Original subtitles

- $500 prize money? - Uh-huh.

- Oh, Henry, that's wonderful.

- Sure is, Dad.

Congratulations.

Can I have a raise in my allowance?

- May I have a raise in my allowance?

- Yeah, can both of us have one?

- Dennis.

- I'm afraid you're jumping the gun, son.

I haven't got the money yet.

I was merely explaining to your mother that my boss, Mr. Trask,

has offered it to the employee who comes up

with the best money-saving idea.

- You can't miss, Dad.

Carry it around with you.

It'll bring good luck.

- A rabbit's foot?

Now look at it logically, son.

How could this mangy piece of fur

possibly influence anyone's luck?

Can you explain that to me?

- No, sir.

I can't explain television either,

but I know that when you turn on the set, it works.

[theme music]

[vacuum running]

- Eloise!

Must you vacuum where I'm trying to sleep?

- Let me ask you a question.

Must use sleep where I'm trying to vacuum?

- Eloise, I am exhausted.

I haven't slept for three nights.

- Now, dear, I know you're worried.

- Worried?

Eloise, it is incredible, absolutely incredible.

This last month, everything that could happen to me

has happened to me.

Nothing, not a single thing, went right.

I buy stock, blue chip.

Right after I buy it, it goes down five points.

I buy a new pair of slacks.

I walk out the front door, rip them on a nail.

I-- ay-yi-yi!

- Ooh, the finger that got caught in the car door.

- No, the finger I slammed with the hammer

trying to pound down the nail I tore the slacks on.

Eloise, if anything else happens to me,

Congress is going to declare me a disaster area.

- Oh, now dear, your luck's bound to change.

- I don't believe in luck.

When things are good, they are good.

When they're bad, they are bad.

- Now John, you're not helping matters

sitting around the house with a long face.

- What do you suggest?

Plastic surgery?

- I suggest that you go outside and work around the house

and stop feeling sorry for yourself.

- I am not feeling sorry for myself.

I'm just--

- Then feel sorry for me.

I have a husband who sits around the house all day with a long

face, and I cannot get any cleaning done.

[vacuum running]

- Hi, Mr. Wilson.

- Dennis, have you been fooling with this hose?

- No, sir, I was walking on it.

- I was trying to water.

- I'm sorry, Mr. Wilson.

Still having all that bad luck?

- Yes.

And it isn't getting any better with you around.

- Maybe you ought to borrow this.

- Eh, no, thank you.

- It'll bring you good luck.

- Thank you for the offer, Dennis,

but I do not believe in good luck.

It's nothing but superstition.

- It sure helped me.

Before I had it, my teacher always

caught me when I did something wrong.

- With or without it, I'm sure your teacher would've seen you.

- She couldn't.

She broke her glasses the first day I brought it to school.

Wasn't that lucky?

Not only that, I got the highest mark in my class

on a composition, and Howie Marshall

paid me a dime he owed me for a whole year.

- Dennis, it will take a good deal more than

that to convince me that that rabbit's foot has the capacity

to bring anyone luck.

- Lots of people carry them.

- So do rabbits.

What happened to the one that carried that?

- Well--

- Obviously it didn't bring him any luck.

Now don't bother me.

- Sure works for me.

- Rabbit's foot.

Oh!

- Mr. Wilson, are you all right?

- Oh, this miserable lawnmower.

- I bet this wouldn't have happened

if you'd have borrowed my rabbit's foot.

- Oh, Dennis, please.

- Here's the trouble, Mr. Wilson.

There's something jammed in the blades.

Wow, $10!

What'll I do with it?

- Well, if nobody claims it, I guess it belongs to you.

- Half of it's yours.

It's your lawnmower. - Oh, no.

No.

You-- you found it.

- Boy, with the luck this old rabbit's foot is bringing me,

you sure are making a mistake not to borrow it.

- Rabbit's foot.

- It sounds like a wonderful idea to me, Henry.

I'm surprised nobody thought of it sooner.

I think it will win you that special prize money.

- Well, it should.

Why, if you realize how much money that company loses

through inefficiency--

- More than $10?

- A great deal more.

- Then this doesn't belong to them.

- Where'd you get that money?

- It was stuck in Mr. Wilson's lawnmower.

- Stuck?

- Yes, ma'am.

He said I could keep it if nobody claimed it.

Boy, is my lucky rabbit's foot working for me.

- Maybe you ought to take it with you, Henry,

when you go to tell Mr. Trask your idea.

- Sure, Dad, I'll be glad to loan it to you.

- No thanks, son.

If my idea has any merit, I'll get the prize

without any good luck charm.

- Sure, but why take a chance?

- Dennis, I do not need your rabbit's foot.

- That's what Mr. Wilson said when

I wanted to lend it to him.

And if he'd listened to me, he'd be $10 richer

and his stomach wouldn't hurt.

- Eloise?

Eloise!

Lightning has struck again!

- What?

- He returned my article.

- Oh, that's too bad.

And I thought it was one of the best

things you'd written in a long time.

- Oh, well, obviously he doesn't agree with you.

Just listen to this.

"We are returning your last article.

With the increase in postal rates,

it now costs us $0.05 an ounce to send back

something we wouldn't give you $0.02 for."

- Oh, dear.

You know, dear, maybe you should have

borrowed Dennis's rabbit's foot. - Eloise!

- Uninhabited.

U-N-I-N-H-A-B-I-T-E-D.

- Dennis, is your mother home?

- No, sir.

The house is unihabited.

I'm studying that for my spelling test tomorrow.

- Oh, where is she?

- She might be over at Mrs. Wilson's.

What's going on, Dad?

- Well, I discussed my economy plan with Mr. Trask,

and he loves it.

- Oh, boy, that's great, Dad.

And you're going to get the prize money?

- Well, I don't know.

They're considering several other ideas along with mine.

- Well, I'm not worried.

My rabbit's foot got you this far.

- Dennis, your rabbit's foot had nothing to do with it.

- Unintelligent.

U-N-I-N-T-E-L-L-I-G-E-N-T.

- Well, no, Alice isn't here.

Anything I can do?

- Oh, no, I just wanted to tell her a little good news.

- Well, tell me.

I haven't heard any in so long, I've

forgotten what it sounds like.

- Well, it isn't much.

I-- I presented a plan to my boss and I may get a prize.

Sort of an extra bonus.

- Nice to hear that something good's happening to somebody.

- Are things still not going well for you, John?

- It's unbelievable.

- Oh, well, cheer up.

Everything'll change for the better.

Look at me.

Last week, nothing in sight.

This week, big prospects.

- Yeah, yeah.

[sneezes]

[inaudible]

- Look what, uh, dropped out of your pocket.

- A rabbit's foot.

Wonder how that got there.

- Yes, how did it?

- I know.

I'll bet Dennis sneaked it in my pocket

before I went to work this morning.

- Oh?

- Well, of course you don't think I'd

carry it with me on purpose.

- Well, you did have it when you went to see your boss.

- Well, yes--

- And he did say you might win the prize.

- Yes, but this has absolutely no connection

with-- with my good luck, my good fortune,

or-- oh, with what happened.

Of course, if a person were superstitious,

he might think there was, but-- well, um, I'll be seeing you,

John.

Uh, keep up the old rabbit-- I mean, keep up the old chin.

- No, nobody asked about it, so I guess it's all yours.

- It really works.

Did you hear what it did for my dad?

- Oh, yes.

- I'll see you later, Mr. Wilson.

- Uh, Dennis?

- Yes, sir?

- Dennis, I'm, uh, I'm a little worried about you.

- You are?

- Yes.

- You don't have to be.

Nothing's gonna happen to me as long as I've

got my trusty old rabbit's foot.

- That's just it.

I'm worried because you're becoming so reliant on it.

- Oh, I don't rely on it, except for good luck.

- Did it ever occur to you that things

might go along just as well without it?

- Well--

- Now why don't we perform a little experiment?

- What kind of an experiment?

- Well, why don't you leave that with me, and see what happens?

- I don't think I'd better.

- But it's the only way you'll convince yourself.

- I am convinced.

- Now see here!

I-- my boy, I'm only trying to prove

to you that you don't need it.

- Gosh.

- Please?

- Well, OK.

- Good.

- I'll give it to you tomorrow, right after school.

- But I-- I--

- I've got a big spelling test and I

want to make sure I get a good mark.

- Uh-- uh, Dennis.

Dennis.

You don't think I'd want you to leave your rabbit's

foot with me if I believed it would

help you get a good grade.

- No, but I'd rather not take a chance.

- Well, you've got to learn the truth sooner or later.

- Gosh.

- I'm your friend.

I'm doing this for your own good.

- But--

- Good night, my boy.

Good night.

- Hi, Mr. Gordon.

- Hi, Dennis.

- Isn't it a little late to be delivering milk?

- Oh, I'm not making any deliveries.

I'm going over my route looking for something.

You wouldn't happen to know if anyone around

here found a $10 bill?

- Yes, sir, I did.

- You did?

- Yes, sir.

You must have dropped it on the grass.

- Well, thank you.

Thank you very much.

Dennis, I'm going to give you a reward.

- That's OK, Mr. Gordon.

I don't want any reward.

- You don't?

Well, suppose I drop off some chocolate milk for you

tomorrow, free.

- That'll be swell.

- Well, thanks again.

Boy, this is my lucky night.

- It was lucky for me, too, when I had my rabbit's foot.

[bird chirping]

[imitates bird's chirp]

[bird chirping]

[phone ringing]

- Hello?

Yes, this is John Wilson.

Oh, uh, put him on. MRS. WILSON (OFFSCREEN): John?

- Eloise, Eloise, long distance.

My publisher.

Oh, uh, hello?

Hello, Mr. Winfield.

Yes, sir?

Yes, sir!

I have it right here on my desk.

Uh, uh, yes, sir.

Right away.

Oh, yes, I-- I understand.

Goodbye.

Winfield changed his mind!

He wants me to send my article back to him.

- Oh, John, that's wonderful.

- I've got to mail it to him immediately.

I-- uh-- where are my envelopes?

Where are my envelopes?

Oh.

I'd better take this to the post office.

Winfield said that if he didn't get this by tomorrow morning,

he couldn't use it.

Eloise, do you realize this is the first good news I've

had in weeks?

It looks like my luck has finally changed.

[doorbell rings]

- Oh, Dennis.

- Hi, Mrs. Wilson.

Is Mr. Wilson home?

- Well, yes, dear, he's in the living room.

- Hi, Mr. Wilson.

- Oh, hello, Dennis.

I don't have time to chat with you now.

I'm very busy.

- All I wanted was my rabbit's foot.

- Rabbit's foot?

What rabbit's foot?

- The one I left with you last night.

I flunked my spelling test.

- What?

- Yes, sir.

Miss Williams read us our marks.

I got an F.

- Oh, well, you'll do better next time.

- I know I will, 'cause I'll have my rabbit's foot with me.

May I please have it now?

- Uh, well, it's around here someplace, Dennis,

but I don't have time to help you look for it now.

I have to get down to the post office before it closes,

post this letter, and--

- There it is!

- Oh, Dennis, I--

- Oh, boy, thanks, Mr. Wilson.

See you later!

- Well, did you give Dennis back his rabbit's foot?

- What do you think?

- Dennis?

- Yes, Dad?

- You got a telephone call from your teacher.

- Miss Williams?

- Yes.

She said when she put on her new glasses,

she discovered she had misread your grade.

You got an A instead of an F.

- How about that? You see, Dad?

My rabbit's foot does work for me.

Without it, I got an F, and the minute

I got it back from Mr. Wilson, I got an A.

- Dennis, give me that.

- Did you change your mind, Dad?

Are you going to take it with you

when you go in to see Mr. Trask? [phone ringing]

- No.

- Then what do you want it for?

- I'm going to get rid of it.

- But Dad--

- Dennis, I've had enough of this silly superstitious nonsense.

Now give.

- Dear, Mr. Trask is on the phone.

- Mr. Trask?

- Mom, can you talk to Dad an make

him give me back my rabbit's foot?

- Yes, Mr. Trask?

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir!

Tomorrow?

Well, wonderful!

Thank you, sir. Alice?

- Yes?

- Ooh!

Honey, guess what?

They've narrowed the ideas down to two, and mine's one of them.

They're going to make the final decision tomorrow.

- Wonderful!

- You know, honey, this could be the beginning

of-- of-- that's ridiculous.

- Thanks, Mom.

You can talk Dad out of anything.

- John? - Aaah!

Oh, I wish you wouldn't sneak up on me like that.

- Isn't that Dennis's rabbit's foot?

- No, it's mine.

I bought it.

- Oh.

Mail came a little while ago.

I-- isn't this your manuscript? My--

- Return to sender, postage due $0.05.

- What?

- That means you didn't put enough stamps on it.

- I know what it means.

Couldn't the post office have trusted me?

I'm a taxpayer.

I voted.

- John, instead of sitting there shouting

at the top of your indignation, why don't you just

put another stamp on it and mail it again.

- It's too late, Eloise.

Winfield told me if it wasn't in his office first thing

this morning, he didn't want it.

Well, it looks like it's starting all over again.

This one doesn't work.

[doorbell rings]

- Hi, Mrs. Wilson.

- Hello, dear.

- Is Mr. Wilson home?

- Well, yes, he is, but I don't think

he feels like seeing anyone today.

- Uh, is-- is that my friend Dennis?

Tell him to come in.

- Go on in, dear.

- I just wanted to see how you were feeling today.

- Oh, fine, fine.

Thank you, Dennis.

As a matter of fact, I was going to do a little writing.

I have an idea for an article on, uh-- on superstition.

- Hey, that sounds interesting.

- Yes.

Uh, do you have your rabbit's foot with you?

I'd like to see it-- for research.

- Sure.

- Oh, yes.

I'll take a closer look at that.

Now uh-- oh!

My, how clumsy of me.

Would you pick that up for me?

- Sure.

- Now.

- Here, Mr. Wilson.

- And there you are.

Now run along.

Let me get to work.

- OK, Mr. Wilson.

Bye.

Mr. Wilson, this isn't my rabbit's foot.

- It isn't?

- No, sir.

Mine is all white.

This has brown fur on it.

- That's strange.

- Mr. Wilson, you're trying to play a trick on me.

You changed mine for another one.

- Well, yes.

Yes, I did.

You see, I-- I thought I'd do you a favor.

I figured you'd worn all the luck off this,

and I thought a new one would bring you

a big bunch of new good luck.

Do you understand?

- Yes, sir.

You mean this one of yours isn't lucky.

- Uh, well--

- That's all right, Mr. Wilson.

Don't you worry.

Now that I got my A in spelling, it's all right to trade.

- Well, thank you, Dennis.

- Bye, Mr. Wilson.

- Goodbye, my boy.

An article on superstition.

That's not a bad idea.

Superstition. Yeah.

[ding]

- I've got to get going.

I don't want to be late this morning.

- Goodbye, dear.

I hope Mr. Trask picks your idea.

- Don't worry, he will.

- Hey, Mom?

Did you see the rabbit's foot I left on the hall table?

- No, dear, I didn't. - Dad?

ALICE MITCHELL (OFFSCREEN): He left for work.

- Jeepers.

He took the wrong one! Gosh.

- Come on.

Work for Daddy.

[phone ringing]

- Hello?

No this is not Lucky Luke's Laundry.

- John-- oh, are you using the phone, dear?

- No. - Then may I?

- Certainly.

Uh, which, uh, piece do you want?

I-- I think I'd better call--

[phone ringing]

- Hello?

Hello?

Hang on, whoever you are.

I think it's for you.

- Hello?

Oh, Alice.

Yes, dear, we're having a little trouble with the phone.

What?

Oh, that's wonderful! Really?

Well, give him our congratulations, dear.

Bye!

- Give who our congratulations?

Henry's idea won the contest.

He's going to get the $500 prize money.

- Good.

- The only thing I didn't quite understand-- Alice

said Henry took your rabbit's foot with him to the office.

Now how did he get your rabbit's foot?

- Well, uh, Dennis conned me into trading with him.

Well, that means Henry won the prize

with my lucky rabbit's foot.

- Yes!

- Eloise, how dare he?

- John, I think you've got a lot of nerve,

rushing over here asking me how dare I use your rabbit's foot.

- Well, you had no right to do it.

- What difference does it make?

- A great deal.

You've probably worn all the luck off mine.

- Well, you've got Dennis's rabbit's foot.

- Well, it has done absolutely nothing for me.

- Well, if you didn't want Dennis's rabbit's foot,

why did you make the switch in the first place?

- That is beside the point. I was--

- May I ask a question?

- What is it, son?

- How could either of those two rabbit's feet

be lucky if my own father and my best friend

get into an argument over them?

- Dennis is-- is right.

I-- I'm sorry, Henry.

- No, it's my fault.

- Who needs an old rabbit's foot for luck?

You have mine, Mr. Wilson, and Dad has yours.

And I found this, anyway.

- Oh, a half a dollar.

- I asked everybody if it was theirs,

including Mr. Gordon, the milkman.

Nobody lost it.

I guess I get to keep it.

- I'm glad to see you don't believe in rabbit's feet

anymore. - Heck no.

If you want real luck, You gotta have one of these.

BOTH: A four-leaf clover?

[laughter]

[theme music]

ANNOUNCER: This has been a Screen Gems film production.