Original subtitles

[doorbell ringing]

- Mr. Wilson!

Mr. Wilson!

Oh hi, Mr. Wilson.

- Yes, Dennis?

- Do you need any work done around the house?

- Like what and how much will it cost me?

- Well, burning leaves, $0.25 an hour.

- The leaves are still on the trees.

- I can shake them off for $0.10 an hour.

- No thank you.

- How about letting me wash your car?

- I don't think it needs it.

Well, pretty clever car.

- I'll only charge you $1, Mr. Wilson.

And I'll do a real good job.

- Well, I don't--

- Remember what you said the last time I washed it?

- Yes, I do.

I said be sure and roll up the windows before you hose it off.

- Thanks, Mr. Wilson!

You bet I will!

I sure will!

Bye!

- Uh, weh, uh weh, uh well.

Uh--

[theme music]

- Ugh!

No use, Eloise.

I haven't got the strength to lift it.

Well, I used to be able to do that in the old days.

When I got some nourishment.

- Dear, you've only been on a diet for two days.

- Well, it seems like two weeks.

- You had a good lunch.

- Oh marvelous.

Cup of hot tea and two prunes.

- Two?

There was only one pit left on your plate.

- Well, I have to have some solid food.

- Dear, would you move this table out into the hall for me?

It has to go out to be repaired.

Besides, the upholsterers are coming

and I want it out of the way.

- Can I get Dennis to help me?

- John, I don't like spring cleaning any better than you.

- Well you must.

You do it every year.

- John.

- [gasps] John!

- Ah!

Dear my!

Don't sneak up on me like that!

- What are you doing?

Reminiscing

- Put it back.

- Oh, all right. - There.

The people from the Uptown Aid Society

are coming to pick this up.

- Oh Eloise!

- I don't know who's suffering more from this diet, you or me.

Mmm, you have any money?

- Are you going to sell me something to eat?

- [laughs] No dear.

I just remembered I have to give the upholsterers a deposit when

they pick up the furniture.

- Oh.

Well, I've got--

- What's the matter?

- There's a hole in my pocket. - [gasps]

- I've lost all of my money.

Eloise, if you'd spend more time sewing my clothes instead--

- Where did you lose it?

- Well, I went to the hardware store, then the drug store.

And I had $8 left when I got to Quigley's Market,

and then I went-- I bet I lost it at Quigley's Market.

- Call him up. Maybe somebody found it.

I can give the upholsterers a check.

- Dennis.

- Yes, Mr. Wilson?

- Never mind.

Well, that's a very good job, Dennis.

- Thanks, Mr. Wilson.

Would you mind paying me now?

You see, Tommy's coming over--

- Oh certainly, certainly.

Oh, I'm sorry, Dennis.

I forgot.

I'll have to pay you later.

I lost all my money in the market.

- Well, that's OK.

I'll trust you.

- Well, thank you, Dennis.

I wish all of my creditors were as understanding as you are.

- See you later, Mr. Wilson.

- All right.

- Boy, it sure is neat.

- Yeah.

It's worth a lot more than $1.

I wouldn't be selling it at all, except my dad made me give up

model airplanes for stamp collecting.

- I'll take model airplanes any day.

- Well, don't start the motor in the house on Sunday

morning when your dad's sleeping,

or you'll be collecting stamps too.

You got the $1?

- Well, I've got it but I haven't got it.

- What do you mean?

- Well, I washed Mr. Wilson's car,

but he couldn't pay me because he didn't have any money.

- Didn't have any money?

- No.

He lost it in the market.

- Boy, that's tough.

The same thing happened to my Uncle Fred.

He lost all his money in the market too.

Buying on margin or something.

- I wonder if that's what happened to Mr. Wilson?

- Sure, if he lost his money.

Dad said if the market goes down, you're wiped out.

- Oh, Mr. Wilson's too smart for that.

- So was my Uncle Fred.

The first thing you know, he lost his car.

Then his TV set.

And they took away his furniture!

- Well, that won't happen to Mr. Wilson.

- On no? Look!

- Jeepers!

Poor Mr. Wilson.

DENNIS (OFFSCREEN): But Tommy said--

- Yes, I know what Tommy said.

But just because it happened to his uncle,

doesn't mean it happened to Mr. Wilson.

- But he didn't even have $1 to pay me for washing his car.

- Mr. Wilson's hardly the type to risk

everything he has in the stock market.

- But we saw them take away his furniture.

- Dennis, don't you think if anything were wrong,

Mr. Wilson would have mentioned it to us?

- I don't know, Mom.

Mr. Wilson's a very sensitive man.

- [laughs] Well, I wouldn't worry about it if I were--

- But Tommy said--

- Dennis, are you ready to go downtown

with your mother and me?

- Yes sir.

- Good.

- I've got to run upstairs and change.

Oh Dennis, will you please take the pie out of the oven

when the timer bell rings?

- Sure, Mom.

- Why, that used to be my job.

- I know.

No sampling.

- That's how I lost my job.

- Four hours, 54 minutes, and 35 seconds til dinner.

I don't think I'll make it.

[timer rings]

MR. WILSON (OFFSCREEN): Psst, psst, psst.

- Oh, Mr. Wilson.

- Dennis, are you alone?

- Yes sir.

- May I come in? - Sure.

What can I do for you, Mr. Wilson?

- Oh, why uh, um, uh nothing, uh Dennis.

Nothing, nothing at all.

I was just sitting on my patio--oh is that a pie?

- Yeah.

Strawberry.

- Strawberry!

Dennis, do you suppose your mother would

let you give me piece of that pie?

- I'll ask her.

- No, no!

Don't ask her.

Dennis, I'm starving.

I haven't had a decent meal in two days.

- Well, gee.

Come on.

Sit down.

Let's see.

We've got, we've got some swell pot roast.

- Oh!

John, where have you been?

- Oh uh, I was over visiting the Mitchells. [singing softly]

- John?

Did you have anything to eat over there?

- Eat?

Well, how can you ask that?

- You haven't been this happy in two days.

- Well, maybe I'm lightheaded.

Malnutrition. [singing softly]

- John, are you sure you didn't have anything to eat?

- Eloise, have you seen my smoking jacket?

- Oh, it was in that bundle of things

I gave to the Aid Society.

- You did what?

- Well dear, it was practically in shreds.

- Eloise!

You know how attached I was to that jacket.

- Well dear, buy yourself a new one.

- Well, I liked the old one.

- Then you'll just have to get it back.

- Don't think I won't.

Uh, what was the name of that place?

- The Uptown Aid Society.

- Where is it?

- Downtown.

- What's the Uptown Aid Society doing downtown?

- Well, it was uptown when they built it.

- Oh.

I'll find it.

- John, I apologize.

- Well, you should.

Giving away my favorite jacket!

- Oh no, not that.

For suspecting you of having had anything to eat.

You're still your same grumpy old hungry self.

- We'll have to stop at Quigley's on the way home.

I think we're all out of milk.

- Oh.

Looks like you're out of everything.

- Well that's funny.

There was a half a pot roast in there.

- And what happened to that pie?

- I can't imagine.

- Hi Mom, hi Dad.

You all ready?

- Dennis, what happened to all the food that was in here?

- And the pie?

- Do I have to tell you?

- Well, we'd like to know.

- Well, Mr. Wilson ate it.

- Uh, uh, our Mr. Wilson next door?

- Yes, sir.

He was starving.

- But Dennis, if Mr. Wilson was here, why didn't you call us?

- He wouldn't let me.

I told you, he's a sensitive man.

- Come along, young man.

We'll discuss this on the way downtown.

- But Dad!

- Never mind.

- Hey, where you going, Jack?

- Why, inside.

- What are you, a privileged character or something?

- Yeah! Get in line!

- What for?

I'm just going to get my smoking jacket.

- Smoking jacket?

How 'bout that, [inaudible]?

- Do tell.

I'm getting fitted for a tuxedo myself.

Going twisting tonight with Liz.

- Now look here--

- Hey hey, wise guy, if you want fried chicken,

get in line like everybody else.

- I just want to go-- fried chicken?

- Yeah.

That's the speciality of the house.

- Well, fried chicken!

- We'll save you a finger bone!

- Smoking jacket!

- Hey!

There's Mr. Wilson!

- Where?

- Standing in that line.

- Uptown Aid Society?

- What do they do there?

- They give away free meals.

- Free meals?

You see?

I told you, Dad.

It wasn't nonsense.

- Poor Mr. Wilson.

- Oh my goodness, I better get your dinner.

- Uh Eloise, I'm not hungry.

- Not hungry?

Oh John, I'm proud of you.

- Thank you.

[doorbell rings]

- Oh hello, Henry.

- Hi, Mrs. Wilson.

- Hello, Henry.

- Oh hi, John.

- Come on in.

- I haven't seen you around lately, John.

I just thought I'd drop over and see how things are.

- Rough.

- Oh, really bad, huh?

- Oh, you have no idea.

Sit down, sit down.

- Oh thanks.

- They took away the living room furniture today.

They're going to pick up the dining room set tomorrow.

- Well, we could loan you something.

- Oh that's all right.

Don't worry about us.

We'll manage.

- Oh of course you will.

It's always darkest before the dawn.

John?

- Yes?

- I'd like to ask you something.

- What is it, Henry?

- Well, it's, it's kind of personal.

Now, now we've been friends for a long time.

And well, a, a friend in need is a friend indeed.

- A friend in need is a friend indeed.

Henry uh, what are you trying to say?

- Well, if a friend is in trouble,

I think that he should go to a friend

and, and see if there's anything he needs.

- Why certainly.

- I'm glad you feel that way about it, John.

I'm sure that if I were in trouble,

I could come to you just as you could come to me.

- Well of course!

We're friends, aren't we?

- We sure are.

Well, I'll see you, John.

- See you, Henry.

- What's Henry want?

- If I didn't know him so well, I'd

swear he was trying to borrow some money.

- There you are, Dennis.

- Thanks, Mr. Quigley.

The people will appreciate this.

I'd tell you who they are, but I don't want to embarrass them.

- Oh, I understand Dennis.

Now if they need anything else, you let me know.

- Thanks, Mr. Quigley.

Bye!

- Bye.

[horn honking]

- Morning, Quigley.

- Good morning, John.

I suppose you came for that money you lost.

- Yep, yep.

- I found it right near the meat counter.

- Ah. - $7.

- It was $8.

- I thought you might want to offer a reward.

- Your reward is the satisfaction in knowing

that you're an honest man.

- That kind of reward is hard to spend.

- Was that Dennis? - Yes.

Now there's a real generous boy.

Do you know what he's doing?

He's collecting food-- groceries-- for a poor family.

- Oh, that's odd.

He didn't ask me to contribute.

- It's probably 'cause he knows you're such a tightwad.

- Oh, is that so?

Well, I am not one to turn my back on anyone who's hungry.

- I hear you talking, but I don't see you contributing.

- Here.

Uh, take the $8 and put it in the kitty.

Tell Dennis he can get another load of groceries

for that needy family tomorrow.

- You want to contribute the whole $8?

- That's right.

The whole $8.

- John, are you sure that hole was in your pocket?

[doorbell rings]

- Where'd you leave them?

- On the doorstep.

I hope he finds them all right.

[crashing sounds]

- Oh John, what happened?

- Eloise, who left all this junk on the porch?

- I don't know.

It must have been delivered by mistake.

- Mistake?

Well I-- candied yams!

- $0.15, that's my whole allowance.

Sure hope Mr. Wilson appreciates it.

- Thanks, Howie.

He will.

But don't forget, us kids aren't telling anybody

that we're doing this for Mr. Wilson.

- Boy, a show in your own backyard.

- Yeah.

And it'll start in a few minutes.

Go on in.

- OK.

- Hi Dennis.

- Hi Seymour.

- Here's $0.06 and three bottle caps.

- Thanks, Seymour.

- I had to drink the three bottles of root beer

to get the $0.06 back on the bottles.

- Mr. Wilson will appreciate it.

- That's OK.

Root beer's my favorite drink.

- Go on in and sit down.

- How we doing, Dennis?

- Pretty good, Tommy.

$2.06 and three bottle caps.

- So what's the frog for?

[frog croaks]

- Oh, that belongs to Artie Robinson.

I'm holding it for security til he

gets the money his brother owes him.

- Great.

Let's get the show on the road.

- Yes sir.

Come on, fellas.

Everybody sit down! - Yay!

- Ladies and gentlemen, our first star act will be Margaret.

[cheers and applause]

- Doing her famous Hawaiian hula dance.

Music, maestro.

[hula music playing]

[cheers and applause]

[hula music playing]

[cheers and applause]

- That was great, Margaret.

Really great!

Our next star act will be yours truly, Dennis Mitchell,

performing a feat of magic.

May I have a volunteer from the audience?

- Dennis.

- Oh no, not you Mr. Wilson.

I couldn't saw you in half.

I couldn't even get you in the box.

- Dennis, I did not come over here to be sawn in half.

Now look here Dennis, I am trying to do some work.

- You mean you're gonna sell a story?

- If my editor likes it.

- Well gee, we don't want to interfere

with that at a time like this.

Come on, everybody.

Let's get out of here so Mr. Wilson can earn some money.

- Goodbye, Mr. Wilson.

I hope you sell your story.

- Well uh--

- Good luck, Mr. Wilson.

Good luck.

- Well, wait a minute.

Don't, don't, don't go.

- Good luck, Mr. Wilson.

We're rooting for you.

- Oh.

Oh, thank you.

Well, oh Dennis.

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to break up your show.

- Hmm.

Mr. Wilson?

May I talk to you man to man?

- Well yes, I guess so.

- Well, I don't think it's right to keep

beating around the bush.

- Beating around the bush?

- Yeah.

Here.

- What's this?

- It's the money we took in from the show.

$2.06 and three bottle caps.

There'll be more when Artie Robinson redeems his frog.

- Oh, you want me to hold it for you.

- No, sir. It's yours.

- Mine?

- Yes, sir.

It's probably not enough to get your furniture back,

but maybe it'll help.

And I guess you found the groceries

I left on your doorstep.

- Oh, you were the one who left those there?

- Yes, sir.

Now you won't have to stand in line at the Aid Society.

- Dennis--

- It could be worse, Mr. Wilson.

You still got your television set and your car.

You're a lot luckier than Tommy's uncle.

- Well Dennis, I don't understand.

- The same thing happened to him that happened to you.

He lost all his money in the stop market.

- Stock market?

Whatever gave you such an idea?

- Well, yesterday when I washed your car,

you said you couldn't pay me because you

lost all your money in the market.

- That's right.

Quigley's Market.

- Quigley's?

- Yeah, I had a hole in my pocket.

- But they took away your furniture.

- To be reupholstered.

- But you were starving.

- I'm on a diet.

- But the Uptown Aid Society.

- I went there to pick up my smoking jacket.

- Well gee, it sure sounds different

when you put that way.

- Well yes, I, I guess it does.

- Well, I'm sure glad it's not true.

I was worried about you, Mr. Wilson.

We all thought you were broke.

- Dennis, if I didn't have a single penny,

I'd be the richest man in the world with a friend like you.

- Jeepers, this sure is nice of you

to do this for us, Mr. Wilson.

- Why, it's my pleasure Dennis.

Would, would you like another one?

- I sure would.

This one even tastes better than the first one.

- The first one.

[clears throat] How's your uh, banana split, Seymour?

- Swell.

I'm sure glad you lost your money in the market.

- Well, thank you.

- [gasps] [smack]

- Mrs. Wilson!

- Ah ah ah ah!

John!

- Stool pigeon.

- [clears throat] [clinks glass]

- May I have your attention a moment, please?

Uh, I suppose some of you are wondering

about the reason for this little party.

Well, it's just my way of saying thank you

to Dennis and to all of you for your concern about my welfare.

Naturally, I'm delighted that it's all a misunderstanding.

But I did find out that I have some wonderful and loyal

friends that I can count on if I really need help.

And uh, thank you.

[applause]

- Uh, will that be all, Mr. Wilson?

- Oh uh, I guess so.

- All right, there's the check.

- All right.

And here you are.

$2.06 and three bottle caps.

- [laughs] Uh, Mr. Wilson, the uh, check is $6.40.

- Uh, $6.40.

Oh yeah. [laughs] Well-- [inaudible].

Henry?

Uh Henry, uh, this is rather personal.

Uh well, after all, we have been friends for a long time.

Well, the darkest hour is just before-- a friend in need

is a friend indeed?

- Don't worry, Mr. Wilson.

If you haven't got the money, I'll

stay and help you wash the dishes.

[laughter] - Oh!

[theme music]

ANNOUNCER: This has been a Screen Gems film production.