Original subtitles

[music playing]

- I borrowed a few stamps from you, OK, Dad?

- Stamps?

Oh, sure, who are you writing to?

- New York, you know what I'm going to do with this letter?

I'm going to get in show biz.

- Show biz, huh?

- Yeah, you and Mom are sure going to be proud of me, I bet.

Here, you can read all about it in this ad.

I've got to go mail the letter.

- Big money in show biz.

Have your own flea circus.

Send $.50 in stamps for training booklet and 12 live fleas!

Dennis! Dennis!

[MUSIC PLAYING

- You're a monster, Dennis Mitchell.

How could you do this to poor little Pamela?

- I didn't mean to hurt your old doll, Margaret.

I saw her just sitting out in your yard all by herself.

So I decided to make her famous.

- Make her famous?

- Sure, if my rocket had worked, she

would have been the first doll to reach the moon.

- You sent my darling child up in a rocket?

- Just a little one that was left over from the fourth of July.

I tied her to the stick, and lit the fuse,

but it never got off the ground.

- I'll get you for this, Dennis. I'll tell your mother.

That's what I'll do.

- Please don't blab, Margaret.

If you don't, I'll give you one of my frogs, the prettiest one.

- I don't want your disgusting old frog.

But there is something you could do.

- Yeah?

What?

I'll do it.

- I have to go to my dancing lesson now.

But I'll be back in an hour.

I won't tell your mom if you promise

to come over and play house with me for the rest of the day.

- Jeepers, I hate playing house.

- I'll be the mother.

And you'll be the father.

And you can help me bathe and dress

all our precious children.

- Wash your dolls?

Do I have to?

- Unless you want me to tell.

- OK, I guess I have to.

- Now, wheel the children home.

You fathers need a lot practice.

- Boy, I wish somebody would send me to the moon in a rocket.

- Come over here, dear.

I want you to see something.

Isn't that cute?

Our son's beginning to take an interest in girls.

- Well, it's finally official. Our son's growing up.

- It happens so suddenly, doesn't it?

- Yep, one day they're throwing rocks at little girls.

And the next day they're throwing kisses.

- You never threw rocks at me.

- I was smarter than most kids.

- I'm glad his attitude about girls is changing.

I'm not upset about that.

- Why should you be upset?

- Well, it just means we're getting a little older.

- Well, I don't feel any older.

Do you?

- Now that you mention it, no.

- I appreciate the thought behind it, Uncle Ned.

But you don't have to do it.

- But I want to do it, Martha.

Until George settles that estate back east,

I'm the man of this house.

- Of course you are.

- Poor George was so upset last year

when Mrs. Hawkins won and got her picture in the Garden Club

journal.

- Mrs. Hawkins, I give up.

How does everything as sweet as a flower

manage to grow around a sour old woman like her?

Well, you just leave everything to me.

[MUSIC PLAYING

- Good morning, Mr. Matthews!

- Oh, good morning Mrs. Hawkins.

- Are you planning to do a little gardening?

- In my nephew's absence, I am taking his place

in the early jonquil contest.

- Oh, well I'm sorry to hear that?

- Afraid my competition will be too much for you, eh?

- No, not at all.

But it does seem a bit unfair that I should triumph over

two members of the same family.

- You seem very confident, Mrs. Hawkins.

- Well, I have reason to be.

For one thing, my bulbs are already planted.

- What?

- But this is the opening day of the contest.

This is the morning of the opening day.

- What you're forgetting is that a day begins at midnight.

- Do you mean to say that you were out

at midnight planting bulbs?

- Exactly, and I am entirely within the rules.

- Well, let me tell you something.

The contest isn't over yet.

And the prize goes to the one who's jonquils bloom first.

Yes.

- As I remember, that's the same boast dear

Mr. Wilson made a year ago.

Now you're putting your foot in your mouth too.

- Is that so?

I'll put my foot in my mouth anytime I want.

- Well, there's obviously room for it.

Goodbye, Mr. Matthews.

- That old catawampus I'll show her.

Oh, oh, my sacroiliac.

Martha! Help!

- You can't do this to me.

It'll ruin my life.

I'll leave town.

I'll just be a wanderer of faraway places, Africa, China,

Minnesota.

- That suits me just fine.

And you can take that salty redhead with you.

- Helen, wait don't go.

Give me another chance.

- Oh, stop whining, Jerry.

I've had it!

- Hi, Jerry!

Want a lick?

- No.

- Boy, Helen, sure took off in a hurry.

Did she sit on a bee?

- No, she didn't sit on a bee.

Stop asking dumb questions.

- OK, Jerry, I'll stop.

- I'm sorry, Dennis.

I shouldn't take it out on you just because I'm a broken man.

- You don't look broken.

What's busted?

- What's inside, where it doesn't show.

Helen's left me.

She says she never wants to see me again.

- Boy, I guess that dumb old Margaret would say that to me.

Why did Helen get mad at you?

- Oh, she got mad just because I was talking to the girl that's

working down at the ice cream parlor.

- The ice cream parlor?

Boy, that's the kind of girl I'd like to have.

I was just over there.

And I could have got this free if I'd a had a--

- Why don't you run along, Dennis?

A fella likes to be alone when he's suffering.

- Are you suffering much, Jerry?

- Life just isn't worth living.

All that's left for me is to get on a ship

and sale to the south sea islands.

- If you go to the south seas, would you write to me?

- Would you really like to hear from me?

- Yeah, I started I'm starting a stamp collection.

And I sure could use some from the south seas.

- So long, Dennis.

- So long, Jerry.

[MUSIC PLAYING

- How does it feel now, Uncle Ned?

- As though I've been stabbed in the side with a hot corkscrew.

- I'm terrible sorry.

- I'll never plant those bulbs know.

That nasty Mrs. Hawkins will beat us again.

Her jonquils will bloom first.

- It is a shame.

- She'll have her picture in the Club Magazine.

Standing there with her silly smile,

holding up her early bloomers.

[laughter]

- Well, what's funny about that?

- Oh, nothing, I was just thinking of something else.

Never mind Uncle Ned.

I'll try to find the time to plant those bulbs myself.

- You'll do nothing of the kind.

I'm not going to have two of us around here with sprained back.

- Hi, Mrs. Wilson, how's--

- Hi, dear.

- Boy, when you want your back scratched,

you really get it scratched.

- Uncle Ned sprained his back, dear.

Would you say with him?

I want to get a hot water bottle.

- Does it hurt much, Uncle Ned?

- Dennis, I am completely miserable.

- I bet you're not as completely miserable as Jerry Simmons is.

He's completely, completely miserable.

- I am not interested in anybody's misery but my own.

- You know Jerry.

He's the one that was kicking the football for me yesterday.

He got in a fight with Helen Franklin.

And he feels awful.

- I tell you, I am not inter-- kicking a football?

That Jerry fellow, is that the one with all the muscles?

- Yes, sir, Jerry's real strong.

- I wonder.

Dennis, would you do me a favor?

- Sure, Uncle Ned.

- See if you can get Jerry to come over here, will you?

I might be able to help him.

And he might be able to help me.

- OK, see you later, Uncle Ned.

[MUSIC PLAYING

- Oh, I was very much concerned when Dennis told me

about the rift in your romance.

I know how painful a thing like that can be.

- Yeah, like I'm all busted up.

- So I said to myself, I must do all

I can to bind this young man's wounds.

I must find a way to help make him forget.

- That's awfully nice of you, Mr. Matthews.

But it's not use.

There's nothing that will make me forget.

- Oh, yes there is Jerry, hard work.

- Hard work?

- Physical labor, you must devote yourself to toil.

Keep your body so active that your mind

won't be able to think. Oh, I urge you to try it.

- Well, what kind of work?

- Well, I could hardly-- uh, yes, I

have a strip of ground running along the fence there, see.

I'd like to have that all dug up into a flower

bed, some beautiful bulbs planted into it.

But, no, I-- yes, yes, I'd be willing to let you do it.

- Well, that's awfully nice of you, but--

- And what's more, I'll even pay you $0.50 an hour.

Oh, no, please, I insist.

It would be worth it to know that I

helped mend a broken heart.

- OK, I'll try it.

- Jerry, you've made a wise decision.

I'll show you where I want you to start.

Yes, follow me.

Now, there's the spade, Jerry.

And this is the section all along here.

So dig right in and you'll soon find blessed relief.

And don't hold back, Jerry.

Remember, the faster and the harder you work,

the sooner your mind will be at rest.

- Hi, Jerry!

Want a cookie?

- No thanks, Dennis, I'm too busy.

- Boy, Mrs. Wilson sure does make good cookies.

I could eat a dozen of them.

- How many have you eaten already?

- Oh, about a dozen.

Is Jerry going to plant the bulbs for you?

- He is, Dennis, yes.

- How much are you paying him?

- $0.50 an hour.

- Isn't that kind of cheap, Uncle Ned?

- Dennis, Jerry was very grateful for the opportunity.

I pointed out that the work would

make him forget all about Helen.

- You're a real, kind man, Uncle Ned.

- Yes, thank you.

And I want to thank you for bringing him over.

It was a big help.

- You're welcome, Uncle Ned.

MARGARET (OFFSCREEN): Dennis!

- Uh oh, now I'm going to need help.

- Hi, Dennis.

- You better go on home, Margaret.

You'll catch cold running around in your underwear.

- This is what we wear at dancing school, silly.

You're so hopeless about the finer things.

Now come along. I'll change my clothes.

And we'll start playing house.

- Gee, I can't play house with you, Margaret.

Uncle Ned needs me here.

Don't you, Uncle Ned? - What?

Well, I-- oh, yes, yes, yes, I need him here, Margaret.

- Yeah, me, and Jerry, and Uncle Ned

are planting a lot of stuff in the yard.

- You promised to play house with me, Dennis.

Won't you let him go, Uncle Ned?

- Oh, I'm sorry, Margaret.

I can't spare him today.

- Yeah, and I can't go if Uncle Ned says

I can't, because he's a grownup.

- All right, Dennis, but I'll be back.

- Thanks a lot, Uncle Ned.

- Glad to do it.

You help me, and I help you.

- Us men have to stick together, don't we?

- You're so right.

- Jerry, you've just got to work harder.

Concentrate on the flower bed.

Make your mind a perfect blank.

At your age, that shouldn't be difficult.

- I'll try, Mr. Matthews.

But I just can't forget Helen.

- This is fun, Jerry.

I like to watch you work.

- Be my guest, Dennis.

- Sure is better than playing house

with that dumb old Margaret.

All she wants to do is fool around

with a bunch of old dolls.

- Jerry, you stopped again.

- I'm sorry, Mr. Matthews.

What Dennis said reminded me of Helen.

She's a living doll.

- Well, really, if everything's going to remind you of Helen,

you're never going to forget her.

And I'll never get the bulbs planted.

So concentrate.

- Yes, sir.

- And, Dennis, if you must talk, please

don't say anything to remind him of his lost love.

- OK, Uncle Ned.

I'll help you forget, too, Jerry.

As soon as you finish working for Uncle Ned,

we can go over in the park and fly my kite.

I got a new one. - Now what?

Did something remind you of Helen?

- Yeah, the kite.

- Kite?

- Her last name is Franklin.

You know Ben Franklin?

He's the guy that--

- I know all about him.

I had no idea that he was going to foul me up.

- I'm sorry, Mr. Matthews.

- All right, well, I think we might

as well give this whole thing up.

It's no use.

We're so far behind now in the competition

that we'll never win the contest.

And I certainly have tried.

- Mr. Matthews!

Here's the beast you sent to destroy my jonquil bulbs.

- That's just Fremont! What are you talking about?

- Don't you act innocent with me!

This animal dug up every one of my bulbs

and scattered them all over my yard.

You see the mud on his paws?

I caught him red-handed.

But I'll beat you yet.

Here, take this, this trained bulb snatcher.

- Man's best friend, oh, wonderful.

Jerry, we're not trailing in the competition at all.

We're going to start even with Mrs. Hawkins.

We've got to get those bulbs in the ground right away.

[whimper]

- My little boy.

- I'd sure like to help you, sir.

But it's just no use.

All I can think of is that I've lost my girl.

How can I work?

- Could you work if you had your girl back?

- Boy, could I. If I had Helen right here beside me,

I'd work my brains out.

- Uncle Ned, maybe if you and me go talk to Helen,

we could get her to get up with Jerry and--

- Why that's a brilliant idea.

And I have great powers of persuasion.

Yes, I see non reason at all why I couldn't-- oh!

- So I'll eat this on the way to Helen's house.

And I'll eat twice as much for dinner, OK?

- Well, if it's that important to you, all right.

- Oh, it is important.

We've got to get those bulbs planted so Mr. Wilson can win.

- Do you think you and Uncle Ned can

talk into seeing it your way?

- Sure, we'll get her to make up with Jerry because she's

a real nice girl Girls can be nice, you know?

- I'm glad you're discovering that, good luck.

- Bye now.

- He's really made that big discovery.

Girls can be nice, he says.

- That was obvious this morning when

he was so attentive to Margaret.

He usually runs from her.

- Well, I'm glad to see it.

Poor little Margaret's been chasing

him so hard for so long she really

deserves a little kindness.

- I stand before you, dear child asking,

nay, imploring, for you to give this dear boy another chance.

- Gee, I don't know Mr. Matthews.

- Now, now, please.

Why not think of me as kindly old Uncle Ned?

- Jerry feel awful, Helen.

He'll never get that flower bed dug up if you don't--

- I'll do the talking, Dennis.

The flower bed, it's not important.

- It isn't?

But I thought you said if Jerry didn't plant those--

- Never mind.

I'm interested here only in the happiness

of two very fine young people.

- Is he really broken up about it?

I mean, really?

- Boy, you ought to see him.

He looks sick.

- He should look sick.

- Nothing brings greater happiness than true love.

The tender passion that makes--

- He wants that Dizzy Maybell, he can have her.

- Heck, he doesn't like her.

He can't stand her.

- He can't?

Are you sure?

- He told me so himself.

He just goes in there for hot fudge, that's all.

He says life is just nothing without you.

- Gee, poor guy, I guess I was pretty mean to him.

- And give Jerry another chance.

- I'll go see him right now and tell him I'm sorry.

- Good, oh, good, Helen.

I knew you'd see it my way.

- Your way?

- Yes, of course, I was just suggesting--

- Oh, excuse me, Mr. Matthews.

I wasn't listening. Come on, Dennis!

I'll race you over there!

- You watch the dirt fly now, Uncle Ned.

- Oh, I tell you, Dennis.

We've done it again.

Look at that boy work.

- Yeah, he'll get your bulbs planted real fast I bet.

- Yes, oh, Dennis, why don't you run back to the garage

and get the bulbs?

They're in a large, square--

- Sure, I know where Mrs. Wilson keeps them.

- Helen, look our for that flying dirt!

Come sit here and keep out of the way.

- Oh, don't worry.

I won't get any dirt on her.

You stay right here where I can see you, honey.

- Fine, that's fine.

Now that we have that settled, let's get the digging finished.

- Yes, sir.

- Good.

It's no use, Mr. Matthews.

I'm going to knock it off for the day.

I'm so happy I feel like dancing!

- How can you knock it off for the day without it finished?

It's got to be finished-- what is this?

Stop it. Stop it.

Here, Helen, attention, now, you two young folks

are planning to be married?

- Yes, sir.

- Right, right, so the soon this young man starts earning money,

the sooner you can afford to get married.

- He's right, honey.

I got to get real busy.

- As soon as you finish this strip here,

you can start putting in the bulbs.

- Here they are, Uncle Ned!

- Oh, thank you, Dennis, thank you.

- You're right, Mr. Matthews, about me needing money.

So as soon as I finish here, I got to get myself a real job.

- What?

- Hey, I know where you can find a job, Jerry.

They were putting up a sign when I was there this morning.

$1.25 an hour, it says.

- $1.25 an hour!

That's wonderful, Jerry! - Where is it, Dennis?

- At the ice cream parlor.

- Well, I better get down there before somebody else does,

honey.

- The ice cream parlor!

You're not going to start that again!

- Start what?

I just want to get the job so we can get married.

- You don't want to work there.

You just want to be there so you can be with that Maybell!

- I do not! I just want to get the job.

- You don't fool me, Jerry Simmons!

Go on.

Go ahead.

You can spend the rest of your life with her for all I care,

because our marriage is off!

- Well, all right, that suits me just fine.

Goodbye!

- If you're going to the south seas, don't forget to write!

- Well, well, well, what am I going to do now?

- Maybe I could plant those bulbs for you if you show me how.

- Thank you Dennis.

That's very kind of you.

But I don't believe you could do it.

This is a very particular job.

- I'll plant those bulbs for you, Mr. Matthews.

I owe it to you.

It's partly my fault that Jerry didn't get it done.

I sort of drove him away.

- Well, do you know how to do it?

- Oh, yes, sir. I like planting things.

I plant our vegetable garden every year.

- Really?

Well, Helen, I accept your offer.

And remember this, hard work will

make you forget all about him.

Now, you make the holes about that deep, you see.

And about that far apart.

Put a bulb in each hole.

And cover them all with dirt.

- Yes, sir, that's easy.

- Here's the trowel.

And I-- oh, oh, my back I think I'd better go in and lie down.

- I'll go with you, Uncle Ned.

I'll help Mrs. Wilson rub it.

[MUSIC PLAYING

- You know, Dennis, my back, it feels so much better.

- Me and Mrs. Wilson are good rubbers, all right.

Mr. Matthews, I'm all through!

- Oh, oh, Helen, that is fine.

That's just the way it ought to be.

I certainly do appreciate that.

- Hey, look who's coming back!

[MUSIC PLAYING

- Helen, honey.

- Well, I couldn't live with you mad at me.

And I'm not going to take the job at the ice cream parlor.

I'll find something else.

- Oh, I'm glad!

- Come on, let's go for a walk.

- Oh, wait, I forgot one, Mr. Matthews.

- Oh, well, now, Helen, it's all right.

It's OK.

Don't worry about it at all.

- Might as well finish it right.

I can't wait to see these bloom.

- No, wait, what are you doing?

Helen, you're planting it upside down.

- Upside down?

This is the root here isn't it?

I mean, this ends goes down?

- No, no, this is the top of the bulb there.

The root there, see, the root there.

See, you plant it that way.

- Why? You didn't?

- Yes, sir.

I planted them all that way, 120 of them.

- Now, they'll never come up.

- Come to think of it, my onion sets never came up either.

- Now Mrs. Hawkins will win again this year.

Oh, of all the unfortunate--

- I'm sorry about the flowers Uncle Ned.

But this day hasn't been all bad.

- What do you mean?

- Turned out swell for me.

I didn't have to play house with that dumb old Margaret.

Well, see you tomorrow!

[MUSIC PLAYING

- 120, Fremont! Fremont!

Here boy!

Oh, that's my little Fremont.

That's my little boy.

Now, you listen to me.

Bulbs, jonquils, go get them, the way you did this morning.

One block down the street, the second house, big flower bed,

dig them up.

Dig them up.

[barking]

- Mom, I'm home!

- Well, we were just going to look for you.

- I've been over helping Uncle Ned.

- We have a little surprise for you.

- Yes, since you've been such a good boy all day,

Mom invited one of your best friends over for dinner.

- And you can stay up until 9 o'clock and watch television.

- Oh, boy, swell!

Tommy, hey, Tommy!

Where are you?

- It's not Tommy.

It's me, Dennis.

And I brought are baby to spend the evening with us.

- Margaret, oh, good gravy.

[MUSIC PLAYING