Original subtitles

[doorbell ringing]

- Oh, good morning.

- Morning, ma'am.

It's a COD, $8.00.

- $8.00?

- And $0.73, addressed to Dennis Mitchell.

- To-- to Dennis?

- Oh, boy!

My rocket kit!

You send in your name and address

and they send you one COD.

Mom, what does COD mean?

- Dennis!

[theme music]

- Son, your mother thought it would be a good chance

for you and me to have a-- a little chat about all

these weird things we're finding in our bureau drawers.

If it isn't old bottle caps, it's oyster shells.

If it isn't oyster shells, its old used shotgun shells.

It's just got to stop.

Now what do you say?

- OK.

- OK, what?

- OK, I'll take the fish hooks outta your socks.

- Fish hooks in my socks?

- Don't worry, Dad.

My fish hooks are right in this good old cigar box.

Wouldn't want to lose any of these.

- Oh!

Why put them in my bureau?

- Because my bureau's full of stuff.

- We're just gonna have to figure something out.

You're getting to be a regular pack rat.

- Gee, Dad, you sure got a lot of pennies there.

- Yeah, I found a real old one today.

Yeah. 1911.

- Don't worry.

It's worth just as much as a new one.

- Say, that may be the answer.

- The answer to what?

- To your collecting.

Instead of this-- this junkyard, you

could use this penny to start a penny collection.

It might be very interesting.

- Do you mean I could be a coin collector, like Mr. Wilson?

- That's right.

We can go over to Mr. Wilson's right after dinner tonight.

I'm sure he'd be very happy to give you some pointers.

Would you like that?

- I'll say!

And boy, will Mr. Wilson be happy when he learns he

has a new coin collector right next door!

[gunfire on tv]

[woman screaming on tv] MRS. WILSON (OFFSCREEN): George!

- Oh, Martha!

[whistle on tv]

- Just one more.

Please!

- No, George.

Not another one.

You've become a regular addict to these police shows.

You're ruining your nerves.

- Well, Martha, just let me finish

seeing Turtle Street Beat and Dan Raven's Fourth Private Eye,

and then I'll go straight to bed.

- And toss and turn all night.

Last night you kept telling me to stick up my hands.

[gunfire on tv]

- Martha, you're right in the line of fire.

[doorbell ringing]

- Oh, for Pete's sake, who's that?

- Hi, Mrs. Wilson.

- Come on, in!

[gunfire and sirens on tv]

- I'm gonna be a coin collector.

- We've come over to ask Mr. Wilson for some advice.

- Oh, good!

Maybe this will take his mind off those private eyes.

George! - Just a minute.

Turtle Street Beat's almost finished.

Martha!

- George, you have guests.

- Oh, Mitchell.

Dennis, well, where did you come from?

- Mrs. Wilson let us in.

- She did?

Oh!

Oh, I'm sorry, Mitchell.

I tell you, these cops and robbers stories

can really get quite a hold on you.

Would you like to see the finish of Turtle Street Beat?

I could turn it back o--

- George. - Uh, oh.

Oh, I'm sorry, Martha.

[chuckling]

- Well, Mitchell, uh, uh, what can I do for you, hm?

- Well, I found an old penny in my change today,

and we thought we'd start a penny collection for Dennis.

- Isn't that swell?

- Well, it's an improvement over some

of the other collections you've started.

Oh, a 1911 Lincoln head.

Well, in this condition, it's worth about $ 0.15.

You sure you don't want to see the end of Turtle Street?

- Oh, George!

- The value of it isn't important, Mr. Wilson.

I thought it would make a good hobby for Dennis.

- I could be a coin collector like you!

- Oh, well, Dennis, I'm sorry.

But you've just no idea what you're getting yourself into.

You see, to start a real penny collection means

finding a penny for each of the years.

From each of the mints for each of the years.

Why, it's a tremendous task.

If you're really worked at it, you'd

hardly have a minute to do anything else,

and-- I think it's a wonderful idea, Mitchell.

I'll be glad to help him!

Ha, ha, ha.

- It will probably make an absorbing hobby for him.

- Why, it'll keep him occupied for years.

Ha, ha!

Oh, uh, well, I think I have a-- a couple of old penny folders

right here in the desk. Oh, yes.

Here they are.

- Uh, I'd be glad to pay for them, Mr. Wilson.

- Oh, don't even give it a thought, Mitchell.

Now, Dennis, yes.

You see right here?

You put your 1911 right in that little hole, right there,

and you're off to a grand start!

There you go.

Goodbye and good luck!

- But I thought we were gonna be coin collectors together?

- Oh, no, Dennis. No.

Ha, ha.

Uh, th-that's one of the great things about coin collecting.

You see, it's a one-man hobby.

- Is it fun?

- Oh, yes!

It's All kinds of fun.

Why, when you find an penny, it's

like, uh, coming across a beautiful flower on the desert.

Now if I were you, I'd go right home

and start looking through all the old pennies I might have,

right away!

- Swell!

- Uh, Dennis! - Huh?

Oh, thanks for the folders, Mr. Wilson.

- Thanks, very much, Mr. Wilson.

- Not at all. - Goodnight.

Goodnight, Mrs. Wilson.

- Goodnight.

I hope Dennis' penny collection won't be any problem to you.

- Oh, for Pete's sake, Martha.

How could a little boy starting a penny collection

be any problem?

- You see, son, just from the penny jar

we've found most of the 1950s, and some of the 1940s.

- But how am I gonna find all the rest of these pennies?

- Well, as I told ya, son, part of the fun of a penny

collection is finding the old ones in your change.

- But I don't get much change.

- Well, you can, of course, always

look through any pennies in my change.

- And every night when I come home,

we'll check over my pennies.

- Also, whenever you take bottles back to the store,

you can ask Mr. Quigley to give you the money all in pennies.

- Say, that's right!

I'll go see Mr. Quigley first thing in the morning!

- Aw, don't shoot!

Don't shoot!

I-- I didn't mean to rob you of your pennies, Mr. Brooks.

No, no, no.

I was just wanting to look them to help

my little friend, Dennis Mitchell.

No, don't shoot!

Don't shoot!

- George!

George, wake up.

- Ugh!

- You were having a nightmare.

- Oh!

- What were you dreaming about?

- Who are my nightmares always about?

- You mean whom, dear.

- I mean Dennis.

- That's good, take your nerve medicine.

Ew!

Now it's Dennis and his blasted penny collection.

You know, Martha, I have a premonition that somehow,

some way, all of this is going to lead to catastrophe.

- Oh, George!

- [sigh]

- Dennis and his penny collection.

Oh, fiddle-faddle.

[glass clinking]

[clunk]

[glass clinking]

- Dennis!

What in the world are you doing down here?

It's only 5 o'clock!

- It's all right, Dad.

I'm just getting these empty bottles together.

I want to get an early start.

- Dennis, you can't take 'em back to the store

until the store opens.

- But I want to check the alleys before the store opens.

- Dennis, even the allies aren't open yet.

Come on back to bed.

- Here's some coffee, dear.

It will make you feel better.

- Oh!

[sigh] Thank you, Martha.

Oh, I feel as though I'd slept about 10 minutes.

Why, I know cats in this neighborhood who

get more sleep at night than I do.

- I slept well.

But then, I don't get myself all wrought up

over those silly police shows.

- Now, Martha, the only reason I had that little dream

last night about robbing the armored car,

is because I haven't been getting enough exercise.

It had nothing to do whatever--

DENNIS (OFFSCREEN): (SHOUTING) Oh, Mr. Wilson!

- Psych!

- Now, George.

I'm sure your toast is ready.

[bottles clanging]

- Are you doing your exercises, Mr. Wilson?

Can you touch your toes, yet?

- Well, whatever I'm doing, Dennis, I

don't need any help from you.

- I happened to be up early on some business,

and thought I'd say hello.

- Well, hello and goodbye.

Now, if you don't mind, I intend to go back in the house

and lie down and try and get some rest.

- Don't you want to know what business I'm up early on?

- I know what business you're up early on,

because I can see your coaster wagon full of bottles.

- Say!

Speaking of bottles, there's a couple

that sure seem in the way.

After I sell 'em, I'm gonna get pennies for my collection.

- Dennis, I was planning on returning my own bottles!

- That way, you can have an ice cream cone any time you want,

without asking Mrs. Wilson, huh, Mr. Wilson?

- Dennis, I can have an ice cream cone any time--

you-- oh, here, for Pete's sake.

Take the bottles.

Let me go back in and lie down!

- Thank you.

Say!

Do you suppose there might be an empty bottle

in that old barbecue cabinet over there?

- All right, Dennis.

All right!

I'll give you a couple more.

- Jeepers, Mr. Wilson, you sure haven't

been taking your bottles back, very well.

- Oh, Dennis, don't lecture.

Just take the couple and go.

MRS. WILSON (OFFSCREEN): George, what are you doing?

- For Pete's sake, Dennis. Now you've spoiled everything.

I told Mrs. Wilson I had all of those bottles cleared out!

- So, that's what you've been doing with the empty bottles.

You haven't bothered to take them back, at all.

Dennis, you can have them.

- Gee! Thanks, Mrs. Wilson.

- Martha, I have a premonition.

I know in my bones that Dennis' penny collection

is going to be more trouble to me,

than-- well, than Sherman was to Georgia!

- You want what, Dennis?

- I'd like to have the money all in pennies, Mr. Quigley.

- What are you trying to do, corner the copper market?

- No, sir, I'm starting a penny collection.

- Uh, Mr. Quigley, will you ring these up for me right away?

I'm in a hurry.

- Yes, certainly, Mrs. Henderson.

Um, here, Dennis, uh-- there you are, Dennis.

- What are these?

- Those are rolls of pennies, Dennis.

There are 50 pennies in each roll.

- How do you know?

- Because the bank says so.

- Suppose they made a mistake?

- Uh, Dennis, now look.

The two rolls are exactly the same length.

That means that there are the same number

of coins in each roll.

- They could both be wrong!

- Dennis, believe me.

- Do you mind if I count them?

Jeepers!

50 pennies are a lot!

if you'll just raise up that wooden grating, Mr. Quigley,

I'll help you find them.

- Never mind, Dennis, I'll find them.

Now here.

That'll replace that roll.

And take them home and count them!

And-- and if there are only 49 pennies in the roll,

I'll-- I'll change banks.

- No, what happened to my loose ones?

- Oh, excuse me.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5--

- I think you got two together, there, Mr. Quigley.

- Oh, Dennis, here.

Now there are at least 18 pennies there.

Now please, take them and go!

- Gee, thanks, Mr. Quigley.

Jeepers!

Of all the pennies Mr. Quigley gave me for my bottles,

you'd think we'd have this folder full!

- Yeah.

You didn't find a single one you could use.

- I'll just have to go back to Mr. Quigley's and trade

these for two other rolls, Tommy.

- Do you think he'll mind?

- Mr. Quigley?

Heck no.

Why, I give him more bottle business than anyone in town.

- Oh, hi, Mr. Wilson!

- For heaven's sake, Dennis.

Where did you come from?

- From home.

I've got to trade these back to Mr. Quigley for two new rolls.

- Well, Dennis, you never just ask

a merchant to trade your pennies.

You wait until you're making a purchase.

- Aren't you making a purchase, Mr. Wilson?

- Oh, all right.

Here.

I'll trade them for you.

- Say!

Did I show you this swell, dirty penny

I forgot to put in the folder?

- Oh, great Scott!

Dennis, now look what you've done!

- You dropped it Mr. Wilson.

Don't worry, I can get it.

- Dennis, what are you doing?

Dennis, those are eggs!

For heaven sakes!

- All right, next.

A loaf of bread and six dozen eggs.

Heh, heh!

Going on a picnic?

They're mighty good deviled.

- Oh, don't be an idiot, Quigley.

All I want's the bread.

- Well, then what are you doing with the eggs?

- Well, uh, Dennis is down here trying

to find a rare penny he dropped into them.

- Oh.

- Hi, Mr. Quigley.

I found it.

- Yeah, well, all those pennies I gave you an hour ago, you

should have found one celebrating the Boston Tea

Party!

Now them, what about this bread?

Do you want it, for cash?

- Oh, of course.

And would you mind trading Dennis two other rolls

of pennies for these, please?

- Don't either one of you know where the bank is?

Oh, I'll have to get them out of the cash box in back.

- Boy!

There's just about the swellest, oldest,

dirtiest penny I ever saw! [gasp]

- Dennis!

Never reach into a merchant's cash register.

- But all I wanted to do was look at that old penny.

- Well, I know, Dennis.

I know, that's all you wanted to do.

But the merchant doesn't know that.

All the merchant knows is, that he

sees a little boy reaching in his-- agh!

[alarm sounding]

- Now look what you've done!

- I didn't touch it!

- Oh, great Scott!

- Well!

I knew I'd catch somebody some day with his hand in the till.

That's why I wired it!

But I didn't expect it to be you, George.

- Oh, Quigley, get my hand out of there!

- Well, what's it doing in there?

- I was trying to teach Dennis never

to reach into a merchant's cash register.

- That's a mighty funny way to teach him.

- Oh, Quigley don't be a fool!

Dennis is working on a penny collection,

and he saw an old penny in your register

and he started to reach for it.

And I told him not to, and so I reached

for it to show him he shouldn't.

And-- oh, Dennis, haven't you got anything to say?

- I sure have.

Don't forget to change the penny rolls.

- Oh!

Get my hand out of there!

- Well, how do you like that?

Boy, we sure went through those in a hurry.

- There ought to be a law that banks

have to put more old pennies in each roll!

- Heck yes, for swell little kids like us.

- When we go up, maybe we can get a job at the bank, and do it.

- I'd sure like to work at a bank.

I'd just sit there all day and pick out pennies.

- What will we do now?

- Well, since we don't work at a bank, yet, the only thing to do

is go down to the drugstore for two more rolls of pennies.

- Why don't we go Mr. Quigley's?

- I think we had better go down to the drugstore.

I'm not gonna bother Mr. Quigley, again, until tomorrow.

- I'll be back soon as I can.

Goodbye.

DENNIS (OFFSCREEN): (SHOUTING) Hello, Mr. Wilson!

- You see, Martha, you see?

These premonitions of mine always work.

I'm going back in and go to bed.

- Now, George, don't be silly.

You're a grown man.

Certainly you can cope with Dennis.

- Oh, you're right, Martha.

You're absolutely right.

After all, he's only a little boy with a penny collection.

I just won't let it bother me.

- Hi, Mr. Wilson.

Could you give us a ride to the drugstore?

We want to change these pennies.

- You could give the boys a lift, George.

- Yes.

I'll do it.

It'll be good therapy.

I'll do better than the drugstore, boys.

I'll take ya to the bank

- Gee, thanks!

- See ya later, Martha.

Come on, boys.

- What do we do now?

- Well, Dennis, you and Tommy wait

right here till I can see Mr. Matthews.

And then I'll trade your penny rolls for you

when we get to the bank.

- Yes, sir.

- Oh, good grief!

There's Matthews leaving his office now,

and I've got to catch up to him.

- Oh, oh, Dennis, put a penny in the parking meter.

I'll pay ya back.

Uh, uh, Mr. Matthews!

Mr. Matthews! - Jeepers!

Tommy, I don't have a penny, only these rolls.

Do have one?

- Nope.

Put a penny from one of the rolls in the meter.

- No!

We've got to keep these rolls full or we can't trade them.

- What will we do?

- I know, we'll go into a store, trade the rolls,

then pick out a worthless one and put it in the meter.

Let's hurry.

- Yeah!

- Hey, here's a worthless one.

I've already got on of these.

There!

- Great Scott!

Is this a parking ticket?

- Where? - Oh, right here.

Well, I see you put a penny in the parking me--

- Dennis, just what did the officer say?

- We didn't see any officer.

- We didn't even see a cop.

- Dennis, just when did you put the penny in the parking meter?

- Just now.

Say, I'll bet that parking cop came along

while were in the store getting a penny.

Do you suppose that's what happened, Mr. Wilson?

- Oh!

How is it possible to get into such trouble

just by helping a little boy with a penny collection?

Come on.

Get in the car!

[sigh]

- There, I have personally put a penny in the parking meter.

- Jeepers, Mr. Wilson.

Did you notice the date on it?

- It was a 1492.

But it was my own penny.

And it's now in the meter.

Now, boys, do you suppose you could wait right here until I

can go into the bank for a minute?

- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.

- Well, good.

And you behave yourselves, now.

- Boy, there must be a jillion pennies in that money truck!

Come on!

Hey, do you happen to have any pennies in your truck?

- Yeah.

- Well, I'm a penny collector.

And I'm wondering if it would all right if we looked

through the pennies in your truck?

- Oh, sure! Scram kid!

- Gee, thanks!

- Great Scott!

Dennis!

Get away from there!

Run for your lives!

Since the Brook's robbery they shoot to kill.

It's said so on TV last night!

Run!

- But, Mr. Wilson.

- Come on, Dennis.

Run!

- But, Mr. Wilson, my suspender's caught!

- Oh great Scott!

[whistle blowing]

- Oh!

[whistle blowing]

- OK, reach!

I might have known this kid gang had a brain.

- Ugh. Oh, ooh!

- Excuse me, mister.

But would you please try to get my suspender loose?

It's caught on your door.

- Get the kid, loose, Mike.

And then we'll all take a little trip to the station.

- Oh, Martha! - Come on.

- Well, there are all your personal belongings,

Mr. Wilson.

I'm glad everything was all straightened out.

- Oh, thank you.

Thank you.

A natural mistake.

- Everything's gonna be all right now, Mr. Wilson.

- Oh, thank you, Mitchell, for coming down to get me out.

Oh, did you get a call through to Martha?

- Yes, I d-- - George!

- Oh, here she is now.

- Oh, George!

George are you all right?

- Yes, it's all right.

- Honey, everything's gonna be all right.

- Take these, will you?

Fine, loyal, Henry Mitchell came down here to release me.

- Well, actually, he was already sprung, Mrs. Wilson.

As soon as the Mitchell kid told us what happened,

we knew this was one day the guy never

should have got out of bed.

- Hey, Wilson?

- Ho, ho.

Well, uh, Mooney, where are the boys?

Are they giving the third degree?

[running]

- Hi, Mom.

Hi, Dad.

- Oh, my baby.

- Hi, everybody.

- You boys all right? - Heck, yes.

Wait till I tell ya.

Chief Stewart let Tommy and me look through a whole mountain

of pennies from all the parking meters in town.

From my two rolls we got some of the swellest, oldest,

dirtiest pennies you ever saw!

- Oh, you did, Dennis.

Did you find any really old ones?

- I'll say!

We found three of these.

One for me, one for Tommy, and one for you.

- Oh, Dennis, don't bother Mr. Wilson with pennies now.

- Great Scott!

A 1914 D. I've been looking for one of these for years

to complete my own penny collection.

- You see, Mr. Wilson?

I told you we could be good coin collectors together.

I'll come over tomorrow and we'll get started on nickles.

Mr. Quigley's got a cash drawer full!

- Mr. Quigley?

Oh, no.

You have the keys, Martha.

Take me home.

[theme music]

NARRATOR: This has been a Screen Gems film production

from the Hollywood Studios of Columbia Pictures.