Father Knows Best (1954–1960): Season 4, Episode 5 - Sentenced to Happiness - full transcript

[Announcer] Here are...

with Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray,

and Lauren Chapin in...

- Margaret.
- Yes, dear.

Come on down and
meet an old friend of yours.

Come on.

Well, come on in, Fronk.

Fronk, hello!

Well, it's so good
to see you again.

Señora.

My goodness, how many times



I wished you were still
doing our gardening.

Now one can make things
grow the way you can.

Oh, Fronk won't be available

because he's taking
on a big new project.

Sí, I will be the big
gardener for the civil circus.

No, civil services.
It's a city job.

Oh, that's wonderful.

Fronk!

Oh, boy, Fronk! Are you
coming back to work for us?

Remember how much
fun we used to have

riding me in your wheelbarrow?

Come on, let's go
out and do it again.

Whoa, kitten.

The reason Fronk is here...



Fronk, how are you?

Muy bien, gracias.

Going to try to
pump a little life blood

in our miserable lawn?

No, Fronk is going
to garden for the city.

Hey, that's wonderful.

Well, actually he's starting out

as a temporary worker.

Before he gets
the job officially,

he has to pass a
civil service test.

- That's where you
come in, Betty.
- Me?

Yep. You're going
to be his teacher.

All the material he has
to know is in this book.

You'll have to work fast because
the test is a week from Saturday,

is that right?

Sure, any time okay with me.

Well, I'm sure
that's what it is.

So, Betty, take your pupil in
the den and start cramming.

Okay, Fronk. Come on.

I think this puts you out
too much bother, señorita.

- Oh, no.
- Go on, Fronk.

You have to learn this stuff.
Remember what the man said?

Sí. He say I must become a
steady and respectable citizen.

That will make me happy.

And you know, that's
the most important thing

for a man to be... happy.

Yes, of course, Fronk, but...

You know, I often lucky
he told me I was not happy

or I would not
never have known it.

But, Fronk...

And it would be
a terrible sad thing

to go through life unhappy

and not know how
miserable you are.

Boy, I lucky I find out.

[all chuckle]

- Well, I better help you study.
- Yeah, me, too.

Well, what's all this
about being happy?

Whoever told Fronk
he was unhappy?

- The judge.
- The judge?

Oh, no, don't tell me
he's in trouble again.

Well, with a man
whose mind works

in the rare channels
that Fronk's does

it's hard to tell
trouble from normal.

But if you have a cup of
nice hot of coffee for me,

I'll tell all.

So Fronk began to
garden for Mr. Brendan,

the banker owns the
big place on the hill.

And, of course, Fronk began to
buy a lot of fine shrubs and trees

without Mr. Brendan's
permission.

And charging them
to Mr. Brendan,

also without permission.

Well, he never learned
anything about business.

I know.

Anyway, when this
whopping big bill arrived,

Mr. Brendan got mad. Thought
Fronk was running some kind of a racket

and hauled poor
old Fronk into court.

Oh, dear. Well, how
did you get involved?

Well, it seems the
judge asked Fronk

if he had an accomplice.

Well, Fronk thought this
was some kind of an honor.

So he named me to do me a favor.

Oh, no. Well, it
sounds just like him.

Were you able to convince the
judge that you were innocent?

Oh, yes. But I couldn't
quite convince him

that Fronk is an unusual
and impractical man

dedicated to making
the world beautiful

and the people in it happy.

Oh, I wish you could
have been there today

when the judge tried to
explain the case to Fronk.

We were sitting in
the judge's chambers,

and finally the
judge leaned over

and looked at
Fronk very seriously.

Now look, Fronk.

You simply can not charge
a couple of hundred dollars'

worth of trees and
shrubs to Mr. Brendan...

Or to anybody
else, for that matter...

Without that
person's authorization.

Do you understand?

Okay, to say "I do"?

- Mmm.
- I do.

Now, Mr. Brendan had you pull
out all those shrubs and plants,

and he refuses to pay for them,

but somebody's
got to pay for them,

and that's you.

Now, locking you up
won't help you do that.

So I'm going to release you

into the custody
of Mr. Anderson.

Now, the first thing that
you have to do, Fronk...

That's an odd sort of a name.

Fronk.

What is that, uh, Spanish?

Oh, no, it's my first
class USA name.

Fronk.

How do you spell that?

[in Spanish] F-R-A-N-K.

Fronk.

It's Frank.

Oh, I see. Frank.

Sí. Fronk.

Now, well, the first
thing you have to do...

Frank, I'm talking to you.

Señor Judge, you're not
treating these plants nice.

They need the water.

- Uh, yeah, sure.
- Sí.

They are not happy.

- Uh, yeah, Frank...
- Why you not water them?

I'll water them,
but right now...

You promise?

All right, I promise,

if you'll promise me
a couple of things.

You betcha, okay. Anything.

All right, you're going to have
to make a weekly payment

of $20 every Friday

until that nursery is paid
back for all those plants

you charged to
Mr. Brendan, okay?

- Okay?
- Okay.

Okay.

You'll have to get
a job. A steady job.

Now, there's a job
open with the city

as assistant gardener.

Now, the city can
put you on right away,

but you'll have to pass a
civil service examination

in order to keep the job.

Now, the examination
is going to be held on...

Just a minute, let me see here.

What he say?

I'll explain later.

Uh, week from next
Saturday, room 219 at 9 a.m.

They'll give you
a book to study.

Now, you do these things, Frank,

and you'll lead a
much better life.

I will?

Yes, it'll keep
you out of trouble

and you'll become a
steady, responsible citizen.

Only in this way,
Fronk... Frank...

Can you be happy.

Happy?

By the golly, señor,

I sure glad I find out
how unhappy I am.

Thank you.

I will turn over the new leaf.

And you turn over,
too. Water those.

I don't know who made the
biggest impression on whom.

Fronk or the judge.

I do know that Fronk
is completely convinced

that responsibility is
the key to happiness.

Oh, I hope so. He's such rare
and wonderful person otherwise.

Do you think he'll be able
to pass that examination?

Well, that all depends on
how good a teacher Betty is.

No, no, Fronk, now listen
to the question very closely.

Sí.

Just pick out the one of
the answers that's right.

- You betcha, okay.
- Okay.

"A compost heap should...
A: Be protected from leaching.

"B: Should never include humus.

C: Should always be
set up in a wooden box."

Oh, they're all mixed up.

I always putting humus
and then throw in soil.

And that box idea is no good.

Who made up the crazy questions?

Fronk, the answer is A.

A what?

Oh, just the letter
A. The first answer,

the one about protecting
the compost from leaching.

Well, now, that's the
only part they got right.

Now, the way I make
a compost heap...

Fronk, in this exam, they
don't care how you do it.

All they want to know...

Well, why they hire me?

When I go down
there to work tomorrow,

I better strike them
out on this stuff.

- [phone rings]
- Fine, but right now...

I'll get it.

[sighs]

Now, let's try once more.

Now, you must understand

that some of these
answers are wrong.

You said it. You
think they know better.

Now, listen closely.
"In pruning rose bushes,

you are always
supposed to... A..."

[Kathy] Okay, okay.

Okay, I'll get right on it,
Miss Halverson. goodbye.

Miss Halverson?

Evidently a Camp
Fire Girl activity, huh?

Yes, we're going
out in the country

and dig for old
Indian arrowheads.

I have to get the
transportation.

Fronk, you listening?

Fronk, woo-hoo.

Sure. I was just thinking.

I know of a place

where there are buried
lots of flint arrowheads.

I better tell little Kathy.

Fronk!

Boy, he's gonna do
so bad on that test

he's gonna have to take it
over three times just to flunk it.

Oh, good evening,
Fronk, come in.

Gracias, Señora, buenos noches.

[groans]

Oh, what's the matter?
Something wrong with your back?

Oh, no, it is nothing.

But you know this
new civil circus job

they put me on temporary?

Boy, it sure is a funny
kind of gardening.

Oh?

We don't not plant the flowers

or the trees or
prune the bushes.

All we do is shovel dirt for I
think they call a tennis courts.

Tennis courts?

Sí, you shovel dirt
all day in a big truck.

You shovel and sh...

This being happy
sure hard on the back.

Well, Fronk, working with
flowers will probably come later

when you get the job officially.

But before you can do that,

you have to pass
that examination.

So you work just as hard
as you can on that, okay?

Sí, señor.

Oh, one more thing.

Tomorrow is Friday,
your first payday.

Now, what does that mean?

Means I get paid.

Yes, but what are you
supposed to do with the money?

Oh, sí, in the nursery today

I see the most beautiful
flowering tulip tree.

And it belongs right out
there in your front yard.

No.

No?

No, Fronk, you're not

to spend your money for anything

until you back every cent
of that bill that you owe.

Now, tomorrow the minute
you get paid you go straight

to this place where you charged
all that stuff to Mr. Brendan

and you pay them
$20. Is that clear?

Sí, señor.

Now, if you don't
make that payment,

they'll report you to the court.

And you don't want that
to happen now do you?

Oh, no, I would not never
want nothing like that.

No.

Well, all right, then.

Now, you hop in the den

and start working
on your lessons.

Betty's waiting for you.

Sí, señor. Con permiso.

This being an accomplice is
harder than I thought it would be.

[phone rings]

Yes.

Oh, hello, Judge.

What? He didn't.

Well, that's strange.

He promised me
faithfully last night

he'd make that payment

the minute he got
his wages today.

Well, now, wait. I...

I'm sure he didn't
do this intentionally.

Something must have happened.

No, now, wait. I...

I'll see that the
payment is made

if you'll just give
him another chance.

Don't worry, I will.

All right. Yes.

Goodbye.

[groans]

[phone rings]

Yes. Oh, hello, honey.

Can I call you
back in a little bit?

I have a big problem now.

What? He is?

Well, he's the problem.

What's he doing there?

He's just planted a flowering
tulip tree in our front yard.

He was supposed to use his
money to make his first pay...

Let me talk to him.

Hello, Fronk.

Fronk, what in the world
is a matter with you?

You can't spend your
money on tulip trees now.

You're on probation.

Now, why didn't you
make that payment?

Well, I was going to,
but then I start thinking

why should I give all this money

to the monkeys who
cause me all the trouble?

Are they my friends? No.

Is Señor Anderson my
friend? You darn betcha.

So I say to myself, "Fronk,
what kind of dog of a man you be

if you do not take care
of your friends first?"

So I buy the tree.

Well, tell me this. How much
of your wages do you have left?

Oh, I have a whole big...

Uh, little bunch.
Wait please, I look.

¿Señora?

Uh, Señora, would you count
how much dinero I have left?

Uh, just to see if we get
both the same answers.

Um, you have 94 cents.

I have 94... Oh.

I have 94 centavos.

He says it's not enough.
Count it again, please.

No, no, never mind, Fronk.

Now listen to me. They are several
things you have to get straight.

To begin with, you now
owe me for the first payment.

Because I'm making it for you.

Ah, it is good to have
everything settled.

Bueno días, señor.

Fronk. Fronk?

Boy, that Señor Anderson,

he is the most nice
accomplice I ever have.

Adiós, señora.

- Fronk?
- [hums]

Daddy, you have
to drive your car

in that arrowhead hunt.

I just lost Mr. Davis.

He has to stay home and
paint his service porch.

Well, why can't
Mrs. Davis drive?

She has to stay
home and watch him,

or he'll do it wrong.

How about it, Daddy, huh?

Uh, okay, put me down.

Oh, when did you say
this big trip is going to be?

This Saturday morning.

Okay, I will... Oh, no.

That's the morning Fronk
takes his civil service test.

I have to be down there
to make sure he takes it.

But gee.

Angel, we can't take a chance
of Fronk missing that test.

Oh, no, he's on thin
enough ice as it is.

His foreman almost
fired him today,

and he hasn't
even got the job yet.

At least not officially.

Oh, dear, what did he do?

Well, he...

You know they're putting
in some tennis courts...

Clay, not cement.

They finished one court
today and put up the net.

Well, Fronk didn't think
it looked very pretty.

So on his lunch hour he went out

and got a hold of
some morning glories

and planted them so
they climb on the net.

Oh, no.

He thought that would
make everybody happy.

The foreman took a
pretty dim view of it.

- Oh, Mother...
- Oh, you're just the one
I want to see.

When Fronk comes
over tonight for his lesson,

really pour it on him.
He hasn't much time left.

Well, I know
that, Father, but...

Oh, I just have to go to the
library to do some work of my own,

so someone else will just
have to coach Fronk tonight.

I'll be glad to do it

if somebody will get me
some cars for Saturday.

Oh, here, Mother, you can do it.

Just start here with these
true or false questions.

Just tell me if these
statements are true or false.

Sí. Shoot.

It is difficult to transplant
plants with have tap roots.

If you mean the señor
foreman I work for,

it would be worse
than difficult.

Be impossible.

Yes, but is it true or false?

Oh, it's true. He don't
know nothing about plants.

Today I plant whole bunch of
nice morning glories, and he...

Uh, Fronk, just tell me

is the question true or false?

What question?

Well, the one about
transplanting plants with tap roots.

- Well, that's hard to do,
but not for me.
- [phone rings]

- The way I do it...
- Uh, Fronk, uh-uh.

All I want you to do
is just say true or false.

Excuse me, Mom, Mrs.
Carter is on the phone.

She has to go out of town,

so she can't handle
decorations on...

Well, I forgot
what she said now.

Oh, that's that party our
church group is giving

over at the children's
hospital today.

She wants to know if you'll
handle the decorations for her.

Oh, dear.

How can I get decorations
together at this late date?

Well, tell her I'll try somehow.

Okay.

Well, now, let's see,
um, where were we?

You was testing me the one about
the foreman transplant the bushes

and the answer is no.

Oh, yes.

What? What foreman?

Oh-ho, señora. You are
almost as bad mixed up

as the hombre
who wrote the book.

Well, now, wait, Judge.
How do you know Fronk

didn't show up for
work this morning?

The foreman of his crew

is standing right
here beside me.

Why they saddled me
with that guy, I'll never know.

Look, I don't know how many
more chances we can give him.

I know I can get
along with out him.

All right, do you have
any idea where he is?

No, but I'll find him somehow.

And I'll get him back on
the job as quickly as I can.

And I'm sure this
won't happen again.

All right, goodbye.

[groans]

Now, where shall I look?

[phone rings]

Yes.

Oh, hello, honey. I
hate to say this, dear,

but you call me at the
worst possible times.

Guess who's here at
the children's hospital

helping us to
decorate for the party.

Oh.

Muy bonito.

Maybe you can convince
him. Hey, wait a minute.

Fronk,

would you come here a minute?

Mr. Anderson
wants to talk to you.

Oh, the Señor
Anderson. That is nice.

Hello, Señor Accomplice.

Boy, you should see how muy bonito
the señoras are fixing up the place.

The niños will be oh so happy.

Huh?

Oh, sí, sí. Pronto.

Goodbye.

I guess I make a boo-boo.

Looks like I never
going to learn

how to be steady or happy.

Goodbye, señora.

Excuse me for interrupting
your lesson, Fronk,

but I want to warn you that...

Well, tomorrow morning
you have to take this test,

and actually, this
is your last chance.

You messed things
up pretty well so far,

and if you fail this test...

Dad, he won't. You ought to
hear him rip off this stuff now.

Just listen to him. We're
nearly through here.

Let's see where
were we? Oh, yeah.

Bordeaux mixture?

Fungicide.

Right. Dutch elm?

Disease of the tree.

Right. Weigela?

Shrub.

Yes, that's it.

You see, Father? He's got it.

Say that's all right, Fronk.

Very good.

Now, I'll be able
to sleep tonight.

That's the best time to do it.

Yeah, well, you be at the City
Hall tomorrow morning at 9:00.

Oh, uh...

You better to make
it a little before 9.

Room 219.

I'll be there, too.

Oh, yes. You give this to
the man in charge there.

This authorizes
you to take the test.

Okay?

Sí, señor.

Oh, really?

Oh, boy, that's
keen, Miss Halverson.

Yeah, I'll be there. Bye.

Whoopee!

We're all set on
the arrowhead hunt.

- Ah.
- We're going on a bus!

Hey, everything okay? Cool, eh?

Hey, Mommy,
we're going on a bus.

Oh, that's wonderful.

Um, how's the lessons coming?

- Just great.
- Terrific.

Fronk is going to do very well.

You go home and get a
good nights rest, Fronk.

And I'll see you at room
219 before 9 a.m., okay?

Sí, then I will
start being happy.

Official. Buenos noches.

May things go
well with all of you.

And me, too.

We'll all be pulling
for you, Fronk.

You bet we will, Fronk.

Gracias.

[all laugh]

Oh, are they starting
the examination now?

Well, there'll be one
more fellow coming...

Up, he better hurry.

Well... I...

Hello, Mr. Anderson.

Oh, hello, Judge.

Well, is your boy
taking the test?

Well, uh, not yet.
He's a little late.

Late? Oh, now, don't tell me.

Oh, I'm sure he'll be here.
He's been studying very hard.

He knows all the materials.

Last night he was
snapping out the answers...

Hello, Judge.

Is that Fronk
character in there?

No, he isn't.

That's just what I figured.

That creep has stolen
one of my trucks.

Oh, now, wait. I'm
sure he didn't steal it.

No? Well, it's gone.

He claimed he lost a slip
he needed to take this test,

and he asked if he could
borrow a truck to go find it,

but he never come back.

And I need that truck,

and I need the
shovels and stuff in it.

I've already reported
it as a stolen truck.

Well, I figure it was the only way
you can deal with guys like him.

Why don't you go find out

if they got any line
on that truck yet?

I just don't understand this.

I saw him just
last night, and he...

Let's face it.

Now, after all there are
some people in this world

that you just can't help,

no matter what
you try to do for him.

Of course I did think
that Fronk was different.

But he is different.

You said it. You know
what he did to a tennis court?

He planted...

Look you people just
don't understand this man.

Anything?

Service station reported
seeing the truck parked

just off of Highway 39
beyond the Brandon turnoff.

Well, come on, let's go get him.

I'm going with you.

And, Judge, you
better come, too.

I don't have the
explanation of this,

but I'd stake my life
he didn't steal anything.

Come on.

Oh, all right.

That's it. That's the truck.

And most of the
stuff is gone, too.

[chattering in the distance]

Hey, come here. Hurry, I
want to show you something.

[chattering]

Hey, look, I found one.

Genuine flint first
class arrowhead, eh?

It's a real one. [laughs]

Kathy.

Why, Daddy!

Come here.

What are you doing here?

I'll explain later. Just tell me
why you girls came in that truck.

I thought you were
coming in a bus.

Well, you see, Fronk
showed up at the house

looking for some kind of a slip.

Mommy found it for him.

And when he left, he gave me a
ride to church, where the bus was.

But the bus wouldn't
run. So Fronk says,

"Hop in the truck. I take you."

So here we are.

Boy, are we having fun.

Well, you go back
and dig some more.

Okay.

Fronk?

Found some more, eh?

Will you come
here please, Fronk?

Oh, señor.

Señor Judge. Hey, Señor Foreman.

He grab yourselves a
shovel and start the digging.

Boy, we're having a fiesta.

Yes, so I see. What
about the examination?

The examina...

Ooo, I forgot all about it.

What a no-good-for-nothing
dog of a hombre I am.

That is exactly right.

Fronk, do you realize

all the things that
you've done wrong?

To begin with,

you failed to make the
first payment on your debt.

Instead, he bought me a tree

to show me his gratitude
for my helping him.

Then you almost ruined
a public tennis court

by planting
morning glories on it.

Trying to bring a little
beauty into the world.

Then you jeopardize the
job we're trying to get you

by missing almost
a full day's work.

In order decorate for a
party at the children's hospital.

And now you not only
ruined your chances of a job

by missing the test,

you drive off
with city property.

So that a group of little
girls won't be disappointed.

You know, I, uh,

I'm beginning to understand

what you mean about this fellow.

I think we're making
the wrong approach.

We've been trying to conform him

into a steady
eight-hour-a-day shovel man.

That's like shutting a rare
mountain flower up in a box

and expecting it to grow.

And here's the real joke.

We were going to make him happy.

If we had just one half of
his formula for happiness.

- What he say?
- Shh.

You, uh, realize, Fronk,

that you're still going to
have to pay back that money.

Sí, señor.

Now, tell me. Can
you get any other kind

of gardening jobs
like you used to have?

You know, the kind of
gardening job you like to do?

Oh, sí. Sí, señor.

All right, then. You do that.

But when you get paid...

Oh, now we're right
back where we started.

If there was only some way

that you can have
a business manager.

Business manager?

Okay, I got the best
one in the whole world.

Señor Judge. Señor Forman.

Hey, let's start
the digging, eh?

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