The Addams Family (1964–1966): Season 1, Episode 1 - The Addams Family Goes to School - full transcript

Sam Hilliard, a truant officer, visits the Addams family because neither of the children has ever set foot in school. He convinces Morticia and Gomez to meet with the principal, Miss Comstock. Miss Comstock, who doesn't think much of Mr. Hilliard, persuades the Addams to put Wednesday and Pugsley in school, but also asks Hilliard to revisit the Addams home. The Addams children are disturbed by the Grimms' fairy tales that are read at school; they think that dragons are really being killed. Hilliard is frightened by the Addams, especially Lurch and the loud gong that summons him, but he is most shocked when Gomez suggests that he try the wrack for relaxation.

They're creepy
and they're kooky

Mysterious and spooky

They're altogether ooky

The Addams family

The house is a museum

When people come to see 'em

They really are a scream

The Addams family

MAN: Neat.

Sweet.

Petite.



So get a witch 's shawl on

A broomstick
you can crawl on

We're gonna pay a call on

The Addams family

- Is this where the Addams family lives?
- Yeah.

- You going in there?
- I'm the truant officer.

They've got two kids
who have never set foot in school.

Good luck, Charlie.

Hello.

Hello.

You must be one of the Addams children.

- I'm Wednesday.
- I'm Mr. Hilliard.

- Are your parents at home?
- They're always at home.

I'd like to see them.



You mean you wanna come in?

If you don't mind.

Nice place you've got here, Wednesday.

We like it. It's so nice and gloomy.

Who's that?

WEDNESDAY: That used to be
a friend of my daddy's.

Wednesday!

Wednesday.

Here. I fixed it for you.

Pugsley is very handy.

Fixed her? That doll doesn't have a head.

It's Marie Antoinette.

Grandmama told us
about the French Revolution

and Pugsley chopped off her head.

Meet you out in the cemetery.

Mommy is in the conservatory.

Why, you perked up my African strangler.

Come here, darling.

Mommy, this is Mr. Hilliard.

How do you do, Mr. Hilliard.

Mrs. Addams, I was sent here...

My hemlock has been very listless lately.
Do you know anything about hemlock?

No, Mrs. Addams. I was sent here to...

What a pity.

I think I'll run along
and bury Marie Antoinette.

Have fun, dear.

Just look at my beautiful poison oak.

Every leaf so alive.

Mrs. Addams, your children are
six and eight years old...

And growing like toadstools.

My hemlock continues to droop.

They've got to attend school.

It's the law.

I'd love to discuss that with you,
Mr. Hilliard,

but you see, I can't.

You must speak to my husband.

The law is his responsibility.

That's quite a bell.

Yes, Gomez is very fond of it.

But we can never use it
when we have a cake in the oven.

Hello, Mr. Addams.
I didn't hear you come in.

Lurch is our butler.
He will take you to Mr. Addams.

Couldn't I just stay here?
I'm sure you and I can settle this matter.

On the other hand, perhaps it would be
better to see Mr. Addams.

Follow me.

My poor little hemlock.

Where have I failed you?

I know.

You haven't been getting
enough moonlight.

Mr. Addams.

Mr. Addams, I am Sam Hilliard
from the Sherwood School.

How do you do, Mr. Hilliard?

HILLIARD: I just stopped
by to talk to you about...

- They're gonna crash.
- You think so, huh?

Beautiful. Beautiful.

You meant to blow them up?

Of course. Why else would
a grown man play with trains?

You wanna blow the other bridge?

Some other time.

You know how it is
with a small child and new trains.

What can I do for you?

It's about sending the children to school.

Mama's in charge of the education.

She's in the guest room playing darts
with Uncle Fester.

But they've got to go to school.
Everybody sends their kids to school.

Ridiculous. Why have children
just to get rid of them?

- I'm opposed to the whole nonsense.
- But don't you want them to learn?

Learn, you say?

Look at that. Little Wednesday's.

- Spiders.
- Pedigreed.

Ever known a child who could raise
thoroughbred spiders?

- No.
- There you are.

But I was referring
to more formal learning.

Reading.

What is there for a six-year-old to read?

- But someday she'll be 26.
- See you then.

Mr. Addams, surely you want
your youngsters to be like other children.

But they are.

You should see little Pugsley
wrestling with his octopus.

- A live octopus?
- He's all boy.

What if he bites him?

Mr. Hilliard, Pugsley doesn't bite.

A little nip now and then perhaps.
But it's all in fun.

Well, look, this isn't my idea.
The board of education...

We have our own board of education.

Mama tutors the children
in all the fine arts.

Music, painting, ballet.

She's the longhair of the family.
And a fantastic dart player.

You only got 10 points.

I nipped him in the ear, didn't I?

Ear? Watch the master.

You're standing right in my way.

It's the only safe place.

Step aside.

Now watch this one.

Right in the old gizzard.

This is the guest room.

That was close.

Go ahead, Fester, you get another shot.

This time, get him right in the old heart.

- What's the matter with your friend?
- I don't know.

Weird, isn't he?

HILLIARD: Then that crazy
plant grabbed me.

And you should've seen how happy he was
when he blew up the bridge.

And that big monster they call a butler.

He would've frightened Frankenstein.

Now, Mr. Hilliard, really.

I was there.
That knife was aimed straight at my heart.

Now, now, calm down.

But I got away.

Please try and pull yourself together.

Mr. Hilliard,

if you'll take my advice, you'll go home

and lie down for a while.

If you take my advice, you'll leave those
Addams kids right where they are.

That's the closet. I'm sorry.

I never knew he drank.

The thorns are so much larger this fall.

Lovely, Morticia.

- You have such a way with roses.
- Thank you, Gomez.

Did I just hear a peal of thunder?

You did, Tish. You did.

That's the most heavenly sound.

It makes life worth living.

You remember our honeymoon, Gomez?

Who could forget
our first night in Death Valley.

- There was a stillness in the air.
- Tish.

The moon was full.

And that lovely soft
fluttering of bat wings.

And the divine cave.

You're so romantic, Tish.

I think they're waiting for us, Gomez.

The music is so lovely.

Look, darling. I finished it this morning.

How do you think cousin Imar
is going to like his new sweater?

- That's odd.
- What's odd, dear?

I didn't know Cousin Imar
wore turtleneck sweaters.

Mmm... querida.

The mail's in.

Never mind, Lurch. I'll get it.

Thank you, Thing.

It's for you, Mommy.

Thank you, darling.

Oh, isn't that sweet?

What is it, Tish?

The Sherwood School insists that
we enroll the children immediately.

We must've made a very good impression
on that Mr. Hilliard.

Morticia, you can't send the children
to school.

I'll be lost without them.

Gomez, I've seen little Wednesday
looking out the fence at the other children.

I think she wants to play with them.

Well, she didn't get that
from my side of the family.

School? I never went to school,
and look how I turned out.

Uncle Fester, looks, charm and personality
aren't everything.

There's such a thing
as learning and accomplishment.

Accomplishment?

Who else do you know that's 110 volts?

FESTER: Watch!

Beautiful.

I can even make it blink.

You do have natural talent, Uncle Fester.

But that has nothing to do
with learning or knowledge.

I'll call the school and tell them
we'll be there in the morning.

- Morticia.
- Gomez.

Darling.

Mother knows best. Now, believe me.

We'll send the children to school.

School? That's for kids.

I'm sure the children
are going to be very happy here.

If we wanted them to be happy,
we'd have let them stay home.

Now, Miss Comstock, I...

Wasn't that that nice Mr. Hilliard?

He certainly is an odd one, isn't he?

- Have you noticed it, too?
- Yes.

Why, do you know, he suddenly ran
out of our house the other day?

Frightened by a simple game of darts.

I'm going to have to have another talk
with him.

B-O-O-Z-E.

Booze.

Really? I guess I underestimated him.

Come along, children.

Be good today, Wednesday, Pugsley.

- PUGSLEY: All right.
- Goodbye, children.

Goodbye.

Oh, dear.

I'm going to miss the patter
of their little feet

sneaking up behind me.

I'm so glad we had no trouble with this.

Of course, these cases bring
the superintendent down on our necks.

And he's the most difficult,
troublesome man.

Oh?

COMSTOCK: And there's always
one like that in the school system.

GOMEZ: Well, I know just how to handle it.

You get me his picture and I'll send it
to my friend DuBois in Haiti.

When he's through sticking pins in it...

Gomez.

You haven't heard from DuBois in years.

He may not be taking
mail orders anymore.

How about a nice old-fashioned
horse whipping?

GOMEZ: Good, good. Or let our boa
constrictor give him a good squeeze.

A little dip in boiling oil?

Miss Comstock, you're my kind of people.

Tish, what about Goomba in Nairobi?

He gets some wonderful results
with just a drum.

- And now that we have Telstar...
- You're so practical.

Four minutes after 3:00
and they're not here yet.

Are they gonna keep them there
for night school?

Gomez, a watched cauldron never bubbles.

They'd be here by now
if they let Pugsley drive.

By Jove, I think they did.

Wednesday.

What is it, Wednesday?
What is it, darling? That's it.

There, there, there.

Father, it was terrible. They killed him.

- Mr. Hilliard?
- The dragon.

What dragon? Who killed a dragon?

A knight in shining armor.
He killed the dragon.

I can't believe anyone would kill a dragon.

The poor, defenseless dragon.

That isn't all. You ought to hear
some of the other stories in her book.

Let me see that, darling.

Grimm 's Fairy Tales.

What a lovely name, Grimm.

How could he write such terrible stories?

Must be sick.

Atavistic cruelty.

Perverse barbarism.

Such violence.

Gomez!

That settles it. No more school.

Good thinking, sir.

That's all right for our children,
but what about all the others?

I suppose you're right.
We should do something.

Just as ordinary citizens.

I could call that Miss Comstock.

No.

I'll call that nice Mr. Hilliard
and invite him over.

And we'll discuss it with him.

You know, I really think he liked us.

Oh, no, no. Never!

But, Mr. Hilliard, they insist on seeing you.

I'm sorry, I haven't made out my will yet.

What if Mr. Hilliard doesn't come?

Angel, your father sent Lurch
for Mr. Hilliard,

and it's very difficult for people
to refuse Lurch.

He has such a nice way with them.

Now, let me see your hands.

Excellent, Pugsley.
The nails are nice and clean and sharp.

And you did very well, too,
Wednesday darling.

I think we took a bath for nothing.

Mr. Hilliard.

Mr. Hilliard. I'm so glad you could come.

MORTICIA: Put Mr. Hilliard
in the good chair.

That'll be all for now, Lurch.

Children.

You just never know
what they're thinking.

I do.

GOMEZ: We do have a bone
to pick with you, Mr. Hilliard.

Haven't we?

Perhaps I have done some little thing.

Mr. Hilliard, murder is not a little thing.

Murder?

As if you didn't know.

But first, some refreshment.

Mama?

Uncle Fester?

Wait till you see
what they've got cooked up for you.

The end.

It figures.

No! No, thank you.

- We made it especially for you.
- I know, I know.

You must taste the cookies.

GRANDMAMA: An old family recipe.

The bats are my favorites,
although the lizards are good, too.

You can feel them wiggling
practically all the way down.

Time to go.

Mr. Hilliard, you're a bundle of nerves.

Isn't there something we can do
for him, Gomez?

Of course.

- The rack.
- The rack?

That stretching, so relaxing.

Lurch.

You rang?

The rack for Mr. Hilliard.

No! Please!

I just had it overhauled.
I got all the squeaks back in.

If I've caused any trouble...

We're not really blaming you, Mr. Hilliard.

But there are some things
we just can't tolerate.

- Like what?
- Like violence.

Well, what's wrong with a little...
Violence?

The kind they're teaching
the children at school.

You did say,
"Teaching the children in school"?

Come now, Mr. Hilliard.

Let's not pretend.

Have you read your friend Grimm lately?

Those harmless
Little fairy tales?

GOMEZ: Harmless?

Killing a poor defenseless dragon?

But there are no real dragons.

What gave you that impression?

And what about that Hansel and Gretel?

Little Hansel and Gretel?

Little juvenile delinquents.

Pushing sweet old ladies into hot ovens.

Sweet old...

That's not what you want
to feed little children.

Of course not.

Then why don't you just run
right down to the School Board,

and tell them to do something about it?

Well, I...

You know, I'm beginning to think
you've got something.

- You are? Another drink for Mr. Hilliard!
- No, please.

I'm beginning to see your point.

Something must be done.

From dragons to toy guns to real guns
to bombs to atom bombs!

You know what?

Thinking like yours can save the world.

I must confess
I misjudged you people completely.

Thank you.

Do you think
he'll convince the School Board?

I don't know.

He's such a weird little man.

Fester, you're not cheating.

I'm sorry.

Pugsley. He's building Wednesday
a little dollhouse.

Why, thank you, Thing.

Hello. Yes.

Wonderful. Yes, the children will be
in school tomorrow.

Thank you.

That was that nice Mr. Hilliard.

He said the School Board
accepted our ideas enthusiastically.

Really? Well, now,
Mr. Hilliard may be right.

We may have saved the world.

Do you think we did the right thing?