Father Knows Best (1954–1960): Season 4, Episode 1 - Follow the Leader - full transcript

[Announcer] Here are...

with Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray,

and Lauren Chapin in...

[vocalizing]

Just because you have
to get up and go to school

doesn't mean everybody does.

Now be quiet!

[Bud] ♪ She wants
me to be quiet ♪

♪ She wants me to be quiet ♪

[Betty] Father,
tell Bud to be quiet!

Bud, be quiet.



Bud's pretty gay for
the first day of school.

You suppose he's delirious?

Something has
certainly eased the pain

of going back to school.

Girls, maybe?

Oh, I doubt it. He'll
see the same girls

at school he's been
seeing all summer.

Oh, he's probably just happy

to be getting
back to his studies.

Ha.

[Margaret] Bud.

Yeah.

[Margaret] Breakfast
in five minutes.

I'll be down in 30 seconds.



Hey, Bud, have you seen my...

What's that?

It's a horse collar.
It's the latest thing.

Everybody is wearing
them this year.

[whinnies]

I know this is a silly
question, but what's that for?

It's a present for my
history teacher Mr. Jeffreys.

Well, lucky him.

What do you expect
him to do with it?

Oh, it's a gag. You see,
he's crazy about horses.

So a bunch us guys in his class
again this year are presenting to him.

He'll get a big laugh out of it.

Good old Jeff. What
a wonderful guy.

You met him last fall.

Oh, it's about time you arrived,

Miss Molasses in January.

Shall we eat so we won't
be late the first day of school?

Daddy, can I have
a horse collar?

What for, kitten?

It's the latest thing.

Bud says all the kids
are wearing them.

I was just kidding. It's a
present for one of my teachers.

Oh. I don't even know

who my new teachers
are going to be.

Well, cheer up, kitten.

You have only one teacher
to get acquainted with.

Think about the teacher.

She has 25 or 30 of
you kids to figure out.

Did you ever think of that?

Now, that's the great thing
about Jeff's history class.

We're going to have
practically all the same guys

who were in the
class last spring.

That was the first thing
we did before school let out.

We made sure that we're
going to get right back

in Jeff's history
class this fall.

I've never seen such
enthusiasm for a teacher.

What's his secret?

It's no secret. He's
just a great guy.

Everybody likes him.
I mean everybody.

To have one class with him

is worth going to
school a whole day.

Boy, is that going to be a ball.

[knocks]

- Hello, Kippy.
- Hi.

What do you say,
Kip? Come on in.

- You got the picture?
- I had to got the office

and print it off the
school yearbook...

Talk them out of his
picture, get it enlarged.

Oh, yeah, that's old
Jeff. Hey, there's jolly Jeff.

Why don't I get
teachers like that?

Mine are always women.

Well, off to the mines.

Hey, remember the time

Jeff took the whole class
swimming out to lunch?

- Oh, yeah.
- [laughs]

That was a blast!

Big canoe with the
three-corner hat!

Yeah, yeah! He did the
imitation of Washington...

Washington crossing
the Delaware!

- Ha ha ha! Yeah!
- And that was last year!

And he threw the
chalk on the board.

Bye.

[Bud, Kippy continue chattering]

Well, it seems that nowadays,

in order to be a
successful teacher,

you not only have
to be able to teach,

you have to be a comedian.

[laughing]

Well, there he is.
Mugged and framed.

Came out pretty good, huh?

Wait till he sees
that. He'll flip.

He will. Now, who's
gonna give to him?

Duke, why don't
you give it to him?

I got a better idea. Hang
it on the wall in his room.

We'll get to class early and
nail it up behind his desk.

- Okay, I'll buy that.
- I'll buy it, too.

You take it with you and stick it
in your locker till eighth period.

Now, look, you guys,

tell everybody who's
gonna be in the class

to get there before the bell
so we can organize a welcome.

Then, when Jeff comes, we all want
to stand up and applaud like crazy.

- Okay?
- We'll rock the place.

Hey, if any of us happen to meet
Jeff before class, don't say anything.

- That's right.
- Has anyone seen him yet?

- Not me.
- Oh, that's great.

Then he won't know we all
ganged up to get in his class.

Gee, I got to go. I'll
see you guys at 8:30.

Eighth period.

Wait a minute.

Well, wait a
minute. I can do it.

Now watch.

Hey, wait a minute.

You fellas have been
told over and over again

not to whirl those
things in the halls.

I didn't do it, Mr. Armstead.

You pay no attention.
How could I get it across to...

Didn't do it?

That's the truth,
Mr. Armstead, honest.

Come into my office.

Mr. Armstead, excuse me.

What is it, Mr. Beckman?

Well, I was a witness
to this accident.

Oh?

I was coming around the
corner just as the window broke.

What he says is true.

Another boy did it and then
pushed the yo-yo into his hand.

He's innocent, really.

Well, perhaps I
have been to hasty.

I'm sorry.

Eh, well, who did do
it? Do you know the boy?

No, sir, I never
seen him before.

Naturally.

Well, carry on.

Gee, thanks a awful lot.

If you hadn't seen
what happened,

I'd have been cooked for sure.

Well, I'm glad I could help.

Hey, what was all
the commotion about?

Some kid put this

through the glass in
Mr. Armstead's window,

and he thought I did it.
Oh, it was a close one.

I'll see you eighth period.
Don't forget, be there early.

It's gonna be good to
see old Jeff again, isn't it?

- Sure is. See you.
- See you.

Get out of the way!

[chattering]

- Look at this.
- That's great, man.

Yeah, yeah, that's good.

Here, write "Jeffrey
for President"

and stuff like that
all around the board.

Hey, how about that?

Hey, where's Jeff?
Anybody seen him?

No, but he'll be
here any minute.

- Hey, looks pretty good, huh?
- Yeah.

It'll knock him over
when he comes in.

He'll fall down laughing.

Oh, that's looking great.

Here's old Bud.

Oh, hi, Bud.

Hey, we got the whole
gang together now.

The old Jeffrey gang.

Jeffrey's fat, dumb,
and happy club.

[all laugh]

Okay, okay, okay,
everybody let's sit down.

Everybody get in your seat.

Look real square
when Jeff comes in.

Remember, when he comes in,

everybody stand up
and applaud, okay?

As soon as he comes in the door.

[clears throat]

Evidently, you were
expecting Mr. Jeffrey.

I understand he changed his
plans about teaching this year.

So for better or for
worse, I'm taking his place.

[all groan]

I'm Mr. Beckman.

Obviously, Mr. Jeffrey had a
number of friends in this class.

I'm sure he would have been
pleased and amused with all of this.

But I'm afraid that
we're going to have to

dispense with
this for right now.

Since this is my first
teaching assignment

at Springfield high,

I'm as much of a stranger to you

as all of you are
strangers to me.

There's only person I
recall having seen before

and that's this gentleman
in the second row.

So that we can
become acquainted,

we'll start with the
first seat in the first row.

Will each student,
without rising,

give his or her name, please?

Everybody give a phony
name. Pass the word back.

When he calls, you'll
give him a phony name.

Give him a phony name.

We'll begin right here.

Your name, please?

Homer Clankenfelder.

Clankenfelder?

Your name.

Uh, Rudolph T. Kallabash.

[students giggle]

Your name.

Kermith Bottleford.

[all giggle]

Bud Ander... fogel.

[all laugh]

The only good
teacher they ever had,

and they let him go.

They're bringing this
Beckman in to take Jeff's place.

Nobody could take
his place. Nobody.

Boy, we sure had
Beckman going, didn't we?

Ah, Beckman's a
goof. I mean a real goof.

Well, how do we know
what kind of guy he is?

Maybe he's okay. How do we know?

You like the idea of
Jeff being thrown out

so they can bring
in this bean brain?

Who said Jeff was thrown out?

Well, it's the same
as throwing him out.

Gladys Willman
knows the whole story.

She says Jeff quit because
the school didn't pay him enough.

Well, he can make more dough
shoveling peas at the cannery.

And that's okay with you, huh?

You let him kick old Jeff around

and say, "Go
right ahead, fellas.

That's fine with me."

I didn't say that.

Oh, why do you
like this Beckman?

What's he to you, your
uncle or something?

He's nothing to me, I just...

We don't like him.
Now, who you with?

You're going to
stick with your friends

or kiss around old
putty face Beckman?

Oh, sure.

Sure what? You're with us?

Yeah, I just...

Okay, don't forget it.

If we all stick together, we can have
this guy bounced right out of school.

We'll have a meeting
tonight. Us three plan it all out.

Hey, I'm for that.

Who we make it?

How about come to your
house? See you tonight.

You seem to having
trouble with this.

Yeah, thanks a lot.

I gather I'm not to well liked

in that eighth
period history class.

It's pretty tough following
a teacher like Mr. Jeffrey.

I'm going to need
help in that class, Bud.

I'm going to need a friend.

[doorbell rings]

[Kathy] Bud?

Yeah.

[Kathy] There are two
guys down here to see you.

Tell them to come on up.

[Kathy] Okay.

Well, now, what
are you going to do?

You tag along with Beckman
or stick with the guys?

Got any guts? Any courage?

Just what are you?
Inside, what are you?

A lion or a skunk?

[knocking on door]

Hey, Bud, you in there?

Yeah, come on in.

- Hey, man.
- Howdy.

We got the plans all worked out.

I'm talking to all
the kids in the class.

Everybody is for this. We all want to
get this Beckman bounced out, right?

Right, yeah.

Say, Duke, why don't we
give Beckman a chance to...

Give him the chance to what?
Get in good with the principal?

The longer he stays, the tougher
it's gonna be to get him out.

Why do we have to get him out?

Why? Why?

Yeah, why?

Because that's why.

We're going to show this
school they can't do this to us.

- Old Jeff was our friend,
wasn't he?
- Well, sure he was.

Okay, then we're not going to
let this Beckman take his job.

We're all going to stick
together, the whole class.

Beckman didn't take
his job. They hired him.

Just tell me. Are you
with or against us.

That's all I want to know.

You sticking by
your friends or not?

Well, sure...

Okay, that's all I
wanted to know.

Now, tomorrow afternoon
in Beckman's class

we're just gonna
sit. You understand?

We don't answer any
questions about anything.

You know what's going to
happen to Mr. Beckman?

Khhk! Threw out.

Yeah, let him try and fight the
whole class. Just let him try it.

We're going to beat him
if none of us chickens out.

- Good night.
- Good night.

Who were those two?

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?

Omar and Khayyam?

Donder and Blitzen? I've
never seen them before.

Friends of Buds from school.

Well, so you finally decided

to come down and
join the common people.

Where have you been
hiding all evening?

Who, me?

What's the matter with you?

Are you sick?

Who, me?

Stop saying "Who, me."
Wake up, we're talking to you.

I can hear you.

Well, how about an explanation?

Is all this gloom because
Mr. Jeffrey wasn't at school?

Well, in a way.

I got myself in a big fat mess.

What do you mean?
What kind of a mess?

Well, it's Mr. Beckman.

He's the new teacher
that's taking Jeff's place.

All the guys in the
class are sore at him.

Why?

Because he's taking
Jeff's place, I guess.

Anyway, they're going to have
a sit-down strike against him.

And they're going to complain
to the principal about him.

They're going to ruin the guy.

Now, that's not fair.

Well, it's not his fault.

He's only doing his job,
trying to earn a living.

Wait a minute.
Explain something.

Uh, what's this campaign
against Beckman

have to do with you?

Why are you in trouble?

Well, because
I'm not sore at him.

Oh, that's ridiculous.

Why do you have
to be mean to him

simply because the
rest of the class is?

Well, I don't have to.

It's just whose side am I on?

The guys in my
class are my friends.

If I go against them and
stick up for Beckman,

I'm a dog.

If I tag along with the
guys against Beckman,

I'm also a dog.

Pretty doggy situation.

What makes it even worse

is that Beckman did
me a big favor at school.

He figures I'm the only friend
he has in the whole class.

So what do I do?

You stand up for Mr. Beckman.

But I already told Duke and Earl

that I was gonna
stick with the class.

Well, I haven't the
answer to this problem,

but I'm not worried.

I'm sure you'll come
up with a dandy solution.

Well, thanks a million.

So what do I do, Dad?

Well, I can't tell
you what to do, Bud.

You know what you should do.

Well, then tell me
to do it. Order me.

Say "Okay, you do it."

So you can go to
the fellas and say

"I'm sorry, I have to
stand up for the teacher

because my dad told me to."

Nothing doing.

Now, whatever you deicide, Bud,

it's going to be your
decision, not mine.

Sure wish I didn't have
to go to school tomorrow.

Now, that would be
running away from it.

A child might do that,
but I don't think you would.

Not at your age.

Hardly pays a guy to grow up.

Poor old Bud.

Caught right in the middle

between principle
and public opinion.

He doesn't realize
it, but a lot of big men,

government leaders,
are in the same boat.

Same problems.

You know I don't know.

It seems to me we
used to go to school.

Then we had to
learn and go home.

We didn't get involved
with teacher problems.

The teacher was
the boss of the class.

If we didn't like it, we
got a whack with the ruler.

Well, that was
in the olden days.

Oh.

[Kathy] Mommy! Daddy!

Hey, you better go in there
and see what's wrong with Bud.

Why? What's wrong?

I don't know. There's a terrible
noise coming out of his room.

You better go in there.

[Bud] Uh, Duke, guys,

let me... let go of my arm.

Let go of my leg.

Mr. Beckman, let
me go. Let me...

You're pulling me
apart. Let me go.

Let me go. Let me go.

- [mumbling]
- Bud, wake up.

- Wake up.
- [Bud whimpering]

I think he'll settle down now.

You should have
heard him before.

He was really howling.

You get back to bed now.

Uh, what to do?

Tough problem, isn't it, son?

I wonder what he will do.

Well, zero hour's
eighth period tomorrow.

I think if he had his way,

he'd leave first
thing in the morning

for Outer Mongolia.

Hey, Bud.

Oh, hi, Mr. Beckman.

You going to class?

Mmm?

Eighth period history.

When mine enemies
stand waiting on the field,

their swords of vantage drawn.

I got some stuff
to do. Uh, books.

I wouldn't want to hold you up.

[falling clunk]

Well, I'll see you at class.

Yeah.

Oh, hi.

What did Beckman want?

Oh, he's on his way to class.

Wanted to know if I'd
walk down with him.

He's looking for
somebody to hold his hand.

He's going to need more than that
when we get done with him today.

I got everybody
in the class ready.

Nobody answers anything.
We don't give him nothing.

We'll freeze him
right out of school.

Come on, let's go.

Well, I got to get my
sweater. You guys go on.

- Okay, see you there.
- Yeah.

Let's go to history.
Come on, you don't want

to be late for the
Beckman massacre do you?

Gee, I don't think
I can go, Kip.

I got an awful sore foot.

I think I busted my toe in gym.

Broke your toe?

Yeah, feels like it's
a double fracture.

I'm going to go up to
Mr. Armstead's office

and get an excuse
for eighth period.

- I'll see you.
- Yeah.

Broken toe can
be a painful thing.

Oh, this sure hurts.
Shooting pains all over.

Too bad you have to miss

your eighth period
history class.

Oh, I hate to
miss it, too, but...

Oh, which foot was it, Bud?

It's this one here... Uh, no.

Sit down, Bud.

You know, you could have told me

why you didn't want
to go to history class?

You didn't have to go through
all this broken toe business.

Are you afraid of what might
happen at class this afternoon?

Yeah, I guess so.

Well, there's no
need to be ashamed.

You're not the only one

that's afraid to
go to that class.

Mr. Beckman was in to
see me a few minutes ago.

Mr. Beckman?

He was ready to give up his job

here at Springfield High

rather than to face
that history class.

How do you think it feels

to stand in front
of a bunch of kids,

knowing that you're hated

by practically
everyone in the room?

Well, I guess that'd
be pretty rough.

Very rough.

But Mr. Beckman didn't quit.

He didn't go home
with a broken toe.

He went back to the class,

which is starting right now.

Do you know why
he went back, Bud?

Because I convinced him

that he had one
friend in that class...

You.

I think a big part of
the kids is on the fence.

They're not really
against Mr. Beckman.

They're following a leader.

Some one started this, right?

Uh, yes, sir.

Now, the class is
against Mr. Beckman,

but the tide could turn.

I think most of kids
want to like him.

But some one has to
make the first move.

So we begin our study

of the Jamestown settlement.

One of the early
pioneering efforts

in this new land of America.

[clears throat]

Let's review some
of the basic facts

about the Jamestown settlement.

Who was the outstanding leader

in the early settlement
of Jamestown?

Don't know.

You must know who
finally took charge

at the first settlement
at Jamestown.

His name is practically
a household word.

Can you tell me?

Nope.

His name was Captain John Smith.

Surely you all knew that.

What was the purpose of his
explorations in the New World?

Can you tell me?

No.

Can anyone tell me the
purpose of the English exploration

that resulted in the
Jamestown settlement?

Bud?

You know?

The purpose of that
exploration was to discover

a westward route to the Orient.

And to take possession of
lands for England and to find gold.

That is correct.

Tell me what was the
name of the Indian girl

who saved Captain Smith's life.

Pocahontas.

Did Captain Smith command

the first Jamestown
expedition when it left England?

No, the commander's
name was Newport.

Very good.

Now, let's go back to the
beginning of yesterday's class

and get acquainted.

As I point to you,
give me your names.

Murray Wimston.

John Long.

Anne Tomlinson.

Kippy Watkins.

Earl Morrison.

And your name.

Earl Perdue.

It's a pleasure to know you.

[cheering]

Closed-Captioned By J.R.
Media Services, Inc. Burbank, CA