Original subtitles

to see what would happen if I did something different for a change.

What are you talking about?

Life.

I've just been thinking about life.

Ethel, Ricky and I are in a terrible rut.

What do you mean?

Everything has become routine.

We do the same dull thing every day. We see the same dull people.

Thanks a lot.

I didn't mean you.

It's just that nothing new ever happens.

The way I can tell her... Ricky's going to say and do before he does it. Uh, can

you? Yeah, wait till he wakes up. You'll see.

He'll call, hey, Lucy, is the coffee percolated yet?

Then he'll come into the kitchen half asleep looking like a zombie, stagger

to the stove, say, oh, I could have slept all day, scratch his leg while he

pours some coffee for himself, kiss the air in my general direction.

I can do exactly the same thing with Fred. I'll bet you can.

Right now, he's sitting down with the morning paper to do the crossword

And just about this time, he's discovered he can't find his glasses. So

call to me.

Echo!

He hasn't varied five minutes in 22 years.

I'm up here, Fred!

He won't find his glasses up here.

Oh, yes, he will. They'll be on top...

the same thing for 22 years.

become four big dull clunks.

You know, I think you're right. Sure, I'm right. And tonight, instead of

canasta, we're going to sit down and figure out the quickest way to de -clunk

ourselves.

deep in a pool of stagnation.

Now, what are we going to do about it?

Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going to go and take a

Never mind being funny.

Now, sit down.

We're serious.

We certainly are.

Our lives have become a stale routine. We do the same thing in the same way. We

know each other like a book.

Oh, honey, that's only normal.

You're supposed to know each other like a book.

It's the same after 25 years, only the cover gets more dog -eared.

Listen, the kind of routine we're in is not normal. Now, Ethel and I went out to

the library this afternoon, and we found a lot of books on the subject.

And? And the books all agreed. This one states it as well as any.

There are times when married couples let their lives fall into set patterns.

That's exactly what's happened to us. Right.

a case like this is for the marital partners to spend some time away from

other. What?

Please.

Change your whole way of living. Take a week's vacation from marriage and don't

even see your husband or wife.

Vacation from marriage will give you both a whole new perspective.

So? So Ethel and I are going to spend a week away from you and Fred.

You mean I won't see you for a whole week?

That's right.

for a whole week, Fred.

Well, I'll make the sacrifice.

Now, come on. Are you crazy or something? What are you going to do,

No, not necessarily.

I'll go downstairs and live with Ethel. Fred can come up here and live with you,

and we'll just lead our own lives. We just won't see each other, that's all.

Isn't this going to be fun? We can sleep as late as we want to, go shopping,

call up our old girlfriend.

I don't like the sound of this whole sentence.

Well, I might have meant it, Rick. You don't understand.

If they're going to be bachelor girls, we're bachelor boys.

Hey, that's right.

You might have something of that in there, yeah.

Well, goodbye, Fred.

Goodbye, Ethel. Goodbye, Ricky.

Goodbye. I'll be seeing you.

Well, Lucy, what do we do tonight?

Oh, I don't care.

What do you want to do? How about going to a movie?

Again? We've been to five movies already this week.

Well, it's Saturday night, and I don't feel like staying home.

Well, neither do I.

Maybe we can call somebody.

Who?

We called up all our old girlfriends. They're all married.

Yeah.

They'll all be with their husbands on Saturday night.

Yeah, they're all in that awful rut we used to be in.

Yeah.

They don't know what fun it is to be on their own like us.

Yippee.

Ethel. Huh?

Well, nothing personal, but I'm sick of the sight of your face.

the boys are doing tonight.

I wonder.

Ethel, let's swallow our pride and go up and admit that we missed the big dope.

Oh, no, Lucy. They'd never let us hear the end of it.

No.

I know what we should do. What?

We should get all dressed up like we're going out on a mad date and then we

should go up and I should say that I want to get some of my good perfume.

Yeah, then what? Well, then when they see us all dressed up and they think

going out, they'll get insanely jealous and they'll demand that we go out with

them.

as we are, we'll even look good to them. Now, come on, let's get dressed.

Well,

there's no new movies.

We've seen them all.

You know something, Fred?

I hate to admit this, but I'd like to see Lucy tonight.

I can top that.

I'd like to see Ethel.

them without they thinking that we really miss them, you know.

What could that be?

Good evening.

Oh, hello.

I'm sorry to barge in like this, but I wondered if I could get some of my good

perfume. Why, sure.

Come in. Why don't you come right in?

You too, Ethel.

Thank you, Frederick.

We were just talking about you. You were?

You were?

I hope your boys are going to have as gay an evening as we are.

Oh, yes.

We've been invited to 21 for dinner.

Oh, Ethel, 21 again.

That's what the boys said.

21.

Well,

we mustn't be late. I'd better get the perfume.

Pardon me, please.

21 four times this week.

That's 84.

Well, come on, Ethel. So long, boys.

So long.

Sorry we have to rush off like this.

Ethel, promise me something, will you?

Let's be sensible tonight. Let's get in before 4 a .m.

for just a little while.

No, no, we'll be late. You understand how it is.

Yeah, we know how it is.

We have dates ourselves.

They just said that because they thought we were going out.

Now let's hear no more about it, shall we?

Okay. Okay.

You think I'm right, don't you?

if I knew they were safely up there worrying about us.

Come on. Where?

We're going to sneak up the back way and peek in our apartment.

Once we know the boys are there, I think we'll sleep a lot better.

Hey, Rick, why don't you come on to bed?

You go to sleep, Fred. Don't worry about me.

I'm not.

The slap of the cards keeps me awake.

just as wary as I am, aren't you?

You know something, Rick?

I bet they didn't go out with anybody at all. They're just faking.

Yeah, well, I tried to talk myself into that one, too.

No, I mean it. If they'd have had a date, they wouldn't have come up here

made such a big to -do about it.

Yeah.

Ethel did kind of sort of want to stick around and chat, didn't she?

You know something? I bet if we went down there right now and rang the bell,

they'd answer it.

Come on.

Well, let's go and ring the bell and then hide around the corner.

Yeah.

And if they answer, we know it's them.

I was wrong. They're not in there. I guess they did have dates. Oh, where do

suppose they are?

I don't know.

Go on. Let's go back downstairs.

Let's not go down the back way. It's too cold.

Fine thing. They're out someplace having the time of their life. Don't get sad

at me, Rick. How did I know they really had a date? That's it. It's the boys.

They're coming upstairs.

Come on. Down the back way.

Oh!

It's locked. Where do we go?

The roof.

I just want to know who they went out with.

Yeah, so do I.

Well, I'm going to find out, too. How?

Well, I'm going to stay right here.

And when I hear someone come in, I'll look down and see who Lucy's with.

I'm a little bit curious, too.

Let's sit down here. Come on.

We'll wait right here.

Darn it, the watchdogs are still there.

Oh, why don't they go on inside?

I'm getting cold.

Gee, me too. It's pretty windy up here, isn't it?

Oh, this is ridiculous. I'm going downstairs.

Ethel, where's your prize?

for marriage.

I want to be in a rut with you.