The Donna Reed Show (1958–1966): Season 2, Episode 36 - Love's Sweet Awakening - full transcript

A neighbor's child returns home for a visit while on break from military school. Since Petie was a favorite friend of Mary and Jeff, he visits the Stones. Petie is smitten by Mary's grown-up looks.

- Hi, honey.
- Hi, dear.

- Ah, pork chops for dinner, good.
- Uh-hmm.

I thought they'd be
nice for a change.

Where have you been?

Oh, next door visiting
with the Handler's.

Oh, Ruth and
George, how are they?

Fine. Petey is home.

Petey is home.

Yeah, it's midterm vacation
at the military academy

or something like that.

Oh, that's wonderful.



- I've missed Petey.
- Hmm.

Petey is home.

Petey is home.

Has he grown much?

Oh yeah, quite a
bit. Filled out, bigger.

Uh-huh.

But I better not
take any chances.

Oh, come on darling.
It's his first day at home,

he will be eating
dinner at his own house.

You know, Petey, he's
always spent as much time

at our house as his own.

Besides it's no trick for
him to put away two dinners.

You're right.

When he went off to school
our food bill dropped 40%.



Hey mom, hey dad,

we better lock the
refrigerator Petey is here.

Petey is here?

Hey, Petey, here
comes mom and dad.

Hey.

- Petey.
- Hi, Mrs. Stone.

- It's good to see...
- How long are you
going to be home...

Hey, the three of us have
to go fishing some time...

Hi.

Hey, Mary, Petey is here.

Oh, Petey, it's been so
long since I've seen you.

Sit down; well tell me all
about the school and everything.

Oh, Petey, you're looking
at me like I was a stranger.

Hey, Petey, how was
the military academy...

Just a minute.

Let's get some nourishment
into this poor starving boy.

Petey, how about
some pie and milk.

Thanks Mrs. Stone, but I
don't think I'm very hungry.

Well, then if Louise
isn't busy on Saturday

we can all get three
together and go shopping.

Oh, that will be fine with me.

OK, I'll talk to you later.

Bye-bye.

Ooh, that Melanie.

She gets me so mad.

Did you and Melanie
have a defensive opinion?

Oh, ever since she spent six
weeks in Europe last summer,

she thinks she knows everything.

Oh.

Books, painting,
clothing styles.

Honestly, she thinks
she's Madame Schiaparelli

and Christian
Dior rolled into one.

She's so sophisticated
she doesn't like anything.

What happened, dear?

Well, she's having
this big soirée and...

Well, it's a party mother

and we were talking about
what we were going to wear

and I said I thought
I'd wear my blue print.

And she said didn't I
think it was a bit afternoony.

- Afternoony?
- Is it?

Well, I think it's
more seven o'clocky.

- I'll get it...
- No, I'll get it, dear.

- Oh, Petey?
- Hi, Mrs. Stone.

- Was the door locked?
- Uh, no.

Oh, well, come in, come in.

Well, Petey, don't
you look nice.

Where are you going?

No place.

Well, don't act like
a stranger go on in.

Oh, hi, Petey.

Oh, hi Mary.

What's the matter
with your hair?

Nothing. I just combed it.

Oh, where are you going?

- No place.
- Hmm.

- Oh, hi, Petey.
- Hi.

Where are you going?

No place.

Oh.

When I meet that Melanie,
I can just shake her.

- Are you going out?
- Uh-huh.

- Where?
- To Melanie's.

What for?

Well, I had to know what
to wear for her party, don't I?

- Oh, I guess so.
- I'll see you later, Petey.

- Hi, Jeff.
- Hi, Mary.

Oh, hi Petey.

- Where are you going to go...
- No place.

Come in.

Oh, hello Ruth,
is there anything...

Shh.

Petey is in your living room.

Isn't he always?

- Sit down.
- Thank you.

I'm worried about him, Alex.

He's been acting strange ever
since he came home from school.

Oh, with Petey how can you tell?

I'm serious, Alex.

He hasn't been sleeping well.

Well, that could be a
temporary condition,

no cause for alarm.

Well, he just mopes
around the house.

Well that could be a phase,
nothing to worry about.

He has no appetite.

Petey with no appetite?

There is something
wrong with him.

Now, he won't see a doctor.

So I was wondering Alex
if you could examine him

without his knowing it.

Without his knowing?
How could I do that?

Oh, you can do it, Alex.

George and I are really
concerned about Petey.

OK. I'll see what I can do.

Hi, Petey.

- Oh, hi, Dr. Stone.
- Oh, don't get up, Petey.

Well, we haven't had
much of a chance for a talk

since you came home, Petey.

Well, I guess not.

How have you been?

OK.

Hey, what's that
lump on your head.

Oh, I guess I must be wrong,

that must have been a
light there is nothing there.

Well, how are you enjoying
military school, Petey?

Oh, fine, I liked it,
you know there's a lot...

You've got quite an
arm on you there...

Are you going out for athletics?

Yeah, I've been out
for football and baseball.

I've been doing a
lot of weightlifting.

Yeah. You've made a lot
of friends there, have you?

Yeah, I've run around
with several guys,

- you know we played tennis.
- Hey, I've never seen this before.

- And that's a nice
piece of jewelry, Petey.
- Oh, you liked that?

- Mom gave that to me
about a year ago.
- Yeah.

- That's the ID brace that
all the guys are wearing.
- Yeah. I know.

I used to wear them
myself during the war,

I lost it before I
got to the service,

I don't know how...

- Hi, daddy.
- Hi, honey.

Hello, Mrs. Handler. Hi, Petey.

Hi, Mary.

Daddy, do you know
where mother is?

- She's in the kitchen.
- Oh, thank you, see you later.

Mary?

Yes, daddy, did
you want something?

Uh, nothing, honey.

OK.

Yeah...

Well, uh, certainly been
nice talking to you, Petey.

Yeah.

I'll see you around.

Oh, sure.

Excuse me.

Yeah.

What's wrong with
him can you tell?

I'm afraid Petey is suffering
from one of the oldest

complaints known to mankind.

Tell me what it
is, don't spare me.

Brace yourself, Ruth.

Petey?

Our Petey?

Well, he's known
Mary all his life.

Well, for some reason he's
just discovered that she's a girl

and he's a boy.

He's a boy?

George, what kind of a way is
that to talk about your own son?

Well, what's all the fuss about,
he's a boy and she's a girl,

why isn't he asking
her for a date?

George, this may
be amusing to you,

but believe me it's not to him.

Now, you go in
there and talk to him.

I've already done that.

Not about that.

About this situation.

But what will I tell him
that Mary is not really a girl

and he is not really a boy?

Oh, George, that's the
trouble with you fathers.

- What's the trouble?
- You're not mothers.

That's a profound observation.

You don't feel for your son.

Now, George, go in
there and talk to him,

you were a boy once.

Now listen, I'll
tell you something,

every girl I ever
went with knew it.

Well, tell him
what to do about it.

Go in and advise him.

OK. OK.

Petey Handler?

Petey, Ruth and George's Petey?

But he's known
her all of his life.

Springtime has come to Petey.

Yeah?

- Hi, son.
- Oh, hi.

Petey, I...

Say, when you're
going back to school?

The 11.

Speaking of dates,
there was this girl Myrtle,

but that was before I met
your mother, you understand.

Well this Myrtle, boy, I
was sure stuck on her.

But I was scared to
death to ask her for a date.

- You were?
- Yeah.

Why?

Well, she was my
sister's best friend,

you know, and she was around
the house all the time and...

Well, to her I was
just little old George

and I was but as unimportant
as a piece of furniture.

Yeah.

Well, one day I got my nerve
up, I asked her for a date.

You know what she did?

- Laughed at you?
- Certainly not.

She fell all over
herself, accepting.

- She did?
- Yeah.

It taught me a big lesson.

A girl is just as anxious
to have a date with a fellow

as he is with her.

Really, pop, really?

Sure.

If I hadn't married your mother

that Myrtle would
still be after me today.

Say, Petey,

I've got a couple of tickets
for the tennis match tonight,

have you got anybody
that you would like to ask?

- I sure do.
- Yeah.

Thanks, pop.

Say, pop, was Myrtle...

Was she?

Who? What?

Myrtle, was she pretty?

Oh.

Oh boy, she was lovely.

She had hair like silk.

When she smiled, it was like
a sun coming out after a storm,

she's the prettiest girl
I ever saw in my life.

Well, I mean... before I
met your mother, of course.

Say pop, uh, do you
think I need a shave?

Well, I don't know, you
haven't shave for 16 years,

I think you can
hold off another day.

OK, pop.

Well now, it's really true
that girls are just waiting

for a fellow to ask
them for a date, huh?

Absolutely boy.

Not that they're
going to tell you,

they're waiting.

Oh, just a minute pop,

which one of these
do you like best?

Well, Petey, I...

Well, I mean, which one
would you wear if you were me?

Oh, if I were you?

Oh, well that one, by all means.

Thanks, pop.

- Petey.
- Good evening, Mrs. Stone.

Oh, come on in, Petey.

Thank you.

My, you look nice, Petey.

Thank you.

Uh, Mrs. Stone...

Yes, Petey.

Would you please
mind calling me Peter?

What?

Peter.

Oh, yes, of course, Peter.

Mary, Petey...
uh, Peter is here.

Who?

Peter.

Peter who?

Peter Petey.

Uh, won't you come
in the living room.

Hi, Jeff.

Oh, Jeff, aren't you
going to say hello to Peter?

Oh, sure. Hi, Pete.

Hey, look at you,
you're all dressed up.

Well, excuse me, I'm going
to get something to eat.

- Hi, Petey.
- Oh, hi, Mary.

Momma, did you want something?

Oh, well, Peter just dropped
by and I thought it would be nice

if you say hello to him.

- Well, Mary I was wondering if...
- Yes.

Well, I've got a couple of
tickets to the tennis match.

- Oh, that's nice. Who are you going with?
- Well, I thought...

- Petey, you know this party
that Melanie is having.
- Yeah.

- Well, I have a terrible problem.
- Yeah?

Who should I ask to take
me, Johnny or Harold?

Oh, well, they're both
pretty nice guys, I guess.

Uh-hmm.

Mary, don't you think
Peter looks handsome?

Hmm? Oh, yes, he does.

I know that Melanie shall
probably ask some college fellow.

I'll get it.

Sit down, Petey.

Hello.

Oh, hello, Harold.

I'm just fine.

How are you?

No. Really?

Oh, Harold, you're priceless.

Tonight?

Nothing.

Oh, that will be just fine.

OK, goodbye.

- Mary.
- Yes, mother?

Where are you going?

Well, mother, Harold
is coming over,

you don't think I'd
let a boy see me

looking like this, do you?

- Well, I think - Petey.

You're very fond
of Mary, aren't you?

Oh, she's all right.

You know, Mary isn't really mean

it's just that she's known
you all of her life and...

Yeah, I know, I'm sort
of like a piece of furniture.

Oh, of course you're not.

- I'll have a talk with her.
- No, Mrs. Stone, you mustn't.

Please don't say
anything to Mary.

- But, Petey.
- Promise.

Well, all right Petey,
I won't say anything.

Thanks, Mrs. Stone.

Goodnight.

Goodnight, Petey.

Ruth, you would
have been proud of me

the way I handled
that talk with Petey.

You did wonders. He was
just beaming when he left here.

Well, there's one
thing I do know,

it's how to talk to boys.

It takes a certain
finesse, you know.

Is that you, Petey?

Yes.

Hi, son, how did it go?

Did Myrtle wear
pin curlers in her hair

until she heard a
real boy was coming?

Oh, boy, he looks
worse than before.

So you know all about boys?

And who's Myrtle?

Why don't you say
something to Mary?

You know, I can't,
I promised Petey.

Yeah.

You know, life is much
simpler down in there.

When a boy corpuscle sees
a girl corpuscles he likes,

he doesn't ring her
bell or ask her for a date

or put on his new blue suit,

he just goes right up to her and
they spend the rest of their lives

chasing each other up
and down the arteries.

I bet Petey wishes he
could change places

with one of those fellows.

Yeah, but would they
change places with him?

Hello, there.

Any of you fellows
want to change places

with a human being named Petey?

I don't think you
have any takers,

they're all wrapped
up in the mystery of life.

- That's it.
- What?

There's no mystery about Petey.

I'd say that was the
understatement of the year.

Where are you going?

I'm going to call Ruth.

You've given me a
whole new plan of attack.

I have?

You fellows know
what it's all about?

Explain it to me.

Yes, Ruth, that's
the whole problem,

you see Mary keeps
seeing this same Petey

she's known all of her life.

Well, he is the same Petey.

Yes, but if there were just
some novelty about him.

Novelty?

Some mystery.

Well, you want Petey
to be mysterious? How?

Well, I don't know how
to make Petey mysterious,

you'll have to think
of something, Ruth.

Well, I'll talk to George.

Maybe he can think of something.

All right, Ruth.

Goodbye.

We won't be eating
until around 10:30 or so...

I'll get it.

And then Melanie's mother is
having somebody in to serve

and Melanie said that it should
be just around 30 people or so,

- it would be just
the right amount.
- Uh-hmm.

I'm so excited about it.

- I bet you are.
- Uh-hmm.

Peter is here.

- Oh, hi, Petey.
- Hi, Petey.

Hello, Peter.

Good evening everyone.

You're hat.

Oh, you noticed.

Why are you wearing
it in the house?

Oh, excuse me.

I think it looks very
interesting, Peter.

- Don't you, Alex?
- Huh?

Oh, yes, yes. Lovely.

I think it looks dopey.

Say, Dr. Stone...

Yes, Peter.

Would you advise a
young man starting out in life

to become a spy?

A what?

A spy.

You know, be sort of mysterious,

you never know what he's
really thinking and things like that.

Well, now, frankly Peter,

I never gave the spy game much
thought as a lifetime vocation.

Were you thinking of it
as a part time job like,

delivering newspapers?

- No, I thought.
- Petey, don't be ridiculous.

Why?

What's ridiculous about it?

Someone has to be a spy.

- Why?
- Huh?

- Certainly, not you.
- Why?

Well, because in the first
place you've never kept a secret

in your whole entire life.

Well, I know plenty
I'm not telling.

Like what?

Like about my father and Myrtle.

What about them?

Well, there used
to be a time when...

Now, Petey that will do.

Oh...

You're some spy.

You ask him a question and
information pours out of him

like a fountain.

Well, it was before
he met my mother.

Yes, I'm sure it was, Petey.

Uh, what else is new?

Well, I um...

How do you think I
look with a mustache?

Jeff, that's enough.

Goodnight everyone.

Goodnight, Petey.

Petey.

Yes, Mrs. Stone.

Let's have a little talk.

Come on.

We use to have lots of talks

before you went away
to school, remember?

Yeah.

As a matter of fact,

I think it was right here
that you once told me

that you wanted to be a
fireman when you grew up.

And I was just a silly tonight
talking about being a spy

and growing a mustache.

Now, you mustn't...

I don't blame Mary
for laughing at me.

I'm not smart. I'm
not so hot to look at.

Oh, Petey, that's not true.

The trouble is with me, I keep
trying to be something else,

all I can be is what I
am and that's not much.

Oh, you make yourself
sound like a stray puppy

that nobody will take in.

Now, what about your
mother and father?

They love you.

It's different with
your own parents.

I mean, well they're
stuck with you,

they have to like you.

Well, Dr. Stone and
I aren't stuck with you

and we're very
fond of you, Petey.

- Well, yeah...
- And Mary too.

Sure she does, like poison ivy.

Petey, I know this won't
be much consolation to you,

but boys and girls don't always
like each other at the same time

and in the same way.

It would be nice if
they did, but they don't.

Well, gosh Mrs. Stone,

I know I can't make Mary
like me, I don't expect that.

If you'd only try to understand

these things which
seem so important

and painful to you
now, aren't real.

But you'll find
that out later on.

Now, the terrible thing is

they hurt just as much
as if they were real.

Well, Mrs. Stone, I'm...
I'm not looking for sympathy.

Oh, Petey, I know that.

Maybe... maybe I ought
to just go back to school.

There's not much for me
to hang around here for.

Thanks very much, Mrs. Stone.

Well, you're welcome, Petey.

Goodnight.

Goodnight, Peter.

And staying at the same
hotel with brother and me was

this young guards officer.

Oh, he looked
dreamy in his uniform.

Well, guards
officer, well Melanie,

he must have been
a lot older than you.

In Europe those things
just aren't important.

He asked me to dance
with him three times.

Really?

Oh, gee that must
have been exciting,

I bet everybody
was staring at you.

Hello, Ruth. This is Donna.

Listen about Petey.

What?

That's what I said, Petey
is going back to school.

Today?

Well, listen, is he
wearing his uniform?

- Yes, he is.
- Good.

Well, then you have him come
over here and say goodbye to me.

Yes, right away.

Uh-huh.

All right. Goodbye, Ruth.

He actually had
different uniforms

for the different
times of the day

and the way the women
at the hotel fussed over him

was just disgusting.

Oh, hi, Petey.

Hello, Mary.

Where is your mother?

I want to say goodbye to her
I'm going back to the academy.

Oh, I thought you were
staying for another week.

I changed my mind.

- Mary, I don't believe...
- Oh, I'm sorry.

Melanie, this is Petey.

Hello, Petey.

How do you do, Melanie?

Mother is in the kitchen, Petey.

Thank you, Mary.

Excuse me.

What did your mother
say when he ask...

My he's good looking, isn't he?

Who?

Petey?

Yes.

The way he looks in
that uniform, dreamy.

Petey?

Dreamy.

Do you know if he's
busy the night of my party?

Um, uh, yes. Yes, he is.

Oh, what's he doing?

Uh, he's taking me.

Mary, your date is waiting.

Hello, Petey.

Good evening, Mary.

Shall we go?

Fine.

Goodnight, mommy.

- Goodnight honey,
have a good time.
- I will.

- Goodnight, sweetie.
- Goodnight, daddy.

- Goodnight, Petey.
- Goodnight, Petey.

Goodnight, sir.

Mary.

Shall we.

Petey looked pretty nice
in his uniform didn't he?

Oh, yes, yes, he certainly did.

Darling, do you have
any fruit in the house?

Yes, in the bowl
right beside your chair.

That's strange there was
some there a while ago.

Here, have some nuts.

I'm sorry, dear.

Well, I'm so hungry.

Say, what about that box of
candy I brought home yesterday?

- Oh, yes of course, I'll get that.
- Good.

Here we are.

Dear.

Empty?

But who in the world?

Hmm.

Alex, how long did Petey wait
in here for Mary to get dressed?

Hmm, about 20 minutes.

Uh, Petey is back to normal.

It's just like old times.

What looks like old times?

Petey.

Petey.

Do you think Petey
ate all that stuff?

Who else?

Nobody in the world but
Petey would have that capacity.

It wasn't Petey, it was me.

You?

Well, yeah, I was
kind of hungry.

Jeff, dear, have you ever
considered falling in love.