05x25 - Betty Makes a Choice

[bunniefuu]

["Father Knows Best Theme"]

- [Announcer] Robert Young

and Jane Wyatt

with Elinor Donohue, Billy Gray, And Lauren Chapin

in Father Knows Best.

- Oh!

- Oh, I'm sorry.

We need a traffic signal on this door.

- In the meanwhile, this gravy's ready for the table.

- Look at me, I'm finally making some progress.

- Oh, look out, look out!

[audience laughing]

What was that all about?

- That's the end.

- I'll say it is.

[audience laughing]

- No, Father the end of the dance.

- What dance?

- The one I'm going to do at the school tryouts.

- Well, here try this out on the dining room table,

and tell the children to wash for dinner.

- Okay, Bud, Kathy wash for dinner!

- I thought Betty was going to the dance

tonight after the basketball game?

- Well, she is.

- Then what are these tryouts all about?

Don't tell me we're finally gonna get some use

out of her four expensive years in dancing school?

Heads up, hot gravy!

- Sorry, we need a traffic light over this door.

- Here, dear.

- Of course, there really isn'tmuch competition this year.

- Competition for what?

- I told you for the college musical.

- What musical is that, princess?

[audience laughing]

- Honestly, sometimes Idon't think and Mother

hear a thing I say.

- Mash these potatoes, will you dear?

- Mm-hm.

- What I said was,

the tryouts for the college musical are next Friday night.

And there isn't much competitionfor the lead this year

which oughta give me a pretty good chance.

- Is that what she said?

- Watch out yourself.

See, you know what we need over this door?

- [All] A traffic signal.

[audience laughing]

[upbeat piano music]

- Hi.

- I don't know why you bother practicing at all.

Tryouts are a whole week away

and I don't know of anyone thatcan even come close to you.

- That's exactly what Aesop's hare

thought about the tortoise.

I'm not taking any chances.

Oh, excuse me.

- That's Betty Anderson.

She's the one you'll have to b*at

if you enter the tryouts next Friday.

- Esther Van Heath.

- Some name, huh?

She's a freshman.

Only been here a few weeks.

I take English Lit withher and she's as square

as an ice cube with a personality to match.

- Maybe so.

She has beautiful hair.

- Betty just onlywalked off with the lead

in the musical last year.

- Maybe this year will be different.

- Well, I doubt it.

Take a look.

[crowd clapping]

Oh, you'd have to go some to b*at that.

- Would I?

Come on, let's dance.

- What's everybody looking at?

- Let's go see.

[clapping]

- Did you say somethingabout no competition?

I'm feeling more like the tortoise every minute.

- Hey, Betty take it easy.

Slow down, will you?

- You don't have to work that hard

to b*at Miss Snooty Van Creep.

- [Betty] Never underestimate your opponent.

- [Dancer] Well, she never practices, why should you?

- She doesn't?

- Nobody's ever seen her.

- Well, maybe she practices at home.

- I don't think she has a home.

She's the first one at school every morning,

and nobody's ever seen her leave at night.

- She's hardly spoken to anyone since she got here.

Eats alone, studies alone,

even went stag to the dance last Friday.

- Well, she's new and probably lonely.

- Well, I've tried to be friendly to her several times

so I could find out something about her,

but she always gives me the cold shoulder.

- She's sure aterrific dancer though.

- Maybe Esther's secretlymarried to a dancing instructor.

[laughs]

Oh, and they dream of the day when she

will be prima ballerinaof the Russian ballet.

Presenting Madame Van Heatharovna

the world's bean pole balle--

- I'd like to sign up for the tryouts.

- Miss Harris shouldbe back any minute now.

She'll be glad to take your application.

Don't mind Dotty, she was just, you know.

- Ridiculing me.

You're Betty Anderson, aren't you?

- Yes, and you're--

- I've heard lots of nice things about you.

Just goes to prove you can't believe everything you hear.

- Well...

- We'll see Friday nightwhether your dancing

is as sharp as your tongue.

- Wait a minute!

- Never mind, Dotty.

That just gives me all the more reason to b*at her.

[upbeat piano music]

[yawning]

[upbeat piano music]

I give up.

I can't do anything right.

[clears throat]

Oh, Mr. Gillespie Iguess you wanna lock up.

- You know, never was much of one to figure out dancing,

but there must be something to it going to all that work.

- Well, it wouldn't be so much work

if I had a little talent too.

- No, sir.

I recollect when I was still in short pants,

sitting with my old manin his little wire cage

way above the stage,

he was a master theaterelectrician in London.

Watching that Russian lady jumping around down below us,

my old man used to say,

she was the greatest dancer of all of them.

- Who was that?

- Yes, never will forget her.

Anna, Anna--

- Pavlova?

- Anna Pavlova was her name.

Folks said she had talent and lots of it,

but my old man used to just laugh and say

that talent was just wanting something

bad enough to work for it.

[chuckles]

Well, tomorrow night's the big night.

So, good luck.

[upbeat piano music]

- You have too!

- I wouldn't count on it.

- I'll bet you amillion dollars!

- You haven't even got a million feathers.

- All right, you two, that's enough.

- Well, Bud says Bettyisn't gonna win tonight.

- [Margaret] What?

- No, I didn't.

All I said was thatyou gotta be realistic.

Hard work isn't everything,

gotta have talent too.

- [Kathy] Well, Betty's got talent.

- Hold it.

Now, winning isn't everything either.

No matter what the circumstances.

- Bud, I'm ashamed of you.

- Ashamed of me?

Mom, you always say we gotta face facts.

- Bud's right, you have to be realistic.

- Oh, now Betty, dear.

- The fact is

if we don't get going we'll miss the tryouts altogether.

- Come on.

[audience applauds]

- And now, what we've all been waiting for

the competition for the leadingpart in the college musical.

We have three entries,

and the one chosen by the judges here

will be awarded the leading part while

the other two less fortunate girls

will have featured roles in the show.

First, I'd like to call Esther Van Heath.

[clapping]

- She acts like she's doing us a big favor by coming.

- Hey, she looks pretty good.

- She hasn't even started.

- Look, I know talent when I just see it.

[upbeat piano music]

- Did Betty say this girl never practiced?

[audience applauds]

[audience applauds]

- Oh well, so what if she can dance?

Everyone's pulling for you.

- Yeah.

- Too bad it isn't a popularity contest.

[audience cheers]

- We might as well go home.

There's certainly no doubt about who's

going to win after that performance.

- Thank you, Esther.

That was very good indeed.

And now, our second applicant for the leading role

is Betty Anderson.

[audience applauds]

- Jim, Betty's gone.

- Well, where'd she go?

- Probably chickened out.

I don't blame her.

- Maybe she was thirsty.

- Is Betty, is Betty Anderson here?

I'm afraid we can't wait.

- Excuse me.

I think she stepped out for a moment

for a drink of water.

I'll tell her you're ready.

- All right.

Joanne would you go next?

- Keep your fingers crossed,

I don't even knowwhere to start looking.

- Good luck.

[upbeat piano music]

- Oh, there you are.

- I can't do it, Father.

I've tried.

I've practiced.

I've done everything I could.

You saw her dance.

I'd just make a fool of myself up there.

- Now, Betty.

- No, please, Father.

I don't mean to sound fresh or ungrateful,

but well, I've been through all the handy

little cliches that cover a situation like this.

- What are the handy little cliches that cover quitting?

- I'm not quitting.

I'm just not starting.

- Well, is there a difference?

- For once in my life, Ihave to agree with Bud.

Just face the facts.

Esther has that one little ingredient which I don't.

Namely talent with a capital T,

and you can't b*at talent.

- Are those all the facts?

- You know I'm not a quitter, and never have been.

I'll work myself silly if I have

at least got a fighting chance.

- Now.

You see those little black dots in my hand?

They're cinders from my high school track.

What do cinders have todo with your dancing?

Well, I trained my whole senior year

to break the school record in the half-mile run,

and then collapsed yards from the finish line.

My last and final race.

Nobody said so, but

what I really knew I did was quit.

Just fell down in a sweaty heap.

Ground my hand in the cinders to make it look good.

Oh, I got lots of sympathy,

but I never really knew whether

I could've broken that record.

Not to know, even to this day.

That was my punishment.

My reward a handfull of cinders.

First prize in quitting.

So, if you wanna pack up and go home,

I'll understand exactly how you feel.

[melancholy music]

- Thank you, Joanne.

- I'm bettin' she'll be back.

- I don't know Mr. Gillespie,

she's pretty badly scared.

- Well, she ain't the only one.

- And now, for our final contestant, Betty Anderson.

Is she back yet?

- Well, I'm afraid

Here she is!

[audience cheers]

[upbeat piano music]

[tap shoes clicking]

[audience applauds]

[audience applauds]

[audience cheers]

- Thank you Betty, that was wonderful.

I only hope themusical will be as good

a show as the one you girls have given us tonight.

And now, we judgeshave the difficult task

of selecting the winner from the last three contestants.

So, if you'll bear withus for a few moments,

we'll do the best we can.

- This is gonna be the longest few moments in my life.

I just wish they'd get it over with.

- Your purse, Betty.

- Shh, they're ready.

- I'm sorry we took so long,

but we want to be absolutely fair.

It'd be no problem if there were

two leading roles in the musical,

but since we can only have one winner,

we award the leading part to Esther Van Heath.

[audience applauds]

- What are we clappin' for?

We was robbed!

It's all right, Betty.

So what if you didn't win, you're prettier.

- Yeah, cheer up, sis.

Just think how much worse she'd have beaten you

if she'd have practiced.

- Bud! - All right you two up to bed.

Find someone else to cheer up.

- But it's only a little after .

Say how about some of that hot chocolate?

- Hot chocolate coming right up.

- Oh good.

- I just thought of a funny headline for the school paper.

Aesop's fable debunked.

Rabbit beats turtle.

- Come along, dear.

I'll walk you upstairs.

- Oh, I don't wannasound like a sore loser.

I just don't think I can stand Esther sneering at me

because she b*at me without so much as mussing her hair.

Where's my purse?

- [Margaret] Oh, here use my handkerchief.

- Dog gone it, I left your purse at the gymnasium, Betty.

Let's go get it.

- [Margaret] Tonight?

- Mm-hm.

- [Betty] Oh, Mr. Gillespie'll find it.

I can get it tomorrow.

- No, it's better to play safe.

Besides a little fresh air will make you feel better.

Come on.

- [Margaret] But Jim.

- We'll be back before the cocoa's warm.

- I still don't see why we had to come

clear back to get the purse tonight.

- Sometimes it's best not to wait,

solve a problem when it comes up.

[upbeat piano music]

- Wait, do you hear something?

- What?

- Music.

It's coming from the gymnasium.

Who's that?

It's Esther.

What's she doing here?

- Practicing.

- Practicing?

- I'm sorry to use trickery to get you here, princess.

But I wanted you to see her for yourself.

Oh, here's your purse.

- How did you know?

- Oh, Mr. Gillespie told me tonight at the tryouts.

He's been letting Estherpractice, in secret,

every night since she came here,

and every morning before school opens.

- Well, of all the low, conniving tricks.

Pretty clever.

She had herself protected either way.

- What?

- Don't you see?

Now, I'm a real chump for losing to someone

the whole schoolthinks didn't practice.

But if I had beaten her,

she could still make me look stupid.

Naturally, I lost whenI didn't even practice.

- Now, Betty.

- Thanks, Father.

You've just signed Esther Van Heath's death warrant.

- Now, Betty, wait.

- Now Father, this is my battle

and I'm gonna fight out alone.

I'm going in there and bust Miss Uppity's act wide open.

- I kind of thought you'd be back tonight.

- [Betty] You bet I'm back.

Excuse, Mr. Gillespie.

- Yeah, it's like my old man used to say,

it don't really matter what you lose in life

so long as it ain't your pride.

- [Betty] Mr. Gillespie.

- Now, you take that girl in there,

scared stiff she wouldn't win tonight.

Still, she'd rather have lost than

have anyone find out how hard and long she practiced.

- Esther, scared?

- Yes, it's a funny thing about that kind of pride.

Don't make much sense to someone with a nice home,

fine parents, lots of friends.

But it's about all you've got in life

when you're tall, and plain, and poor,

and people make fun of you for wanting to be a great dancer.

- A great dancer?

- Maybe she won't neverbe no Anna, Anna--

- Pavlova.

- Anna Pavlova, but at leastshe's got something to try for.

I guess, I never should've given away her secret,

but I figured you had a right to know

working the way you did.

Besides, my old man used to say,

a secret's no fun unlesssomebody else knows it.

[chuckles]

I suppose sooner or later someone's gonna

bust her act wide open,

and it might as well be you.

Goodness knows you've got plenty of reason.

[upbeat piano music]

- Father.

- Yes, princess.

- Let's go home.

[melancholy music]

I wouldn't worry about your secret, Mr. Gillespie.

It's safe.

[audience clapping]

["Father Knows Best Theme"]