06x23 - Bud, the Speculator

[bunniefuu]

(orchestra music)

- [Narrator] Robert Young

and Jane Wyatt

with Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray, and Lauren Chapin

in Father Knows Best.

(light playful music)

- Look, Eddy, I'll makeyou a package deal.

The radio, the tennis racket, the binoculars, the shoes,

and the guitar, I'll give you the whole works for bucks.

(guitar strums off key)(audience laughs)

- Needs tuning.

- Okay, I'll tune it.

Now come on, let's stop stalling around.

I'm practically givingyou this stuff for $ .

You couldn't go out and buy these things

for three times that much.

- You sure it's okay with your folks to sell these things?

- It's okay, it's my stuff.

I even bought some of it with my own money!

We got a deal, huh?

- Don't get grabby!

I'll give it to you when I count it.

How come you're so anxious for loot?

You been dipping into the till down at the gas station?

- No, it's nothing like that.

This is a big business proposition.

I've got a chance to buy some stock,

a dollar a share.

- A dollar a share, that cheap?

- Yeah!

It's a brand new company.

The price hasn't had a chance to go up yet.

- Oh, what company is it?

- Blue Hill Copper Corporation.

Now this guy, Burdock, he's the President,

and he told me that as soon as they get the mine started

in about a week, the price is gonna skyrocket!

Now they're trying to keep the whole thing a secret

but Blue Hill Corporation owns

a whole mountain of copper ore.

So when they get going, it's gonna be

the biggest copper mining company in the whole world!

- Wow!

- So you can see why I needed the bucks.

Say, what about the for the stuff?

- Well, I've changed my mind.

- But why? (audience laughs)

- I'm gonna buy some of that stock.

- No, Eddy! ( audience laughs)

(light music)

Eddy, Eddy, we made a deal!

You can't back out now!

- Why can't I?

I didn't sign anything!

- You're making a big mistake, Eddy!

You'll never get achance like this again.

- I'll survive.

- No, wait Eddy!

You ought to change your mind.

All this stuff for only $ .

It's going, going, going--

- I'm gone. (audience laughs)

- I'll throw in my fishing rod, my record player!

- If Eddy holds out, he's liable to get the house.

- Well let's make a guess what it is

Bud wants that costs $ .

Let's see.

A down payment on a bicycle trip through upper Ecuador,

a correspondence course at skin diving!

- No, I doubt if it's anything fantastic.

You forget, Betty, your brother's older.

He's outgrown a lot of his boyish ideas.

- Mother, you're dreaming.

The only thing Bud's outgrown is his shoes.

And I'll prove it to you.

Father's going to come home innocent,

unaware of the $ trapthat's waiting for him.

And within seconds,count them, seconds,

Bud will come tearing in that front door

and go to work on him.

- Oh, Betty!

A couple of years ago that might have happened.

Oh, I admit, Bud used to corner his father

but things have changed.

Don't forget, his fatherhas grown up, too.

(audience laughs) - Ah, my two charmers!

- Hello, dear. - Hello, darling.

- One. - Hello, pris.

- Two,

three,

- What's all this? - Four, five, six.

- Roof going to fall in at the count of ?

- Seven, eight, nine,

Ten?

- No falling plastic.

- Sit down.

See Betty, you were wrong.

- Now wait, , --

- Hey, where's Dad?

- A little late but not much.

I rest my case. (audience laughs)

- What does she mean by that?

- Don't ask me, I'm a stranger here myself.

- Oh, hey Dad!

I've got a terrific business proposition

I want to talk to you about.

No kidding, this is great Dad, wait til you hear it.

This is--

- Is that a familiar tune?

- No kidding, Dad, I really got something.

This is one of those deals

that comes along once in a lifetime!

- How much is this deal gonna cost me?

- Not a cent.

In fact, you may even make a little money.

- Don't I have to spend a little to make a little?

- No, I told you, you don't have to spend anything!

In fact, you don't haveto invest one penny!

- Well, it's different from past deals,

I'll say that much for it.

You know, that new slip cover's gonna look alright.

How about putting the same thing on the chair here?

- You see what this is,Dad, it's a stock deal.

- Oh no.

I was talking to Mother!

- I know whenever you mention stock,

everybody thinks there's something phony about it.

- Not necessarily.

The stock is just as good as the company behind it.

Good strong company, good stock,usually a good investment.

- Well, that's what this is.

Now a fellow named Burdock, he buys gas at the gas station,

he's the President of the company, a real

(voice muffled in closet)

wears important suits.

- I thought I didn't have to buy anything in this deal.

- You don't!

I'm gonna do all the buying.

- Bud, be honest.

You know Father's gonna get hooked.

- As I was saying Dad, as I was saying, this Mr. Burdock,

he owns the Coobill Hopper Company,

(mixing up syllables) - Excuse me, Daddy.

- Yes, Kit?- Can you move your car

so Patty can get herbike out of the garage?

- Okay.

- hours in the day and she's gotta wait

til I'm talking to you to butt in.

- This'll only take a minute.

- Well, I'll come alongand help you, Dad.

Anything to get some privacy.

(audience laughs)

- Who else except Bud to getmixed up with some silly stock?

Blue Nose Copper Company?

- At least it's not a motorcycle.

(doorbell rings) - Oh, I'll get it.

- Oh my goodness, the cookies!

- Three packages for Betty Anderson.

- That's me, I'll take them.

- Sign at the bottom, please.

- Oh.

- You can put down your phone number, too, if you'd like.

- Oh, where's your badge?

- What badge?

- The one that says Chicken Inspector, gree-ski-doo!

(audience laughs) Mother!

- Kitchen!

- The dresses just camefrom the Fashion Center!

- What's this?

Three dresses for the senior prom?

- Oh, I'm only keeping one.

Miss Rogers at the FashionCenter sent them out on approval

so I could see which one I like best.

They're all about the same pricewhich is plenty, about $ .

- Oh, but you have your white chiffon.

- Oh Mother, I've worn that

to everything but the football games.

You and Father don't have to worry about the money.

I've been saving up for this for months.

- You better be nice toBud, he's gonna be rich!

- Oh sure.

- Well, he is!

I heard him talking toDaddy out in the garage.

Ow!

- Well Bud, doesn't itseem a little odd to you

that the President of a company

would be out peddling the stock?

- Oh, he's not peddling it, Dad.

He's doing me a favor letting me buy it.

- Oh, come on.

- He told me, he's only doing this for a few of his friends.

Bill Shepherd (car horn blares)

at the gas station, he's buying some.

And Mr. Hofstedter, you know, who owns the lumbar yard,

he's buying a thousand shares!

So it must be good.

- Well, old Hofstedter doesn't throw his money around.

- No.

- Oh, you can't really tell what this one looks like

til you put it on, but it's the dreamiest of all.

- Oh, let me see!

- Oh, don't smear cookies on it!

- There's no possible way you can lose, Dad!

So what do you say?

- Alright, if you'resure you can manage it,

you can have the $ .

- Thanks, Dad! (audience laughs)

You're the greatest!

- You're not giving him$ to buy that stock?

- No, I'm not giving it to him!

- No, it's a loan, Mom.

Strictly on a business basis.

I'm borrowing $ at % interest

and I'm gonna pay him back in two weeks,

just like I was borrowing it from a bank.

- Bud, how can you pay back $ in two weeks?

You only make a weekat the gas station.

- Okay, what's two times ?

That's right there.

And Bill Shepherd's remodeling the gas station

so I know I can makeanother in overtime.

- Don't you think you're just throwing the money away?

- Throwing it away?

Mother, did people throw money away

when they bought stock in the first telephone company, huh?

Or the first railroad or the first oil well?

No, they made millions! (slam)

- Yes, but this isn't the first copper company.

- Yes, but it's the first stock in this company

and it's gonna go sky-high, it's got to!

- Really, Bud, if this stock were any good,

do you think they'd be out selling it

to boys in gas stations?

- Well, I'm not a boy in a gas station.

(audience laughs)

See, that's that trouble!

All of you think I'm still agoofy kid with no sense at all.

Don't you realize I'm practically grown up?

I know what I'm doing!

Just wait and see!

(crash) (audience laughs)

- Told you, Mother, he hasn't changed a bit.

- I think this is one of the times

we should simply have said no.

- Oh, Bud's old enough to be responsible

for his own actions.

Besides, honey, nothing I could say

would convince him it was a bad deal.

- Why don't you take the$ in one dollar bills

and put them in a pile out by the curb and set fire to them?

At least then we can all sit around and toast marshmallows.

- I'll make a note of that.

You got any other suggestions?

- Yes, when you lose yourshirt on this ridiculous stock,

don't come crawling to me for help.

- Well, before I'd come to you for help,

I'd crawl on my hands and knees over red hot coals.

- Oh, hi Daddy!- Hello, kitten.

- You're just in time.

We're gonna have a fashion show.

- What's this fashion show about?

Betty buying more dresses?

- No, she's still tryingto make up her mind

about those formalsshe has out on approval

from the Fashion Center.

- For pete's sake, she's had them nearly two weeks!

- [Margaret] I spoke to Mrs. Jefferson

at the Fashion Center today. - Hurry!

- Alright. - She said there was no harm.

- Betty, come on, we're all ready!

- [Betty] Be right down.

- Take your seats, please, we're almost ready to start.

- Alright.

With this big crowd, we're lucky to get seats.

- Ladies and gentlemen,

our show begins with Miss Betty Anderson.

(cheering and applauding)

- [Jim] Bravo!

- She's wearing a delightful little number,

very popular around spring for this year.

Very smart, don't you think?

- Pretty good, yeah.

I vote for that one!

- Oh Father, you haven'tseen the other two yet.

This is an important decision.

It's gonna take ofmy hard-earned dollars,

practically all I have.

Well, what's with you, Mr. Wall Street?

- You will notice that I am perfectly calm.

No visible signs of youthful enthusiasm.

In spite of the fact that I bring news

of a most startling and joyous nature.

- What did he say?

- What's the news, tell us!

- Well, Mr. Burdock dropped by the gas station

this afternoon on his way up to the mine.

Do you know what

Blue Hill Copper is selling for today?

Exactly two weeks after I boughtit for one dollar a share?

Three dollars a share!

- Three dollars?

- Yes, darling.

I've tripled my money.

Your brainless, impractical, immature brother

with his silly stock has made himself,

in two weeks, exactly $ .

- I told you he was gonna be rich!

- Well, that's wonderful, Bud!

- You're pretty excited,aren't you, son?

- Well haven't I a right to be?

All of you thought buying this stock

was a real harebrained idea.

Well are you willing to admit now

that I know what I'm doing?

That I'm a grown up adult human being?

- I think you made your point, Bud.

Now as one adult human being to another,

may I make a suggestion?

Sell the stock.

- Sell it?

- You know the old saying, a bird in the hand?

- Take your $ and put it in the bank.

- But Blue Hill Copper'sjust getting started.

It might go to .

- And it might not.

Remember, you never go broke taking a profit.

So why gamble?

- I'm not gambling!

The stock is doing just what Mr. Burdock said it would.

And it's gonna go higher!

- Bud, will you take my advice?

- But Dad!

- As a favor to me.

Go down to the company office right now

and cash in your stock.

Then on your way home, stop at the bank

and deposit the moneyin your savings account.

- What if next week it goes to ?

- Then, you can say I told you so.

But in the meantime,

you'll still have your $ in the bank.

Will you do it?

For me?

- Okay.

But I think it's a big mistake.

(light music)

- Looking for somebody?

- Yeah, is this the office of the Blue Hill Copper Company?

- Used to be.

They moved out last night owing three months rent.

Didn't pay the phone bill, didn't pay the light bill,

didn't even pay for this furniture.

Want some stock, kid?

Here, have a few thousand shares. (laughing)

A few thousand shares! (laughing)

(sad slow music)

(laughing) A fewthousand shares!

(cheering)

- This is dress number three.

Now I want you to be absolutelyimpartial in your selection,

but I think thisone is terrific!

All those in favor of this one?

- Aye. - Aye.

- Opposed?

Alright, it's moved and carried

that this is the dress I'll buy for the prom.

- Maybe you should havea little mink on it,

now that you have a wealthy brother.

- No, I'm gonna goright on being the same

sweet simple girl I was when he was poor.

Well, there's that high-financing Bud Anderson.

- Let's see the money, Bud!

- Wait a minute, Bud.

- Has something gone wrong?

- Yeah, I guess you could say that.

- Well, don't stand there looking like the picture of doom.

What is it?

- Is it something you'drather not tell us?

- Well, I'm not afraid to tell you.

That stock I bought,

I guessed wrong.

I'm wiped out.

So tough luck.

- I'm sorry, son.

- Thanks, Dad.

But I don't want anybodyfeeling sorry for me.

I goofed and I'll take the consequences.

I don't need anybody to hold my hand.

And about the money, Dad,

you'll get it right on the day, don't worry.

- I'm not worrying, Bud.

- Well, don't.

Say, Eddy, remember that stuff you were gonna buy from me?

The radio and the tennis racket and all?

Well, I'll make you a deal.

- Are you kidding?

I'm having no more dealswith you, buddy buddy.

Not after that phony stock.

You know, I could have lost my shirt

if I'd bought that stock.

- Yeah, but you didn't.

- Well, it wasn't your fault that I didn't.

- Listen, Eddy, I gotta raise some money to pay back my dad.

The loan is due today and, well, I have to pay it.

I mean, I'm desperate!

- What's this bit aboutowing money to your dad?

Supposing you don't payit, what's he gonna do?

- That's not the point.

I gave him my word I'd pay him back in two weeks

and that's today.

I gotta put $ in his hand by six o'clock tonight.

- Well, why do you have to get the dough out of me?

You're working after school

in Shepherd's gas station, aren't you?

- Forget it!

Forget I ever mentioned it!

- Worried about paying back his old man.

That boy is twisted.

- Please, take them Dad.

This was a business deal.

- I don't want the keys to your car, Bud.

If you can't pay the loantoday, I'll give you more time.

- I don't want that!

I'll get you the money by tonight.

- Well, he can get the money from Bill Shepherd.

He has his job at the station.

- Well, that's the rub right there.

I happen to know that Bill closed the station down

for remodeling.

Bud's out of a job as of yesterday.

(light music)

(knocking)

- Yeah?

- [Betty] May I come in?

- Yeah.

Alright, say I told you so!

Give me the whole speech!

How you tried to tell me I was making a big mistake

buying the stock and I wouldn't listen.

And I know everything and nobody can tell me anything.

Go ahead.

Give me the, enjoy yourself.

- That's not what I came up for.

- Well, I don't want anybody feeling sorry for me either.

- Look, I didn't come up here to gloat

and I didn't come to feel sorry for you.

Did it ever occur to you that I might want to help

simply because you're mybrother and because if,

I'm sure that if I were in trouble,

you'd do the same for me?

- I appreciate it.

But I can't take any help.

Not from you or anybody.

- Look, I know the spot you're in,

about losing your job and all.

It wasn't your fault!

- It doesn't matter, I gotta get out of this on my own.

- But why t*rture yourself?

Look, I have a littlebit of money, about $ .

You can have it as a loan.

And pay it back whenever you want.

Mother and Father don't even have to know about it.

- Sorry.

Thanks anyway.

I made such a big thingout of being old enough

to know what I was doing.

Now that I'm in a jam, I gotta get myself out of it

without running to anybody for help.

That's what I gotta do.

- [Margaret] Betty, the driver's here

from the Fashion Center to pick up those two dresses.

- I'll be right down.

Bud, how are you gonna do it?

Where are you gonna get the money

before six o'clock tonight?

- I don't know.

But I'll get it if I have to sell my shirt.

(audience laughs)

- [Margaret] Betty!

- Yeah, I'll be down in a sec!

I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.

Oh, it's you.

- Glad to see me?

- I'm hysterical with joy.

Here.

- You're sending back all three?

- Any objections?

- Well, no, but the ticket says that you're to keep one.

- Oh, I'm sorry.

The colors clash with my town car.

I'm going out for a few minutes.

- But the dinner's practically on the table!

- Well, I'll be right back.

- Where's Betty?

- Oh, she just dashed out the door.

- She seemed in a terrible hurry.

Didn't say where she was going.

- Bud's retreated to his room, Betty's run off somewhere,

and goodness knows where Kathy is.

This family's falling apart! (silverware clatters)

(knocking)

- Yeah, who is it?

- [Eddy] It's me, Eddy.

- Come on in.

- Hi, Bud.

- Hi.

- Oh, I came by to see if you still wanted

to sell the radio andtennis racket and stuff.

- Yeah, sure!

- Okay, it's a deal, bucks.

- and then five from the lunch money.

Yeah, sure, you got a deal, here!

Oh!

(door slams) Dad!

Where's Dad?

- [Jim] Bud, right here.

- Hi Dad, I want to pay off my debt, the whole thing.

- Well fine, but there'sno rush about it.

- There you are, , , , , .

And a dollar, a quarter interest.

- (Chuckles) Oh, thanks but

what happened, you strike oil?

- No, I just made a deal.

I told you I could make it without any help, didn't I?

- Where in the world did he get the money?

- Search me.

- Hi, Mr. Anderson.

- Hello, Eddy.

- Bud isn't around, is he?

- Well he's not far away, why?

- Oh Betty, I just came by to tell you,

mission accomplished.

I bought Bud's radio and tennis racket

and things for you, like you wanted me to.

I've got them in the car.

What do you wantto do with them?

- Oh, well just go on, I'll be right out.

- Oh, okay.

- So, it was your $ that bought the merchandise

and saved the day for Bud.

- Well, he was in such a terrible spot!

- And this explains why you sent back

all three of the dresses.

- Well, as Mother says, I do have my white chiffon.

- Oh! (Jim laughs)

- I'm proud of you, princess.

And you stop at theFashion Center tomorrow

and pick up that dress we all like.

This one will be on me.

That is, I'll pay for it.

- Oh, thank you Father, you're sweet!

Now where can I sell one used radio, one used tennis racket?

- You know, Bud's pretty lucky to have such a nice sister.

- That's right.

But not as lucky as we are, to have such a nice daughter.

(audience applauds)

(theme music)

(twinkly music)