Original subtitles

- Boy, those are the swellest uniforms I ever saw!

What else do scouts do besides collect old newspapers?

- Oh, we camp out, and learn first aid,

and how to take care of ourselves, and stuff like that.

- Boy, that sounds swell.

How'd you win all those medals?

- They're merit badges.

- What are merit badges?

- Things you get for doing projects.

- Boy.

Hey, what's that patch for?

- Oh, that's to show we belong to the Wolf Patrol.

When we get separated in the woods, we use the wolf call.

- What's the wolf call for?

- That's so we can tell ourselves from somebody else.

- Let me hear you call, huh.

How does it go?

- Do it for him, Dudley.

- OK.

[howling]

- Boy, that's the neatest wolf I ever heard call.

[howling]

- Well, we've gotta go, Dennis.

- Yeah, thanks for the papers.

- Jeepers, thank you for teaching me the wolf call.

]HOWLING]

- Boy, what a keen way to tell yourself from somebody else.

[howling]

[theme music]

- Easy, George, easy.

The night-blooming cereus is more delicate

than you might think.

- Oh.

Well, I'll be very careful, Mr. Timberlake.

Your plant is in very tender hands.

There we are.

And now tonight when I photograph

it's nocturnal bloom against this dark background,

it'll stand out in bold relief.

- Oh, exquisite composition, George.

- Oh, well thank you, Mr. Timberlake.

- I know you won't fail the Garden Club.

- Oh, assuredly not, sir.

- Now remember, George.

If you get the photograph to Mr. Krinkie by 9:00 AM,

he'll give us a full page of publicity in tomorrow's paper.

- You may tell the members of the Garden Club, Mr. Timberlake,

that George Wilson will be alert and vigilant.

Now tonight when this shy flower feels the darkness

and slowly unfolds it's rare beauty

to the unappreciative night, I shall

be here with flash bulb and camera

ready to preserve it for posterity.

- Spoken like a true member of the judging committee.

- Oh, you mean?

- That's right.

- Oh. Well, me?

Oh, Mr. Timberlake.

A member of the judging committee.

Oh, my.

[george chuckling]

- Here's your nerve medicine, George.

- Oh, thank you, Martha.

Yes, I'll need it to calm down.

This is a most exciting project.

- I'm sure it is.

- Well, it means a lot to the Garden Club.

- Of course it does.

- And you'll notice, my dear, I'm leaving nothing to chance.

I'm using two cameras.

- You always were thorough.

- Well, that's the mark of a successful photographer.

So, if everything goes smoothly, and something

doesn't come out of--

- Hi, Mr. Wilson!

- left field.

- Dennis, now don't you come in here.

You stand right where you are!

- OK, Mr. Wilson, going to take my picture?

- No, but I want to be sure I get the picture I do want to take.

- Are you just going to take a picture of that old thing?

- Old thing?

Good gravy.

- It's not an old thing, Dennis.

It's a very rare plant that only blooms at night.

It's called a night-blooming cereus.

- Why doesn't it bloom in the daytime?

- Because it blooms at night.

- What time tonight does it bloom?

- Oh, good grief!

Whenever it takes the notion to, Dennis.

- What are you going to do with a picture like that?

- Well, if Mr. Wilson gets a good picture,

Mr. Krinkie has promised to put it in the paper

tomorrow and give the Garden Club some publicity.

- I sure hope you get a good one, Mr. Wilson.

- Boy, this would make a swell wigwam

if you covered these poles.

- Oh, Dennis.

Now, Great Scott!

Stop jiggling my tripod and come out from there.

- Sure, Mr. Wilson.

- George, I have to start dinner.

You talk to Dennis.

- Wha-- well, we'll have a very short conversation.

Dennis, why don't you run on home

and then come back again one day next month?

- But I haven't asked you what I came over to ask ya.

- Well, all right, what do you want to know?

- Mr. Wilson, I bet you were a Boy Scout when you were a boy.

- Well, yes.

[stuttering]

- Well, how did you know?

- Something just told me you'd know all about it.

- Well.

[chuckling]

- I dare say, I still bear the stamp.

[chuckling]

- I was an Eagle Scout.

Oh, my chest was just covered with merit badges.

- Boy, you must have had a jillion badges.

But how'd you win enough to cover so much?

- By doing what every good Scout's supposed to do.

Why, I even learned to build a fire without matches.

- Boy, building a fire without matches.

- We even cooked our food without any kitchen utensils.

- What'd you cook it in?

- Oh, with whatever was handy.

We were very resourceful.

Oh, my troop called themselves the Seal Patrol.

- Did you call each other by making like a seal?

- Oh, yes indeed!

Why, every member would become on the double

whenever he heard another member go like this

[barking like a seal]

- Boy, you'd make a swell seal, Mr. Wilson.

Do it again, will ya?

- Eww waa.

Oh, that's enough.

Now you run along home.

- OK, Mr. Wilson.

I'm going to start training to be a Cub Scout.

- Well, you go home and start.

- Would you be Den Mother for our Wild Cub Patrol?

- Den Mo-- no!

- I thought Scouts were supposed to help people.

- Well, yeah, that's true, my boy.

It's just that, uh, well, I'm keyed up at the moment.

Uh, maybe we can discuss Scouting another time.

- We can?

Oh, boy, swell!

Thanks, Mr. Wilson!

You're a real good Scout!

- Oh!

- Going to do a little barbecuing, Dad?

- Oh, yeah, with Mom away and Grandma gone for the night,

I thought we'd have steaks.

- You sure like to cook out don't ya, Dad?

- There's nothing like getting next to nature, son.

My food always tastes better when

it's cooked out of doors in a simple fashion the way

the pioneers used to do it in the good old days.

- Just like Scouts?

- Well, yeah, sort of.

Our forefathers used to live and work out of doors.

Why, they very often slept out under the stars.

- They did?

- Yeah, they were-- they were rugged, healthy men.

The kind it took to build this country of ours.

Our civilization makes us too soft.

- Well, imagine that.

- Yeah, you know, there was a time

when men used to cook over fires that

were made without even a match?

- They were pretty smart in the good old days huh, Dad?

- We could learn a lot from them.

- Well, why don't we throw this old part of a barbecue

away, and do like the pioneers?

Why, we could even camp out here tonight

and sleep under the stars.

- We have beds, Dennis.

- Those old beds are what makes you soft.

And you said I could train to be a Boy Scout huh, Dad?

- Well yes, I guess, but--

- Why, you could show me how to cook those steaks

over a fire started without any matches.

And I could get all kinds of Scout training.

- But Dennis--

- All we have to do is just what you said.

You had a real good idea huh, Dad?

- All right.

[chuckling]

- There's a book in the-- in the living

room on the shelf that'll tell us

how the pioneers and Indians used to do things.

You want to get it?

- Boy, there was nothing dopey about those pioneers huh, Dad?

- Yeah.

I think I'm the one that's dopey.

- Get any fire sparks yet, Dad?

- I think the batteries in these rocks are dead.

- They're not even getting warm.

- All right, I'll try the bow and spindle again.

[sighing]

- You sure did a good job of making that fire starter.

- It creates friction the way it's supposed to.

I did it just the way the book said.

- Why don't I run over and get Mr. Wilson.

He says he used to start fires without matches.

- Good thinking, son.

After all, if he can do it, we should

share this happy occasion.

Go, boy, go!

- This is the last bottle of your nerve medicine, dear.

Don't take too much.

- All right, Martha.

- Excuse me, Mr. Wilson.

- Oh, what is it now, Dennis?

- Could you come over a minute and show Dad and me

how to get our campfire started the way you said.

- Oh.

Well, it was a long time ago since I

was a Boy Scout, Dennis.

And besides, it takes a lot of preparation.

- Oh, we've got all the preparations.

- Uh, well, as you see, I'm very busy.

- But Dad's getting no place, and I'm staved.

- Well, Mrs. Wilson will give you something

to eat in the kitchen.

- We've got plenty to eat.

We just can't get it cooked.

- Dear, why don't you go and help them?

- Well, if it'll help get rid of a-- oh, OK, Dennis.

I-- oh, Martha, now you-- you keep your eye on that plant.

And you call out of the slightest thing happen.

- I won't take my eyes off of it.

- Oh, Great Scott!

Dennis, don't touch it.

- I was only trying to help it along.

- Well, the best way to do that is to go into your yard.

Come on.

Watch the plant.

- Well, having a little trouble getting things, uh, started,

Mitchell?

- It was a little trouble before, Mr. Wilson.

Now it's-- it's just plain torture!

- Mr. Wilson will do it, Dad.

He's had experience.

- Mr. Wilson, be my guest.

- Well, even an experienced woodsman

has to have workable, basic equipment.

Did you make this gadget, Mitchell?

- Well, I did it by the book.

It works.

- It works swell!

Only it won't start a fire.

- Oh, I see.

Well, of course, there's a knack to it.

Eh-- uh, oh.

By the way, do you know how to cook

the steaks once I get the fire going?

- I have my own ideas, but I'm open to suggestions.

- Oh, well, it's very simple.

Now, uh, you and Dennis go cut a couple of, uh, fork sticks

about, oh, two feet long.

Then you skewer the steaks onto the forks,

and hold them over the flame, and turn them

until they're done evenly. [chuckling]

[chuckling] - All right.

Now go cut the forks.

- Oh, all right.

- D-- Dennis--

- I want to watch you start the fire.

- Well, Dennis, now if you want to train to be a Boy Scout,

now the first thing-- one of the first things you have to learn

is strict obedience.

- Come on, Dennis.

- OK.

- Mitchell! Dennis!

[sighing]

- Well, I came, I saw, I conquered.

- I can't believe it. [george laughing]

- Boy, you sure did it in a hurry, Mr. Wilson.

- Oh, it was very simple.

Well, now to get back to my cameras.

- Mr. Wilson's going to take a picture

of a cereus that only blooms at night.

- Oh, I hope you get a good picture, Mr. Wilson.

- Well, I hope too if I don't have too many interruptions.

- Thanks a lot, Mr. Wilson.

- Well, I'm glad to oblige, my boy, this once.

- Mr. Wilson's a regular pioneer like in the good old days

huh, Dad?

- He sure is.

And he's got good work of a basic equipment.

- Sleeping under the stars is sure

a neat way to sleep huh, Dad?

- Well, I can take it or leave it.

- Wait until I tell Tommy about us cooking on four sticks.

- Well, all right, but you don't have to tell him everything.

- You mean that part about your stick cooking

before the steak did?

- I just got it too close to the fire.

- That's OK.

I bet a lot of the pioneers dropped their steaks

in the ashes in the good old days.

- At least it was a popular color, Charcoal Grey.

- What do you think I ought to call our patrol while we're

training to be Scouts?

- Well, what's wrong with the Wild Cubs?

- Maybe a little cub couldn't make enough noise.

Mr. Wilson's patrol was called the Seals.

- Really?

I never thought of seals as being particularly noisy.

- You should watch Mr. Wilson.

[barking like a seal]

[henry laughing]

- I see what you mean.

- What about grizzly bears?

[growling]

- Gee, you sure are a good growler, Dad.

How about a lion?

[roaring]

[henry laughing]

[henry growling]

- Oh!

Oh, Martha, I hope this cereus plant isn't allergic to noise.

Maybe that's why it isn't blooming.

- Oh, George!

Whoever heard of such a thing?

[dennis barking like a seal]

- Oh!

- I'm going into the house, son, and get my own sleeping bag.

- Heck, we're going to sleep in the tent, aren't we?

- Well, yeah, but my feet will stick out.

And it's colder tonight than I thought it was going to be.

Say, will blankets be alright for you?

- Say, why don't I borrow Mr. Wilson's sleeping bag?

Then we could be twins.

- Yeah, maybe you better do that.

- OK.

[henry laughing]

- I sure appreciate it, Mr. Wilson.

Anytime I can do anything for you?

- Yes you can, Dennis.

Well, when I get the sleeping bag,

I want you to take it home with you, crawl into it,

and quietly stay there.

Let me get this darn thing down.

Oh, there it is. Whoa!

- I'll help you pick them up, Mr. Wilson.

- Oh, no.

Never mind, Dennis. Never mind.

I'll do it myself tomorrow.

Now there's your sleeping bag.

I've got to get back to my vigil on the patio.

- Can I take this canteen along on account of I

might get thirsty during the night?

- Yes, I want you to take everything

you could conceivably need now so I won't be disturbed again.

[dennis howling]

[dennis growling] [snort]

[snoring]

[ribbit]

[ribbit]

[snoring] [snoring]

[ribbit] [snoring]

[snoring]

[ribbit]

[snoring]

- Boy, Dads and frogs sure do snore loud.

[snoring] [ribbit]

[snoring]

[ribbit]

[snoring] [ribbit]

[snoring]

[ribbit]

[snoring] [ribbit]

[snoring]

[ribbit]

[snoring]

- Sounds like Mr. Wilson's asleep too.

[snoring]

- Wake up, Mr. Wilson.

Your cereus is blooming!

Wake up quick so you can take it's picture!

[snoring]

- Dad!

[snoring]

- Hurry, Dad! - What?

What is it?

What's the matter?

- Mr. Wilson's cereus is blooming,

and I can't wake him up!

- Well, what time is it?

[snoring]

- It's 5 o'clock.

I-- it's almost daybreak.

- Hurry, Dad!

[snoring]

[ribbit]

- Dennis, Dennis, see if you can undo this zipper.

[henry sighing] - It's stuck tight.

- Oh, for Pete's sake.

- Look, I'll get my camera and take a picture for Mr. Wilson.

Keep trying, Dad.

[snoring]

[henry hollering]

- Hey, Mr. Wilson.

Wake up!

You've got to take a picture!

[snoring]

- I guess it's no use.

[snoring]

HENRY (OFFSCREEN): Dennis, where are you?

- OK, Dad.

[snoring]

- Jeepers, Dad!

- All right, you've got to cut open the zipper.

Can't you wake up Mr. Wilson?

- Heck no!

He's as stubborn a sleeper I ever saw in my whole life!

- We can't let him miss taking his picture.

Mr. Wilson, wake up.

Wake up, Mr. Wilson!

Come on.

Snap out of it, Mr. Wilson!

[george babbling]

- Wake up, Mr. Wilson, it's daybreak.

[george babbling]

- Wake up, Mr. Wilson!

- Oh! Oh, Mitchell.

Well, I must have dozed off.

- Several hours ago.

- Oh, good grief!

Ah!

- Here we go, Mr. Wilson.

- Oh, good gracious.

- Upsy daisy.

- Oh, thank you, Mitchell, for waking me in time.

- I helped too! - Oh.

Well, thank you, Dennis.

Now out of the way.

Eh, eh!

Great Scott!

It's closed!

Oh, whatever will I tell Mr. Timberlake?

- Just tell him that while you were asleep--

- Dennis, don't even think it.

- I was just going to tell you that--

- Dennis, I think we'd better go home.

- Yes, Mitchell.

And I've got to go in and think of what

I'm going to say to Mr. Timberlake!

- But Dad, I took the picture myself on this.

- I'm sorry, son.

I'm afraid it won't do.

Mr. Wilson has to have a professional picture.

- Jeepers.

- No.

No, Martha.

I just can't do it.

- But, dear, it's past four.

You're going to have to tell Mr. Timberlake something.

- Oh, it's so humiliating.

Mr. Timberlake trusted me.

The newspaper depended on the picture.

The Garden Club was counting on the publicity.

And George Wilson fell asleep at his post.

[doorbell ringing]

- Will you get that, dear, while I put this away?

[gasping]

- You know, Martha.

I wouldn't blame them if they stripped me of my trophies.

[doorbell ringing]

- Oh, Mr. Timberlake!

- George, I just couldn't resist being on hand

when you got your copy of the evening paper.

Oh, what a day! What a day!

- Oh.

Well, maybe we better go inside and sit down.

- Is something wrong? You look pale.

- Well, I-- I'd almost rather cut off my retirement

pay than have to tell you this.

- What?

- Well, the sad fact is I didn't get

a picture of the night-blooming cereus.

- George!

- Well, it was evidently a late bloomer.

And so while I was waiting, I dozed off.

- You, George Wilson, asleep at the switch.

Oh, I'm afraid the Garden Club will

regard this as catastrophic.

- Well, it really wasn't entirely my fault.

You see, the little boy who lives next door, Dennis, kept

running in and out all day making me extremely nervous,

you see.

- The members aren't going to like this, George.

- Well, I kept on taking my nerve medicine to calm me down.

And well, I overdid it.

- I'm sorry, George, but I'm afraid that I'll

have to take the plant to another photographer.

- Oh now, Mr. Timberlake, let me have another chance tonight.

And if Dennis sets foot on my probably, I'll--

DENNIS (OFFSCREEN): Mr. Wilson!

Hey, Mr. Wilson!

Hi, Mr. Timberlake. - Hello, Dennis.

- Dennis, don't you have anything better

to do than come over here?

- The paper boy, Mr. Wilson.

He's coming off the block. - Well--

[george stuttering] Never mind the paper, Dennis.

- But it's the paper with the picture in it?

- What picture?

- The one I took for Mr. Wilson last night when I couldn't wake

him up.

- Dennis, do you mean that you took a picture,

and the newspaper has it?

- Dennis, if this is your idea of a joke--

- George, if this is true, it's miraculous.

- If it's true, it's impossible.

Oh, Dennis, go home.

- Jeepers, can't I even wait until you see it?

Mr. Krinkie said it was so good he's

going to put it in the paper today.

- Mr. Krinkie said that?

- He sure did.

I took my camera to him early this morning,

and he developed the picture.

So is it OK if I stay?

- Well, of course it is, my boy!

You just make yourself right at home.

My, isn't he a fine boy, Mr. Timberlake?

- He certainly is and resourceful.

- I did it for good old Mr. Wilson.

Pretty soon now we can talk about you

being Den Mother for our Wild Cubs huh, Mr. Wilson?

- Eh.

Well, Dennis, if your picture makes the paper,

I'll be right in the middle of your den.

- So will I. I'll be Den Father.

- Gee, thanks!

[laughing]

HENRY (OFFSCREEN): Hi, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Timberlake.

MR. TIMBERLAKE (OFFSCREEN): Hi.

- Mitchell, Dennis tells me the night-blooming cereus

is in the paper.

- It sure is.

- (HAPPILY) Well-- well then let's take a look at it.

- You and the Garden Club got quite a spread.

- I'm delighted.

May I?

- Well, let's take a look at it.

[laughing]

- Oh, George, this is priceless.

You may never get to be on the judging committee of the Garden

Club, but you sure could model for mattress ads!

[laughing hysterically]

GEORGE (OFFSCREEN): Cereus poses but photographer dozes.

[laughing hysterically]

- Great Scott!

[laughing hysterically]

[theme music]

- This has been a Screen Gems Film Production

from the Hollywood Studios of Colombia Pictures.