05x20 - Hard Luck Leo

[bunniefuu]

(dramatic instrumental music)

- [Narrator] Robert Young.

And Jane Wyatt.

With Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray, and Lauren Chapin.

In Father Knows Best.

- So I'm going to take your suggestion, Jim,

and see what connections I can make in Springfield.

- Well at last!

- There's nothing to keep me here in Garment Hills,

or Grasping Hills, as I call it. (laughs)

I arrive next Wednesday night.

- That's wonderful. - Oh, that's gonna be fun.

- Well, it'll be good to see old cousin

Leonard again after all these years.

- I hope this will be a good move for him.

- So do I, he's been dogged by tough luck long enough.

- Is he gonna stay with us?

- Oh no, he'll want to get a place of his own right away.

We uh, might be able to talk him

into staying a night or two though.

- How old is cousin Leonard?

As old as you?

- Almost as ancient.

He and I grew up together.

He was a sharp kid, I always figured he'd make it.

But I guess you can't win when

the cards are stacked against you.

- Say, what line of work is he in, anyway?

- Oh, he's done just about everything.

Real estate, politics, newspaper man.

- Newspaper man?

Hey well that's what I'm gonna be.

Maybe he could help me along.

- Sure he can.

With his background,

he should be able to help anyone with anything.

- You have any particular job in mind for him?

- No not yet.

I think I'll talk to the personnel man at

the McKinley Company, they hirea lot of people down there.

- Say, how come d'you ask Leonard here?

- Well he wrote me about the

raw deal he got in Garment Hills.

The young sales managerunder whom he worked

realized that Leonard knew more

about the business than he did.

He was afraid Leonard would get his job,

so he had Leonard fired.

- Oh, what a dirty trick.

- Well that's the storyof Leonard's life.

That's why they call him Hard Luck Leonard.

- Hey, what's this Bettywas telling me about

some old relative coming to visit us?

- Kathy, that's not a nice way to talk.

- Well I suppose I'll have to give up my room to him.

- No you won't, he'll just be here a couple of nights,

and he can bunk in the den.

- Or he can bunk with me.

That'd give us a lot of time to discuss the newspaper game.

- Well you can have him.

- Now look Kathy, when cousin Leonard gets here,

we want to make him feel very welcome.

- See kid?

- And we must all try to be very nice to him, got it?

- Why is it that relatives are the

kind of people you haveto try to be nice to?

- Now hold a minute--

- Boy, I sure wish we could be related

to somebody besides relatives.

- When we pulled in the station tonight,

something seemed to say to me,

"Leonard, this is your town."

(family laughs)

- Oh I'm sure it will be, too.

- Of course any place would look good, thank you Margaret,

after coming from Garbin Hills,

that's a good place to be from. (laughing)

- How many people areliving in Garbin Hills?

- Well buddy there's a lot of people there,

but I wouldn't say any of them are living.

(laughter)

Thank you Margaret.

Narrow-minded,ingrown, greedy, petty.

The only thing that keeps them from dying

is they don't want somebody else to get their money.

(laughter)

- Golly, I bet your wrote some

great stories about those people.

- Stories?

- For the newspaper.

- Oh yeah.

Well no, but I didn't work on the newspaper there.

That cheap gossip rag.

I did most of my newspaper work in Brockville,

and what a town that was. (laughing)

I will say this though.

They taught their kids their three Rs.

Rudeness, wrath, and revenge.

(laughter)

- Well, you won't find any of that in Springfield.

- No as a matterof fact Leonard,

here's a place you cancheck for jobs tomorrow.

The McKinley Company, Mr. Graves is the man to see.

- Oh well fine Jimmy, I appreciate this.

- I don't know what kindof jobs they have open,

but least it's a starter.

- I don't care what it is.

All I want is a chance.

- Now, about transportation.

- Oh you can use my car, I won't need it tomorrow.

- But you better parkit several blocks away.

They should never see you in that wreck.

- It's not a wreck!

- As long as it gets me there and back,

that's all that matters. (laughing)

- Well, you probably want toget some sleep after your trip.

I'll make up a bed in the den.

- Now don't go to a lot of fuss Margaret.

Just toss me an oldblanket, I'll make out.

- It's no trouble.

- By the way Leonard,

and friend of mine hasa small apartment house,

or that is, her folks do, and they have a vacancy.

You can look at it tomorrow night, if you'd like.

- Well that sounds great, Betty.

- I don't know how nice it is.

- Well all a fellow needs is a place to hang his hat.

By the way Jim, where's your little girl, the little one?

- Well she's not exactlya little one anymore,

she's practically a grown young lady.

Where is Kathy?

- Oh she's at Patty'sdoing some school work.

Oh, here she is now.

- [Leonard] Ah, there's the sweet one

I've been waiting to meet.

- I just hope the sweet one doesn't kick him in the shins.

- Here she is, Leonard.

Our baby.

Kathy this is your cousin, your second cousin, that is.

- Well now you are a young lady.

And a fine lookin' one too, yes sir. (laughs)

Where's my bag Jim, in the den?

- Yes.

- Come on, Kathy,

I've got a little something I wanna show you.

Yes sir, Kathy, I think you andI are gonna be good friends.

I, uh, I suppose you don't like chocolate.

Well, try one of these anyway.

They're for yourbrother and sister too,

but mainly for you.

- Thank you.

- Come on over here and sit down.

Tell me all about yourself.

How far along in school are ya?

- I go into junior high next year.

- Next year, eh?

My gosh, now who'd believe it.

What do you do outside of going to school?

- Oh different things.

Right now my big charge is ice skating.

- Ice skating?

Hey, I used to be pretty good at that.

Now, where do you go?

- Snow Palace.

I go there every chance I get.

- Hey!

- The th of next month,

they're giving abeautiful trophy away to

the winner of the father and daughter skating contest.

But of course, I can't enter it.

- Why not?

- Well I don't have theright kind of skates.

My folks keep telling me

the ones I have are plenty good enough.

- Well, we'll have to look into that.

- But the main reason isbecause my father doesn't skate.

I have the worst luck.

- (chuckling) You and me both, Kathy.

- Oh Kathy, you mustn't bother

Leonard anymore now, he's tired.

- She's not bothering me Margaret.

- You say good night now, angel.

- Okay.

Good night cousin Leonard.

- Cousin Leonard sounds awfully formal.

Why don't you just call me Leonard?

- Okay, Leonard. (laughs)

- Good night, Kathy. - Good night!

- She's a cute one, what a girl.

Hey let me do that Margaret.

- Oh no.

- Oh no, you have enough to do, I can manage this.

- Well all right.

And if it gets cold, here's a quilt.

Now you let me know ifyou need anything else.

- Okay.

- And I do hope things go well for you

at the interview tomorrow.

- Thanks Margaret.

Oh I'm sure they will.

- How'd it go today, Leonard?

- Well. (chuckling)

- We thought maybe theyput you right to work.

- Not quite, hey, cookies!

- Oh, help yourself.

- When do you start?

- I don't!

Turned out to be one of those deals where they say,

leave your name, you know?

- Oh no, really?

- Even with that, all this Graves fellow wanted

was some flunky down in the stock room.

- Well for goodness sakes.

I wonder if Jim didn'texplain your background.

Oh well don't worry.

Jim will call him again.

- No, don't put Jim on the spot.

Besides I know that type.

I had him figured out in two minutes.

I'll just have to get plugging away, that's all.

Figure my hard luck can't last forever.

Hey where's Kathy?

- I think she's in the living room.

- Got a little something for her.

- Oh now Leonard, you mustn't spend your money on her.

- It's just a little catalog.

Kathy!

- What a guy.

Instead of crying about the job,

he just thinks about getting something for Kathy.

He's okay.

- This is for me?

- Yeah, but you're on the wrong page.

- (gasps) Oh, ice skates!

- Are those the kind you wanted?

- Oh yes!

But of course I'll never get 'em.

- Now don't get discouraged so easily.

A fella has to keep tryin'.

- Well even if I got 'em, I still couldn't enter the--

Hey maybe--

Oh, but you wouldn't wanna.

- Wanna what?

- Well, a girl can substitute somebody for her father.

As a skating partner.

Like a guardian, or an uncle, or a?

- And you want to substitute me?

(chuckles)

I don't know, Kathy.

I'm pretty rusty.

- You could practice.

The contest isn't 'til the th.

- Well, I don't know.

But uh, ah heck, why not?

- You mean you'll do it?

- Sure, we'll give it a whirl.

Put it there, teammate.

Partners.

(singing wordlessly)

(both laughing)

- Kathy, even if Leonardis a good skater,

he still doesn't have time to enter that contest with you.

- But he acted like he was all for it!

- Well he was just being nice.

- But what if he goes ahead and buys me some skates

and I tell him it's all off?

- Buy you some skates?

- Well I'm not sure about it,

but I have a sneaking idea he's planning to get me some.

- Why he can't afford that.

Why I wouldn't let him.

- No, he hasn't even got a job.

- Well maybe he's rich.

- Well, he's not.

Besides, you have perfectly good skates,

practically brand new.

- But they're not the right kind.

- Now you picked them out yourself.

- So you know, I've been thinking about a job for Leonard.

With his experiences as a newspaper man,

maybe he could get on the paper here.

- Oh, that's a good idea.

When Leonard comes back from looking at that apartment,

you talk to him about it.

- Yeah, well you know I could--

(door opens)

Hey, maybe that's him now.

- Oh hi Leonard!

What did you think of the apartment?

- Well. (chuckles)

You might figure with my luck.

There's a fellow there ahead of me.

- Oh no, that's a shame.

- Actually, it waspretty run down, Betty.

- Oh?

I'm sorry I sent you over there.

- Oh that's okay, just keep plugging! (chuckles)

- Say Leonard, I got an idea for a job.

- Well hey, that's fine.

- You see, I know the city editor here.

He let's me writelittle feature articles

for him every once in a while.

- How, a good boy.

- So I was thinking,with my pull and your--

Thank you.

With your background as a newspaper man,

well maybe you could get on.

- Hey that's a good idea.

- So if you could get a recommendation from

the editor you worked for in, where was it, Brockville?

- Yeah, Brockville.

Course, trouble is,

but I was cheated out of much writing there.

See, the paper was going on the rocks.

Through mismanagement, so I jumped in

and tried to save itby selling wanted adds.

- Is that what you did on the paper, sell wanted adds?

- Had to, to keep it going.

And the publisherthanked me by f*ring me.

Real crook. (laughs)

- Well, what about some of the

other places you did newspaper work?

- Well that's the only place.

- I see.

- What time doesLeonard usually get up?

- Well at first quite early,

but these last two or three days.

Well I guess he's tired,

trying to keep up with Kathy at that ice skating place.

(Jim chuckles)

- Nice of him to help her out that way,

but she shouldn't takeup so much of his time.

He needs that for job hunting.

Which reminds me.

I ran into that Mr. Graves, you know the one--

- Hi. - Good morning, Princess.

The one who interviewed Leonardat the McKinley Company?

- Yes, I remember.

- And Leonard was right about him.

He's fairly two-faced.

He tried to tell me that Leonard turned that job down.

- Turned it down?

Why would he do a thing like that,

desperate as he is for a job?

- Well that's what I said!

But Graves gave me a song and dance about

Leonard conveying theimpression that the job

was beneath him, wasn'tgrand enough for him.

- Oh, for goodness sakes.

- So I said that--

Oh my gosh, I've got an early appointment this morning.

Well, have Leonard call me,

tell him that I have another idea for a job for him.

I'll see you tonight.

- But your breakfast!

- Don't worry, I'll havesomething down there.

- You know that's odd, what Mr. Graves said about Leonard,

because my friends with the apartments

said exactly the same thing.

That he gave the impression it wasn't grand enough for him.

- Oh really?

- Friend of mine, theysay he could've had it,

but that he turned it down.

- Huh, is odd.

- No, I know thisisn't nice to say, but.

Well, I'm beginning to wish he'd leave.

I'm getting a little sick of him.

- Now Betty.

- I'm sorry, I can't help it.

That's how I feel.

- Train A travels miles in two hours.

Okay, figure the rate of speed.

(tools clanking to the ground)

Looks to me like that'srusted, Margaret.

What you oughta do it run

downtown and get some rust solvent.

- Thanks for the advice.

- Now train B travels twice as fast as train A.

When will it overtake train A?

- Oh.

- [Kathy] Let's quit for a while

and go to the Snow Palace and practice.

- No sirrah, work comes first.

- Mother, how much longer are you gonna put up with him?

He was gonna be here a night or two,

and it's over a week now!

It just burns me up to see him lie around

not lifting one finger to help you.

- Well--

- I know, he's always helping Kathy.

(banging)

But he's just usingher to get out of work!

He doesn't really care about her.

- Shh!

- Mother I think you oughta throw him out!

- Oh no, we can't do that!

- Well if you don't he'll be here permanently!

How many more jobs has he lost out on this week?

Or turned down?

When father gets home tonight, have him tell Leonard to--

- No no no, yourfather's worried

enough as it is about Leonard.

And after all, he's a guest in our home.

- Guest is right!

- And he's your father's cousin.

Your father's always thought a great deal of him.

(phone ringing)

- Mother I give up.

Hello?

Yes he's here, who's calling?

Just a moment.

It's for Leonard.

A Mr. Lathum.

- Oh yes, your father sent him

to see about a job this afternoon.

Leonard? Telephone.

It's a Mr. Lathum.

- Oh yeah, him. (clears throat)

Leonard Anderson speaking.

Oh yes Mr. Lathum.

Well I've been thinking it over,

and that's not exactly the

kind of position I've been looking for.

Oh I appreciate your interest.

But, for a man of my experience and background,

well I think you understand.

Yeah, okay.

Thanks Mr. Lathum.

Goodbye!

How do you like that guy Lathum? (chuckles)

All he wants is some sl*ve to

lift crates around in the stock room. (chuckles)

- Um, Leonard.

Leonard, don't you think youought to get started somewhere,

regardless of the job?

- Oh sure, sure.

But these guys--

- These guys!

That's all you ever do is find fault with people.

Everyone you deal with is a miserable scheming person.

Every town you lived in, the people are all horrible.

Did you ever try liking people?

Looking for the goodness in them?

- Now wait a minute--

- Well maybe if you'd change your attitude towards people,

they'd treat you differently.

And when people are trying to help you,

the least you can do is to--

- Just a minute, just because a guy has a little bad luck,

right away everybody says he's--

- Bad luck?

Well there's another thing.

Well I believed that at first,

but well now, I see that you make your own bad luck.

Well you not only make it, you use it.

You hide behind it.

- I don't have to take this kind of talk from anyone.

And you can stop worrying about me.

I'm leaving.

- Now wait Leonard, we don't want you to do--

All I was trying to do was to tell you that--

Oh Leonard.

(door slams)

(Jim whistling happily)

Jim.

I think you better go and talk to Leonard.

I just did a terrible thing.

Why honey, you're all upset!

What happened?

- Oh I don't know what came over me. (crying)

- Well honey.

- Leonard!

Leonard, are you leaving?

- Yeah, I'm leaving.

- But we were going to Snow Palace and practice some more.

- Yeah, I'm sorry, kid.

- But what about the contest?

I've already entered us as a team!

- Well, it can't be helped.

I'm gonna make a business trip.

- Will you be back in time for the contest?

- No.

No, I won't be back for a long, long time.

- Gee, I'm gonna miss you so much.

- Yeah well.

Miss me?

Are you really gonna miss me, Kathy?

- Oh yes, very much.

- I don't think anybody ever said that

to me in my whole life before.

You know something?

I'm gonna miss you too.

Very much.

- Then stay.

- I wish I could.

I wish I could.

I'll write you a letter.

- I thought sureby now he'd have

checked with some relative someplace.

- It's as though he vanished off the face of the Earth.

Three weeks now, and not a sign.

And it's all my fault.

- No it isn't, now stop saying that.

- Is that a letter from Leonard?

- No Kitten, I'mafraid it isn't.

- Oh gosh, he said he'd write to me.

- Well, perhaps he's busy.

Maybe later he'll write.

- No, I feel like he's gone forever.

- Oh, I'm sure you'll see him sometime.

- It's not bad enough losing Leonard,

but now I'll never get those skates.

- Angel, I told you many times he couldn't afford those.

- Look Kitten, if the skates mean that much to you,

I'll get you a pair.

- It's not just the skates, that's only part of it.

Even if I got 'em, I still wouldn't have Leonard

for a partner in thecontest tomorrow night.

And we would've won, too.

- Poor Kathy.

Leonard had doled her up to such heights.

- Mabel says Leonard's never disappeared like this before.

But frankly, I'm worried now

that something'shappened to him.

Maybe we oughta report this to the police.

- [Margaret] I agree.

No telling what might have happened to him.

- Yeah, I think I'll call them right now.

- Oh no dad, wait.

Don't call the police,I know where Leonard is.

Or at least I've seen him.

- Seen him?

Well for gosh sakes,why haven't you told us?

- Well, I was keeping a promise.

- Promise?

Well where is he, where'd you see him?

- It was last week, I was walking down Minlow Avenue,

and at first I didn't even recognize him.

(whistling)

Leonard?

- Hi bud.

- Where you been?

Dad's been looking all over the country for you.

- Yeah?

Well.

I just haven't had time to call him.

- Well, look, where are you staying now?

Have you got a phone, so he can call you?

- Well uh, I just as well you

didn't mention this to your dad, bud. (chuckles)

- But why?

Mom and dad are worried about you.

- Uh, this is strictly between us.

I have my reasons, bud.

Is that a deal?

- Well, if you say so.

- I say so.

How's Kathy?

- Well she's okay.

I think she misses you.

- She does, eh?

- That was about all he said.

- Sounds like he's through with us for good.

- Well at least he's well.

And working.

I'm amazed he'd ever take a job like that.

- Have you seen him since that time?

- No, that was the only time.

- I don't know whether to try to see him or not.

Feeling the way he does about us.

(doorbell ringing)

- [Kathy] I'll get it!

(gasps)

- Hi Kathy.

- Leonard!

Oh you look so beautiful.

I didn't even know you.

Well come on in!

- Thanks Kathy.

I brought you a little something.

- For me?

What is it?

- Open it.

- Oh, just the kind I wanted!

- We'll need them in thecontest tomorrow night.

- Oh they're beautiful.

- Well for gosh sakes, it's good to see you again Leonard.

You look ten years younger.

- Nothin' like a little exercise, Jim.

(both laugh) - Look daddy!

- Say, aren't these beauties?

- Leonard!

Oh I thought I heard your name.

- Look what he brought me!

Why, I'm gonna try them on.

- Oh, you shouldn't do that Leonard, you can't afford it.

- What do you mean I can't afford it?

I'm working for the city now.

Look at these.

Never thought I'd see the day when I'd be proud of blisters.

- Boy, those are dandies. (laughs)

- Well come and sit down, dinner's nearly ready.

- No thanks Margaret.

Well, I have a little place of my own, with a hot plate--

- That's fine, but tonight you're eating here.

- You're stuck Leonard.

So come on in and tell us all about yourself.

- Well there's just onething I'd like to tell.

To you in particular, Margaret.

The men I'm working for now.

They're all very nice guys, and I like them.

- I'm glad.

- Boy, they work just great!

Oh!

(laughing)

- Teammate. - Partner.

(applause)

(upbeat instrumental music)