Original subtitles

- That will be quite a dinner tonight.

It says they expect to raise $5,000 for the Civic

Improvement League.

- Mr. Wilson's going to make a speech.

He's really excited about it.

- I wish we were going, Henry.

- Are you kidding?

They're charging $50 a plate.

- $50 just for a plate?

What will it cost when you put food on it?

- The food's included, son.

- Can't we go, dear?

You know I had your tuxedo cleaned last week,

and you'd look so handsome.

- Never mind the soft soap.

We can't afford it.

- OK if I go now, Mom? - Yes.

Run along, dear.

Oh, Dennis, don't get your clothes dirty.

If you come home looking like you did yesterday,

you will be in big trouble.

- Well, I won't get my clothes dirty, Mom.

I'll take them off and play in my bare skin.

- Dennis, come back here.

- That was a joke, Mom.

You were supposed to laugh.

- Our son, the comedian.

- You know, Eloise, tonight might be quite an occasion.

My speech could very well make me the next president

of our Civic Improvement League.

- Well, they couldn't pick a better one.

- Well, thank you, dear.

DENNIS (OFFSCREEN): Mr. Wilson!

- Come on in, Dennis.

- Hi, Mr. Wilson.

Hi, Mrs. Wilson.

MRS. WILSON (OFFSCREEN): Hello, dear.

- How about a game of Parcheesi?

- I haven't time now, Dennis.

- It won't take long.

I left my set over here the last time we played.

- Not now.

I'm working on a speech, and I would

appreciate being left alone.

- OK, Mr. Wilson.

We'll play Parcheesi later.

Bye, Mrs. Wilson.

- Goodbye, dear.

- You know there's a possibility our Civic Improvement

League has overlooked.

- What's that?

- Persuading Dennis to move away.

Oh, what an improvement that would be.

- Hi, fellas.

- Hi, Dennis.

- What you got there?

- It's a washing machine Miss Elkins gave us.

- We're going to sell it to the junk man.

- And get rich.

- Does it still run?

- Sure, if you plug it in.

Miss Elkins got rid of it, because she bought a new one.

- Tommy, I think I've got an idea.

My folks always get mad at me when

I come home with my clothes dirty.

Do your folks do that too?

- I'll say they do.

- Mine too.

- Mine don't.

They just wallop me.

- Well, why don't we keep this washing machine

instead of selling it.

We could have our own laundry service.

- You mean wash our clothes in it?

- Sure.

We could get as dirty as we like, and then wash our clothes

and go home without being in trouble.

- Hey, that's a keen idea.

- I'd rather stay dirty and get rich.

- We can get rich too, Seymour.

We can charge other kids for washing their clothes.

- And we could press them.

I know how.

My dad runs a tailor shop.

- I bet kids from all over town would come to us.

- Not only this town, Tommy.

Kids get dirty in other towns too.

- Yeah.

I know some really dirty kids in Center City.

- So after we get our laundry service going here,

we can open a Center City branch.

- And then maybe one in Chicago.

- And one in Africa.

- We better skip Africa, Seymour.

The kids there don't wear very much.

- Hey, let's start our first laundry in our garage.

My dad's car's in the shop.

So we can have the whole place.

- Swell.

We're in business.

- We ought to have a name for our business.

How about the Boys' Hand Laundry?

- We're not going to wash their hands, Scotty.

We're going to wash their dirty clothes.

So we'll call it the Dirty Clothes Laundry.

Come on. Let's get started.

Hang these up, Scotty.

- Here you are, Dennis.

- Your t-shirt will be ready soon, Gus.

OK, Tommy.

Put a dime in the cash register.

- You said it only cost a nickel.

- Yeah.

But if I know you, you'll get it dirty again right away.

- And then you'll come back for another nickel's worth.

- Besides, we got to get rich.

- So you might as well pay in advance.

- OK.

- I think I'll go home and get some of my own clothes

to wash, Tommy.

- Better not let your mom catch you.

- Well, she doesn't even know about these.

They were such a mess I hid them under my bed.

- Well, it's a good thing I got your tuxedo out.

There's a stain on the lapel.

- Good Heavens.

I haven't worn that thing in years.

What kind of a stain is it?

- Well, I can't decide between soup and gravy.

Well, you'll have to call the cleaners.

- Oh, his service is so slow.

Couldn't you hustle that down there for me?

- Oh, now dear, that's clear out of my way.

I have a dental appointment.

Then I have to go to the beauty parlor.

- Eloise, I'd do it myself, but I have to work on my speech.

- Oh, all right, dear. - Bless you.

Ah, let's see.

Fellow members of the Civic Improvement League,

we are gathered here this evening--

- Hi, Mrs. Wilson.

- Hello, dear.

- What you doing with Mr. Wilson's tuxedo?

- I'm taking it to the cleaners to get this spot off,

so he can wear it tonight.

- Can I take it for you?

Maybe if I do Mr. Wilson a favor,

he'll play Parcheesi with me later.

- You certainly can, Dennis.

You're saving my life.

- Oh, be sure and tell the cleaner

to get it back as fast as he can.

- OK, Mrs. Wilson. - Good.

- Hi, Tommy.

Where's Scotty and Seymour?

- Ah, business got kind of slow, so they

went out to find more customers.

Hey, what you got there?

- Mr. Wilson's suit that he's going to wear to the big dinner

tonight. I'm going to clean it for him.

- Boy, that's a big job.

- Oh, I don't mean wash it, Tommy, just take off this spot.

It was supposed to go to the cleaner,

but this will save Mr. Wilson some money.

- Hey, Mom's got some cleaning fluid in the house.

Let's go get it.

- Dennis was right.

I got it dirty again real fast.

- Well, take it off.

Hurry up.

- Remember, I already paid.

- OK.

This must be the stuff Dennis brought.

- What's that thing?

- I don't know.

I just make money.

- Hi, Gus.

I knew you'd be back.

- Now, Tommy, we'll take this stuff,

and-- where's Mr. Wilson's tuxedo?

- What's a tuxedo?

- It's a fancy black suit.

If it's lost, he'll kill me.

- It's not lost.

It's in there.

- In the washer!

Jeepers, he'll kill me anyhow.

Mr. Wilson sure can't wear this now.

Gee whiz, why did you put it in the washer, Seymour?

- It was with your stuff.

- What are you going to do now, Dennis?

- I could leave home.

Though Mr. Wilson would follow me.

Hey, I know.

Dad's not going to the dinner tonight.

He won't need his tuxedo.

- He'll give it to Mr. Wilson, huh?

- I'll sneak it into the house, and he'll

think the cleaner brought his back.

- Boy, you got you head on you, Dennis.

- Yeah, but if this doesn't work, Mr. Wilson's

going to knock it off.

- You got into Mr. Wilson's house OK?

- Yeah, nobody saw me.

I hung it up in his hall closet.

- Lucky you did.

This one's still leaking.

- I'll press it when it gets dry.

- Did you get your mom's iron, Tommy?

- Yeah.

It's right over there.

- Did any new business arrive?

- Margaret gave us some doll clothes to wash.

- Doll clothes?

Well, as long as she pays, we'll wash them.

Come on, men.

Let's get back to work.

- Well, the cleaners certainly gave you

quick service on your tuxedo.

- Yes.

I was a little surprised when I found it in the closet.

He got the stain out, all right, but it certainly

doesn't fit properly.

- Well, it does seem a little snug on you.

- I can't understand it.

How could a suit shrink just hanging in the closet?

- Oh, it didn't shrink, dear.

You expanded.

- Oh, well, maybe I have put on a few pounds.

Well, I'll call Gruskin, the tailor.

Have him pick it up and alter it.

It just needs a little letting out here and there.

- Shouldn't take long.

- Fortunately, he has my measurements down at the store,

so I won't have to go down there.

I can go on working on my speech.

- Good.

I'll go fix your lunch, dear.

A nice plate of cottage cheese.

- Cottage cheese?

Eloise, I'm a meat and potato man.

- Oh, I know, dear, but the potatoes are showing.

- Boy, mom.

These hot dogs look swell.

Bet I could eat a dozen of them.

- I wouldn't be a bit surprised.

- Hi, honey.

Sorry, I'm a little late.

Oh, couldn't wait for me, huh?

- Not when there's hot dogs.

- Alice, I've got great news.

My boss couldn't use his tickets for the dinner tonight.

So he gave them to us.

- Oh, Henry.

That's wonderful.

- I've got to go back down to the office for a couple of hours,

but I'll be home in plenty of time to slip into my tux.

ALICE (OFFSCREEN): Oh, I'm so glad.

I just had it cleaned.

- Excuse me, Mom.

I'll see you later. - Dennis, what's the matter?

You haven't touched your lunch.

- I just lost my appetite.

Jeepers, it's gone.

- Oh, hello, Dennis.

I didn't know you were here.

- Oh, hi, Mrs. Wilson.

I just came to see if Mr. Wilson got his tux back

from the cleaners OK.

- Oh, it came back all right.

But Mr. Gruskin the tailor has it now.

It needed to be made a little larger.

DENNIS (OFFSCREEN): Well, I guess I'll be going.

- I have some nice chocolate cake.

Would you like a piece?

- No thanks, Mrs. Wilson.

I wasn't even in the mood for hot dogs.

- Gosh.

You're really in trouble now, Dennis.

- Well, I've got part of it figured out.

- I can get Dad's tux back to him.

- Yeah.

How?

- It's at your dad's shop, Scotty.

And pretty soon your delivery man

will take it back to Mr. Wilson's house.

I'll wait outside and tell him I'll take it in to Mr. Wilson.

- I get it.

Then you'll bring it back to your house.

- I'll put it in the closet before Dad knows it was gone.

But that leaves poor old Mr. Wilson without anything

to wear.

- I pressed his tux that got wet.

But it doesn't look so good.

- Sure doesn't.

It looks smaller to me.

- I think the washing machine shrunk it.

- Well, if Dad's was too small for him,

I know this one won't fit him.

Mr. Wilson's got to have a bigger tux.

- My dad's got a bigger tux.

- Is he going to the dinner tonight?

- Nope.

- Swell.

Borrow it from him and meet me and Tommy

at Mr. Wilson's place.

Scotty can stay here and mind the laundry.

Let's go.

- Boy, it sure is lucky Seymour could get this tux.

- Yeah.

I wish they'd hurry up with Dad's tux

before he gets home from the office.

- There he is.

There's the delivery man now.

- Oh boy, swell.

You guys stay out of sight.

I got to get that tuxedo before Mr. Wilson sees it.

- Hi, Mr. Plagg. - Hello, Dennis.

- You want me to take that into Mr. Wilson for you?

- Yeah, if you don't mind.

I'm running late anyhow.

- Well, I don't mind.

I'm glad to do it. - Thanks.

- A fella could get killed around here.

That was a narrow escape.

- Boy, it sure was a narrow escape.

Hi, Dad.

See you later.

- Oh brother, if he had been one minute earlier.

- We're OK now though.

Now all I got to do is give Seymour's tux to Mr. Wilson.

We're all set.

- And I was out front when the tailor's delivery man came.

So here you are.

- Well, thank you, Dennis.

I'll see if fits now.

- I sure hope it does.

- Oh, I imagine it will.

All it needed was a little letting out here and there.

That was all. In with those.

Good heavens.

What the?

He's ruined my tuxedo.

- It sure is loose.

- I can't appear before hundreds of people

tonight looking like this.

- No, sir. You sure can't.

I'll see you later.

- Gruskin, what have you done to my tuxedo?

You've ruined it.

You-- John Wilson that's who this is.

This coat hangs on me like a-- I don't have time

to come back for a fitting.

I'm working on a speech.

You come up here and fix it.

What?

Well, get here as fast as you can.

OK.

- Boy, Seymour.

Your dad must be as big as an elephant.

- He's not as tall as an elephant.

He's just kind of wide.

- Well, I don't know what we're going

to do about poor old Mr. Wilson.

Maybe we'll just have to give his own tuxedo back to him.

Seymour, you go back to laundry and help Scotty out.

- What are you going to do?

- Well, I think I'll go in the house

and see if everything's OK with dad.

- This thing's got me kind of nervous.

- I'll go with you.

- Oh hi, Mr. Mitchell.

- Hi, Dad.

Trying on your tuxedo?

- Hi, fellas.

Will you look at this darned thing?

- What's the matter with it?

- It's all stretched out of shape.

It fits me like a sack.

- What do you suppose happened to it?

- I don't know.

It was a cheap tux to begin with.

I guess it just couldn't take the cleaning.

Look at this coat.

Almost wraps around me.

I can't wear this silly thing.

- You'll have to wear it tonight. Won't you?

Everybody's supposed to wear-- - I'm just not going to go.

Didn't care much about it anyway.

We'll stay home.

- Our whole problem is solved now, Tommy.

- Yeah. If your dad's not going tonight.

- We can take this tux back to Mr. Wilson.

It'll fit him perfect now.

- And the delivery man got mixed up and left this tux

for Mr. Wilson over at our house.

- By mistake.

- Well, thank goodness.

He was awfully upset about it.

- Want us to wait while he tries it on?

- Oh no, we wouldn't dare bother him.

He's shut himself up in his bedroom

to finish writing his speech.

He won't even speak to me.

- We'll take that other one back for you.

- Oh.

Thank you, boys.

- Bye, Mrs. Wilson. - Bye, Mrs. Wilson.

- Bye, bye.

- Not go tonight.

Oh, Henry.

- Alice, I tried on my tuxedo.

- I bought a new dress just for tonight.

It's beautiful.

Oh, Henry.

You'll be so proud of me.

- Honey, I'm always proud of you, but Alice, my tux,

it just looks awful.

It's all stressed out of shape.

- Let's go back to our laundry now

and give this back to Seymour.

Hey, would like some cookies?

- Yeah.

- Here hold this a minute.

- Well, yes.

It is pretty, honey.

But my tuxedo doesn't fit.

- Hey, Mom.

Me and Tommy are starving.

Can we have some cookies?

- Yes, help yourself, dear.

Oh, Henry, we'll have a wonderful time at the dinner

tonight.

And don't worry about your dinner

jacket I can make it fit just fine.

- Well, it's awfully loose, Alice.

- I'll put it on the sewing machine,

and I'll take it in wherever it needs it.

I'll tighten it up.

It'll look wonderful.

I promise. - All right, honey.

We'll go.

- You go ahead and finish your sandwich, honey.

I'll get the tux out after a while and go to work on it.

- Give me the tux.

Quick, Tommy.

Dad's going tonight after all.

He's got to have a tuxedo.

- But wait.

He can't wear that tux.

It's as big as a house.

- It's the only one we got.

I got to hang it up in the closet.

Quick.

- Boy.

If that guy don't slow down, he's

going get himself an ulster.

- Well, it's in there.

It's in the closet.

It's the wrong tux, but at least, it's a tux.

- You think it'll work?

- I don't know, Tommy.

Mom said she could tighten Dad's up so it would fit him.

Maybe she can do it with that one.

- Let's get back to the laundry and see

if we're making any money.

- You go, Tommy.

I better stay here and see what happens.

- Well, it looks like that's all the laundry

business we're going to do today, Seymour.

- My mom will flip when she sees me come home clean.

- You're not home yet.

- You know what we'd better do.

We better take Mr. Wilson's tux back to him like Dennis said.

- Yeah. I guess so.

I sure hate to, but it is his tux.

- Sure.

And anyhow, Dennis said to.

- Good evening, ladies and gentlemen

of the Civic Improvement League.

We are gathered here tonight to discuss ways--

[doorbell]

- Here's your tuxedo, Mr. Wilson.

- What?

- The other one is the wrong one.

- It belongs to my dad.

- Oh, so that's it.

Well, now this is beginning to make some sense, Scotty.

Your dad sent over the wrong tux.

I knew that thing couldn't be mine.

It's big enough for an elephant.

- That's my dad.

- Well, I'll get that for you.

Here.

Well, I'll try this on right now,

so-- oh, maybe you'd better wait here and be sure that it fits.

I'll be right back.

Eloise, Eloise, Eloise, Eloise.

- Well, I don't believe it.

- Just look.

How could this happened?

- John, that can't be yours.

- It must be mine.

Gruskin sent his boy Scotty over here with it.

I better get him on the phone.

- Scotty Gruskin, the tailor's son?

- Yes. Yes.

He just brought it over a few minutes ago.

- No. No, dear.

Dennis brought yours.

I hung it up myself.

- Dennis? - Yes, dear.

About half an hour ago.

You were upstairs writing your speech.

Dennis said it was your tux, so I gave him the other one.

Where are you going?

- Next door.

If Dennis Mitchell is mixed up in this,

no wonder things are fouled up.

[doorbell]

- I'll get it, dear.

Oh, hello, Mr. Wil-- what?

- Alice, I've been having trouble with my tuxedo all day.

And I-- - You're having trouble.

- What happened your tux, Henry?

- Well, what happened to yours?

- Oh, I wish I had a camera.

- Well, I came over here to find out what happened to mine,

and I think I know who can tell us.

- Are you thinking of the same person I'm thinking of?

He's upstairs.

- (TOGETHER) Dennis!

- Yes, Dad.

- Come down here, son.

Dennis.

- Dad, I think there's something I better tell you first.

- Yes, I think there is.

Now, let's have it from the beginning.

- Well, you see, I wanted to play Parcheesi with Mr. Wilson

this morning, but he was too busy.

So us kids decided to start a laundry

business in Tommy's garage.

- John should be dressed by now.

I hope he isn't having trouble with this tux.

- Boy, Mrs. Wilson, you and Mom just look beautiful.

- Ah, well, thank you, dear. - And how about your dad?

Doesn't he look handsome?

- He sure does.

You look just like my favorite movie star, Dad.

- Well, good. Who's that?

Rock Hudson?

- Heck no. Pete the Penguin.

He's in cartoons.

And he's got a black and white suite just like yours.

- It must have been a lot of work getting

that suit to fit Henry again.

- Oh, it wasn't too bad.

I just took it in in all the places

the tailor let it out for Mr. Wilson.

- I bet Mr. Wilson looks swell.

- No thanks to you, son.

I wanted to pay John for that ruined tux.

Take it out of Denni's allowance for the next 20 years,

but he wouldn't allow it.

- Of course not.

It was an old tux anyway.

- Well, at least, he let me pay for the rental

of the one he's wearing.

- He was certainly lucky to find one at 5:00 in the afternoon.

- It was the last one they had.

Well, I hope this is-- oh, here he comes.

- Well, Johnny, you look fine.

Does it fit all right? - Well, not bad, Henry.

A little snug around the southern hemisphere,

but I'll make out all right.

- Ah, you'll be the hit of the evening.

Excuse me.

- I certainly worked hard on that speech.

I hope to impress them with it.

- Oh, I'm sure you will.

- Say your speech before you go, Mr. Wilson.

Will you?

Say your speech.

- Oh, Dennis.

You wouldn't want to hear that.

- Well, I won't be there tonight, and I'd love to hear it.

Please.

- Well, I would like to try the ending on you and Alice, Henry.

- Oh please do.

We'd love to hear it.

- Come on, John.

- Well, all right.

It goes something like this.

And so my fellow members of the Civic Improvement League, we

must all work together in one common cause

to make our city beautiful.

And remember, to paraphrase the poet,

civic beauty is a joy forever.

I thank you.

- Oh boy. Swell.

Take a bow, Mr. Wilson.

Take a bow.

- Oh no.

Great Christ.

- Jeepers.

Right down the middle.

- Eloise, what am I going to do?

I can't appear in public with my trousers ripped.

Just look.

Well, don't look.

- Mr. Wilson, this was my fault.

You just got to make that speech tonight.

So I'm going to loan you a pair of pants.

- Oh, Dennis.

They wouldn't fit.

- Not mine, Mr. Wilson.

Dad's.

- Of course.

I could let them out for you.

It wouldn't take long.

- Oh no.

I won't take the pants right off your husband.

I mean I don't want to keep him from going.

- It's the only thing to do, John.

I didn't care about that dinner anyway.

You can go with them, honey.

- Oh, well, that's very generous of you, Henry.

- You sure you don't mind, Henry?

- Well, Dad won't mind.

He'll have a swell time tonight.

- I will?

- Yeah, you and me can play about 50 games of Parcheesi.

NARRATOR: This has been a Screen Gems film production.