his own backyard,

"but when the citizens

"of this lovely little city call upon me,"

oh, for Pete sake, Martha, (phone ringing)

how can I concentrate?

(audience laughs)

- Hello?

- "Members of the Garden Club, - Yes.

- "and friends, - Who?

- "you all--" - Miss Rawlings

at the television station.

- Miss Rawlings?

Hello?

- Mr. Wilson?

The George Wilson who's running for park commissioner?

- Yes, I'm running for park commissioner.

- Well, we have a young man here

in our office who seems to be very interested

in your campaign to keep the playgrounds open.

I believe he lives next door to you.

- Oh, oh you mean, you must mean young Mitchell?

- How 'bout that, Martha?

Henry Mitchell's down

at the television station talking up my campaign.

(audience laughs)

Yes.

Oh, yeah.

I think he's a very up and coming young fellow.

(audience laughs)

I consider myself most fortunate that he's agreed

to act as my a campaign manager.

- Campaign manager?

(chuckles) That's cute.

Well, Mr. Wilson, he's convinced us

that we should do an interview spot

with you on our noon show,

"Around the Town" with Mike Thompson.

- Interview me?

Television camera here at our house?

Oh why, yes, of course, anytime.

Oh, well tomorrow will be fine.

Well, you can come right now if you want to.

- We'll have a remote control unit there tomorrow

just before noon, Mr. Wilson.

Thank you.

- Well, I hope you know what you're doing.

- Don't worry.

It'll be a great show, real human interest.

A kindly old codger and an innocent child joining hands

in a lonely battle against a relentless political machine.

Well, it's a natural.

- Well, this guy Wilson sounds like

a real ding-a-ling to me.

- Shh.

The kookier the better my dear.

Now things get dull, you can always turn the camera on him.

(playful music) (audience laughs)

- Martha, that Henry Mitchell is really a hard worker.

Of course, he'd never have gotten anywhere

with the television people in the first place

if they didn't think I had a chance to win (laughs).

My dear, do you realize what this means?

The word has gotten around City Hall

that I am a candidate to be reckoned with (chuckles).

- Wonderful, dear.

(George chuckles)

- Martha, what do you think of this for an opening?

My position on foreign policy is now,

has been and always will be...

Well, what's the matter?

- Well, course, I don't know anything about politics, dear,

but-- - Well, all right.

Go on, say it.

- Well, you know best of course, dear,

but I just don't understand

what foreign policy has to do with being park commissioner.

(audience laughs)

- Well, we have to look ahead.

This might be just the beginning.

The park commissioner and maybe

the Mayor's Office, who knows?

And in a couple of years, I might even run for governor.

What would you think of that?

- I don't know, dear.

It's all so sudden.

- Well it happens that way sometimes.

Sometimes in a time of crisis,

a man of the people rises out of obscurity

to lead the country across a new boundary into a new glory.

- Not the presidency, George.

It's too much for a man your age.

- Oh, come now, Martha.

Well, you may have a point though about the speech.

You know what I think the television people would like?

Something a little more well, homey,

like on "Person to Person."

- You're right, dear.

- Course, they want a few shots of you telling

them why I'm such good husband,

me and my dahlias, oh, and they'll want to see my trophies.

We'll put them right out here on the mantle.

(audience laughs)

Oh dear.

We'll have to get this room fixed up as best we can.

Some flowers and--

- I hope you can get that window fixed.

(audience laughs)

- Oh, that woman.

- Now, George, it wasn't Miss Cathcart's fault.

She just forgot herself and sang too loudly.

(audience laughs) (George grimaces)

- George? - Yes?

- I have to get my hair fixed.

- Well, of course you will, dear.

You want look pretty on television.

- Oh, dear, wouldn't you know it?

My blue dress is at the cleaners.

- Buy yourself a new one.

- Why, thank you, dear.

(George chuckles)

(audience laughs) (playful music)

- Oh, how do you do, Mike?

Why, yes, I'll be glad to show it to you.

As a matter of fact, shall we go into my den?

My little retreat.

Just walk this way, Mike.

(audience laughs)

- Honey?

I'm home.

- Well, hi dear, you're late.

- I've been trying to round up a few votes for Mr. Wilson.

(chuckles) Where's Dennis?

(playful music)

(audience laughs)

- He went off the block today without permission,

and he's been telling all sorts of wild stories

about what he did.

- [Dennis] Hi, Dad, can I turn around now?

- Yes, Son.

Come on over here, I wanna talk to you.

- So do I.

Guess who's gonna be on television.

- Well, it doesn't matter who's gonna be on television

because you're not gonna watch it anyway.

- Jeepers, Dad!

- Son, you know you're not allowed

to go off of the block. (doorbell rings)

And you know what the punishment for it is.

- No television.

- Jeepers, Dad, you don't understand.

- Mitchell, my boy, that coup you pulled

is going to put me over.

Oh, we're going to go far together you and I.

- Sit down, Mr. Wilson.

(George laughs)

- Yes, sir.

I certainly knew what I was doing

when I picked you to manage my campaign.

- Well (laughs), I really haven't done anything. Mr. Wilson,

just talked to a few people.

- Yes, but you talked to the right people.

Has he told you, Alice?

- Why, no.

What did you do dear?

- Why, there isn't another young fellow

in town who could have gotten me free time on television,

especially such a popular show as "Around the Town."

- You're going to be on "Around the Town?"

Why, that's wonderful.

Oh, Henry, how did you ever manage it?

- I'd like to take credit for it, Mr. Wilson,

but frankly this is the first I've heard of it.

- Jeepers, Dad.

- Oh, come now, Mitchell, don't be modest.

Why, Miss Rawlings said you were sitting

right there when she called me.

- Miss Rawlings?

- It wasn't him, it was me.

(audience laughs)

- You?

You talked 'em into this?

- Sure.

I saw this place that said Television Station,

so I just went in and told 'em about Mr. Wilson.

(playful music) (audience laughs)

Shall I go back to my corner?

(audience laughs)

- Nevermind.

Honey, I think I could use some help in the kitchen.

- Great Scott, and I told Miss Rawlings

he was my campaign manager.

She must think I'm nutty.

(audience laughs) (playful music)

- Oh, oh, they're here.

- Oh!

George!

- Oh, Martha, we don't want to be too neat, now.

That television camera can spot a phony every time.

Now, we're just normal everyday people

and we want the viewers to see us as we really are.

- But I'm not normally so dressed up

in the middle of the day.

And I don't ordinarily have that on my living room mantle.

(audience laughs)

- Well, we should have.

That coonskin cap's an authentic piece of American history.

(doorbell rings)

(audience laughs)

Oh, now, now, Martha, dear, don't be nervous.

I wrote down everything for you.

Now, you know just what to say.

The important thing is just be natural.

(audience laughs)

- "How do you do?

"Welcome to our home."

- Ah, good afternoon.

Oh, good morning.

How do you do?

I am George Wilson.

I am so glad you dropped in.

- Hello, Mr. Wilson.

I'm Miss Rawlings and this is Mike Thompson.

- Ah. - Mr. Wilson.

- And now I would like you to meet my wife.

Won't you come into our living room?

(audience laughs) (playful music)

Martha, I would like you to meet our guests.

(audience laughs)

- George, not in front of company.

How do you do?

Welcome to our home?

- Mrs. Wilson.

- How do you do?

Welcome to our home.

(audience laughs)

How do you do?

Welcome to our home.

(audience laughs)

- Thank you very much, Mrs. Wilson.

We're very happy to be here and this is Mike Thompson.

- Wow, look at these big wires!

Hi everybody.

- Hello, Dennis.

It certainly is nice to see you again.

- Thank you.

- Mr. Wilson, you must be proud

of your friendship with a wonderful little boy like Dennis.

- Yes, I am.

Now, about the program.

I thought I'd start off by showing some of my trophies.

- My couch!

- Now, this one I'm particularly proud of.

- [Alice] Dennis?

- You'd better come home, Son.

You don't wanna get in people's way.

- Oh, that's a wonderful idea, Dennis.

You better run along home.

Just climb over the couch.

- But Dennis is not gonna be in anyone's way.

He's going to be on the program.

- On the...

Oh no.

(trophy thuds) (audience laughs)

(playful music) (audience laughs)

- Give me a little more slack you guys.

- Dennis is a lovely child.

- We like him.

- Oh, we all we all do,

but does he have to be on the program?

(audience laughs)

- Oh, but it's a natural tie up

for the children's playground.

A little boy from next door for whose sake

you're waging this campaign, you know?

- Well, I see what you mean--

- 90 seconds, everybody.

- Oh. - It's almost time.

Dennis, would you mind sitting over there in that chair?

- Oh, and keep your lip buttoned until

we tell you to talk, huh, fella?

- Okay.

(audience laughs)

- Mrs. Wilson, would you sit on the couch?

And Mr. Wilson, would you please sit over there?

- Oh, oh, well I thought I'd stand over here by the mantle,

and then when the appropriate time came,

I put on this coonskin cap.

(audience laughs)

- Coonskin cap?

- Why, my Great Uncle Ezekiel K. Wilson

was wearing this the day he saved Daniel Boone's life.

- I'm sorry, Mr. Wilson.

We just don't have time for that.

- All we want you to do is to sit right here

and answer a few questions.

- Well, I think it would be

a better show if you did it my way.

(audience laughs)

- Okay?

- Okay.

(playful music)

Quiet, please.

Ready?

(Martha gasps)

(audience laughs)

- Martha!

- This is "Around the Town" with Mike Thompson,

who, every day at this hour brings

you in-a-min on the scene reports

of what's happening around the town.

Today, we're visiting the home of Mr. George Wilson,

the dark horse contender, (neighbors clamoring)

for the post of park commissioner.

How do you do, Mr. Wilson?

- Oh, oh, how do you do, Mike?

Hello out there.

- It's an outrage!

- My roses are covered with paint.

- Oh, oh!

- Whatever the trouble is, I can't talk about it now.

I'm on the air.

- Wilson, if I ever intended to vote for you,

which I didn't-- - And I don't either.

- [Man] I certainly wouldn't now after what you

and your henchman did to my front porch.

- This is "Around the Town,"

and what you're seeing folks is the real thing.

Local politics in action.

As you can see Mr. Wilson's neighbors

aren't whole heartedly backing his candidacy.

- Please, please, Mike, we're on the air.

Martha, get my medicine. - Just a minute.

- Vote for Wilson, indeed. - Oh!

- Don't you ever hang your banners on my clothes line again.

- Oh dear, oh dear.

I might've known something like this would happen.

Dennis and his surprises.

- Oh, this isn't it, Mr. Wilson.

The surprise I got for is a good one.

- Excuse me.

Here you are, dear.

Your nerve medicine.

(audience laughs)

Now everything's gonna be all right.

- But you do have one staunch supporter,

don't you Mr. Wilson?

Little Dennis Mitchell who lives next door.

Hello there, Dennis.

- Hi.

- Tell the audience what you think of Mr. Wilson, Dennis.

- I think he's swell and you kids better tell

your parents to vote for him

because when Mr. Wilson gets to be park commissioner,

he's gonna keep the playground open every day.

Okay, Miss Cathcart, you can stop the surprise.

♪ Me, me, me ♪

(Miss Cathcart vocalizing)

- Oh.

(audience laughs)

(harmonica shrilling)

♪ Vote for Wilson ♪

♪ Wilson is the name ♪

♪ Thorndyke closed the playground and that's a dirty shame ♪

♪ So I like Wilson, my candidate is he ♪

♪ Oh, good old Mr. Wilson is good enough for me ♪

♪ So, I like Wilson, my candidate is he ♪

♪ Oh, good old Mr. Wilson is good enough for me ♪

(window shattering)

(audience laughs)

- Friends, folks, people out there,

it's all a mistake, a terrible mistake.

I resign.

I resign from the race.

- It's too late. Mr. Wilson.

We're off the air.

Something cracked the lens.

- Well, I want out of the race.

- I don't believe it.

I just don't believe it.

- Well, I do.

- Jeepers, Miss Cathcart.

Your voice is gettin' better all the time.

- Aw!

(audience laughs)

- With all the precincts reporting

for the Office of District Attorney,

it's Hollow over Shapely by a two thirds, majority.

- Oh, who cares?

Why don't we turn it off?

- Oh, don't you wanna see how

the park commissioner vote comes out?

- Well, what's the difference?

I dropped out of the race.

- Maybe you should've stayed in Mr. Wilson.

- No, Mitchell.

I learned one thing from that telecast.

I'm a vain ambitious man,

and I needed something like

that fiasco to make me realize it.

- Mr. Wilson, that's not true.

You're one of the finest gentlemen I know.

- Oh, well, that's kind of you, Alice.

But let's face it.

I went into that race for a very selfish reason.

I wanted the playgrounds reopened solely

because I wanted the children

to play somewhere else than in my yard.

- Well, here's a surprising turn of events

in the vote for park commissioner.

Even though Mr. George Wilson dropped out

of the race and left the office uncontested,

there had been an unusual amount

of write in votes for Mr. Wilson.

- Did he win?

- Shh, Dennis, we wanna hear this.

- And the final vote for park commissioner

is George Wilson, 1,952 votes,

and the incumbent T.H. Thorndyke who will continue

as park commissioner 2,867 votes.

- Well, that's wonderful, Mr. Wilson.

- Well, that certainly ought

to prove how well you're liked around here.

- And now here at our studio is Mr. T.H. Thorndyke,

our Park Commissioner for the next two years.

Mr. Thorndyke.

- Thank you, Mike.

Thank you.

- Turn it off.

- No, no, no, no, no, no.

Let's listen to what the old nincompoop has to say.

(audience laughs)

- I just want to express my appreciation

to all the good people who voted.

And to tell these good citizens something I know

they'll be glad to hear.

Because of the demand for the playground

to stay open all week as attested

by the large write in vote for Mr. Wilson,

this will be done starting Monday.

- Yippie!

- And furthermore, we will proceed immediately

on the swimming pool for the park.

The swimming pool will be located

in the north section of the park.

Oh, incidentally, and in tribute to Mr. George Wilson

and his great love for children,

this pool will be dug directly in front

of Mr. Wilson's house on Elm Street.

(audience laughs)

- A swimming pool in front of Mr. Wilson's house?

Yippie!

- Oh no!

It can't be, it just can't.

Now I'll never get any peace.

Oh, Great Scott!

(audience laughs)

(audience applauding) (dramatic orchestral music)

(upbeat music)

- [Announcer] This has been a Screen Gems Film Production

from the Hollywood Studios of Columbia Pictures.