Father Knows Best (1954–1960): Season 4, Episode 3 - The Good Neighbor - full transcript

[Announcer] Here are...

with Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray,

and Lauren Chapin in...

Mail call.

- [chuckles]
- Hey, how about
the rest of us?

Oh, I'm sorry, Father.

Oh, here's a card
for you, Mother,

from Grauman's Ladies Shop.

Oh, don't show it to me. I
can't afford a new dress.

Oh, a sale.

- Nothing for me, huh?
- Mm-hmm, a card.



- Yeah?
- From a girl.

Give it to me.

Oh, it's the library.

6 cents due.

Well, Miss Klaus,
the librarian, is a girl.

Are you kidding?

She was there
before the library.

They built it around her.

Oh, this is for you, honey.

For me? It's so
official-looking.

Official or no, it's for
Mrs. James Anderson.

See, it's from your parents.

Oh, here, Father.

Oh, it's mine from
Ralph! Excuse me.



Oh, now I know what it is.

Why is it whenever
Betty gets a letter,

she runs up to
her room to read it

like a dog hiding
to gnaw on a bone?

[clears throat]

A little more respect
from my family, please.

- I am now a property owner.
- Yeah?

It's the papers for the house
Mother and Dad are deeding to me.

What do you mean,
deeding to you?

Grandmother and Granddad Merrick

have a fine idea, Bud.

They own a little house

on the other side of town
they've been renting out,

always planning to eventually
pass it on to your mother.

- Yeah?
- And they decided
to give it to her now.

How about that? A whole house.

They're getting a little old

to come over from Hillsborough

to look after the
property, so...

Mom's a millionaire.
I've got to tell Kip.

Here you are, dear.

Huh? Oh, wait a minute.

You're the property owner.

Oh, Jim, are you suggesting
that I handle these things?

I think it's a marvelous
opportunity for you

to learn something
about real estate.

Well, this is a much
better opportunity

for me to learn
more about cooking.

And if I don't
get in the kitchen,

there will be no dinner.

And do you know
that statistics show

that women know far too little

about the hard-headed
business world?

That's why they gave us
hard-headed husbands.

I'm only suggesting
that you fix the place up

and rent it for the experience.

Every month, a nice
little check would come

for Margaret
Anderson, girl landlord.

Landlord.

All the nice things
you could buy.

Man, what mad money.

That dress sale ends next
week. I couldn't rent it by then.

You might. The house
isn't in such bad shape,

but you'll have to widen
that narrow driveway,

uh, maybe paint a little.

Here you are, strike a
blow for independence.

I don't want to be independent.

I want to depend on you.

What gets me is why women
go around asking for equality,

which we men freely give them,

and then aren't
willing to accept

the responsibilities
of equality.

Well, if this is a
challenge, I accept.

That's the house.

Oh, what beautiful
roses. Are they yours?

Well, part of them
are on my property,

but they belong to Mr. Boomhauer
there who lives next door.

The property
line is the fireplug.

He certainly doesn't
look very friendly.

He's obviously worried

that someone will
run over his roses,

but he won't have to worry
after I widen the driveway.

How can you widen the driveway?

It's next to your house now.

Well, he'll have to take
out some of his roses,

those that are on my property.

Uh-oh.

I'd be afraid to ask him
to take out his roses.

Oh, he's not going
to be a problem.

You have to learn to
get along with people,

especially neighbors.

I plan to work it.

Mr. Boomhauer?

Yes, that's me.

I'm Margaret Anderson,

and this is my daughter Betty.

Mrs. Anderson, Betty.

Seen you looking the place over.

Planning on renting?

Well, uh, yes.

I wouldn't rent if I were you.

Place is all run down.

You see, Mr. Boomhauer...

I'll tell you something.

People shouldn't buy property

unless they plan to live on it

instead of renting it to gypsies

who never take care of it.

But, Mr. Boomhauer...

I'll tell you something else.

I'm not a very
sociable neighbor.

You might as well know
that from the beginning.

Talked to so many neighbors,

30 years carrying the mail, I...

I don't want to talk
to them anymore.

I'm talked out.

I was about to say...

Might as well know it.
I'm hard to get along with.

I'm just being honest.
That's best policy.

Spent half my lifetime walking
through other people's yards.

Now I want to spend
some time in my own yard,

and I expect other
people to do the same.

Any more children?

Any dogs?

[car coughs]

Watch out for my roses!

Young man, why can't you
watch where you're going?

- [Bud] What did I do?
- Hi. We came over
to see the house.

Stay right where you are!

Don't touch my roses.

How am I supposed
to get out of the car?

If you've got to get out,
crawl over the other side.

That's a good idea, Bud.

Well, okay, sure.

Oh, what beautiful roses.

I'll say.

I think I'll take one
home to Daddy.

Just a minute, young lady!

These are my roses.

We might as well get this
straight from the beginning.

I raise the roses,

and all the neighbors want to do is
to pick them, take them inside to wilt.

People can't just
look at flowers.

They have to pick them.

Come on, Kathy, let's
take a look at the house.

That's a good idea.

I'll be right in.

Gee, what a grouch.

Teenager with a hotrod, huh?

I tell you another
thing, Mrs. Anderson.

We might as well get
things straight from the first.

Mr. Boomhauer,
we're not renting.

You're not?

Well, I hope I didn't
discourage you,

but I always say, if you
lay your cards on the table...

- I own this property.
- You do?

Well, I thought some old
goat from out of town owned it.

Well, that old goat's my father.

Oh. Well, I guess some people
won't admit they're getting old,

but I do, and I
admit I'm crotchety.

30 years of dirty looks

because I don't bring
people enough mail.

They don't realize
you've got to write a letter

to get a letter.

Own it, huh?

My parents...

I'm preparing it for rental.

Rental. I might have known.

I'm going to fix the
roof, the front door,

seed the lawn, and
widen the driveway.

Widen the driveway?

What will happen
to my rose garden?

You'll ruin my rose garden.

Well, it's a beautiful
garden, Mr. Boomhauer,

but... well, part of
it's on my property.

This strip of land was
nothing but weeds,

an eyesore, till I
planted roses on it.

I beautified it, made use of it.

Nobody complained,

and now I've got a
perfect legal right to it,

and I'll tell you
something, young lady.

I know my rights.

And I know where
the property line is...

Right here at the fireplug,

which means that your property

ends about, uh, here.

Mrs. Anderson, if I was you,

I wouldn't widen that driveway.

But I have to, Mr. Boomhauer.

All right, but don't
say I didn't warn you.

Good day, Mr. Boomhauer.

Get out of my roses!

Mr. Boomhauer, don't
talk that way to me.

I was talking to the aphids.

Now, call me at the office

if that Mr. Boomhauer gives you
an argument about the driveway.

I don't think there's much
he can do about it now.

I've got my construction permit,

my permit from the zoning,

and work started
at 8:00 this morning.

Well, you stay away from
there until the work is finished.

- Let the workmen handle it.
- Oh, don't worry.

I'm not getting into another
fuss with Mr. Boomhauer.

[doorbell rings]

- Mrs. Anderson? Mrs. Margaret Anderson?
- Yes.

I'm Mr. Sprague

of the Johnson,
Halderton, Sprague law firm.

I have something for you.

What is it?

A summons and complaint.

Summons and complaint?

I represent Mr. Boomhauer.

I think you'll find the
document self-explanatory.

Of course, if you have your
men stop work immediately

and proceed no further
with the driveway,

we can drop the whole matter.

If not, we'll have to go
to court to enjoin you.

Go to court?

And settle the matter
before the judge.

Before a judge?

I'm not entering
in my wife's affairs,

but, honey, you're in the right.

I'm in the right.

Well, all it takes
to make a lawsuit

is two parties who
think they're right.

Good day, Mrs. Anderson.

Until I see you in
court next week.

Good day.

Thank you.

Goodbye.

[Jim] Goodbye!

Let me see that.

"Summons and Complaint.

"Roscoe J. Boomhauer, Plaintiff,

vs. Margaret
Anderson, Defendant."

- Jim.
- Yes, honey.

Let's not tell the children.

Hm? Don't tell them what?

That I have to appear in court

like a... a common criminal.

Say, what's hap...
What's burning, Mom?

- [Betty] Oh, no!
- Margaret, do you smell...

Oh, no! Honey,
turn off the stove.

There, that's it.

[Kathy] Was that our dinner?

Oh, I'm sorry. I...

I guess my mind
was on other things.

Mother, for heaven's
sake, what's wrong?

You've been acting
so strangely all week.

Your mother has some
personal problems.

Well, no dinner's
a problem to me.

Now, Bud, these things happen.

Say, let's give your mother
a night off and eat out.

I guess we'd better go out,

but first I...

I have an announcement to make.

Mother, something
is bothering you.

I thought at first I'd keep
this from you children

and save you the embarrassment,

but, well, I...

I'd rather you hear it from
me than somebody else.

What happened, Mom, you
get drummed out of the PTA?

Children, your mother
has to go to court.

Court?

I'm being sued.

Sued?

By Mr. Boomhauer.

Old Boomhauer?

He can't sue you.
You're my mother.

He has

because I want to
widen the driveway

and he doesn't want his
rose garden disturbed.

I have to appear before
a judge tomorrow morning

to settle the matter.

Well, now you know.

What makes him
think he can sue you?

- His roses are
on your property.
- Yeah.

Well, it's a legal point, Betty,

something about
prescriptive rights.

What rights?

Well, the previous tenant

didn't use that little
strip along the driveway,

and Mr. Boomhauer improved it.

I doubt it, but the
court could rule

that he has a right
to continue to use it

as he has in the past.

Say, Dad, you'd make
a pretty good lawyer.

You going to represent Mom?

I've offered to help,

but she insists this
is her responsibility.

Then we'll get the best
lawyer in town, best in the state.

We'll get the Attorney General.

We'll go to the top, Mom.

We'll fight this Boomhauer
right to the ground.

But that's what I don't
like about it, Bud... the fight.

Mom, you've got to fight back.

He slapped you with a law
suit. It's only self-defense.

Well, I feel as
thought I've failed

somewhere along the line.

You, Mother?

I've always tried to
teach you children

to get along with people,

and here I am going into court

to bicker with a...

With a neighbor
over a strip of land.

Margaret, going into court

is not something
to be ashamed of.

Heck no.

Judges go to court all the time.

I just consider this whole thing

an unhappy development, like...

Well, like being dragged
into court for purse snatching.

Gosh, Mom, were you
accused of that, too?

No, Bud,

but your mother has a very
fine sense of responsibility

to people in the community.

What she doesn't realize

is that we have courts
to protect people like her

from pirating old
crabs like Boomhauer.

I think I'll have one
more talk with him.

It could be settled
out of court, couldn't it?

You can try, but I doubt if
that Boomhauer would listen.

No, Mrs. Anderson,

one thing I won't
do is compromise.

Nothing against you personal,
but we've locked horns,

and now we'll
have to fight it out

at 9:00 tomorrow
morning in the court,

unless you just want to
forget about the driveway.

But, Mr. Boomhauer,

I have my rights, too.

This land... who
really has a right to it?

Tell you something,
Mr. Anderson.

We're all very brief
tenants in this world,

and if a man doesn't
do something good

with the chunk of Mother
Earth he's sitting on,

I say he should get off it.

I propose to do something...

- A cement driveway.
- Cement?

If we get any more cement
plastered on this world,

the ground won't have
a chance to breathe,

die of suffocation.

No, Mr. Anderson,

the only thing to do is to
take it before the judge.

We all have to be
judged eventually.

I'd like to get
some of it over with

while I'm still here on Earth.

Mr. Boomhauer, I came over here

trying to avoid a lawsuit,

but you seem to want one.

It ain't true. Never
had no lawsuit

with the old coot who
owned it before you.

That was my father.

Why is it he and
Mr. Anderson didn't handle this?

Take my wife...

Good cook, no mind for business.

Are you inferring that
all this came about

because I'm a woman?

I'll tell you something,
Mrs. Anderson.

Nothing personal, understand,

but we men made two mistakes.

We gave women the right to vote

and open charge accounts.

They just shouldn't
try to handle property.

Good day, Mr. Boomhauer.

I'll see you in court.

I gave you your chance.

You can still get out of it.

And my father isn't an old coot.

I couldn't budge him, Jim.

Well, you have a good lawyer.

Porter's young, but he's good.

I wonder what came over me.

I actually found myself
shouting at that man.

Well, if you shout at
anyone, then he deserves it.

Is still feel guilty.

Oh, now, honey.

Hey, easy on the pillow.

Oh, I should be able to get
along with Mr. Boomhauer.

He's not a bad man.

At times he's rather amusing,

but I always end
up arguing with him.

Well, you have to fight him.

You can't let him
take advantage of you.

I know.

We'll all be in court
bright and early,

behind you 100%.

- I'm glad.
- [Jim laughs]

Good night, dear.

Good night.

And remember this.

Old Boomhauer will be the
only one there against you.

Well, that's something.

Better try to get
some sleep, honey.

I bet Mr. Boomhauer
isn't sleeping.

He's thinking of schemes.

Now, stop worrying.

Old Boomhauer
is only the plaintiff.

He isn't the judge or the jury.

[Bailiff] Boomhauer v. Anderson.
Boomhauer v. Anderson.

[Jim] Remember, Margaret,

Boomhauer is the
only one against you.

[laughing]

[Jim] And he isn't
the judge and jury.

[gavel knocks]

[gavel knocks]

Court will come to order.

Has the jury reached a decision?

But, Your Honor, you
haven't heard the evidence.

Don't need evidence.

This is an open and shut case.

Has the jury reached a decision?

Have we, Your Honor.

We find the defendant guilty

of violating one of the
oldest laws of civilized man.

The prisoner will
stand to be sentenced.

Mrs. Anderson,

you are found guilty of not being
able to get along with your neighbor,

and since you can't get along
with the people of this earth,

it is the judgment of the court

that you get off it.

Get off it?

But I have a family.

They will miss me.

They love me.

Mrs. Anderson,

after what you've done,

your family wants
no part of you.

Now, get to your prison.

♪♪ [harp]

Look, your mother might
be along any time now,

and visiting hours
aren't so long,

so you can at least try
to be pleasant to her.

After what she did?

You must admit, Father,

it's pretty serious not
getting along with people.

I never would have believed
it of your mother, but...

She sure had us fooled.

No, no, you don't understand.

There she is.

Well, wave.

No matter how she turned
out, she is your mother.

Children, you don't understand.

I didn't pick the fight.

Tell it to the judge.

And those garish stripes.

Honestly, I hope none
of my friends see her.

Don't any of you have
anything to say to me?

Yeah, when are you
going to be down, Mom?

Well, that's up to the judge,

when I've learned my lesson.

Why? Do you miss me, dear?

I can't find my green
and red argyles.

Oh...

I think they're in
my sewing basket.

Oh, the wind's coming up.

I'll be drifting away.

When will I see you?

I'll call the weather bureau

and find out when
you'll be by again.

Don't you want me to come back?

It's starting to snow.

[shivering] Oh, I'm so cold.

Jim, it's snowing.

It's snowing!

Jim...

Margaret! What? Wake up.

Margaret, what is it?

Oh.

What happened?
What is it, honey?

Oh. Oh, Jim, I had
the most terrible dream.

Well, you must have.

I dreamed that you and
the children didn't want me.

We didn't want you?

Oh, baby, that must've
been a nightmare.

[groans]

[sighs]

[chuckles]

You better try to
get some sleep.

You have to be in court
at 9:00 in the morning.

Oh, do I have to go
through that again?

Why doesn't the trial start?

Yeah, where's the judge?

Well, this is it.

You have a good lawyer,

and we're all behind you.

[Bailiff] Court
will come to order.

Judge Horace Kern presiding.

Boomhauer v. Anderson.

Is your client
here, Mr. Sprague?

Your Honor, Mr. Boomhauer
will not be here.

It is his desire to default.

Your Honor, the defendant
will file a cross-complaint

to quiet title in due course.

Meanwhile, I move for dismissal

for failure to prosecute.

So ordered. Case dismissed.

- Hey, Mom.
- Mother.

Don't we get to
see Mother in jail?

What does this mean?

You won. Congratulations,
Mrs. Anderson.

Excuse me.

- Mr. Sprague.
- Yes.

Why didn't Mr. Boomhauer
come in to court?

Well, he felt he would
lose, Mrs. Anderson,

and he's not the kind
of man who likes to lose.

- Hello.
- Hello.

He was positive you would
back out, but you didn't.

Margaret, isn't that wonderful?

- I don't know what to say.
- Just be happy.

The court will order Boomhauer

to remove his roses
from your property,

and you can go ahead
with your driveway,

and Boomhauer will
have to pay court costs.

He will?

To the victor belong the spoils.

- Congratulations.
- [Kathy] Let's go
see the jail.

[Betty] All right, come on.

Hello, Mr. Boomhauer.

Mr. Anderson. You didn't have
to come by to check up on me.

I'm digging them out.

I didn't come by
to check up on you.

I'll cut them back clean
to my property line.

I'll tell you something,
Mrs. Anderson.

I'm not a good loser.

My lawyer informed me about
the court order, and I obey.

Why did you come by if it
wasn't to check up on me?

Well, Mr. Boomhauer,

we've never really
gotten to know each other,

and I just wanted to have
a friendly talk with you.

Talk.

What's there to talk about?

30 years of carrying the mail,

and it always took me
longer than anybody else

to make my deliveries.

You know why?

People wanting to talk,

and with nothing to say.

I'll tell you, Mrs. Anderson,

it takes some people
longer to say nothing...

- Mr. Boomhauer.
- Yes?

What do you feed your roses?

What do I feed them?

To make them so large
and fresh and beautiful.

Would you do me a favor someday

and tell me how to do it?

I didn't know you was
interested in roses.

Well, I thought I'd widen
my driveway 2 feet to here.

Only that far?

Your property line's over here.

Yes, but I was hoping
that you'd show me

how to grow roses there.

Yeah?

Unless you'd like to
leave your roses here.

You would have most
of your garden left,

and it would look beautiful
along my driveway.

Let's sit down, Mrs.
Anderson, and talk about it.

Say, what's wrong with Mom?

She wins the case
and then disappears.

What's the big mystery?
Where'd she go?

Why don't you ask her?

Oh, what a glorious day this is.

I love you both.

- Feel better?
- Like a human being.

Say, Mom, I've known
you for quite a while,

but you're not easy to read.

Well, I went over
to have a nice talk

with that cute Mr. Boomhauer.

Cute?

And I let him know
in no uncertain terms

that I'm going to widen
the driveway... 2 feet.

2 feet?

Mom, you've been
fighting for 4, and you won.

Oh, he agreed to leave his
roses 2 feet along my property.

Agreed to?

Well, they look nice
along the driveway.

What a beautiful day.

Mom, I just don't read you.

You were unhappy when
you won your court case,

and now that you've given half
your land away to old Boomhauer,

you're on cloud 8.

Bud, I was really very pleased

when Judge Kern
ruled in my favor

because I felt it was
right, according to the law,

but I didn't feel
right as a person.

What if old Boomhauer had won?

He would have chased you
off the land with a shotgun.

Now, Bud, it's all
over. Settle, relax.

But, Dad, the old
grouch sues her

and then tries to
grab her property,

she goes to court and
worries herself half sick,

and then what
happens when she wins?

- [doorbell rings]
- She shares it with him.

Well, I just don't read her.

I thought you might like these.

Oh, thank you, Mr. Boomhauer.

Won't you come in?

Not today. Some other time.

Oh, Jim, now I've really won.

I've made a friend.

Now do you read her?

Loud and clear.

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