Original subtitles

[music playing]

- And I'd give anything if there were just

some way I could get out of it.

- Gee, dad, if you don't want to play golf with your boss today,

why don't you just tell him so?

- It isn't that simple when it's your boss, dear.

- No, I'm afraid I'm stuck, son.

But I'd give $10 for a good, hard rainstorm today.

- $10?

- Who wouldn't?

Everybody's crying about the drought.

- I've got an idea.

Me and Tommy will handle this for you, dad.

- Oh, you will, will you?

- Yeah You see, what we'll do, we'll

go over to your bosses house right

now and turn the hose on all his windows.

He'll think it's raining and go back to bed,

and Tommy and I will split the $10.

- Dennis! Dennis, come back here!

[theme music]

- This is it, Eloise.

This is the fabulous art treasure

that's going to make a big man at my old alma mater.

- Well, good for you.

- A gift from me to the College museum.

- You mean you've already promised it to them?

But you don't even own that thing yet.

What if Mrs. Schooner won't to sell it to you?

- Don't you worry about Mrs. Schooner.

I have a plan for her that is--

DENNIS (OFFSCREEN): Mr. Wilson!

Well, hi, Mrs. Wilson.

- Hello, dear.

- Hey, Mr. Wilson.

Do you have any ideas how dad could get out

playing golf with his boss today?

- That's a little out of my line.

- Because he said he'd give $10 to get out of it.

- Well, I'd like to see you got the money, but I--

- But dad said if it would only rain.

But heck, it hasn't rained for weeks.

- I don't think there's much chance of that.

- Thanks, anyway, Mr. Wilson.

- Dennis.

Uh, here's something that might keep you out of my hair--

uh, help you make that $10.

- "Indian Rain Dance."

Oh, boy!

Do you think us kids can make it work?

- Why not?

The Indians did all the time. - Hey.

Hey, it's got pictures and everything.

- All you have to do is follow the directions.

It's all right in there.

- Say, maybe we could.

- Sure, sure.

You just get your little friends together

on the far side of town someplace,

and, uh, don't give up till it rains.

- You bet, Mr. Wilson.

And if we have any trouble, I'll be back!

- Oh, no, Dennis!

No, no!

No, Dennis, not that!

Dennis!

- Hey, Tommy!

Guess how we can make that $10!

- Well!

Uh, Wilson?

Mr. Wilson?

- Eh?

- Addison Brock from our old alma mater.

- Oh!

Oh, Mr. Brock.

I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow.

Well, come on in, come on in.

[music playing]

- Read it, Mrs. Wilson.

Go on, to it.

- "One of only three known examples of pottery from

the extinct Waukenagen Indian tribes of early North America."

- And this is the fourth, undiscovered until now.

- "A hallmark of this ancient tribe's art is the distinctive

decoration which archaeologists agree

show strong oriental influence."

- Oh, this is a splendid gesture, Mr. Wilson.

As head of the awards committee your Alumni Association,

I proudly salute a loyal son of dear old Bedford U.

- Thank you, Mr. Brock, thank you.

The moment I saw this rare antique,

my first thought was my alma mater.

- The awards committee meets tonight, Mr. Wilson,

to name the alumnus of the year.

I intend to nominate you.

- Me?

Oh, I don't-- I-- Eloise, did you hear that?

Me, alumnus of the year.

- Well, that's fine, dear, but don't you

think you ought to buy it first?

- Now I'll fly back this afternoon,

and by-- b-b-b-buy it?

You mean this isn't yours?

- It belongs to a Mrs. Schooner here in town.

Now, don't you worry about a thing.

- Oh.

Well, for a moment there--

- You just go back to the hotel and relax.

Mrs. Schooner is coming over here at 2 o'clock.

By 3:00, this rare antique will belong to Bedford U.

- A give from our beloved John Wilson, alumnus of the year.

Good man, John.

3 o'clock.

Goodbye.

- Goodbye, Mr. Brock. - Goodbye.

- John, what makes you think Mrs. Schooner's going

to part with a valuable antique like that?

- Because, my pet, she doesn't know it's valuable.

- Do you mean to tell me that Mrs. Schooner--

- Hasn't the faintest idea.

- Oh, I see.

- Besides, I'm doing her a tremendous favor.

I told her I'd write an article on her extensive Indian

collection and send it to a national magazine.

I'm taking a picture on our patio

this afternoon to send along with it.

- Do you think a national magazine

would be interested in an article about her?

- Well, of course they wouldn't.

But Mrs. Schooner think they would,

and that's why she will sell me this urn for peanuts.

- John, I think that's a pretty shabby trick.

- All's fair in love and war, Eloise,

and I would love to be named alumnus of the year.

- See, dad?

- So you boys are going to make it

rain and get out of my golf game, huh?

- We sure are.

We're going to get the kids together right now.

- and get our Indian clothes on.

- Good.

I don't have to be out there till 2:30.

That'll give you three hours to do it.

- That ought to be time enough.

- Heck, yes.

You better get that $10 ready, dad.

We're gonna dance up a storm.

Come on, Tommy!

[music playing]

- You need more red streaks on his jaws, Margaret.

Come on, more red right along there.

- Dennis, if I'm going to be the makeup woman here,

you'll have to quit interrupting my work.

- But you're not doing it right.

Here, look at the pictures.

This is the way rain dancers look.

- That's not the way you look.

- I'm the medicine man, Seymour.

- Where's your pills?

- Medicine men don't have pills.

- Cough syrup?

- Of course not.

They're just called medicine men because-- oh,

finish painting him, Margaret.

I'm busy.

Are you all set, now, Indians?

- Yep, we're all ready, Dennis.

- Come on over here, Seymour.

Now listen, Indians.

We want to do this dance exactly right,

just like it ways in Mr. Wilson's book

here, because my dad needs a hard rain real bad.

- Frankly, I think you're just wasting your time.

My mother says it won't rain for a whole month.

- Is your mom an Indian?

- Of course not.

- Then what does she know about it?

- That's telling her.

- I don't think it's ever gonna rain.

- Jeepers, who's side are you on anyhow, Seymour?

Come on, gang, let's get some stuff of this bag.

- Boy, you sure got some neat stuff in here, Dennis.

- Yeah, I got everything the book called

for to make it rain except one thing,

and I'm kind of worried about it.

I haven't got any sagebrush.

- Sagebrush?

- Yeah.

It says, "The Zuni rain dancers carried clumps of sagebrush

which they waved to appease the rain god."

- I know where there's lots of sagebrush, Dennis.

- You do? Oh boy, where, Margaret?

Where?

- Out west.

- Think you're smart, don't ya?

- Why don't you go home, you big squaw?

- Yeah, go home, Margaret.

Come on, gang.

We better start the dance on Mr. Wilson's patio

because if anything goes wrong, he knows all about rain making,

and maybe he can help us.

Come on, Indians.

- John?

John Wilson, you come out here!

- Yes, yes, what is it, Eloise?

- John, you promised me last week you'd

cut down those awful weeds by the garage.

They're disgraceful. Now how can I plant bulbs there?

- Now, I cannot be bothered with that now.

Mrs. Schooner's coming over in a little while,

and I have to be on my toes or I may not

be able to buy that pot from her.

[gate opening]

- Hi, Mr. Wilson.

Hi, Mrs. Wilson.

- Dennis, I thought you were often making rain?

- I'm afraid we hit a snag, Mr. Wilson.

- Snag?

What went wrong?

Maybe you weren't far enough away.

- Do you think it'll work without sagebrush?

- I don't know, Dennis.

You'll just have to try.

Now hurry it up, will you fellas?

I have some company coming.

Sagebrush?

Did you say sagebrush?

I have a perfect substitute for sagebrush, Dennis.

- You do?

Oh boy, what, Mr. Wilsons?

What?

- Right over beside my garage there

is a splendid bunch of very fine weeds.

- Weeds?

- John Wilson!

- Um, I-- I've been saving them.

Now all you young braves have to do is go and pull them up.

- I don't think weeds would work for a rain dance, Mr. Wilson.

You see, in the book here, it says--

- Dennis, believe me, you'll get just as much rain with weeds

as you will with real sagebrush.

Now run along. Help yourselves.

Take them all.

- Gee, thanks a lot, Mr. Wilson.

I'm sure glad we've got you to help us, Mr. Wilson.

Come on.

[music playing]

- Now, Mr. Crowley, why don't you set up your camera over there?

Uh, Mrs. Schooner will be along shortly.

Now, you just make yourself comfortable.

- Fine.

You call the shots, I'll take 'em.

[children yelling]

- We're all set, Mr. Wilson!

We got 'em!

- Well, good.

Fine.

- We're all set now, Mr. Wilson.

We got every single weed.

- This one didn't want to come up, but I got it.

- My prize aster.

Oh, no!

I--

- Seymour, that's not a weed.

Now you go put that back.

- Never mind, never mind.

Boys, why don't you go to the other side of town

like we said and do the rain dance?

I'm expecting--

- Oh, we'll do it right here first,

Mr. Wilson, in case we do anything else wrong.

Come on, fellas, line up.

Oh, great rain chief Aquamoki, bring us rain!

[whooping]

- Little boys, go away, let it rain another day.

- He's right out here.

- Oh, thank you, Mrs. Wilson.

Hello, Mr. Wilson.

Well, here I am.

- Mrs. Schooner, how lovely you look.

Oh, my, that dress-- Eloise, isn't that a charming hat?

- Oh, yes.

I was just admiring it.

- I want to look my prettiest for the photographer.

[laughing] I'm sure this picture will

be seen by millions of your readers.

- Uh, well, whoever reads the article will see it, all right.

- I'm so excited.

Just imagine, my picture and a story about me

in a big, national magazine.

Which publication will you sell it to, Mr. Wilson?

- Uh, well, the one that wants it most, Mrs. Schooner.

Now, about this piece of Indian pottery--

- I'm going to let you have it for just what I paid for it.

- Oh, fine!

- The minute we finish taking these pictures,

I'll take you out a bill of sale, and then you'll--

[whooping]

- Dennis!

Boys!

Hold it!

- Charming, delightful.

The tribal rain dance.

- Yes, it's a little noisy, but--

- Hey, did you hear that?

She knew what we were doing right away.

Do you know about Indians, Mrs. Schooner?

- Indeed I do, Dennis.

In fact, I have Indian blood, children.

One of my ancestors many years ago

was a beautiful Cherokee princess.

Her name was Princess Wakatiko-hookatooki.

- What's her last name?

- Maybe Mrs. Schooner would like to see

a little more of the dance, boys.

- Oh, I'd love it.

In fact, if I were dressed for it, I'd join in, too.

I have a lovely ceremonial robe which belonged to the princess

herself. - But that must be beautiful.

- All right, boys, one more circle, and that will be all.

[whooping] - OK!

All right!

That was very good.

That's enough.

- Are you sure that's enough, Mr. Wilson?

It isn't even cloudy yet.

- Well, never mind that.

Just step back out of the way. Mr. Crowley?

Now, if you'll set over here, Mrs. Schooner.

I think this will be a very nice spot.

How's that?

- Good, fine.

- Mr. Wilson, maybe I'd better give you--

- Dennis, just back up a little bit.

The camera?

- Ah-choo!

Oh, dear, my hay-- hay-- hay-- ah-choo!

- Boy, that was some sneeze.

Here's your hat, Mrs. Schooner.

- Thank you.

My-- my hay fever is back.

I don't know what brought that on.

I've been so careful.

- There, there, you'll be all right in a minute.

Now sit down, Mrs. Schooner.

- Yes, Mrs. Schooner, sit down.

- Here we are.

- Oh, no!

Goldenrod!

Get that away from me!

- Great heavens, I didn't know that was goldenrod!

- Oh! I have to go home, lie down.

My allergy pills, oh, dear.

- Oh, but Mrs. Schooner, the pot.

I-- I'll make out a check now, before you go.

- Mr. Wilson, please.

I don't even feel like talking.

- But the pot!

- Mr. Wilson, I think this silly old Indian pot

means more to you than my health!

Ah-- ah-- ah-choo!

Oh, dear!

- Oh, what a mess this whole thing has turned out to be.

- Sure has.

All that work and it didn't rain a drop.

[music playing]

- And I'm sorry we couldn't make it rain for you dad.

We-- ow!

Leave me some skin, mom, will ya?

- You're not losing any skin.

Now hold still.

- We tried our best to earn that $10,

but it just wouldn't work without sagebrush.

- Well, thanks anyway.

Honey, I'm going to have to leave shortly.

- You wouldn't want to pay me $1 just for trying, would you?

- No, I really wouldn't.

- That's what I figured.

- There, you can run along now.

- OK, mom.

I think I'll go over in the park and play a while.

Bye, mom.

Bye, dad.

[phone ringing]

- Hello? Oh.

Oh, yes, Mr. Trask.

What's that?

Oh, well, I'm terribly sorry.

Maybe another time.

Right.

Goodbye.

- Good news?

- Hah hah!

The boss can't play after all.

He said, I'm sorry, something else has come up.

Yahoo!

- He should see how heart broken you are.

- What a break.

I'll get my regular game in with Chuck Hillman after all.

[music playing]

- You figure that's why we didn't make it rain, huh, Dennis?

- It's got to be why, Tommy.

We didn't have any sagebrush.

We did everything else the book said.

- Hey, fellas.

How come you're not Indians anymore?

- We kind of gave that up, Mr. Crowley.

- Well, how would you like to earn yourselves

a super duper, double dip, gourmet's delight ice cream

soda?

- Wow!

What do have to do?

- I'll do it.

- Cranky wants a picture of your rain dance for the paper.

- Our picture in the paper?

- Yeah, you know, "Year's Biggest Drought,

Local Indians Appeal To Rain God."

- Oh, boy!

Swell!

- Get the other kids.

Get back into your Indian get up and meet me

back here in an hour, OK?

- OK!

And hey, I got a new idea for sagebrush, Tommy.

We might make it rain for dad yet.

Come on!

[music playing]

- Uh, goodbye.

Oh, I just talked to Brock.

He's postponing the awards committee meeting

until midnight.

- Midnight? - Yes.

He has to fly out of here at 7 o'clock, pot or no pot.

- So far, your pot luck hasn't been too good today.

- Well, by George, he is not going without that pot.

I'm going to see Mrs. Schooner right now.

- Now dear, what good will that do?

She told you she won't even talk about it until after you

take the pictures tomorrow.

- I'm going to take the picture today.

I have an idea for a special kind of picture

that that gushy old biddy won't be able to resist.

- Yes, I have am feeling a little better thanks

to my allergy pills.

Oh, it is so dreadful.

- Oh, I know, I know.

I wouldn't trouble you like this,

but I have an idea for your picture

that I think is wonderful.

- Oh?

- You mentioned that you have the ceremonial robes

of your ancestor, Princess--

- Wakatiko, yes.

Oh, I have a lovely beaded buckskin that she--

- Mrs. Schooner, would you consider

posing for your picture in the original, authentic ceremonial

robes of your beautiful princess ancestor?

- Me? In the-- oh, my.

Oh, that is a charming idea.

[laughing] She was a beautiful woman, Mr. Wilson.

- I know you look exactly like her.

- [laughing] You are a flatterer.

But it-- it would be an interesting picture.

- But we will have to take it this afternoon.

My publisher has given me a deadline

on the pot-- uh, the picture. - Deadline?

- Yes.

If we don't get the picture today,

I'm afraid the-- the article is out.

- Oh, dear.

My, I I-- I'll do it, Mr. Wilson.

I'll do it. - Good!

Good!

- And Mr. Wilson, I have an idea, a fabulous idea.

Wait right here.

I'm going upstairs and bring you something.

Oh, this will be exciting.

[laughing]

I got it!

It's sage, like mom uses in the turkey for Thanksgiving.

- Yeah, sage dressing.

- I figure if we got some brushes with sage

on it, that's kind of sagebrush, right?

- Yeah, I guess it's kind of like sage, Dennis.

- Hi, fellas.

- Hi.

- Hi, Mr. Crowley.

- I just got a hurry-up call from Mr. Wilson.

I got to go take a shot of Mrs. Schooner.

Come on, I'll take your picture over there.

[yelling]

- Here I come!

How.

Princess Wakatiko-hookatooki give

to Big Chief Talking Buffalo.

- Thank you, oh princess.

Here heap much wampum for you, too.

- [laughing] I can't get over how Indian

he looks in that costume.

Talking Buffalo himself.

- Oh, he's a talker, all right.

- Here we are, fellas.

Mister and Missus Wilson.

- Hello, Mr. Crowley.

- I'll get the pictures here.

- Boy, look at those costumes.

And Mr. Wilson!

- What are you boys doing here.

- We came to do our rain dance again for Mr. Crowley.

- Cranky wants a picture of it.

- Oh, don't worry, Mrs. Schooner.

We threw away those old sneeze weeds.

Boy, doesn't Mr. Wilson look great?

- Magnificent.

He's dressed as my ancestor, Chief Talking Buffalo.

- He sure doesn't look like a buffalo.

- He sure smells like one.

[laughter]

- All right, boys, not just back out of the way.

Mrs. Schooner and I are going to pose for pictures.

Now then--

- Wait a minute, Mr. Wilson.

I have a fabulous idea.

Dennis, how would you like for princess Wakatiko and Chief

Talking Buffalo to join in your rain dance?

- Oh, boy!

Terrific!

Mr. Wilson knows all about rain dancing.

Come on, gang, line up now.

Oh, great rain chief Auqamoki, we got a new kind of sagebrush.

Bring us rain!

[whooping] - Rain!

Rain! We want rain!

[whooping]

- I think it'll work this time, Mr. Wilson.

We'll get dad out of that golf game yet!

- Oh, Dennis, for heaven's sake! - Rain!

Rain! Bring dad rain! $10 rain!

Bring dad rain! $10 rain! Rain!

Rain!

- So he says to me, "Mitchell, what's your handicap?"

I said, "Two left feet, what's yours?"

- Hey!

That's funny, two left feet.

Yeah!

[whooping] - Dennis!

I guess we failed again.

- Well, we're just gonna keep trying.

[whooping]

[thunder]

- We did it!

We did it after all, Tommy!

We made it rain!

- Whoopee!

- Will miracles never cease?

[music playing]

[thunder]

- Don't look so glum, Henry.

We need the rain.

- I know.

Just this morning, Dennis was saying

he was going to-- I wonder? - Huh?

What's that?

- Oh, nothing.

- Oh, Mr. Brock!

- Mrs. Wilson I came as fast as I could.

I could have gotten her sooner, but it's

raining cats and bucketsful out there.

- Yes, we noticed that. - Thank you.

- I sure wish it would stop so I could go home and get my $10.

- There it is.

- To Bedford University form her loyal son, John Wilson.

- Oh, this is an historic moment.

I've been on the phone.

The whole college is alerted.

The awards committee is all poised

to name you, "John Wilson, Alumnus Of The Year."

- Boy, this sounds exciting.

Is that pot valuable or something?

- Why, Dennis, this pot was made by the Waukenagen Indians.

It's probably 400 years old.

- Jeepers, how can you tell all that?

- Well, the Waukenagens used a very distinctive design

in their pottery.

- And this is it.

It shows a definite oriental influence.

- Hey, what's this on the bottom? There's something--

- Where? Where?

Where? Where?

- Right there.

- Why, there is something there.

- Oh, yes.

The rain must have washed some of the pigment off.

I-- Eloise, if some ancient craftsmen put his mark

on the bottom of this pot, it really is a treasure.

Get me the magnifying glass.

- Oh, I can read it, Mr. Wilson.

- Oh?

- It says, "Made in Japan."

- What!

Oh, no!

- Oh, no!

- Oh, yes.

[music playing]

ANNOUNCER: This has been a Screen Gems film production.