02x20 - The House Painter

[bunniefuu]

Male announcer: robert young...

And jane wyatt...

With elinor donahue, billy gray,

And lauren chapin...
In father knows best.

And it would be very educational

For claude and
I to work on it...

And it only costs six dollars.

Six dollars?!

You couldn't even
drive with the car home!

We're not going
to drive it home.

Well, then how do you
expect to get it here?

In a wheelbarrow.

It'd probably take two or
three trips, but you see...

Claude lives right near
smitty's used auto parts,

And that's where
we're gettin' it.

It's sort of a
do-it-yourself kit,

And we got the
money, so can we, dad?

Bud, we'll talk about it later.

People have been
yammering at me all day long,

And I'm just a
little weary of it.

Hello, honey.

I wish you'd buy me a
little car for six dollars.

Oh... Oh, I actually need one.

For errands... Marketing...

I doubt if you could
put one together, mom.

I want one already put together.

Oh, I know this is a poor
time to talk about it,

What, with having the
house painted and all.

Claude and I could...
But I was noticing, here,

How cheap some of
these little cars are.

Now, here's a 1951... Is
this tonight's paper?

No, last night's.

Good, that gives me an excuse

To go out and get tonight's.

There must be some place a man can
go to get away from the human voice.

What do us pedestrians do now?

How's the, uh, job going? Okay?

Oh, you have a nice
job, here, mr. Anderson.

Don't you worry.

But it's gonna take some work.

Oh, that's the truth.

Now, you notice, here.

This... This old paint on here.

I don't like to knock
another man's work,

But they didn't use
a drop of linseed.

No body to the paint.

They'll slap on anything
if you don't watch 'em.

Yes, well, you fix it up right.

Oh, I will. I will, yes.

You see, I learned the trade
from my father back in albany.

I always give honest measure.

Why, when I was 14,

I was walking a scaffold just
like a veteran of 40 summers.

No, that's the truth.

Heh, I recall one time...

I guess I must've
been 18. No, maybe 19...

Phew. That's the worst
yakker I've run into all...

Betty: so then,
our teacher said,

"All right, betty, you
conduct the discussion.

"Consider me just a spectator."

So then, we thought
of this wonderful topic.

Very provocative!

And the conclusion we
reached was so interesting

That we're going
to make a survey

To see if other
people agree with it.

You know, conduct a poll
among our parents and people.

Oh, father!

You can be the first
one I'm going to interview,

And all you have to do is
answer this one simple question.

What would you say makes you do

Most of the things you do?

My wife.

Well, in that case...
How about the car?

Oh, this family.

It's impossible to carry
on a sensible discussion.

Oh, I wouldn't say that.

All right, then,
give me an answer.

Well... I'll tell you
what conclusion

We came to in class.

Selfishness.

Selfishness?

Think of the thousands of
things people do to help others.

Is that selfishness?

Yes, it is.

They do it because it
makes them feel better,

Or it eases their conscience.

Yes, I suspect when
you boil it down,

People do most things in
the interest of themselves...

Directly, or indirectly.

Well, that's a pretty
cynical point of view.

Does a research doctor work
toward a great medical discovery

For selfish gain?

No! The love of mankind.

And because he has integrity.

Now, there's my answer,
right there... Man's integrity.

That's what makes a man act and
accomplish something... His integrity!

Now, you take this
painter, out here.

A real craftsman
of the old school.

Learned the trade
from his father.

Now, he's doing a
good thorough job

Because his integrity
won't let him do a poor one.

He's doing a good job
mainly to make more money.

If that's all it was, he could
slap on a lot of cheap paint

And make a big profit!

We wouldn't know the
difference until later on,

When it started to peel off.

But he wouldn't do it.

Certainly not.

Because pretty soon, no one
would hire him, and he has to eat.

And eating is a
self-interest, I believe.

All right, I could even
put it to him this way.

I could say, "I'm
selling the house.

Just put on cheap paint. I
don't care if it doesn't hold up."

Now, in that case, I'd be
responsible for what happened

To the paint, not him,
right? That's right.

And being the kind
of a workman he is,

I'll bet he'd tell me to get
somebody else to do the job.

How much do you wanna
bet? I'd bet anything on it.

A little car, for me?

Okay, it's a deal.

I'll go out right now and
put the proposition to him.

I'd like to prove something
to you charming young cynics.

Whoops! Whoa.

Sorry, I didn't know
you had moved over here.

It's all right, mr. Anderson.
It was my fault.

Now, I know I'm
discommoding you people,

But don't you worry,
I'll get done here

And be out of your way just as
soon as feasible, mr. Anderson.

Just as soon as feasible.

Yeah, well... No,
that's the truth.

Now, you take some painters, they
don't care how much they discommode ya,

But, still in all, like
I say, that ain't right.

Yes, well...

I wanted to talk to you about
something, mr. Everett, isn't it?

That's correct, yes.

Everett, with two t's.

But don't ask me
what my first name is,

Because I wouldn't tell ya.

It's shively.

Ain't that a dingbat
to pin onto a boy?

Yes, well... It's a family
name, is what it is.

You see, my mother, she
knew a family named shively,

And she always liked the name,

So, you wanted to
ask me somethin'?

Uh, yes. I, uh...

Mr. Shively, he was in
the... Medicine business.

That's fine, well,
mr. Everett... He's dead now.

He had a fine funeral.
Well, that's good...

Mr. Everett, I'm thinking
about selling the place.

Oh, well, that's a shame.

Well, I wanna get rid
of it before it's too late.

Now, tell me, isn't there some
inexpensive paint that you can buy

That would make it, well...
Look good temporarily,

Until I can get rid of it?

Now, this is just between us.

No one else needs to know
what kind of paint you buy.

You can save me some money, and
make a little extra for yourself.

Now, is that all right with you?

Sure, mr. Anderson.
Anything you say.

That kind of paint
can be got very easy.

Mother, may I be the first
to borrow your new car?

I thought I was a better judge
of human nature than that.

Now that we've got
mom's car settled,

How about discussing the
one I and claude want to get?

Even if we can't get it to run,

It'll still look good.

And we can sell it to
some sucker for a profit.

You must have gone to the
same school mr. Everett did.

Oh, dear, you really and
truly can't afford the car.

It's not the car, margaret.

I just don't want the kids to grow
up with such a warped viewpoint.

You heard what
bud said, just now?

Am I warped?

I want him and betty to know

That there is still
such a thing as integrity!

I didn't say there
wasn't. All I said was...

I think with a little time
mr. Everett's integrity will take over.

His conscience is bound
to start working on him.

Give him a little more time.

Just till... Tomorrow
noon, that's all.

So you'll have time to
help him change his mind?

Now, betty, your father
at least has integrity.

Well, mother, why
give him any more time?

You've already won.

Oh, I don't think it'll
make any difference.

Is it a deal, then?
Till tomorrow noon?

Bud: I'll get it.

Father, do you want to
give me a statement, now?

He's not going to
change his mind.

No, I don't.

Excuse me, sonny, but if I
ain't discommoding anyone,

I'd like to speak to your papa.

Dad.

Be right there.

Mr. Everett... Fine, fine.

Yes, mr. Everett?

If this is something you'd
like to discuss in private...

Well, I don't like to
trouble you, mr. Anderson.

It's all right.
Perfectly all right.

Now, what is it you
wanna bring up?

Just feel free to say
anything that's on your mind.

Thank you, sir.

Well?

Would you mind moving your car

So I can get my truck
out of the driveway?

Oh, here's a good one, mother.

A 1952...

That's one of those
cute little british cars.

Good condition... One
owner, very clean.

Well, I should hope so.

I don't want to buy
one from a dirty owner.

Mother, that means
the car is clean.

Two doors, sacrifice.

Couldn't you get along with
just a one-door sacrifice?

Hi, daddy. Did you know
mommy's going to get a car?

News to me.

Seems to me a lot of chickens

Are being counted around here

Before the eggs are even laid.

We're gonna have chickens, too?

Father, how would you
like to drive by this address

On your way to work
and check the car?

I wouldn't. Has
mr. Everett arrived yet?

I think I heard his
truck out there.

Good, he may have some
word for me this morning.

I'll see you at noon, and
don't buy any cars until then.

No, I'll wait till afternoon.

Say, wait, jim.

I horrible thought
just struck me.

Are you gonna let him start
putting cheap paint on the house

While you hold out,
trying to prove a point?

Oh, no, he isn't
ready to paint, yet.

He has at least
another day of sanding,

Scraping, and puttying,
before he'll start to paint.

Besides that, he
may change his mind.

See ya later.

Good morning, mr. Everett.

Morning.

I leave you enough
room to drive out, there?

Oh, I think so.

I don't want to discommode you.

Uh... Everything,
uh... All right?

Anything, you, uh... Want
to, uh... Discuss with me?

No, I don't believe so.

Well, if any problems come up...

Uh, anything
bothering you at all...

You can reach me at the office.

Before noon.

Much obliged.

Put some paint over
anything and make it look good.

Sooner or later, what's
underneath shows through.

If you look at him,
you'd sure never think

He was a two-bit four-flusher.

I keep feeling we're
going to wind up

With a real
second-rate paint job.

Oh, no, we won't.

As long as mr. Everett
hasn't bought the paint yet,

What's the harm?

Maybe I just hinted
to mr. Everett...

Now, mother, you can't do that.

I'll see you later, mom.

I'll be over at
claude messner's...

Whoa, wait a minute.

You have saturday
chores to do, remember?

Yeah, but this is important.

It's a matter of great
personal integrity.

I bet. Well, it is.

I promised myself I'd be
over at claude's real early,

And if a man can't trust
himself, well, who can he trust?

You should deal with
more reliable people.

But we gotta haul the car
over to claude's this morning.

Did your father
say it was all right

For you boys to go
in to that car deal?

Well... Indirectly.

What do you mean "indirectly"?

Well, he didn't say no.

And if he didn't say no,
there's only one other answer,

And that's yes... I'll
see you tomorrow.

You're not leaving yet.

Not till you've
done your chores.

That's mr. Everett.

You don't suppose he's
changed his mind, do you?

Well, there's one
way to find out.

Yes?

Excuse me, mrs. Anderson...

I don't want to
discommode you none,

But I do need some of them upstairs
windows unlocked and opened

So's that I can sand the
sills, if you don't mind.

Oh, not at all.

Um, bud can do it, because
he's right on his way upstairs

To clean his room, anyway. I am?

Yes, right now.

Thank you, ma'am. Nice mornin'.

Oh, uh, mr. Everett,

There's something I
wanted to talk to you about.

Mother!

I, um... I, uh... Well, i, uh...

I just wanted to say that...

I hope you're doing a good job.

Oh.

You want a good job, huh?

Well, yes, of course.

I know this may sound a
little confusing, because...

Mother!

Well, heh, it's a
little hard to explain.

You don't have
to explain, ma'am.

I understand, only too well.

We all have our burdens
to bear, and that's the truth.

I know what you must
have to put up with here.

And I know you don't want to talk
about it in front of the children,

But don't you
worry, mrs. Anderson.

I'm on your side.

And if there's anything
I can do to help,

Why, just don't you hesitate.

No, that's the truth.

What was he talking about?

I'm not sure that I know.

Whoop, oop, hold it, son.

Eh.

Cleanin' up your room, are ya?

Well, yes, sir.

Mom, I can't do this, today,

I can't find a broom, up here.

Margaret: ask kathy... She
knows where the brooms are.

She can't find one, either.

Hey, can't you ever
mind your own business?

Gosh, I was just
trying to help you.

Gee, whiz. You're
so ungratitude.

Ahem, ahem.

Did you ever hear
that old sayin', son?

What's worth doing at
all is worth doing well?

Well, I'm just lookin' to see

If there's some things
to pick up under the bed.

That's a good boy.

Ahem.

Yup, there's a lot of
truth in them old sayings.

A job poorly done
is worse than none.

A fancy cover don't
make a good book.

An empty sack won't stand alone.

Come here a minute, son.

I wanna show you something.

Now... You see this
piece of wood, here?

It's rotten.

Water got to it
one time or another.

And your last painter,
he painted right over it.

He made it look pretty
from the outside,

But underneath is
still rotten, you see?

And, now, there's
people like that.

They put up a fine
front, but underneath...

You don't want to
grow up like that, too,

Now, do you, son?

Oh, I know you ain't to blame.

What, with the example
you got set for you here,

But still in all, you
got to rise above it.

Huh?

No, that's the truth, son.

You got to rise above it.

Well, are you still here?

I thought you'd left long ago.

No, I've been cleaning
up my room all this time...

Every little corner of it.

What else could I do
with "the eye" watching me?

"The eye?" Mr. Everett.

And every time I tried
to slough anything off,

I could feel his
eyes burning a hole

Right in the back of my head.

And lectures... He's
even worse than dad.

And tell me mom... What is it
I'm supposed to rise above?

Rise above?

I'm not sure I dig him, do you?

No, I have not dug.

Mother, why is it
so important for me

To join the girls'
guidance league?

The what?

An outfit that mr. Everett's
wife has something to do with.

I stepped out the backdoor, and
right away he started telling me

About what a fine influence
it had on growing girls,

Character-building.

And I'd better join it
before it was too late.

Too late for what?

And who is this certain party

I'm not supposed
to grow up like?

Oh, boy! You gonna
start painting now?

Yup, I'm gonna
start painting now.

Gonna make the house
look all shiny and pretty.

I wish I could help.

I'm a good painter, honest.

Well, now, I tell ya, suzie...

Is that your name? Suzie?

It's kathy.

Fine.

Well, now I tell ya...

You already got a big job...

Helping your mama.

I say, you gotta help your mama,

Cause she... She's got
a cross to bear, suzie.

She's carrying a double
load in this family.

A double load of what?

Well, that's the truth.

You just pattern yourself
after your mama, suzie.

She's the one to pick.

You like candy bars, suzie?

Oh, boy! Yes, I do!

Yeah, well, now, the
next time you buy one,

I want you to notice something.

Now, some of them bars...

They've got fancy
silver and gold wrappers,

But not much inside.

Now, you take a good plain
old hunk of peanut brittle...

You know what you're getting.

Don't grow up to be a
fancy wrapper, suzie.

Be like your mama...

Just a plain hunk
of peanut brittle.

Oh, mommy, let me help you.

You work too hard.

Well, why this great
concern, all of the sudden?

Cause you're carrying a
double load, mr. Everett said.

Everett said that?

Yes, and I have to help you,

Or you'll be a
cross-bear, or something.

Oh, is that so?

And just what else did
mr. Everett tell you?

Well he paid you
a nice compliment.

He says you were plain
like a hunk of peanut brittle.

It seems to me
that mr. Everett's

Doing an awful lot of
talking around here.

I'm going to go out and find
out exactly what he's up to.

Everett, if you don't mind, i...

Good heavens!
What are you doing?

I'm painting the house, ma'am.

That's what I was hired to do.

Oh, I knew this would happen.

I just knew it.

Don't you put
another drop on there!

But mrs. Anderson...

But he wasn't going
to start painting, today.

Well, the only thing to do
now, is to tell him to stop.

And remove the
cheap paint, if he can.

He said what?

Well, I'll see to it he won't
pull any more stuff like that.

Okay, honey.

Plain as an old hunk
of peanut brittle?

Why, that old...

And mr. Anderson wants
you to remove all this paint.

Remove it?

Well, ma'am, I said
I was on your side

And now I'm going to prove it.

You tell mr. Anderson
that I refuse to do it.

You... You... You refuse?

Put it onto me.

You tell him that
mr. Shively everett refuses.

He refuses?

Well, who does he
think he is, anyway?

You just go out and
tell mr. Shively everett

To take his ladders and leave.

I'll pay him for what
he's done, and that's all.

He's through.

Through?

Well, I wouldn't have believed

He'd have went that far,

But, still in all...

Mr. Anderson will settle up
with you for the work you've done.

Yes, he can settle up with me,

But how's he ever going
to settle up with himself?

Mr. Everett, I'll thank you

To stop making remarks
about my husband.

And I might just give
you a word of advice.

You'll go much farther if
you mind your own business.

Well... Um, mr. Anderson
will settle up.

Poor little thing.

Don't dare to call
her soul her own.

And to top it off... Oh, I know
he didn't think I heard him,

But he said I didn't dare
call my soul my own.

Well, the only thing
to do is just forget it.

Oh, you'd think I was a
poor down-trodden...

Oh, honey, I told you we
were through with mr. Everett.

I don't even want to
hear his name again.

As far as the paint
job is concerned,

I stopped by the paint store.

They're going to send
us out a good painter

With good paint.

And furthermore,
you've won your car.

I don't care about the car now.

Well, you want one, don't you?

Yes, but...

I don't think this is the
way I wanted to get it.

Hello?

Yes, this is mr. Anderson.

Wrong about what?

Are you sure about that?

Well, I'll be da...

No, no, no... Hold off on
that until I call you back.

Yes.

Honey... Is mr. Everett's
number in here?

You surely don't want
to call him, do you?

I have to.

There's something
strange going on.

That was that paint
company that just called.

They checked into the paint that
mr. Everett bought yesterday, and...

And returned today
and... Oh, here it is.

Well, what about the paint?

Well, it wasn't cheap at
all. It was the best they had.

The best? That's not
what you told him to buy.

I don't get it. I don't, either.

All I know is we may have
done this man a great injustice.

Hello, is mr. Everett at home?

Oh, well, this is
mr. Anderson calling.

That's right. Oh, really?

Well, what is it?

Well, that's odd.

Well, when he comes back,
have him call me right away...

It's important. Thank you.

His wife said he
came home at noon,

Changed his clothes...
Didn't say where he was going,

A thing he's never done before,

And she hasn't seen him since.

Where do you suppose he's gone?

I don't know.

But this is all my fault,
and I've got to find him.

Well, thanks
anyway, mrs. Everett.

Sorry to keep bothering you.

Yes, I know you are.

Well, I'll keep trying, too.

All right.

I don't know where
else to call or look.

Maybe you should
try the police, again.

Oh, gosh, surely he wouldn't
do anything desperate

Over losing just one paint job.

Mr. Everett! Come in!

Where have you been?
We've been looking for you.

So is your wife.

I've been walking.

And thinking.

And I'm ashamed of myself.

You ashamed? No, I'm the one...

Please... Let me talk while
I've got my courage up.

I'm only doing now
what I oughta did before

When you first come to
me with your proposition.

I should have told you
right then and there

What I thought of you and your
cheap underhanded schemes.

I'm going to sleep a lot
better if I say this to you.

You are a four-flusher.

Wait a minute, mr. Everett...

I have something
to say to you, too.

And another thing...

You might think about this
fine little family you got here...

And what kind of an example

Are you settin' for 'em.

That fine little woman,
she wants to do right,

But what chance has she got?

Better mend your
bridges, mr. Anderson,

Or your chickens will
come home to roost

Right on your own doorstep.

Mr. Everett.

I know you won't believe this,

But that cheap underhanded
scheme was just a... A test.

My daughter was writing a report
for school on, uh... Human nature.

I was using you to prove
a point about integrity.

I thought you'd let
me down, but you didn't.

I guess you'll have to
write a new ending now, huh?

I certainly will.

Maybe mr. Everett will help
you word the conclusion.

Tell her why you bought
the good paint in spite of me

And threw away a chance
to make a bigger profit.

Well, sir, I guess you'd
say it was a selfish reason.

I want to do a good honest job.

For me, that's the one thing
that makes life worthwhile.

No, that's the truth,
sir. That's the truth.