- 2 days ago
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00:00Here are Robert Young and Jane Wyatt with Ellen O'Donohue, Billy Gray and Lauren Chapin in Father Knows Best.
00:13Well, I'll be right in, dear.
00:17Take your time, honey.
00:18Bart and I can talk a little business in the meantime.
00:21It'll be hard to get back to business after a wonderful meal like that.
00:24Sit down, Bart.
00:25Yeah, Marty doesn't cook that way for everybody, Mr. Holden.
00:28You must be pretty important.
00:30I don't feel very important.
00:31Even the bottom rung of the ladder looks mighty high from where I stand.
00:34You'll do all right, Bart.
00:36It just takes a little time and patience to get started in any business.
00:40The insurance business is no exception.
00:42And I think you're going to like Springfield, too.
00:44It's a good town.
00:45If this is any example of its hospitality, I know I will.
00:49Tell me, Mr. Anderson, how long did it take you to get where you are?
00:52Oh, it was tough sledding for quite a few years.
00:55But worth it.
00:56Of course, in this day and age, it shouldn't take so long.
00:58Everything's geared up now to a faster pace.
01:00Yeah.
01:01But I wonder if the people who have to handle this speed are geared up to it.
01:07Sometimes the slow way is the best way.
01:11Particularly when it comes to handling prospective clients.
01:14Personally, I like to find out what kind of a man I'm dealing with.
01:19What he likes.
01:21His hobbies, if he has any.
01:24Now, you take someone like Bryant Page.
01:28Don't tell me Bryant Page is a client of yours.
01:31Well, I don't have his name on a policy yet.
01:34But I'm hoping.
01:35You better work fast, Mr. Anderson.
01:37I'll bet every insurance agent in town is after this character.
01:40That's the point I'm trying to make, Bart.
01:42Before I see him again, I want a little time to find out more about him.
01:46I know, for instance, that his hobby is tropical fish.
01:50So I've been spending a little time in the local aquarium, boning up, so to speak.
01:55It says here he's got one fish worth over $500.
01:58$500 for one fish?
02:00That's right, bud.
02:02One plain old fish?
02:05Plain old fish, bud.
02:07Happens to be a Gambusia affinis.
02:10Oh.
02:12It's a real pet.
02:13Mr. Page calls it, uh, Hector.
02:16Funny name for a fish.
02:18Bart seems like a very nice young man.
02:21What I like about him is he's so quiet in a smooth way.
02:24Where did father find him, anyway?
02:26Yeah, cold fish balls.
02:27At a Rotary Club luncheon, I believe.
02:30Your father took a liking to him and offered to help him get started in the insurance business.
02:33Father should go to more Rotary Club luncheons.
02:36I hope he's single.
02:37Want me to ask him for you?
02:39No.
02:40Not getting any younger, you know.
02:44Bud, do two things for me, will you?
02:47Anything to advance the cost.
02:49Open the door and shut your mouth.
02:52Oh, by the way, Betty, as long as Bart's gonna settle in Springfield, he'll need a place to live.
03:06Know anyone with an apartment they want to rent?
03:08Oh, what kind of an apartment, Bart?
03:10She means, are you looking for a bachelor or a double?
03:13Oh, God!
03:15You better be careful, Bud, or you'll be looking for an apartment.
03:17A bachelor would be just right.
03:19After all, it's for me.
03:21And I am a bachelor.
03:22See how easy it is?
03:23You'll have to excuse my brother.
03:25Sometimes he convulses us with his humor.
03:27Don't mind me.
03:28Don't mind me.
03:29Not having any brothers and sisters, I kind of enjoy this banter.
03:32Oh, and when till Kathy gets here, we're just warming up.
03:35Kathy's our youngest.
03:36They're having a box social at the church.
03:38We're looking forward to it for a month.
03:40Big deal.
03:41You should have seen the box lunch you picked up for herself and her boyfriend.
03:44She had enough food in it to give her boyfriend Burgess indigestion for a week.
03:48Oh, here she is now, Bart.
03:50Daddy?
03:51Daddy?
03:52Uh, come on in here, kitten.
03:54I'd like to have you meet a friend of ours.
03:56If you don't mind, Daddy.
03:58I'd like to be excused.
04:01Something's wrong, Jim.
04:03Yeah, I suspect this calls for a small conference.
04:06Excuse me, Bart.
04:07Of course.
04:09Better stay a bachelor, Bart.
04:11Save yourself a lot of trouble.
04:21What's the matter, kitten?
04:22Didn't Burgess like your box lunch?
04:25Want to tell me about it?
04:28If I do, I'll start crying.
04:31I've got pretty good shoulders for that, you know.
04:37I'm too mad to even cry.
04:40Now, let's have the whole story so I can be mad, too.
04:54Well, you know how box socials work.
04:59Somewhere in the dim past, there's a recollection of a few.
05:03The girls fix up nice box lunches and the boys bid on them.
05:07Don't tell me no one bid on yours.
05:08No one did because Burgess was supposed to bid on mine.
05:11Except he didn't get mine.
05:14Whose did he get?
05:15Patty.
05:16She told him to bid on the one with the purple ribbon.
05:18Thought it was mine.
05:21Glimmer of lights beginning to show.
05:23She was describing her box lunch.
05:27I sure look silly eating my can of light and music all by myself.
05:31I'm sorry, kitten.
05:39Mother!
05:41You'll have to settle for me, princess. Your mother's next door.
05:43I just wanted to tell her I won't be here for dinner tonight.
05:45Oh?
05:46Guess who the lucky man is.
05:48Well, there wouldn't by any chance be a young insurance salesman by the name of Bart Holden.
05:53How did you know?
05:55It's a wise father who knows his own daughter.
05:58Especially when there's a young, single, attractive man around.
06:01Oh, I didn't know I was that obvious.
06:02Anyway, I found an apartment for him today.
06:04Mrs. Mettler has one.
06:05Yeah.
06:06She said if we'd stop by tonight, she'd show up to him.
06:08Well, I'm glad to see Bart such a good salesman.
06:11You meet him one night and the next day he has you out looking for apartments for him.
06:15Mine really wasn't very hard to sell, father.
06:17Tell mother I'm upstairs dressing. Will you bother be here in a few minutes?
06:19All right.
06:20Does murder have one D or two?
06:22One.
06:25Murder?
06:27Revenge?
06:29What are you doing?
06:30Writing a mystery story?
06:31Making up a list of things to do to Patty for stealing Burgess away from me.
06:35What?
06:37I have to get even with her some way.
06:43You can't gain anything by getting even with people, Kathy.
06:48I can try.
06:50Think of all the time and energy you waste.
06:53I'm loaded with both.
06:56Not only that, what's even worse?
06:57It makes you fill your mind with dark, unpleasant thoughts.
07:02Isn't worth it.
07:07Just what would you do if somebody double-crossed you?
07:10It would depend on the circumstances, of course.
07:13But sometimes it's better not to do anything.
07:15Particularly in your case, Patty's a friend.
07:18You mean to tell me, Daddy, that if someone you trusted suddenly did something real mean, you wouldn't do anything?
07:26I don't think I would.
07:29I think I just pretend it didn't happen.
07:32Turn the other cheek.
07:34Of course you have seen more of life than I have.
07:37I suppose you ought to know.
07:40Frankly though, I don't think it makes much sense.
07:43But I'll think about it.
07:50You better think about it too, she.
07:54Oh, hi, honey.
07:56Kathy's not the only one who's been double-crossed by a friend.
08:00Remember that fine young man you've been doing so much for?
08:03The one you've gone out of your way to help and befriend?
08:06What?
08:07Well, Mrs. Brown was at the Bryant Page home this morning visiting.
08:10Hmm?
08:11She said while she was there, a young insurance salesman arrived and insisted that he talk to Mr. Page.
08:17It was Bart.
08:19He was trying to sell Mr. Page a quick policy.
08:22What?
08:24Well, that's only part of it.
08:26He tried to convince the Pages that your methods of selling insurance were old-fashioned and out-of-date.
08:30All I can say is if Mr. Page's hobby is collecting fish, he's got himself a first-class eel this time.
08:42There must be a mistake, Margaret.
08:45Bart would have no reason to double-cross me.
08:49He'd only hurt himself.
08:51I'm his friend.
08:53Evidently, he's not yours.
08:55But I've been trying to help him.
08:57We all have.
08:59Even Betty would...
09:01Margaret, he's taking Betty out to dinner tonight.
09:04Why?
09:05Now you know he wouldn't have the nerve to come around here face us if...
09:08I get it, it's probably Bart.
09:11We'll not have Betty going out with that...
09:14Now, wait a minute.
09:16Don't you think we ought to hear his side of the story?
09:21All right.
09:22All right, Bart, I'll be right out.
09:24Betty?
09:25I won't be too late, Mother.
09:26With Bart coming in, I'd like to at least say hello to him.
09:28I've heard something about his engine.
09:29He says if he shuts it off, he can't get it started again.
09:33I guess in a case like this, I can overlook the finer points of etiquette.
09:35Bye-bye.
09:36I really won't be too long.
09:39Is it all right if I stop smiling now, Jim?
09:42Oh, here they are, thank goodness.
09:54Jim, go on down and talk to him.
09:57Margaret, I'm not going down and talk to Bart tonight.
09:59Why not?
10:01All we know is what Mrs. Brown said she saw.
10:05Other than that, we have no proof that Bart was doing anything he shouldn't be doing.
10:09Look, Jim, I know all about babbling females who love to take some little thing and turn it into a major disaster.
10:17But Martha Brown doesn't happen to be that type.
10:19Okay, honey, so what can I do?
10:22Anybody up?
10:24Oh, come in, Betty.
10:25How was the date, Princess?
10:27What a character.
10:28We know.
10:29What do you mean?
10:30He's not only square, he's oblong and dull.
10:34All this man talks about is money and how fast it can be made.
10:38And when he wasn't talking about money, he was on the phone trying to reach some new client he'd heard about recently.
10:44He didn't happen to mention this client's name, did he?
10:49No, in fact, he was very careful not to mention it.
10:53I don't know why, I couldn't have been less interested.
10:56I guess I'll go to bed now.
10:58Can I?
11:00Just hope I don't dream about fish all night.
11:02Fish?
11:04Oh, that's another little gem.
11:06Bart's developed a strange new hobby.
11:09Tropical fish.
11:11I'll bet you didn't know that a gambusia affinis, fish to you, gives birth to living young.
11:18And if you'd like any other information, just check with me.
11:21We spent the entire evening at the aquarium.
11:26You know what upsets me the most?
11:29It isn't that Bart might get a client away from me, that happens in business all the time, we expect it.
11:36It's the fact that someone I trusted and liked would go behind my back to do such a thing.
11:47I suppose it doesn't make sense, but actually I feel sorry for him.
11:52How can you feel sorry for someone who's doing everything in his power to double-cross you?
11:57I feel sorry for him because he's letting himself in for a lot of hard knocks.
12:01What are you going to do about him, Dad?
12:04I don't know.
12:06Why don't you do what you told me to do, Daddy?
12:09You know, don't do anything. Just turn the other cheek.
12:13I also said, Kathy, that circumstances can be different.
12:21What's so different?
12:22We both lost something we were working on.
12:25You lost a client and I lost a boyfriend.
12:33Well, I can't argue with that.
12:35Then let's forget this other cheek business and get in and fight, huh?
12:38I don't know whether you'll consider an explanation or not, but I'd like to give you my side.
12:49Good. Go ahead.
12:52Well, as I see it, this is a free, competitive world.
12:56You and I are both in the insurance business.
12:59You have plenty of clients.
13:01I'm just getting started, so I haven't any.
13:02Well, to put it bluntly, Mr. Anderson, you don't need Mr. Page.
13:08I do.
13:10I know what you're thinking. After all you've done for me, I should be grateful.
13:13And I am.
13:15But I'm also practical.
13:17In this day and age, we have to be.
13:20I know that one client like Page can set me up for a long time.
13:26Don't worry, Mr. Anderson. I'll pay you back someday in a big way.
13:28For your information, Bart, I wasn't trying to help you for what I could get out of it.
13:35Not monetarily, anyway.
13:40You see, one of those old-fashioned ideas of mine
13:47is that there's a great deal of pleasure in helping young people get started.
13:51I've always taken some pride in believing I was a pretty fair judge of character.
14:03But...
14:06I really goofed this time.
14:08What have I done that's so wrong?
14:12There's nothing wrong in what you've done.
14:15It's the way that you've done it.
14:18I could respect you if you'd been man enough to come to me and tell me what you were doing.
14:23Instead of going around behind my back with these underhanded methods.
14:28Okay.
14:30And you call my way of doing things underhanded.
14:33I call it aggressive.
14:36Furthermore, the way you've been holding back on this man, cajoling him and getting to know him, as you put it.
14:42You'd lose him anyway.
14:47Tell me, Bart, this aggressive approach of yours.
14:52Have you sold him a policy?
14:53No.
14:54Then I've only talked to him twice.
14:56Well, now let me tell you something, my young friend.
14:59My methods may not be aggressive.
15:02By your terms.
15:04But they happen to be ethical.
15:08I would suggest that if you want to be successful in this community,
15:11and if you want the respect of the other businessmen here, you'd better become acquainted with that word, ethics.
15:17Look, I didn't mean for you to get all shook up.
15:19Well, I am all shook up.
15:23And there's one other thing I think you should know.
15:25Brian Page made a name for himself many years ago by practicing honesty and ethics in business.
15:34And if you'd taken the time that I've taken to know this man,
15:37you'd find that he hasn't changed his theories through the years.
15:41So you go ahead with your modern theories, Bart.
15:50And we'll see which method works.
15:56Yours?
15:58Or mine?
15:59How do I know you won't go to Page and tell him this whole deal?
16:13After all, you're pretty much in the driver's seat.
16:17That's just the point, Bart. You don't know.
16:23Your best bet is to hope that I am as ethical a businessman as I claim to be.
16:29Yes, who is it, Miss Thomas?
16:41Mr. Page.
16:49Daddy, look!
16:51What is it, kitten?
16:53Patty's reservation for a trip to the moon?
16:55Something even better.
16:56It's a note she wrote to Burgess in class today.
16:58Only he never got it. I did.
17:01What good is it going to do you?
17:03Well, it's against the rules to write notes in class.
17:06And all I have to do is give this note to the teacher and old Patty will have to stay after school every night for a week.
17:12What?
17:13Oh, that'll get even with her for snitching my boyfriend away.
17:17Now, wait a minute, Cassie.
17:18Too bad you can't get even with Mr. Holden like I'm going to get even with Patty.
17:24Well, I had a good chance to get even with him today.
17:27Yeah?
17:28As you put it, I had a good chance to snitch on him.
17:32Mr. Page called me. He wanted to know what kind of a person Bart Holden is.
17:37Boy, now you're cooking!
17:39What did you tell him, Jim?
17:41Oh, uh, the truth.
17:44Or what I thought was the truth once.
17:48I, um, told him I had high hopes for Bart in the insurance world.
17:53Which I did at one time.
17:56And that I was sure he would do everything in his power to give him the best of service.
18:01Which I'm sure he will.
18:03Daddy, couldn't you have thrown in just a couple of mean things?
18:06I could have.
18:10Jim, honestly.
18:11It's one thing to turn the other cheek.
18:14You don't have to lean over backwards.
18:16I think you should have told Mr. Page exactly the kind of person Bart is.
18:21Don't think it wasn't a temptation.
18:23Then why didn't you?
18:28Because all of a sudden it became a challenge to me.
18:30It became a matter of ethical practice over dishonest practice.
18:37Of, um, high pressure salesmanship as opposed to, uh, my old fashioned ideas.
18:47One being that, um, I believe there should be a code of ethics among friends.
18:54Even when they are competing.
18:59They're in the same profession.
19:02Besides, um, why should I lower my standards to conform to those of someone like Bart?
19:10Well, I guess if you can risk losing Mr. Page, I can risk losing Burgess.
19:16I won't tell I'm Patty.
19:21Good for you.
19:23I sure like to know what's in this note though.
19:27You mean you haven't read it?
19:29Well, I don't read other people's mail.
19:32Kitten?
19:34I have an idea.
19:37You think I should read it?
19:39No.
19:41Um, I think you should see that Burgess gets that note.
19:44What?
19:46After all it was to be delivered to him, not to you.
19:49But supposing it's a poison pen letter about me?
19:52I just said it was an idea.
19:53Well, okay.
19:54Now, Jim, I appreciate the fact you're trying to set a good example for Kathy.
19:59But hers is a child's problem.
20:00Yours is different.
20:01This is a pretty big business deal you're gambling with.
20:02I know.
20:04But Margaret, I...
20:06I couldn't do it anymore.
20:07I couldn't do it any other way.
20:08I just couldn't.
20:10I just couldn't.
20:11I understand, dear.
20:12I understand, dear.
20:13I understand, dear.
20:14You're not.
20:15I understand, dear.
20:16You're not a problem.
20:17You're not a problem.
20:18You're trying to set a good example for Kathy.
20:19But hers is a child's problem.
20:20Yours is different.
20:22This is a pretty big business deal you're gambling with.
20:25I know.
20:27But Margaret, I...
20:29I couldn't do it any other way.
20:34I just couldn't.
20:36I understand, dear.
20:37You know, honey, I have an uncomfortable feeling that Kathy stands a much better chance of winning back Burgess than I have of winning back Mr. Page.
20:57No, thanks, sir.
21:01Any news for Mr. Page yet?
21:05No.
21:08I don't mean to rub it in.
21:10You must have really sold Bart to him.
21:14It looks that way.
21:17Mrs. Brown said he's been to the Pages twice for dinner.
21:20Evidently, he plays golf with them.
21:23At any rate, I saw them together up at the club the other day.
21:26I think you've oversold him, Jim.
21:29Well, that's my profession, honey.
21:33Selling.
21:37Oh, that's Miss Thomas.
21:38Tell her I'm on my way to the office.
21:39All right, dear.
21:42Hello?
21:44Yes.
21:45Well, he's on his way to the office.
21:47Who is this?
21:48Who is this?
21:49Paige?
21:50Mr. Page!
21:51Jim!
21:52Jim, come back!
21:53Oh, hold the page, Mr. Lyon.
21:56I mean, just a minute, Mr. Page.
21:58I mean, I can catch him.
22:00What is it, dear?
22:01It's Mr. Page!
22:02Oh, excuse me, he's coming.
22:05Oh.
22:06Hello?
22:09Yes, Mr. Page.
22:11Oh, I, uh, I was just on my way to the office.
22:14Excuse me, Mr. My Cat.
22:15Oh, shit!
22:16I'll be glad to.
22:17I could stop by on the way.
22:21Will I what?
22:24Mr. Page, believe me, I would consider it a great honor.
22:27All right.
22:32Uh, goodbye.
22:34What did he say, Jim?
22:37Are you gonna handle his insurance?
22:41I think so.
22:42Really?
22:43Well, he said his writing arm was in good shape.
22:48Congratulations, Jim.
22:50Yee-haw!
22:57You know, Margaret, I wasn't at all sure it would turn out this way.
23:02Well, I wasn't either, as you know, but it did.
23:07And I've never been so happy to be so wrong.
23:11I, uh, guess my old-fashioned methods weren't so bad after all.
23:16And you know what else he told me?
23:17What?
23:19Hector had twins this morning.
23:22Now, how can a Hector have twins?
23:24I guess when you have as much money as Mr. Page, anything is possible.
23:27Particularly when Hector turned out to be a lady.
23:31Oh, I must wake Betty and tell her of the blessed events.
23:33Yes.
23:34Patti!
23:37You mean that $500 fish is a mother?
23:39That's right.
23:41$500 for one fish.
23:43Let's see, three times 500 is 1500 smackers.
23:46Now, that's the kind of multiplying I dig.
23:51Daddy, can I have 50 cents?
23:53Well, what for?
23:54So I can buy Patty and me some ice cream.
23:58You and Patty must have made up.
24:01Uh-huh.
24:03I guess you knew what you were doing after all.
24:06I gave that note to Burgess like he asked me to.
24:09And now we're all friends again.
24:11You certainly aroused my curiosity.
24:13What was in that note anyway?
24:16Well...
24:18Patty wrote to Burgess about what she did to me at the Box Social.
24:23Said she was sorry.
24:26Well, I'm glad to hear that, kitten.
24:29Thanks.
24:30Has Mr. Holden said he was sorry for what he did?
24:33No.
24:35Do you think he ever will?
24:38He might.
24:40One day.
24:43Particularly when he finds out he missed being godfather to a gambusia a finish.
24:48Uh-huh.
24:52THE END
25:22THE END
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