06x29 - Betty's Career Problem

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Father Knows Best". Aired: October 3, 1954 - May 23, 1960.*
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The series, which began on radio in 1949, follows the lives of the Andersons, a middle-class family living in the town of Springfield.
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06x29 - Betty's Career Problem

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(upbeat music)

- [Announcer] Robert Young

and Jane Wyatt.

With Elinor Donahue, BillyGray and Lauren Chapin

in Father Knows Best.

(clock ticking)(gentle music)

- Jim.- Huh?

Oh, did I wake you up?

- No I haven't been asleep.

I've been thinking about Betty.

How quickly time has passed.

Seems like only yesterdayshe was a college freshman.

- Yeah.

Now she's about to graduate.

Can you believe it?

- I've give anything to have her win that

Scholastic Achievement award.

- Wouldn't that be a fine topper

for four years of college?

- It would certainly makeup for a few disappointments

she's had.

Like being nosed out forsenior class president.

- Well, she can't win all the time.

Besides, Betty's had plenty of honors.

Student council, associateeditor of the annual.

She'll finish in thefirst in her class.

No, she's not losing any sleep over this.

(loud thudding)

- [Betty] Help!

- What was that?

(whimsical music)- [Betty] Ow!

Help!

- Betty!

(Betty moaning)

Princess!

Hey!- Oh no, no, no.

- Come on.

Come on, come on.

Here, here, you're all right.

Come on.

Hey, hey, come on here.

Look at me.

You're getting too big to fall out of bed.

Come on, come on.

Hey, wake up!

What's this, you all right?

- What happened, dear?

- Oh, I had a nightmare.

- Oh!

- Oh, it was awful.

I was just about to get the award

and somebody b*at me to it

and they pushed me offthe edge of the platform.

- Well it certainly musthave been a nightmare

considering they don't givethe award until tomorrow.

(audience laughing)

- Now you're all right, dear.

You just fell out of bed.

- Sure, come on, that's it honey.

You go back to sleep now.

You can tell us about thewhole thing in the morning.

- You see in my dreamthis huge marble staircase

I was climbing was just hung in the middle

of this big, black emptiness.

And as I was about toaccept this glittering star

for being vice presidentof my sophomore class

this soldier in battle uniform

came roaring up the steps behind me

and grabbed it.

Well I was so taken by surprise

that he was halfway up the next flight

headed for a golden gavelmarked, "President Senior Class"

before I even got started.

Well, I would have beaten him to the

Scholastic Achievement award, though,

which was at the very top

except just as I was reaching for it

he pushed me over the edge of the steps.

Oh I could see him smilingand bowing up there

as I was falling, fallingdown into nowhere.

- Boy, that certainly was a wild dream.

- Well, don't worry dear.

Often the things wedream happen in reverse.

- How did a soldier get into it?

- Do you know any soldiers?

What do they look like?

- Well everything was so distorted.

But he looked an awfullot like Cliff Bowman.

- Oh, your arch rival for college honors.

- Hey, I can interpret Betty's dream.

It's a cinch.

Cliff Bowman was in the Armybefore he came to college,

wasn't he?

- Say, that's right.

- And ever since then he'sbeen big man on campus.

- That's funny, Jim.

You know, last night Iwas thinking of the times

that Cliff won over Betty.

- Sure, didn't he b*at her out for

vice president of the sophomore class?

Yeah, don't you get it?

The soldier in Betty'sdream was Cliff Bowman.

- All right.

- Bud, it's just a coincidence.

It doesn't mean a thing.

- Now wait a minute, dad.

Now just this year he b*at her out

for president of the senior class.

And now he's gonna run upthose dream stairs of hers

and grab the Scholastic Achievement award.

It's prophetic.

- Thank you, dear brother.

(audience laughing)

- Don't get sore.

I'm pulling for you, kid.

After all, it'd be a shameif you didn't at least

win the award.

Especially seeing he jilted you

after your one and only date with him.

- You don't know anything about it!

- Bud, that was two years ago.

- Okay, okay.

As long as you can't get the guy

I thought you oughta get the award.

(audience laughing)

- Bud.

- For your information, little man,

my only interest is in winning that award.

And letting Mr. Bowmanfind out how it feels

to be a loser.

(cheerful music)

(crowd applauding)

- You all recognize thismost coveted plaque.

It is symbolic of the highest honor

the college can bestow.

To win it, a student must maintain

the highest academic standards

and possess qualities of leadership

which make for outstandingcitizens of the future.

We are extremely proud of our two students

most nearly meeting these requirements.

But unfortunately only one can win.

Now, on behalf of thefaculty and board of regents

I present the ScholasticAchievement Award to

Clifford Bowman.

(group applauding)

Congratulations, Cliff.

- Thank you very much.

- I just wish there was something

I could do better than he does.

He's giving me an inferiority complex.

- Oh now, Betty.

Two weeks after you've graduated

you won't even remember thatCliff Bowman ever existed.

- Hey, Cliff Bowman iscoming right up the steps.

- You're kidding?

- Yeah, maybe you'll fallright out of bed again

if he isn't just outside.

- Why would he be coming here?

- Oh, maybe he feels so sorry for you

he wants to split the awardin two and give you half.

(audience laughing)

- Look, will everybody please clear out

so I can see what this is all about?

- Sure, princess, we're going.

In fact, we're gone.

(audience laughing)

(doorbell ringing)

- Hi, Betty.

- Oh what a surprise.

Won't you come in?

- I can only stay a minute.

- Well let's go in and sit down.

- Thank you.

- What brings you out our way?

Or to use a well worn cliche,

to what am I indebted to this visit?

- Well I wanted to come over

and straighten out a few things.

Look, I've got the feeling

that maybe you don't like me.

- Well, whatever gave you such an idea?

- Well, what I mean is

if our competition had come out more even

you'd probably be a lot happier.

I know it's been tough on you.

- Well if you've come over here to tell me

you're sorry you b*at me...

- No, no reason to be sorry for you.

But I've suddenly realized that this award

is the third time it's happened.

And do you know actually,I owe it all to you?

- Me, why?

- Because you've been pretty sharp.

You've been a top competitorand you've kept me on my toes.

You see, I have to be a front runner.

- Well you could hardly lose, Cliff.

After all, you've kept yournose buried in a text book.

Expect when you were outelectioneering for some office.

- Well, like I said, either I run first

or I run last.

There's no in between for me,

so I didn't dare let anyone b*at me out.

And you kept me out there.

And that's why I feel indebted to you.

Look, how about goingout to dinner with me?

- You don't owe me a thing.

- Yes I do.- No, you don't.

- Look, Betty, let's not argue.

We had a date once and we got along fine.

- Oh great, one date.

That was in our sophomore year, wasn't it?

Boy, I must have madea terrific impression.

(audience laughing)

- Maybe you did.

Sure, I kept my nose buried in text books.

I had to.

I'm not as smart as you are.

I had to dig.

The only reason I didn'tgo in for the social stuff

is because I figured a girl...

Well, get to be a problemand get in the way

of the more important things.

(audience laughing)

- Just hold that thought.

- Now the pressure's eased up

and I'd really like to take you out.

Make it up to you for everything.

Do you understand?

- Oh, I understand only too well.

Now let me tell you for thelast time, Cliff Bowman,

you don't have to feel sorry for me.

You don't owe me one thing.

Now you get back to your books

or whatever interests you most.

- Look, I only wanna...- And as to giving me

a testimonial dinner, no thanks!

Now I have some important things to do

if you don't mind!(audience laughing)

- What did I do wrong?

(audience laughing)

- Hooray, we have metthe enemy and he is ours.

(audience laughing)

And down the hatch as dad scores...

(audience laughing)

- I uh, won't ask youwhat happened, Betty.

'Cause I could hear everything in there.

- Can you imagine suchcolossal male stupidity?

Wanting to make up for everything

by taking me out to dinner.

A girl could get to be a problem

and might interfere withthe more important things.

Oh!(audience laughing)

- Oh now Betty,

maybe you're misjudging Cliff.

Maybe you ought to give himthe benefit of the doubt

and accept his invitation to dinner.

- I wouldn't go out with him

if he were the last man on earth.

(audience laughing)

- Well, that's the end of Cliff Bowman.

- I wonder.

(audience laughing)

(phone ringing)

- Hello?

Betty Anderson?

Um, could I take the message?

Mr. Kimbrough at Gormans department store.

Tomorrow morning at : am.

Thank you.

- I'm Betty Anderson.

I have an appointment with Mr. Kimbrough

about the job as assistantmerchandise buyer.

- Oh, yes.

Won't you sit down?

Mr. Kimbrough will seeyou in a few minutes.

- Thank you.

(audience laughing)

- Wow, hello again.

- What are you doing here?

- Can I help you?

- Yes, I'm Cliff Bowman.

I came to see Mr. Kimbrough about the job

as assistant merchandise buyer.

(audience laughing)(whimsical music)

- Will you have a seat?

I'll tell Mr. Kimbrough you're here.

- Don't tell me we'rein competition again!

- Sorry, you can't getme out of your hair.

- Oh I might have known you'd show up

the minute I had a chance at something.

- Look, Betty, I don't knowhow much this job means to you

but it means a lot to me.

I plan to make it a career.

- What am I supposed to do?

Run up the white flag or something?

- Oh of course not,

but I just want you toknow that I'm dead serious

about getting this job.

(whimsical music)

I guess they made ourappointments for the same time.

(whistling)

But if you'd like to go inahead of me, be my guest.

- No favors, thank you.

(audience laughing)

(whimsical music)(audience laughing)

- I wouldn't primp toomuch for this interview.

Some outfits don't like to hire

pretty girls for career jobs.

- Since when does that penalize anybody?

- Well, they know from experience

that pretty girls usually get married

and chuck the job.

- I assure you I havenothing like that in mind.

- Well you see it'shardly fair to the company

after they've gone to allthat expense of training them.

- Oh I'm sure you know all about it.

- Okay, only don't blame me for losing out

if he tells you you're much too beautiful.

At least that's what I'd tell you

if I were Mr. Kimbrough.

- Suppose this is your oily way of trying

to persuade me not to even go in.

- Now just a minute.- Anything to win, as usual.

(audience laughing)

If you can get me out of the way,

you'll get the job.

- No, that's not--

- You'll probably endup with Mr. Kimbrough.

One day you may even climb over everybody

and own the store.

- Just a moment.

(audience laughing)

- Mr. Kimbrough.

- Will both of you pleasestep into my office?

(audience laughing)(whimsical music)

- Frankly at the moment,

I can't promise either of you

that you can get theposition you've applied for.

What I heard outside raises some doubts

that perhaps shouldn't have come up.

Mr. Bowman, it's still someweeks before your graduation.

How about part time work, Saturdays?

So we can get a line on you?

That is, how well you adjustto the retail business.

- Mr. Kimbrough, unless it couldlead to something permanent

with a good future.

- That depends on you.

If you really wanna work for Gormans

I can start you weekendsin the stock room.

- The stock room?

(audience laughing)

- It's a good place to learnsomething about merchandising.

You don't get practicalexperience in college, you know?

- All right, I'll take it.

- Good.

Miss Anderson, I don'tknow what to say to you.

We found that training pretty girls

for a career job doesn't pay off.

- Well if you mean me, thank you.

But I'm dead seriousabout getting this job.

- But you beautiful girlsusually end up at the altar.

About the time we're readyto put you behind a desk.

(audience laughing)

- I assure you, Mr. Kimbrough,I have no such intentions.

- You understand, Miss Anderson,

there's nothing personal in this.

It's based on experience.

Thank you for your time.

- Uh wait.

We have a fashion showhere every Saturday.

And we need some college girls as models.

Would you be interested in that?

- Me, a model?

- Why not?

You have a good figure.

I know you aren't gettingyour college degree

just to become a clothes horse.

But it's a good way for a smart girl

to break into merchandising.

- I don't know, Mr. Kimbrough.

I've never thought about modeling.

- Well after all, like Mr.Bowman's stock room job

it will just be temporary.

Maybe after we get to know you better

we may make an exceptionand keep you in the running

for that assistant buyer's job.

(audience laughing)

Well, what do you say?

- Well as long as I'd stillhave a chance for that

I'd be glad to try modeling.

(audience laughing)

- Well, they'll give youinstructions in the dress salon.

Shall we go?

- I bet old Cliff will pay some attention

now that you're a model.

- Who cares about him?

Besides, he won't have time for girls

until he's president of the company.

And that may take a little while.

He isn't likely to be noticed down there

in the stock room.

- Betty, are you sureyou really want this job?

- I'm just surprisedI ever got it, mother.

Now to make it pay off.

(audience laughing)

- Betty, is it the job that's important

or are you merely tryingto get back at Cliff?

- Father, I've told you before

as far as I'm concerned, Cliff Bowman

doesn't even exist.

- Then, why are you so angry with him?

(audience laughing)

- I'm not angry with him

in spite of his superior attitude.

You should have heard him today.

Don't blame me if you lose the job

because you're too beautiful.

- Oh I see, you're madat him because he thinks

you're beautiful, is that it?

- No father, you just don't understand.

- Well maybe not.

Why don't you explain it to me.

(audience laughing)

- Well in the first place thereis nothing personal in this.

It's simply that Cliff and I are at w*r.

This is one battle I'm going to win.

(audience laughing)

(whimsical music)

(audience laughing)

- What's so funny?

- Oh nothing.

I just hope that Gormans department store

is prepared to go to w*r.

(whimsical music)

(cheerful music)

(audience laughing)

(audience laughing)

- Boy, boy,

you used up the dress just for me.

(audience laughing)

- I might have known it was you.

Yes, I've been promoted.

I was so brilliant down in the stock room

they kicked me upstairs

so I could flunkies for you models.

(audience laughing)- Congratulations.

- Why don't you get dressed.

You look ridiculous running around

with cheese cloth on your head.

(audience laughing)

- Why do you care what I look like?

We're not going anywhere.

- Well so right, that's exactlywhere we're going, nowhere.

- Well that's certainly not my fault!

Will you please...

- If you would just stop arguing with me

for two consecutive minutes

I might get a chance to tellyou how much I like you.

- What?

- More than any girl I've ever known.

I don't know, maybe I'meven in love with you.

- Love?

You can't be serious.

- Well, I am.

I guess I should know bynow how I feel about you.

- Watch out, falling in lovemight get to be a problem

and interfere with more important things

like assistant buyer's job.

- Well I don't care about that!

(audience laughing)

Only thing that interests me right now

is Mr. Kimbrough.

- It's all very interesting, Mr. Bowman,

but this is neither the time nor the place

for a lover's quarrel.

We have a fashion show to get started.

- I'm sorry, sir.

- Never mind that now.

Get back to work, everyone.

I'll talk to you about this later.

(audience laughing)(whimsical music)

(audience laughing)

- Mr. Kimbrough, oh Mr. Kimbrough!

Don't blame Cliff, Mr. Kimbrough.

He really wants this job very badly

and he has the makingsof a great executive.

He'd really work very hard.

I know he would.- Miss Anderson.

As we say in thedepartment store business,

maybe the time has come for you

to take inventory of yourself.

- What?

- Just what are you after?

A job or a man?

Apparently, in this caseyou can't have both.

(slow music)

(gentle music)

(group applauding)

(audience laughing)

(group applauding)

(group applauding)

- When's Betty coming on?

- I'm beginning to wonder myself.

- Do you know what kindof clothes she's modeling?

- She had no idea when sheleft home this morning.

(Bridal March)- Oh!

(group applauding)

(group applauding)

- Wow!

- Oh dear, I think weddings are such fun.

(audience laughing)

(group applauding)

- Jim, isn't she the most beautiful bride

you've ever seen?

- The second most beautiful bride.

- Oh!

(group applauding)

- Why, it's like a real wedding.

I almost expect the groomto show up any minute.

(audience laughing)

Oh look, there he is!

(group applauding)

(audience laughing)

- Cliff Bowman!

How did he get in the act?

- That's a good question, Kathy.

- This isn't my idea.

Your bridegroom didn'tshow up and I got drafted.

(audience laughing)

- You look so pained.

You're supposed to enjoy your wedding.

- What did Mr. Kimbrough say after I left?

- Plenty.

- I'd certainly like to knowwhat's going on up there.

- Me too.

That's the friendliestlook w*r I ever saw.

(audience laughing)

- You may make a good assistant buyer

but you're a sloppy bridegroom.

Get in step.

- I am in step.

Assistant buyer?

- That's right.

After taking inventory

the competition threw in this fund.

- You did?

(audience laughing)

- Steady boy.

- My shoelaces, I forgot to tie them.

Why did you quit?

- I found something you can never do

better than I can.

- What's that?

- Be a bride.

(audience laughing)

(group applauding)

- I've never seen Betty look so happy.

- Hey, I bet she got the job.

- Or the man.

(audience laughing)

(group applauding)

- You're not so happy.

Well I'll still become a problem to you.

- Uh oh, what now?

- You're supposed to kiss the bride.

(audience laughing)

- In front of all these people?

(audience laughing)

- That's what the program says.

- It will be a pleasure.

(fanfare music)(group applauding)

- Oh my, they almost looklike they're really in love.

- They are, have been for years.

(audience laughing)

- Really, do you know them?

- Know them?

He's the father of the bride.

(audience laughing)

(upbeat music)

(Colex Enterprises jingle)
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