Father Knows Best (1954–1960): Season 4, Episode 4 - Bud, the Executive - full transcript

[Announcer] Here are...

with Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray,

and Lauren Chapin in...

[doorbell rings]

Someone at the door,
Betty. It's probably for you.

Jim, will you see
who's at the front door?

[Kathy] I'll get it!

- Hello, Kathy.
- Hi.

- Is Bud home?
- I think he's out in back.

Come on in. I'll call him.

Hey, Bud!



Bud!

Bud!

Yeah?

There's someone at
the front door to see you.

- Who is it?
- I don't know.

Oh, you can't take
that in with you.

Why not? It's a
muffler off my car.

It doesn't belong
in the living room.

Oh, hi, Nancy.

Hi, Bud.

Oh, I was working on
my car. What goes?

I just came by to
ask you something.

- You know about the high school
picnic on Saturday.
- Yeah.

Well, I'm on the student committee
getting the whole thing together,



and we need another member.

Do you want to be
on the committee?

What would I have to do?

Well, work with the other kids
in getting the picnic together,

planning and everything.

I don't know. I'm not much
for that committee stuff.

Have you ever been
on a committee?

No, but it doesn't
sound very good.

Sounds kind of dumb.

Committee?

It isn't dumb.

All you think about
is your old car.

That's dumb.

[Jim] Bud.

You in there, Dad?

In a way, yes. Come here.

I didn't mean to eavesdrop
on your conversation,

but I couldn't help overhearing.

Sit down.

Whoa.

- Who was that girl?
- Nancy Crail.

She wanted me to be on the
committee for the class picnic.

Well, good.

What would I do on a committee?

All that stuff's Greek to me...

Second emotions and all that.

Now, wait, this is
something entirely different.

A committee like this is just a
bunch of kids getting together

to organize a picnic.

May I venture an opinion?

Sure.

I think you should go to that
meeting tomorrow afternoon,

see if you can lend a hand.

After all, you're
going to the picnic.

You could at
least help to plan it.

I've been to these
meetings before,

when we were getting up
dances and hayrides and stuff.

And goofy girls,
all they do is argue.

[high voice] "Let's go
here." "No, let's go there."

"Let's have deviled-egg
sandwiches."

"Oh, no, I hate
deviled-egg sandwiches."

Yak, yak, yak.

Nothing's done.
Nothing ever happens.

All you get out
of it is an earache.

All right, so what they need
is someone to take charge.

Don't sit around and grumble
because nothing is being done.

Get in there and
organize the group,

get things rolling.

Who, me?

Why not?

If you see they're floundering
around as you say they always do,

then stand up and suggest that one
person be elected to head the committee.

Now, let this person name

someone to be in
charge of the food,

someone else in
charge of entertainment.

Assign the jobs, and
then let them go to work.

Now, that's being an executive.

I don't know. I was going to clean
my sparkplugs tomorrow afternoon.

Bud, you can clean
your sparkplugs anytime.

Do us a favor.

Get out from under that
car just one afternoon.

Go to the meeting.

Okay, but I'll
tell you right now

it'll be a big nothing.

Don't let it be a big nothing.

Take the initiative.
Be a leader.

What should I do,

stand up and say
"I am a leader"?

They'll fall down laughing.

Just go to the meeting.

Okay, I'll go.

Why does everybody
have to be a leader?

Why can't a guy
just be a happy slob?

[chatter]

Oh, why don't we have
the picnic in Riverside Park?

[Boy] It's got a couple loose
rods, but it doesn't burn any oil.

We had the picnic
in Riverside last year.

Why don't we do
something different?

[Boy #2] I wouldn't give
them over 10 bucks for it,

not with those tires.

[Girl] You're not
even listening.

Yes, we are. What did you say?

We were talking
about the picnic.

Okay, let's talk about it then.

- That's what I said.
- Okay.

- Hi, Bud.
- Hey, I've got an idea.

Let's have a big
barrel of potato salad,

and I'll bring the barrel.

That's not funny. Now, stop it.

We have to decide where
we're going to have the picnic.

[Man] Let's have it
at the Roundhouse,

no squares allowed.

[Girl] That leaves you out.

Hey, that's calling
him fat, ladies.

Oh, I give up, you big oafs.

We're supposed
to be the committee,

and the picnic's on Saturday.

Well, what do you want us to do?

Let's decide something.

Well, whatever
it is, I am for it.

Yeah, me, too.

What do you say, Bud?

What's there to say?

You're not getting
anyplace. You're just yakking.

Well, suggest something.

Well, seems to me, uh,
ought to get organized,

maybe elect someone to
be head of the committee,

get the thing rolling.

I'm for that.

That's the first sensible thing
that's been said all afternoon.

- Hurray for old Bud.
- Arise, Big Chief Sensible.

Our man for President,
Honest Bud Anderson.

- Oh, no.
- [Group] Yeah.

All in favor of Bud to run
the picnic committee say aye.

- Aye.
- You're elected.

[Boy] Okay, prez. What do we do?

[Boy #2] Give us the
word, oh, great leader.

Expecting someone?

I was kind of waiting for Bud.

I'm a little curious as to how he
made out with his committee meeting.

Well, I wouldn't
hope for too much.

When it comes to leadership,

Bud isn't exactly
a ball of fire.

But this might be a chance
for him to get a taste of it.

The experience
would do him good.

It's just what he needs.

[door opens]

How did it go, son?

Brutal, just brutal.

Well, what's wrong, Bud?

Something happen at school?

You sure got me in a mess.

I did?

Telling me to get that
committee organized,

start it rolling.

Talk about a double-cross.

They made me the
chairman of the whole picnic.

Is that what you're upset about?

That's great, Bud.

You accepted, didn't you?

I had to.

[Margaret] Well,
why the long face?

This is not for me.

I don't want to be the big boss,

tell everybody what to do.

Why not? Somebody
has to be the boss.

Well, I was scared stiff.

They were calling me president

and great leader,
stuff like that,

asking me what they should do.

I was in trouble.

What did you do?

Well, I remember what Dad
said about assigning guys to jobs,

and, well, I was desperate,
so that's what I did.

Good boy.

You started off just right.

Felt like a real goose,

standing up there telling
everybody what to do.

Why should I be
giving the orders?

They probably think I'm trying
to be a big man, big wheel.

Everybody's going to hate me.

They won't hate you.
They'll admire you.

Oh, yeah, sure.

What's the matter?
Bud get in trouble?

Your brother's an executive.

He's been made chairman
of the class picnic committee,

in charge of the whole thing.

Hey, that's great, Bud.

Hey, what's going on here?

Bud's the president
of his class picnic.

He's a big boss.

You don't look
very happy about it.

It wasn't my idea.

- I got shoved into it.
- [doorbell rings]

Oh, see who's at the
door, will you, kitten?

Probably one of the
guys on the committee

come over to punch
me in the nose.

Tell him I'm not at home.

- Hi.
- Hi, is Bud home?

Sure, come on in.

Bud.

Hey, Bud!

See, I told you.
They've come after me.

Stop acting like you've
committed a crime.

They elected you to this job.

Now, show them you
can be an executive.

Don't be a namby-pamby.

Well, I'd rather be
a live namby-pamby

than a dead executive.

Go on, Bud.

Well, get the first aid ready.

Well, hi, Bud.

Oh, hi, Nancy.

Thought I'd ask your advice
about the food for the picnic.

Now, Barbara and
I checked around,

and we could get box
lunches for 50 cents apiece.

Now, is that okay?

Well, 50 cents a
piece for 300 kids...

That's a bundle.

Why don't you have the
girls bring sandwiches,

and the boys could
chip in a quarter apiece

for soft drinks and ice
cream, stuff like that.

Oh, that's much better.

- Each girl bring sandwiches
for herself and a boy.
- Yeah.

We beat our brains out
trying to figure out what to do,

and you solved the
problem so easily.

Why, you're just the
person we needed

to get this committee organized,

someone with
drive and leadership.

Oh, those other boys
are the biggest nothings.

Oh, I know the picnic's going
to be a sensational success

with you running it, Bud.

Well, thanks a
lot, Nancy. Thanks.

Everybody feels
the same way. Bye.

We eavesdropped a little
on that conversation, Bud.

You handled that box
lunch thing just right.

That was good thinking.

Why, you saved the
class 25 cents a person,

and it's going to
be a lot more fun.

Now you're being an executive.

[doorbell rings]

I'll get it.

Hello, Bud.

- Oh, hi, Mr. Briggs. Come on in.
- No, thanks.

I was on my way home from school

and just stopped by to tell you

that I heard what
a fine job you did

at the picnic committee
meeting this afternoon.

Oh, well, thanks.

As faculty advisor
on this picnic project,

I want to compliment you, Bud,

for stepping forward
and taking charge.

That's the kind of
initiative we like to see.

Well, there was
a job to be done.

Somebody had to do it.

You know, of course,

everything has to
be done by Friday.

That's day after tomorrow.

We'll have a meeting of
all the committee members

for the final report
Friday afternoon.

It'll be all set. I've got everybody
in the committee working.

That's the ticket.

I know you're going to
bring it off in great style.

I'll see you at the
meeting on Friday.

Right.

[exhales]

Just a moment, my small friend.

Run out and get me
the evening paper.

I'll be in the kitchen.

Who was at the door?

Oh, Mr. Briggs,
teacher from school,

came over to congratulate me.

Well, good.

You know, a guy's
got to face facts.

I must be a natural executive

the way I got that
committee rolling.

What do you mean run
out and get you the paper?

Who was your slave yesterday?

[phone rings]

Get that, will you?

[rings]

Hello?

May I speak to James
Anderson Jr., please?

Who?

Oh, you mean Bud.

Just a minute.

For you.

Hello?

Mr. Anderson,

I'm calling from The
Springfield Times.

I'd like to get a story

on the high school
junior class picnic.

Well, I assigned Nancy Crail

and Barbara Shane to get food

and Dutch Miller to line
up the entertainment,

Frank Dennis for transportation,

and Earl Page to
arrange for the park,

and Dick Harvey...

[phone clatters]

and Dick Harvey...

uh, Dick Harvey to
get the refreshments.

Yes, it's going to
be on Saturday.

You certainly seem to
have it well organized,

Mr. Anderson.

Thank you very much.

That's quite all right. Goodbye.

That was the newspaper,

planning to run a big
story on me, I guess.

Say, Dad, how old were you

when you found out
you were an executive?

I don't know. I
haven't found out yet.

Well, when it comes,
it'll hit you just like that.

Incidentally,

outside the house I'm
known as Mr. Anderson.

Honey, are you sure that's
our Bud the shrinking violet?

You wanted him to try his wings.

Yes, but he's heading
for outer space.

Good morning, chief.

Good morning.

What are the headlines?

Nothing about the
picnic committee.

I guess they got
the story in too late

to hit the front page.

Will you please not read
in the middle of the kitchen?

- Morning, kids.
- Morning, Father.

- Morning, Daddy.
- Hi.

Hey, here's the story.

"Plans for Saturday's...
junior class picnic

"are speedily taking shape

"under the expert guidance
of James Anderson Jr.,

"who was chosen yesterday

"to head the project
by unanimous vote

"of the student committee.

"Mr. Anderson
appointed" etc., etc...

"according to Mr. Anderson."
How do you like that?

Who wrote the story, you?

Why do they call
you Mr. Anderson?

That's Daddy's name.

Because, my child, it
happens to be my name, too,

and when you
speak of an executive,

you always call
him Mr. somebody.

Would you do me a
favor, Mr. Somebody?

Certainly. What is it?

Carry out the garbage.

Mom, don't you think I'm a
little above carrying garbage?

You can reach down.

Talk about being
drunk with power.

What goes with him anyway?

Oh, leave him alone.

He's on the top of the heap
for the first time in his life,

and the altitude's
made him dizzy.

Dizzy?

I can think of better
words to describe it.

One of them is obnoxious.

He tries to boss me once more,

I'm going to clout him.

Hold your fire.

After breakfast I'll take him
to one side and have a talk.

- Dad.
- Mm-hm.

I'd like you to come in
to the den after breakfast.

- Me?
- I want to have
a little talk with you.

Couple of things I want
to talk over with you, Dad.

Good, I'm glad you
suggested it, son.

To be honest with you,
Bud, your mother and I felt

that you've become a pretty...

big man since yesterday.

You're right, Dad. I have.

That's why I want to talk
to you about the den here.

Now, you don't use
this desk and stuff much,

and I was thinking, if it was
okay with you, I'd take it over.

What for?

Well, I'm thinking
of branching out,

you know, other
executive operations

like running dances and
picnics and stuff for people.

Just might develop a couple
of business projects, too...

General management, kind of.

You see...

You see, I know this is
the line of work for me.

I didn't realize it
till just yesterday,

but it seems to
come natural to me.

I kind of have a knack for it.

- See, the way I look at it...
- [phone rings]

Get that, would you, doll?

[rings]

Doll?

[rings]

Hello?

Yes, just a minute.

It's for you, Your Majesty.

It's Frank, one of the
slaves on your committee.

I can't talk to him now.
Tell him I'm at a meeting.

You know, the great thing
about being an executive is

you don't have to
break your back.

Other people do
all the work for you.

Well, there's a little
more to it than that.

Guy's on his own.
He's his own boss,

doesn't depend on anybody,
doesn't need anybody.

Now, wait. The people
who are working for you...

You don't need them, Dad.

If they goof, you just let them
go and get somebody else.

Look, Bud, no man is
completely independent.

No matter how big he may be,

he still has to rely
on other people.

No, if a guy has to
rely on somebody else,

it shows he's weak.

He's not a good executive.

- [phone rings]
- If that's for me,
I'm in a conference.

[rings]

Hello?

He says he's in a conference.

Just a minute.

It's Frank.

He says he's got to talk to you.

He doesn't care where you are.

Excuse me, Dad.

Hello?

Bud, this is Frank.

Hey, I got bad news.

Frank, I'm real busy right now.

But this is important.

I can't find any
transportation for the picnic.

What do you mean?

Just what I said.

I called the Springfield
bus company,

and they just laughed at me.

I'm not very good at
this kind of stuff, Bud.

Maybe you'd better
get somebody else.

[mumbles] Okay,
Frank, I'll get another guy.

That's okay.

I can get five guys for the job.

See you.

Problems?

Oh, no, everything's okay.

When do you have
to make the final report

to Mr. Briggs and the committee?

Tomorrow, but I've got
nothing to worry about.

Just get another
guy, that's all.

I can get plenty of guys.

You planning on going
to school today, doll?

- Bye, Father.
- Bye, princess.

Goodbye, O Executive Sir,

O Grand and
Illustrated Honky-tonk...

[bangs door]

Well, you know
the old saying, son...

Uneasy lies the head
that wears the crown.

Who's uneasy?

I've got everything
under control.

I know exactly what I'm doing.

I'd leave the telephone
book here if I were you.

See you, Dad.

Yeah, son, goodbye.

Good luck.

Well, how's Bud?

Is he still flying?

Oh, yes, he's still flying,

but I think one engine's
giving him trouble.

He's losing altitude.

- Bye, dear.
- Goodbye.

There's nothing to it, Clark.

Just get some buses to
take the guys to the picnic.

Who do I know that owns a bus?

There's plenty of buses in town.

Yeah, but the city's using them.

Sorry, chief, you better
find yourself somebody else

to line up your
transportation...

Clark...

Hey, Dutch.

Oh, hi, boss.

Look, Dutch, I'm in kind
of a spot on transportation.

Old Frank goofed out on me,

so how about you
line up some buses

when you get the
entertainment set?

What entertainment?
I couldn't find anything.

The fire department band's
all booked up Saturday.

You mean you got nothing?

What else is there?

Gee, I tried.

You guys sure let me down good.

No entertainment,
no transportation.

- I'll see you at the meeting
tomorrow, all right?
- Okay, bye, Barbara.

Earl... you all
set with the park?

I couldn't find
anybody at the park.

Just a couple of gardeners.

They didn't know from nothing.

I went over there.

Uh, look, I've got
to go to my locker.

I'll see you later, fellas.

- Say...
- I've got to mosey along, too. See you.

Hello, Bud.

Oh... hi, Mr. Briggs.

How's the picnic shaping up?

Oh, good... very good, yeah.

That's the stuff.

Mr. Armstead was
asking me this morning

how plans were coming for the
junior class picnic on Saturday.

I told him, "Bud
Anderson has full charge,

so you don't have to worry."

How's that for confidence?

Even the principal
is relying on you.

Well, see you at the
meeting tomorrow.

Yeah, see you, Mr. Briggs.

Tomorrow.

[thinking] Just get out of
town. That's all you can do.

You've got to go someplace
before tomorrow afternoon.

The freight yards
maybe, hop a freight,

or just start walking
down the road.

Hitch a ride, maybe.

You could thumb
your way to Canada.

I could do that... thumb...

Mom.

I didn't know you were home.

Is anything wrong?

Oh, tell me, Bud. What is it?

I'm a dead goose.

What?

- [Betty] Mother.
- I'm in Bud's room.

Hey, Mother...

Well, what's wrong with the
world's greatest executive?

Your empire coming unglued?

What happened?

Everything.

All the guys I was
counting on, just about,

they all walked out.

[Jim] Margaret, I'm home.

We're up here, Father.

I left school early
and went all over town

trying to get the buses

and get permission for the park.

I couldn't find anybody.

I talked to this guy,

an he'd send me to that guy.

Well, I got nothing.

What is it, some board meeting?

Bud's in trouble.

Oh? What happened?

Committee let me down,

all but the girls and
old Dick Harvey,

who's taking care
of the refreshments.

He came through.

His dad runs the bottling works.

Well, you're not a
completely dead goose.

No?

We're going to have a
thousand sandwiches

and 50 cases of pop

and no place to go with it,

no buses, no
transportation, no park,

no nothing,

and tomorrow Mr. Briggs is going
to expect everything to be done.

I've got to disappear.

I've got to go someplace,

start a new life.

I'll never live
this down, never.

Well, don't leave town yet.

You still have till
tomorrow afternoon.

Wouldn't help if I
had till next year.

Let's see, you need a
place to hold a picnic.

Well, here's a thought.

I know Milt Jarvis, the
Park Commissioner.

You do?

If you were to
call the City Hall

and tell them who you
are and what you need,

he might arrange something.

Yeah, that might work.

And for entertainment,

why don't you call
Mr. Clyde at the music store?

Maybe he'd donate
a record player

and a public address system

just for the advertising.

- Do you think he might?
- And let all the kids bring
their favorite records.

Yeah, how about that?

And for transportation,

what about the company that
operates the school buses?

I'll bet you they'd
make a deal with you

for 10 cents a person
or something like that.

The school buses,
why didn't I think of that?

Well, maybe I've got a chance.

Do you think we can do this?

I don't think we can,

but you certainly can try.

Yeah, you're right.
This is my deal.

I'll see about the school buses,

talk to Mr. Clyde,
see the parks...

All this by tomorrow?

[groans]

And the school buses will
be in front of the gymnasium

to pick us up at 9:00
tomorrow morning.

We'll go to Meadow Glen Park,

where the Clyde Music Company

is installing a record player
and a public address system,

and the kids have been asked
to bring their favorite records.

The food and refreshments
have been taken care of,

so I guess that's
about it. Thank you.

I'd like to say something

for the benefit of Mr. Briggs
and the committee.

What you may not know

is that Bud had very little help

in putting this all together.

Dick Harvey furnished
the refreshments,

but the rest of it
Bud did all by himself.

Well, the real truth is I
didn't do it all by myself.

My mother and
father and sister...

Well, they did...

Well, I couldn't have
done it without them.

My dad had told me before

that there's nobody hardly

who doesn't have to
depend on somebody else.

I had to learn
that the hard way,

but he never said
"I told you so."

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