- oh, wow! - you rang, sir? - get out of here! (cheerful music) - [voiceover] robert young and jane wyatt (giggling) with elinor donahue, billy gray, and lauren chapin in father knows best. (knocking) - oh, hi, ralph. come on in, sit down. - i hope i'm not disturbing you, sir. - no. no, i'm just trying to figure out how to pay for things we don't need with money i haven't got. (audience laughs) what's new with you, ralph? - well, sir, i want to talk with you.

- the oil company i work for has offered me the job of district manager. - well, congratulations. - thank you, sir. (jim laughs) (audience laughs) the starting salary isn't fabulous, but i could support a family on it. - you could? (laughs) how about trading jobs with me? (audience laughs) (ralph laughs) - yeah. (jim laughs) but i may need it myself because i ... a certain economic security, he ... well, the natural pattern for man is to ... - to travel in double harness? - that's it, sir! travel in double harness. of course i realize, betty's the one who will have to decide, but i'm just old-fashioned enough to believe a fella should get

- well, ralph, let me put it this way. if the time has come for me to have a son-in-law, i can't think of anyone i'd rather have. but of course marriage isot a thing that you rush into. - oh, i know that, sir! but i've given this a lot of thought and, well, as far as i'm concerned, there just couldn't be anyone but betty. sir, i'm going to ask her tonight. - [voiceover] mother! - uh oh, there she is. excuse me, sir. here goes all or nothing. (cheerful music) - why didn't you mend this thing out in the garage? - oh, too lonely out there.

- ever since you got that car the house looks like a junk shop. - well, here you are. - you better show me how to sew it, mom - oh no, you're not going to trap me into that. besides, i have to run next door and get kathy. - oh, ralph, you're just in time to help me with a little repair job. (audience laughs) - no he's not. he came over to talk to me. what was it you wanted to tell me, ralph? - well ... (audience laughs) doou have to iron that thing right now? (audience laughs) no, but if i don't i won't have a thing to wear tomorrow. oset full of clothes. (audience laughs) - oh, hush. hurry up and tell me, ralph. i'm dying to know what it is. - well ... (comical music) (audience laughs) betty-- - ooh, watch out, you'll get burned! - look, there's a nice moon out tonight. let's go out and look at it. - moon? (laughs)

(audience laughs) no, ralph isn't like that. (audience laughs) - why don't you go out and take a look at my car? i just put some new dual carbs on it. - oh yeah? well i'd like to see it! (audience laughs) no, no, i better get this done. - look, i'll do this for you. go, go and see it! - yeah, thanks. (audience laughs) - now, betty, listen to me. - oh. - when a fella's starting out in life, the one thing he needs more than anything else-- sweetie, would you look in the refrigerator and see if there's something cool to drink? (audience laughs) - yeah, sure. betty, when a fella's starting out in life, the one thing he needs more than anything else in the whole world is-- - [voiceover] hi, ralph! (audience laughs)

i want her to get upstairs, take a bath, and get to bed. - but i'm hungry! - i'll fix you something. you run on. right now, i mean it. - oh, okay. goodnight, ralph. - goodnight, kathy. look, you've been working all day, mrs. anderson, why don't you let me fix something for her? - oh, no, i don't want to bother you. - besides, you haven't opened that drink for me yet. - huh? oh, i forgot. - the opener is-- - oh, mother, what i wanted to tell you was marge and i got the most wonderful idea. next summer, she and i are going to go on one of those student tours to europe! - to europe? - that sounds like a wonderful idea! how much will that cost? - i'm going to start saving toward it right now. - but europe is a long way from here! - [betty] yes, it is, and i can hardly wait. we want to get off the beaten path, not just see the tourist places. maybe even meet some exciting men. ralph, you're spilling!

her, i may come home the wife of a prince, or maybe even a bullfighter! - you planned to get married over there? (audience laughs) - well, if that's the only reason you're going to go, i think you better call the whole trip off. - yeah! - probably no one will even look at us, but we can dream can't we? well, that's my big news. what's yours? i mean, what was it you were going to tell me? (audience laughs) (violin music) - it must not have been important. i can't remember now. - you can't remember? - well, maybe it'll come to me later. i got to get home. i'll see ya. oh ... here. well, goodnight, betty. goodnight. attention: are you eligible for medicare? the medicare enrollment deadline

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- yes, and i think something was wrong. he acted so strange. - well that doesn't sound like ralph. - well?

(audience laughs) you don't look happy or unhappy or excited or anything. what did he say to you? what did you tell him? - tell who? - who? ralph! are you young people getting so blas? that when a young man mes over and proposes marriage to his girl? - propose marriage? (audience laughs - didn't he ask you? - you mean that's what he wanted to tell me? how do you know? - he told me in the den. (audience laughs) right out to ask you. - oh no. oh, poor ralph. how i treated him! i crowded him into the kitchen with everyone around, raved on about marrying princes in europe. aw, i must have hurt him. i better call him. - call him? but what would you say? you can hardly say, "ralph, i understand you came over to propose. "now what about it?" (audience laughs)

not after the way i treated him. it must have been awful for him. - poor guy. he probably had a big speech all rehearsed. - i'm having a little difficulty adjusting to this. i can't seem to place ralph in this new role. - i'm having the same trouble. i guess he's become such an established figure around here, we all sort of take him for granted. ughtful and dependable, faithful. - congenial, intelligent. - hardworking. - he certainly is. his new jobs proves that. - what new job? - didn't he tell you that either? he's going to become district manager for the oil company. - oh, really? - why that's wonderful. - oh now i really do feel awful. - [betty] here he was all primed for the big moment and what did i do? i crushed him.

i can't just stand here and do nothing and let him hate me. - oh, it's not that serious. he's not that faint-hearted. he'll try again. - yes, but even if he does, that brings up a problem too. what's my answer? (romantic music) ralph's the nicest boy i've ever known. i always feel so comfortable with him, but i can't tell if i want to marry him. oh, darn! why does life have to be so complicated? (audience laughs) - what am i gonna do? - well, you've done all you can to try to talk to him, which is what i'm sure he wanted you to do. i think the thing to do now is to stop trying. let him come to you. (phone rings) - yes, but what if he doesn't?

oh, hello. it's ralph's mother. - i hate to bother you, betty, but i'm hoping to enlist your help in trying to push a little sense into the head of that boy of mine. we mustn't let him do this. - mustn't let him do what? didn't he tell you? he's planning to turn down that fine job and move out to the coast. - to the coast? - west coast i think. - did he tell you why he's going? - [ralph's mother] no, he didn't say why he's doing this. i doubt if he knows himself. but i thought maybe you could talk him out of this because he thinks more of you than anyone in the world. he'll listen to you. - well i don't know about that, but i'll sure try. yes i will, don't worry. yes, goodbye. you see, mother? i really did hurt him. - [margaret] why, what happened? - the big boob is turning down that good job and going out to the coast. - [margaret] going to the coast? yes, and this is all my fault.

maybe you could talk to him and stop him. - stop him? i was thinking of going with him

betty? just a minute. it's ralph's mother. - hello? he has? oh no! - [betty] how long ago did he leave the house? yeah, what time's that train leave? - train? isn't he taking his car? ask her if his car's for sale. - oh, gosh, i will try. goodbye. oh, he did it, he did it. bud, let me have theeys to your car and hurry. - [betty] well hurry! (audience laughs) (violin music) - ralph, ralph, what are you doing? - oh, hello, betty. - this is the craziest idea you've ever had. why didn't you tell me you were leaving tonight? - well--

i'm not fooling. - [betty] i'm not doubting you. i just want to cash it in. - cash it in? - yes, you're not leaving. - i am to. - ralph, i know why you're doing this, but you can't throw everything away just because that last night you came to see me ... (audience laughs) let's move. - i'll tell you one thing, i not cashing in that ticket. - ralph, i know why you came to see me that night. father told me. with the family-- - no, i don't think you know how i felt. i ubt if you think i have any feelings at all. - ralph, that's not true. - when i go to see a girl, i want her to know it. i want something to happen to her. i want a few bells to ring. - i don't blame you one bit. - i might just as well be your brother and i don't want to be your brother. i want to be the fellow in your life. - [ralph] not just a rug you walk on. - i don't blame you.

opey bullfighter. - yeah. (romantic music) - oh, i've treated you awful, ralph. i realize that now. but don't you see that we ... (audience laughs) don't you see that ... we'd gone together so long, to me it was a comfortable feeling. with you i can be myself. it was real and it was fun. i didn't have to work up any artificial enthusiasm. - [voiceover] all aboard! - there's my train. i have to go. (train bells) - i don't want you to go.

you want to be the fellow in my life, why didn't you act like one that night at the house? why didn't you take me out in the moonlight and ask me? - what good would it have done me? - how do you know if you didn't try? - because ... are you trying to tell me youould've said yes? - well, all i know is that ... i don't want you to go. - say that again. - i don't want to lose you. (train bells) - oh, man, talk about bells ringing. (audience laughs) honey, this may not be a romantic moonlit spot, but consider yourself betrothed! (audience laughs)

(train whistles) (comical music) (audience laughs) (ralph laughs) (betty laughs) - she just missed her train. i hope she got as much out of missing it as i did. hey listen, i looked at a little house the other day. - right now? - why not? come on! it's not exactly a vine covered cottage, but it has some beautiful weeds climbing around the doorstep. - what did you say? they're going to get married? (audience laughs) - yes, ralph just phoned from the station. isn'at wonderful? - , yes,es it is. they're still at the station you say? looking at a house? (audiee laughs)

ye - looking at a house? you mean to rent? - jim, i know we shouldn't interfere, but i know exactly what betty's done. she was so anxious to make amends for hurting ralph, that she's agreed to this marriage. oh, she probably doesn't realize that of course ... - maybe it wasn't that at all. maybe they really want to get married. - well i think we better find out for sure before it's too late. i just feel that this is no way to go into a marriage. - well, here it is! (romantic music) - well it's really very nice. - of course it doesn't look like much without furniture. - sure, furniture will make a lot of difference. - then later on we'll be able to afford something better. - sure, but i like this. it's really very ... nice. we can get some curtains.

i can plaster up the cracks on these walls. - sure. it'll be fun doi it. - yeah. the floors aren't so hot, but i could run a sander a.. - rugs and all. - yeah, with rugs and all. oh, heck yes, we'll be able to fix this place up real ... - no, no, i like this fine. - no you don't. - no, really i do. of course, naturally, right now it's a little lonely, but after-- kiss me.

there are no bells ringing. why are we suddenly strangs? we should be dancing around this room like a pair of happy clowns, instead of huddled here seeing how really miserable this room is. what happened? how did we lose the wonderful thing we used to have? - i don't know, but ... it doesn't seem like it should. - i don't think so. oh, let's get out of here before these walls close in and crush us. (violin music) you tell your insurance company they made a mistake. the check they sent isn't enough to replace your totaled new car. the guy says they didn't make the mistake. you made the mistake.

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- let's go to the old malt shop

the real ones. the ones that used to talk, and laugh, and solve all the problems of the world. (knocking) (dramatic music) - [betty] mother! what are you and father doing here? - well, we, that is, your mother thought ... all right, tell us. are you ... have you been ... - married? ralph just turned me down. - no i didn't. - [ralph] we just ... - [ralph] well we just came to a very sensible conclusion, mr. anderson. you know what we almost did? we almost ruined a perfectly good friendship by getting married. (audience laughs) - now we're on our way to the malt shop

- oh, here's the key. lock the door when you leave and put it in the mailbox. we won't be needing it. - well, there was a big trip for nothing. - yes, it was. i feel a little silly now. i wonder what made them realize that marriage wasn't for them? it would scare anybody out of marriage. - no, i don't think so. if you remember, this is almost exactly like the first place you and i lived in. - by george, it is. (romantic music) but you know, i thought then it looked like a palace. - so did i.

how we danced around on those shabby floors as though they were made of imported marble? there's the big difference, honey. to people really in love, things look so wonderful. they have no more sense than to get married. (audience laughs) - oh, you! m. i had so little sense. say, we better leave before they start charging us rent. (audience laughs)

(cheerful music) - [voiceover] robert young, and jane wyatt, (laughing) with elinor donahue, billy gray, and lauren chapin in "father knows best". examples of literary figures influenced by the devotion of a brother or sister. (hums) did you try charles lamb? - lamb? no! - well there was a life long devotion. how about william wordsworth? - he's the one i have so far. you know that was a wonderful relationship he and his sister had. just listen to this, wordsworth was blessed