03x25 - Robbie Wins His Letter

[bunniefuu]

I was just thinking,
I've got my homework done, here's my best

friend, here's my girlfriend, I've got tuna
salad sandwiches for lunch, my cup runnin's over.

What cup?

Oh, it was just a thing I memorized in English 1A.

It means, I've got it made.

Oh.

Yeah.

All right.

Here, Tommy Quaids.

Anyone?

Douglas?

Um, cobalt, 58.94.

Right.

Radium, 226.05.

Right.

Mildred?

Strontium, 22.997.

Correct.

And that brings me to an important announcement.

Are you ready to listen, Miss Stone?

You know, many teachers think it's high time outstanding
students received the same recognition as overgrown halfbacks.

All across the country, the best schools
are starting to award scholarship letters,

like athletic letters.

Well, last night, I persuaded our school board to Grant a
Bryant Park B sweater for an annual scholarship award.

I hope it'll come to be regarded as an
honor and worn with pride.

I'm sure you all realize that we have two
outstanding science scholars in this class.

And our candidates for the B are Mildred
Harper and Robbie Douglas.

Look, I'll see you later, huh, Rob?

Oh, hi, guys.

What are you eggheads trying to do?

Make it tough for us normal guys?

Same recognition as overgrown halfbacks?

Oh, brother.

Well, it wasn't my fault.

It could happen to anybody.

Boy, I'm really doing rotten in civics.

It's an elastic sweater.

It's probably a little cashmere number
with a fur collar and beads.

Let's see your notebook.

Oh, come on, man.

Off for a long one, Burroughs.

Come on, Frank.

Son of a g*n.

Incomplete pass.

My cup just sprung a leak.

George Armstrong, Bryant Park
High School science teacher, today

announced a school sweater
award for scholastic achievement.

Hey, that's a good idea.

Yeah, great.

According to Armstrong, the race for the
coveted B is between Mildred Harper,

daughter of Fred and Dr. Marion Harper,
and Robert Douglas, son of Stephen Douglas.

Hey, that's wonderful, Rob.

Hey, Bub.

Yeah?

Hey, I'm glad I've got one egghead in the
family, especially in science.

Dad, do you have to use that word?

I'm sorry, Rob.

Hey, Bub, look here.

Rob got his name in the paper.

What kind of a jam is he in now?

Oh, the worst.

What do you mean, the worst?

I'm really proud of you, Rob.

You know, I knew Robbie was smart,
but I didn't think he was that smart.

I could have told you.

He knows 321 ways to get out of doing work around here.

Why couldn't I have stayed stupid and happy?

I'm glad you didn't, Rob.

There you go, Chip.

Bub, I'm sorry.

I thought I had his name in the paper for a ham hock.

You're right, Chipper.

Oh, I don't know.

Well, Mike, I was reading this morning that
Trowbridge ran the half mile in 155 flat last week.

And Keeler's made it in 154.5.

It's going to be a rough one, all right.

The winner's going to have to break 154.

Dad, how am I going to show my face at school tomorrow?

Yeah, Ellroy McManus got three A's in a row in arithmetic.

He burned his pants up so he wouldn't have to go to school.

What's wrong with you, Phil?

You talk as if it were a disgrace to get good grades.

I'll get it.

He probably says he'd bring back the book
I borrowed from him.

Oh.

What did he say?

It's a book on Cub Scouts.

Chip is borrowing it back.

Dad, don't you understand the spot I'm in?

Yes.

But let me tell you something.

You'd be in a worse spot if you came home with bad grades.

Dad, you used the word yourself.

I'm an egghead.

All right.

So you're a good science student.

What's wrong with that?

I was a good science student.

Dad, I think I know what Robbie's going through.

Mr. Armstrong put the finger on him.

If he wins that award, he'll be different
from the others, and that's bad.

It makes him a Maverick to the rest of the herd.

Yeah, and the herd is kicking me out.

One, Sudsy, Jim.

Oh, hi, Hank.

Hi, Mr. Douglas.

Hi, Hank.

Now, look, Hank, we'll have no water skiing
in my kitchen until after the dishes are done.

I'm just bringing back to Rob.

Oh.

Well?

Goodbye, Mr. Douglas.

It's been nice knowing you.

Well, goodbye, Hank.

Are you leaving town or something?

Oh, no, sir.

It's just that I don't think I'll be
coming around here for a while.

What's the matter?

We got chicken pox or something?

My father read about Robbie being up for
the scholastic letter.

Well, he was impressed, wasn't he?

Yes, sir.

He sure was.

No more water skiing, no more bowling,
no more nothing until I get my marks up.

I get the blame even from my best friend.

Well, you're still my best friend, Rob.

But you're not out of the guy's field.

Well, that's... I'm just one of the guys.

Well, Robbie, it looks like your best friend
turned out to be a six-foot-three chicken.

We're all proud of you, Rob.

Thanks.

Dad, I don't want any more dinner.

May I have the excuse, please?

Certainly, Rob.

Robbie, why don't you take Betty to the movies on me, huh?

Okay.

Thanks, Dad.

Maybe I can convince her.

I can convince her that I'm sort of dumb
once you really get to know me.

Good night.

Good night, Rob.

Good night.

Good night.

I still cannot believe it's a crime to get good grades.

Hank, who are you going to eat with?

Well, I kind of probably... I promised the guy.

Yeah, I get it.

I'll see you, Helen.

Hey, the better student won the award.

Good luck.

You get my vote.

I gather you're having a rough time with the masses.

Yeah, they're kicking me out of the herd.

Robbie, wouldn't you rather be an egghead than a dumb head?

No, ma'am.

Robbie, why don't you call me Mildred?

I think we ought to be friends.

We have so much in common.

Yeah.

How about that?

Perhaps we should join up.

Go places.

Like where?

Well, the Budapest Quartet is coming to the auditorium.

What kind of stuff do they sing?

It's a string quartet.

They play chamber music.

Hey, that was a pretty dumb question.

You know, maybe there's some hope for me yet.

When's the bash?

Saturday afternoon.

Well, I'll let you know.

Well, after the Budapest, the Ballet Russe is coming.

They'll dance a nutcracker.

Oh, boy, that ought to be a real dilly.

If you'd only give your brain a chance,
you'd adore the ballet.

I didn't give my brain a chance.

And here I am, with all my friends.

In the Prestone Zone.

Jazz it up with Santa Renz.

All right, class.

Give me the total number of... atoms of nitrogen
represented by the formula 3MH4 minus NO3.

Douglas?

Nine atoms.

Nine.

You understand the question, Douglas?

Well, yes, sir.

Did you happen to do your assigned reading last night?

No, sir.

I guess I got to horsing around too much
and I didn't have enough time.

I see.

Anyone else care to answer?

Miss Harper?

Six nitrogen atoms.

Correct.

Mommy,

I talked to you.

It's important.

Sure, dear.

Sit down.

Well, you sure you don't have a patient coming in?

You said it was important.

So it's important.

Mom, it's about Robbie Douglas.

His father is the engineer, isn't he?

Stephen Douglas.

Well, you and Dad met him at the PTA.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, yes, I remember.

It didn't seem odd to him that your mother
was a psychiatrist.

A father like Mr. Douglas, you'd think
Robbie'd be proud of being a good student.

And the two good students would find a lot in common.

Mom, he's trying to lose the award just to
hang on to stupid Betty Stone.

A equals Robbie, B equals you, and C equals Betty Stone.

Now, our problem is A plus B minus C.

C.

Sally, will you clear my desk for the afternoon?

I'm going out with my daughter.

Oh, Mom, what can we do?

You won't find the answer in a library or a laboratory.

I think we will.

Darling, you have finally reached the stage
where the best laboratory is a beauty parlor.

Come on.

Hello, Robbie.

Did you want to see me?

Yes.

May I come in?

Sure.

Oh, was it anything in particular?

Yes.

Well, shall we sit somewhere and talk?

Okay.

I stayed after class today.

I told Mr. Armstrong you're trying to lose the award.

Well, now, why'd you do that?

You could have won it and we would have
both come out ahead.

Oh, but I don't want to win it that way.

But if I win, I lose.

All you'd lose is Betty Stone.

Well, now, isn't that the truth?

Mildred, you just don't understand.

Maybe I do.

When a guy gets to be 16, he forgets about
collecting stamps and making model airplanes.

He wants to settle down with a neat
girl that's, well, that's feminine, sort of.

I know.

I've been busy forgetting about dolls.

And hopscotch myself.

Yeah, but you've got your mother and father.

You can all sit around and talk to each
other and think and stuff.

Maybe I'm starting to think about boys.

Well, come on.

Well, anyway, Robbie, please don't lose the award.

Not this way.

Well, let's put it another way.

I'm not going to try and win it.

Well, you've got to do your best.

I figured out a way to lose.

I'm going to get Bub to help me with my homework.

Promise me you won't.

I'm not going to promise a thing.

Is there anything else?

Hey.

Are you wearing perfume or a shaving lotion or something?

It's perfume.

It's called Wake Up, Sweet Prince.

It's kind of like cocoa butter,
only without the chocolates in it.

I never thought you'd like it.

What's.

Wrong with your hair, too?

Yes, it's a beauty shop.

Boy.

Where'd you get a dress that's not just built like that?

Harrison's, 1490.

You sure don't look much like an egghead.

Neither do you.

Goodbye, Robbie.

You.

Really think that I should go all out for that award?

Yes.

And... show up, even if I win?

I'd be proud of you.

Wake.

Up, sweet Frank.

How about... Like.

This could become a problem, Dr. Harper.

But it'll all be over in a few days.

Either Mildred or Robbie will win the award,
and then the whole thing will be forgotten.

And the effort to impress the students that
scholarship is a good thing will have gone for nothing.

Unfortunately.

But it's nothing new to treat a good
student as a freak, I guess.

I remember we had a fellow named Bruce
Mitchell in my class in high school.

He was tall, skinny, horn-rimmed glasses,
high forehead, fine student.

Everybody called him Brainy Brucey.

I know, every class had one.

We had shy, skinny little Marion.

Me.

I hear she turned out to be a pretty fair psychiatrist.

Mr. Douglas, did you know that Robbie is
purposely giving wrong answers so he'll lose the award?

Robbie is?

Well, that's like throwing a game, isn't it?

Mm-hmm.

Now, it seems to me that three adults,
a psychiatrist, her nuclear physicist

husband, and an aeronautical engineer ought to
be able to outwit a class of high school students.

Okay.

Problem number one, how to convince Robbie and
his fellow students that education is not for the birds.

Exercise is great, Bob.



One thing you can say for Robbie, he's not chicken.

I.

Know how many of you feel about the
scholarship award, but in time you'll come

to realize its importance, both to our
country and to yourselves as individuals.

I've learned that your parents
feel very strongly about this,

and they've persuaded someone
you all know to make the award.

That's all we need, the boys' vice principal.

May I introduce Brigadier General Jimmy Stewart.

Holy cow, Jimmy Stewart.

That's right.

Our guest is Jimmy Stewart.

And he is the Brigadier General in the
United States Air Force Reserve.

He's just completing a tour of active duty in
the Air Force and is returning to the West Coast.

Students, General Stewart.

Mr. Armstrong, students, good afternoon.

Some of you seem surprised to see me here.

Well, as a matter of fact, I was surprised too when Dr. Harper
told me the students were going to honor an egghead.

And the reason for that is because when I was in
high school, that word described a fellow who goofed up.

I wish you could have been with me these past
few days up in the mountains near Colorado Springs.

I visited a school dedicated to developing
what perhaps could be called super eggheads.

You'd have enjoyed seeing 2,500 youngsters
just a couple of years older than you

competing in various athletics,
football, basketball, fencing,

wrestling, and each a modern egghead in
his own right because academic leadership

is a mandatory requirement for admission to that school.

Now, maybe by this time you've guessed
that I'm talking about the United States.

Air Force Academy where the program is
devoted to developing leadership.

Now, I don't mean only military leaders to
plan air tactics.

I mean leaders in science and diplomacy
astronautics, electronics, physics, the humanities.

Leaders in tomorrow's world.

One of the most important things they
learn is inscribed on a statue that stands

amid the rolling hills and it reads, man's flight
through life is sustained by the power of his knowledge.

And it's so true.

A world of science.

We take for granted our accomplishments in
space, but this is only the beginning of

the space age and the marvels of
automation in our everyday lives.

Progress in the future depends on knowledge, on education.

Now this group and other students across
the country, around the world,

are in a sense competitors in this quest for knowledge.

And I think the winner of any competition
is not just average.

He's earned his victory and the right to recognition.

And I'm glad the students and faculty of
this high school have decided to recognize

with an appropriate award a winner in academic achievement.

It's an important award, and I believe in it.

And I'm proud to present it.

The first award for scholarship, a sweater
and Bryant Park B, to Robert Douglas.

Thank you so much.

For dinner, Mr. O'Casey.

It was just lovely.

You're welcome, my dear, and come back again soon.

Oh, thank you, I'd love to.

And you two are off to the ballet, huh?

Yep, the ballet, right.

Ruth.

Oh, yeah, Ruth.

They're dancing Nutcracker.

Wait, it was part of a deal.

I promised next week to go to the jazz bash.

I suppose it'd be okay to wear this sweater to the ballet.

You bet it would, love.

Well, you could wear it anywhere.

Well, uh, should we go, Mulder?

Oh, fine, Robbie.

Okay.

Well, good night.

Good night, huh?

Thank you again.

Good night, Mulder.

Good night.

Good night.

Well, they'll have a good time.

I don't know, Dad.

Wait till Robbie finds out what a ballet is.

Well, wait till Mildred finds out what a jazz bash is.

Look,

up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's
not Superman, it's My Favorite Martian.

Stay tuned for two episodes of My Favorite Martian.

During this twice as nice morning on TV Land.

Stay tuned for two episodes of My Favorite Martian.