My Three Sons (1960–1972): Season 2, Episode 5 - A Perfect Memory - full transcript

While Steve (Fred MacMurray) is out, a former girlfriend Pat McNulty calls the house to ask him out for the evening. When Steve returns home, he tries to reach her, but now she is out. Steve reminisces about their previous relationship and recalls it as perfect.

How'd you know it was
me that sent that note?

Oh, hi, Robbie.

I beg your pardon?

I said hi, Dad.

Oh.

Hi, Bub. Hi, Mike.

Can I borrow your car tonight?

Hello, Dad, can I
borrow your car tonight.

Hello, Dad, can I
borrow your car tonight?

What's wrong with your jalopy?

I blew a tire.



I'll lend you my jack.

Bub, I always forget something

and this time I forgot
the strawberries,

but I did remember
the peanut butter.

So we'll have
peanut-butter shortcake.

I gotta have a car tonight, Dad.

I thought you were going to
a party over at Jean's house.

Well, I am.

But it's right next door.

Oh, do I have to go
through this again?

I got to drive up
like everybody else.

I can't just walk
up to her house.

Well, maybe if you got a couple
of hours rest this afternoon,

you'll be able to make it, huh?



You don't understand...

Mike, why don't you put this stuff
away for Bub, would you, hmm?

What are you beefing about?

Your dad's car is
sitting right outside.

You get in it tonight,
honk the horn, get out

and Jean will never know
whether you drove up or not.

The only reason
I got a flat tire is

because I took a
friend of yours into town.

Oh? Who was that, Mike?

She said her name
was Josephine Kringles.

Oh... Say, what if we
want to go someplace

after the party tonight, Dad?

I mean, we're gonna need a car.

Josephine Kringles?

Yeah, someone you
knew in the Dark Ages.

Just dropped in to
say hello or something.

Mike, are you sure she said her
name was Josephine Kringles?

You don't think I'd make
up a name like that, do you?

What did she look like?

I thought you knew her.

Well, I used to know her,
but people change, you know?

That was a long time ago.

What did she look like?

I don't know.

Well, you drove her downtown.

Well, you always tell me to keep
my eyes on the road when I'm driving.

Oh, for Pete's sake. Robbie...

Yeah, well, mine are blue.

I'll pay for the gas...
Excuse me, Mike.

Bub, the girl that
was here this morning,

Josephine Kringles,
what did she look like?

Girl? She hasn't been a girl since
the lightning rod went out of style.

All right, all right... woman.

Tell me, is she still pretty?

Well, I didn't see much of her.

Chip let her in.

Oh...

Oh, Chip, the girl... uh, I mean
the lady that was here today,

what did she look like?

Hello, Dad.

Oh, I'm sorry. Hello, Chip.

What did she look like?

You mean Miss Jingles?

Kringles.

Well, she wore a big hat
and she had a mole right here.

That's a beauty mark.

Well, I have a mole and you
never said it was a beauty mark.

Well, uh, yours happens
to be in a different place.

Mike talked to her most.

Oh.

Mike?

Oh, Mike, did you happen to get

Miss Kringle" telephone number?

No, Dad, she's too old for me.

Oh, you fellas sure
are a big fat help.

An old friend comes to see me,

someone I haven't seen
in, well, 30 years, and...

30 years?!

Whoosh.

It's a good thing I gave
her a lift to the drug store.

She'd have never
made it on foot.

Oh, come on now.

Drug store? Which drug store?

The one across
from the high school?

Yeah, she wanted to know if the
kids still hung out there after school.

So that's where
I dropped her off.

That's what I wanted
to talk to you about...

I'll, uh, I'll talk to you
about the car later.

I'm, uh, I'm going
out for a little while.

I'll, uh... I'll be back.

She ought to be easy to find.

Just check the liniment and
hot water bottle department.

Good afternoon, sir.

Oh, hello.

What'll you have?

Well, let's see, the
last time I was in here,

I had a... Lindy Hop Special.

Two scoops of ice cream, a
couple of rings of pineapple,

chocolate syrup, a
lot of whipped cream

with a side dish of almonds.

That's it!

Why, I thought that dish
went out with flagpole sitting.

Flagpole sitting?

Yeah, fellas used to sit

on top of a flagpole
for days and days and...

It sounds kind
of silly, doesn't it?

So you still make a
Lindy Hop Special, huh?

Oh, no, sir.

A lady came in about a
half-hour ago and ordered one.

She told me how to make it.

She a friend of yours?

Yes, I used to know her.

Lindy Hop...

Boy, you haven't been in
here for a long time, have you?

No, it's been
three or four years.

Yeah, Lindy Hop... boy,
that was way back in 19...

Uh, why don't you, uh,

bring me that crazy,
mixed-up dish, huh?

Oh, sure.

Yes, sir, right away.

June third, nineteen-hundred
and thirty-one.

Josephine and Steve.

Just think, Steve,
16 years old today.

Half my life's practically over.

I feel awfully old.

Wait till you're 17,
then you'll really feel old.

Hi, cutie-pie.

Hello, Larry.

Hi, Douglas.

Hi, Peckinpaugh.

Sweets to the sweet.

Thank you.

Got a new one for you, Josie.

Did you hear about the
girl that wore green lipstick?

Her boyfriend was
a railroad engineer.

Oh, honestly, Larry.

Hey, Josie, uh, how's
about going with me

to the senior hop
tomorrow night, huh?

She's going with
me, Peckinpaugh.

So... So shove off, huh?

Okel-dokel.

Hey, uh, how's Hot
Lips Douglas here

gonna woo the saxophone

and a cute chick like you
at the same time, huh?

Well, I can handle
it all right, Romeo.

See you later, Josie.

Oh, don't pay any attention
to that Larry Peckinpaugh.

Well, maybe it
isn't fair, Josephine.

Well, I mean, asking you
to go to the dance with me

when I have to play for it.

Well, I wouldn't think of
going with anyone else but you.

There you are, sir.

Boy, that's it.

Sure hope you like it.

Say, I do remember
something about that lady.

She wanted to know
if they were still using

old Wilson Hall for
the senior dances.

Wilson Hall.

Thanks very much.

Aren't you going to eat
your Lindy Hop Special?

Be my guest.

How much is it?

75 cents.

75 cents.

The last one I
had was a quarter.

Thanks a lot.

Thank you, sir.

♪ ♪

Ladies and gentlemen, the
next dance will be a tag dance.

Sorry, Peckinpaugh,
it's my dance.

I'll be back, cutie.

I sure decided one
thing tonight, Josephine.

What's that?

Well, I'm not going to be a
musician when I graduate.

I don't want to have to
watch you dance with guys

like that Peckinpaugh
while I make the music for it.

What are you going to be?

Airplane pilot.

But that's dangerous.

Well, letting you dance with
other guys is dangerous, too.

My daddy flew in
one the other day

and he said it went
over 140 miles an hour.

That's nothing.

Just wait a few years and
see how fast they'll be going.

You'll be careful, won't you?

Well, heck, yes.

Well, after all, I've
got you to think of.

Pretty good, son.

But I think you
are a little late

for the junior tryout.

Thanks, Mr. Lehnhoff,

but I don't think I'm quite
what you call a junior anymore.

Oh, Mr. Douglas!

Excuse me, my
wife always tells me

I should get my
glasses adjusted.

I would never change
it, Mr. Lehnhoff.

Not if they make
everybody look younger.

Are you looking for someone?

Yes, as a matter of fact, I was.

I'm looking for a lady,

but, uh, I don't
suppose she came here.

I mean, uh... you
didn't see anyone.

Yeah, by golly I
did, Mr. Douglas.

In fact, she dropped this glove.

About ten minutes
ago, she was here.

She didn't happen to mention
where she was going from here.

No... she did not mention
something like that.

But maybe we'll find her, yeah?

And give this back to her.

Yeah, maybe.

Thanks, Mr. Lehnhoff.

♪ ♪

Am-Am I the first girl you
ever brought here, Steve?

Well, a guy has got
to get around some.

Well, have you ever
been here before?

A girl's got to get
around some, too.

Well, not a girl like you.

Gosh, Josie, what are you
wearing gloves to a picnic for?

You afraid of poison
ivy or something?

No.

Look.

It's fingernail polish.

Colored. It's the latest style.

Looks like you got your
nails caught in a meat grinder.

Larry thought
they looked terrific.

Oh, Peckinpaugh would.

Jealous?

Maybe.

If you're jealous, that
means you like me a lot.

And if you like me a lot,
that means I'm your girl.

And if I'm your girl, then
why don't you kiss me?

Well, I'm gonna.

When?

Sometime.

What's wrong with right now?

Well... nothing.

I've never been kissed
before, you know.

Huh?

I mean, not really.

Oh, gosh.

I thought you'd be pleased.

Oh, I am.

Only it's... Only what?

Well...

Well, it's a pretty
big responsibility,

giving a girl her first kiss.

It's the kind of thing they
put down in their diaries

and talk about
when they get old.

What's wrong with that?

Well, nothing.

Well, I'm glad that's settled.

Golly.

That should fill the whole
month of June in my diary.

Yeah.

Josie... Hmm?

I've never been here before
with any other girls, honest.

I've never been
here before either.

Honest.

♪ ♪

I'll be right down, Steve.

Okay, Josie.

Sorry to keep you waiting.

That's okay, we've
got plenty of time.

The game doesn't start
for another half an hour.

Hey, you know, tonight after
the game, why don't we go to...

Hey, what's wrong?

Everything.

Remember I told you
Daddy was looking for a job?

Sure.

He found one.

In California.

California?

Mother says it's the
Depression or something.

You just can't find jobs
where you want to find them.

Gee.

Daddy feels awful bad about it.

He said he's been
thinking about this for weeks

and-and trying to figure
some way to stay here...

where my friends are.

When are you going?

Tonight.

Tonight?

Steve...

I have a terrible feeling
I'll never see you again.

Don't say that.

You'll find someone else.

No, I won't.

But I want you to
know something...

I'll never forget you.

And I'll always remember
our high school days

as being the most
wonderful time of our lives.

Just because of you.

Gosh, Josie.

Josephine, dear.

Yes, Mother.

How are you going?

We're flying.

A friend of daddy's
got us a pass.

I'll come to the
airport and see you off.

No.

Please don't.

I-I couldn't stand to
say good-bye to you.

Josie...!

♪ ♪

Hey, what's going on?

Hey, where have you been?

We've been phonin'
all over for you.

You've got company coming.

Who?

The lady with the
big hat and the mole.

Miss Kringles?

That's a beauty mark, Chip.

When, Bub? Any minute.

Any minute? Well, we
better get this put away, huh?

Bub, I found it, but it
sure smells like mothballs.

With the garlic I
use, it won't matter.

She called and said
she'd be here at 5:00.

5:00, huh?

Robbie, you left three shoes

under that couch.

Where will I stash these things?

Just put them behind the
chair for the time being.

It's 5:00 now, Bub.
What else did she say?

Nothing, that's all.

And I told her as long
as she was coming,

she might as well
stay for dinner.

Oh, that was nice.

That's probably her now.

I'll get it.

No, no, you won't.
No, you won't.

Stay away from there.

Now you three kids get
out of here... go on, hurry up.

Aw, Bub, we don't want to go.

Shh! This calls for privacy.

Do what I tell you.

Get out of here.

Shh.

Here you go.

Good luck.

Hi, Mr. Douglas.

Hello, Billy.

A lady gave me
this to give to you.

Oh.

Oh, wait a minute, Billy.

She sure was a nice lady.

Oh, bet she was, Billy.

Thank you. Gee, thanks a lot.

Where is she?

Oh, uh... she's not coming, Bub.

Looks like I've been stood up.

Maybe it's just as
well she didn't come.

Looks like the moths
have knitted an afghan

out of that old tablecloth.

Sorry, Steve.

Thought I told you
to stay in the kitchen.

Yeah, but, uh, where is she?

Tell me something, Mike.

Does Jean keep a diary?

Oh, yeah.

I guess things haven't
changed so much.

Huh?

Oh... Here are the car keys.

Maybe you and Jean want to
go someplace after the party.

Oh, thanks, Dad.

Hey, what happened...

"Dear Steve,

"please forgive
me for not coming.

"It wasn't that I
didn't want to see you.

"It was because
suddenly I realized

"I didn't want to disturb
a beautiful memory.

"You see, Steve, when
we last saw each other,

"it was youth that was
wonderful in each of us.

"And that's the
memory I treasure

"and should never try to relive.

"It belongs to the past.

"Perhaps it wasn't
entirely fair, but, in a way,

"I spent today with you,
visiting our favorite places

"and seeing your
three fine boys.

"You must be very proud.

"When you read this, I
will be on my way home,

"back to my own
wonderful family.

"Thank you, Steve,

"for adding to a perfect memory.

"As always,

Josephine Kringles Peckinpaugh."

Peckinpaugh.

From Kringles to Peckinpaugh.