Original subtitles

- Hi, Mr. Wilson.

- Oh, it's you, Dennis.

- Got a quarter?

- What for?

- I'll show you how it works.

- Great Scott.

[theme music]

- Yes, yes.

I know about it, Lawrence.

Uh, we're going to have a meeting this afternoon and--

[cawing] - hm?

[cawing]

- Talk to us, bird.

C'mon talk to us.

- All's he say is, caw, caw, and caw.

- Don't worry, we'll teach him.

- Yes, it's an outrage.

And we're not going to let those rumdumbs get away with it.

- Which rumdumbs, dear?

- The ones at the city hall.

Those rumbumbs.

- Yes, well, that tree has been standing

in the park for half a century.

And they are not going to cut it down if I can help it.

- That would be a shame.

- Uh, just a minute, Lawrence.

It's so noisy I can't hear.

- Hi, boy.

Say, hi, boy. - Dennis?

Mr. Wilson can't hear.

- But we're not making any noise, Dad.

It's the crows!

- Dennis and me are training them.

[laughter]

- How about training them someplace else, fellas?

It's just too noisy.

Go on, shoo!

Shoo, go on.

[cawing]

- Aw, gee whiz, Dad!

You'll hurt their feelings.

- I hope they're not mad at us.

- Yes, I'm calling a meeting of all the neighbors, Lawrence.

3 o'clock at the tree.

Good.

See you then, bye.

- Holding a sort of indignation meeting, huh?

- Exactly.

- No, and nobody can get more indignant than George.

- Well, I'll certainly be there.

Gee, I'd sure hate to see that tree come down.

Alice's and my initials are on it someplace.

I carved them there before we were married.

- Why, Mitchell, that old tree is just

loaded with sentimental history.

Countless young lovers have strolled

beneath it hand in hand to plight their troth.

Young mothers have watched their children at play beneath it

and their children's children.

Why, history has been made beneath that grand old elm.

- Isn't it an oak, dear?

- Oh, well, it's a tree, Martha.

That's the main thing.

- You know, I, I haven't been able to figure out

why the devil they want to cut that tree down

in the first place, have you?

- Well, we understand they're going to clear the area

and have a volleyball court there.

[cawing]

- No, that's pretty silly.

There are plenty of other places they

can put a volleyball court.

- Hey, dad!

The crows came back and they're not mad at us.

- We're getting them real trained.

- Yeah, look Dad.

Watch!

Here boy, speak, speak.

[cawing] - Here crows!

- Here crows!

- Oh, those boys are having a time with the birds.

- Dennis says he's going to teach them to talk.

- Well, I wish he'd teach them to fly south and stay there.

Darn things are a nuisance.

- They don't do any harm.

- Well, I just don't like them around, Martha.

They scare away all the songbirds for one thing.

- Oh well, I hadn't thought of that.

But I haven't seen many.

- Oh, well, uh, and they steal, too.

Why, do you know a crow will steal

anything he can get hold of?

- Well, thanks for the warning.

I'll keep my car locked up tonight.

[laughter]

- See you later.

- That's kind of funny.

- There's a letter there I wanted to throw away.

- Uh huh?

- It's from your cousin who bet on the horses.

- Oh--

- I can guess what he wants. - Sterling.

Well, don't you worry, Martha.

Cousin Sterling won't get a cent out of me,

not this time he won't.

- Good.

- Cousin Sterling, huh?

Hmm.

"Dear George, I hit one.

Here's that $100 I owe you.

Thanks, Ster."

Great Scott!

$100 bill!

Well, he did take me back finally.

Hallelujah!

Oh, what wait until Martha sees this, she'll be so--

[cawing]

- Oh, no!

Come back here!

Stop that, drop it, stop thief, stop!

Help, Martha!

Help, help!

- Something wrong, Mr. Wilson? - What is it, George?

Are you all right?

- I've been robbed, Martha.

Robbed!

$100.

That crow just took it right out of my hands almost.

- Now, now sit down, dear.

Calm yourself. It's all right.

- I, I don't want to sit down. Don't you understand Martha?

- What is it Mr. Wilson? What happened?

- He lost some money, Dad.

He thinks our crow stole it.

But, look, Mr. Wilson, he hasn't got your money, see?

- Oh, not that crow, Dennis.

The one that flew away.

I had $100 bill and I dropped it and that,

that, that flying bandit grabbed it

before I could do anything about it.

- You didn't have a $100 bill, George.

Maybe it was a $1 bill.

- Oh, great Scott.

Here, read this.

Cousin Sterling paid me back the $100, I drop it,

and that thieving crow-- what am I doing sitting here?

I've got to find that bird.

- I don't think our crow meant to steal your money, Mr. Wilson.

- Oh no, they're honest.

Honest they are.

Maybe they just borrowed it or something.

- Oh, never mind that.

Let's just find him, that's all.

Confounded things are all over the neighborhood

when you're not looking for them.

- Hey, maybe Mrs. Johnson saw.

- Oh, I hope so.

She was out here when-- Mrs. Johnson,

have you been out here long?

- Well, I came out here in 1947 and I remember

we drove out from Chicago and--

- No, no, no.

I mean outside here on the sidewalk.

- Don't raise your voice to me!

- He's just nervous, Mrs. Johnson.

- Oh, I, I'm sorry.

Just tell me one thing, did you see

a crow go by here with $100 bill.

- Did I see what?

- A crow, a crow.

You know-- caw, caw, caw!

With $100 in his beak.

- My, he is nervous, isn't he?

Don't you think you better go back in the house?

- Now, what's the matter with her?

- Maybe she didn't like your bird imitation,

but I thought it was swell myself.

- Yeah, especially the flapping part.

Do it again, Mr. Wilson.

- Oh, fiddle faddle.

- Yeah, he's a swell flapper, isn't he, Tommy?

- Oh.

- Poor good, old Mr. Wilson.

I sure hope that man saw his money go by.

- But what if he didn't?

- Then we'll just have to find it for him, that's all.

- I get asked a lot of oddball questions on this job, pops,

but, oh, you've got to be kidding.

- I am not kidding.

What, you've been around today, I just thought

you might have seen it.

- Seen a crow fly past with $100 bill, huh?

No, but I'll sure watch for him.

Why, I could sell that bird this whole sample case for $100.

If he hasn't already spent the money foolishly.

- Well, for your information, it is not his to spend.

He stole that money from me.

- Stole it?

Oh, well, in that case, there's only one thing to do.

We gotta report this to the police right now, right?

- Well, I didn't think of that.

I suppose I should report it.

I--

- Oh, absolutely.

It's your duty as a citizen.

Officer, you say?

I wish to report a hold-up.

A crow flew into my yard, stuck a gun in my ribs,

and took my wallet with $100 bill in it.

He was about six inches tall, he had black wings,

and a mole on his left ear.

[laughter]

Pop, the cops will flip.

- And you know what, Grandma?

Mr. Wilson said it was a real $100 bill.

- I know crows will take most anything when

they're building a nest.

But $100 bill, my goodness.

- With that kind of money, they don't have to build a nest.

They can hire themselves a builder.

- Aw, dad.

Crows can't spend money, can they?

- I was only joking, son.

- They better not Spend that money

because it belongs to good, old Mr. Wilson.

And I'm going to get it back for him if it takes all afternoon.

- Aw, now, isn't he a good boy?

- I wouldn't count too much on ever seeing that bill again,

son. It could be any place by now.

- We'll find it.

But I think what that crow probably

did was hide Mr. Wilson's money in his nest someplace.

- Say, that's pretty smart thinking.

I bet that's exactly what he did.

- So me and Tommy are going to follow him and find out

where their hideout is and get the money back.

- Hey, now that's a very good idea.

You're a regular detective.

- It's going to be an awful hard job though.

I'll need lots of strength.

So can I have another piece of pie?

- It's just gone, Martha.

Oh, but think of all the things we could have done with $100.

- Yes, dear.

But look at it this way, when you loaned the money

to your silly cousin years ago, you never expected

to see it again, did you?

- No, no, I certainly didn't.

- Well, as far as we're considered, it was gone then,

it's still gone, so we're even.

- Martha, you have a talent for finding good in everything,

don't you, my dear?

No matter what.

- That's what my father said the day I brought you home.

- Father, the day you brought?

Oh, you're pulling my leg.

[laughter]

- Well, we mustn't waste time like this.

You have things to do.

What time is your meeting?

- 3 o'clock.

Oh, I almost forgot about the tree.

[doorbell] - I'll get it.

Thank you.

There's a telegram for you.

- Telegram?

Oh, dear.

I, well, I hope nobody's sick or a,

or an accident or anything like that.

- What is it, dear? What is it?

- Why, it's from Mr. Timberlake?

- Timberlake?

The bird watcher's society?

- It says, your gallant fight to save old tree stamps you

as true lover of nature.

We at State Headquarters salute you.

We'll be at meeting today to lend support.

Felicitously yours, Walter A. Timberlake,

Chairman Bird Lovers of America.

Well, well, well.

- Isn't that nice?

[laughter]

- How about that, Martha?

Why I didn't even know they'd heard about it.

- Everybody hears about you, dear.

- Well, by golly.

Walter A. Timberlake, himself.

[laughter]

Why, this may turn out to be a pretty good day for me

after all.

[phone ringing]

- Hello?

Oh, hi, Mom.

When are you coming home?

- Pretty soon, I hope.

Grandad's coming along fine.

How's my boy?

- Swell.

And, boy, are we having a lot of excitement around here.

Mr. Wilson got robbed this morning.

- Mr. Wilson what?

Got robbed?

- We know who did it all right.

Me and Tommy are going to find their hideout

and get it back for him.

- Their hideout?

Oh, now wait a minute, Dennis.

The police will handle it and you just stay out of their way.

- All we have to do is find their hideout,

and while Tommy's talking to him real friendly and feeding him

a lot of corn, I'll sneak in and get the money and--

- Dennis, you call your father to the phone this instant,

do you hear me?

- Well, OK. But--

- And you stay right there in that house until I'm finished.

You sit down on the steps and stay there, you hear?

- Dad, telephone!

Your wife want to talk to you.

- Hi honey, how's everything?

- Boy, that's a first time I ever had

to stay in the house from a woman 200 miles away.

- Huh?

Well, of course I know what's going on under my nose.

Oh, that.

Uh, well, it's kind of a silly story, honey,

but, wait a minute.

Uh, son, you can go outside and play now.

It's OK.

- Oh, be sure and give her my love, Dad.

I forgot.

[cawing]

They're around here someplace, all right.

I hear them, but I don't see them yet.

- I just saw one on Mr. Wilson's roof, but he flew away.

- Good!

He probably went to get his wife and tell her

that lunch is ready.

- Yeah, maybe that's where he went.

- Scatter it all over real good, Tommy, so they'll be sure

and see it.

Here crows, here crows! - Here crows!

Come here.

Caw, caw!

- Caw, caw!

- We are gathered here today, my friends,

beneath this tree to save it from destruction.

As I stand beside this venerable trunk

in the shelter of its outstretched

crows-- oh, for Pete's sake!

Can't even hear myself think.

[cawing]

- Talk to us, c'mon talk.

C'mon, say something.

Caw, caw, caw!

- Caw, caw!

- Dennis!

Dennis, what is this?

- Oh, hi, Mr. Wilson.

- Get those noisy things out of my yard.

What are you trying to do me anyway?

- We're trying to find your money.

- Yeah.

- We're going to follow the crows that took it

and find out where they live and get your money back.

- Oh, for the love of--

- Only we don't know which one did it, Mr. Wilson.

- No.

Was it this one here that took your money, Mr. Wilson?

- Or that one over there? Because--

- Well, for Pete's sake!

How would I know which crow it is?

- You saw him.

So you're the only one that knows what he looks like.

- Oh, now Dennis, if you don't get these vandals

out of my yard, I'll-- Martha!

Martha!

Bring me a broom or a mop handle.

I'm going to-- Martha!

- George, you have company, dear.

- Mr. Wilson, how good to see you again.

- Well, my goodness, uh, uh Mr. Timberlake.

What a nice surprise.

I didn't expect you here at the house, I--

[cawing]

Oh, it's so noisy out here, uh--

- By jove, what a splendid thing to do.

- Huh?

- Our little friends, the crows, have

had a most difficult winter.

- Our friends?

Oh, oh, you mean the crows.

Oh, yes, they have.

- And it's so typical of your husband, Mrs. Wilson,

with his profound concern for all our feathered friends

to think of turning your whole backyard into one big feeding

tray.

- Oh, well, I, eh, uh, one big feeding tray, yes.

- Mr. Wilson, this is a truly noble gesture

in keeping with the finest American traditions.

- Oh, well, it was nothing.

I, uh, well, I just, uh, well--

- Shall we go inside?

I'll make some coffee.

- I'd love to have a cup of coffee,

but I have a few little things to attend

to downtown before the meeting.

I just dropped by momentarily to see

if you needed any last minute help in saving the tree?

- Oh, why that's most considerate of you, Mr. Timberlake,

but everything is under control, sir.

[cawing]

- He never did tell us which crow took his money.

- No, we'll just have to follow them both, I guess.

Hey!

Maybe they both live together.

That'll make it much easier.

- Yeah!

Maybe they do.

- Get ready now.

Go on, crows.

Fly slow now, but go home.

Home!

[cawing]

- Now, don't worry, Mr. Wilson.

I'll be back in ample time for the meeting.

- Good, eh, uh, we have an hour yet.

- I do hope we can keep them from cutting down that tree.

Oh we must, Mrs. Wilson.

We simply must.

- Oh, and we will.

That park commissioner of ours thinks all he has to say

is cut down this tree, cut down that tree,

never mind the public.

He's going to find out this afternoon

that the taxpayer is still the man in charge.

- Well spoken, Mr. Wilson.

- Yes, sir.

I think we'll have a little surprise for Mr. Commissioner.

- Yes, sir.

We'll have a little surprise for Mr. Wilson and his crowd today.

- Well, the the power saw's down in the truck, I'm ready.

- Those trouble-making protest meetings.

I've been through that stuff too many times, Joe.

- I know what you mean.

We're going to stop this one before it ever gets started.

By the time Wilson's crowd gets to the park at 3 o'clock,

that tree will already be down.

- They can't very well expect you to put it back up again,

can they?

[laughter]

- Right, let's go.

- And I say to you that it shall not

be felled by the woodman's ax.

I'll get some applause here.

- Mr. Wilson!

Mr. Wilson!

We found it, we found it!

- Oh, Dennis, for heaven's sakes, how

do you expect me to concen-- you what?

- We found it!

- The crow's nest.

It's in the tree in the park.

- In the old tree in the park.

- And your $100 bill is in it.

You can see it plain as day with these field glasses.

- You, you it is?

Uh, are you sure?

- Sure, we're sure!

It's sticking right out the side of the nest.

C'mon!

- Oh, yes.

[music playing]

- Can you see the money from there, Mr. Wilson?

- Yeah, I see it, all right.

I'll get it.

- He sure is high, isn't he?

Hope he doesn't fall.

- Mr. Wilson?

Heck no!

He's a real good climber.

- Help!

Ooh, eek.

- Hang on, Mr. Wilson.

There's something right by your foot.

Higher up.

That's it.

- We better stand over this way.

I sure don't want him to fall on me, boy.

- He's not gonna-- hey, I wonder who that is coming?

- I don't know.

- Just put it down there, Joe.

Oh, hello boys. What are you doing here?

Playing?

- No, sir.

We're waiting for our friend, Mr. Wilson.

- Oh, you're the kid that lives next door to him, aren't you?

Well, Mr. Wilson won't be until 3 o'clock, boys.

So run along out of the way.

There you go, Joe.

[chainsaw]

- Hey!

- Wilson, you come down out of that tree!

- I will not!

And you get away from this tree!

And get that saw away from there too, Thornton.

- What do you think you're doing up there?

- I'm getting my $100 bill that's what I'm doing.

It's in that crow's nest.

- What are you talking about $100 bill in a crow's nest?

- That's what he said.

- Oh, sure, sure.

And where did the crow get it? Win it in a poker game?

- Our crow didn't win the money, he stole it from Mr. Wilson.

- I know what you're trying to pull, Wilson.

And you're not going to get away with it.

You're not going to save the tree pulling

a dumb trick like this.

You come down from there!

- Don't you holler at me, Thornton.

I'll come down when I'm ready.

- Now, you boys had better run along home.

We're going to saw this tree down.

And it looks like Mr. Wilson is determined

to stay up there until the tree falls.

- You better hurry up and come down, Mr. Wilson.

- They're gonna saw it down.

C'mon!

- Uhh, they wouldn't dare.

- Oh no?

Kick it off, Joe.

[chainsaw]

- You're gonna bounce all over the park

when this tree hits back.

I'll give you one more chance, Wilson.

When I count three, down it comes.

One, two--

- C'mon, Tommy, we better get my dad quick.

- For the last time, are you coming down from there?

[crowd chattering]

- What do you think you're doing anyhow?

Can't you see there's a man up in that tree?

- Don't you dare cut that tree down with him in it!

George, are you all right, dear?

- There's there's been just a little mistake folks.

We didn't realize how much the tree meant to you.

You park commissioner has only one desire

and that's to please you.

Now I can assure you, this tree will stand here--

- Are you all right, Mr. Wilson?

- Are you all right, you're not hurt, are you?

- Oh, I'm fine, fine.

He didn't bluff me for a minute.

- They were going to cut the tree down, Dad.

They had the saw going and everything.

But good, old Mr. Wilson wouldn't let them.

- My, what an heroic thing to do.

Single-handed, George Wilson has saved this tree.

- Well, it was nothing.

Uh, the boys showed me that crow's nest and when I--

- So it was not only to save the tree that you

put your very life in danger, it was also

to save our wee nesting friends.

- Huh?

Oh, well, I--

- When Tommy and me found the nest and told Mr.

Wilson that bill was in it--

- Uh, Dennis, Mr. Femmerling's talking, son.

- Dear friends, we have today witnessed

a most truly unselfish deed.

And I shall personally order a small plaque cast

in bronze in commemoration.

- A plaque?

Oh, oh, my word.

- To George Wilson, friend of nature.

This tree is gratefully dedicated.

[applause]

We shall place it here.

- Boy!

Now that you've got your very own tree, Mr. Wilson,

I'll come over and climb it with you.

Everyday.

[theme music]

- This has been a Screen Gems film production

from the Hollywood Studios of Columbia Pictures.