-Hey, mom, Tommy and me
need a cool drink real bad.
Can I take some milk
from the ice box?
-Well, of course you can.
What are you all
doing to get so hot?
-We decided to play some golf.
-Play golf?
Well, that's a strenuous game.
No wonder you're hot.
-Oh, we haven't
started to play yet.
-Haven't started?
-Heck no.
-You told me there were
holes where you play golf.
So far we've only dug
holes in our front yard.
[theme music]
-Oh, Fremont, go away.
Fremont, shoo.
Go on, go.
[barking]
[music playing]
-Mrs. Elkins,
well, good morning.
-Good morning, Mr. Wilson.
-Oh, I'm so glad you came by.
There's a question I've
been dying to ask you.
-Well?
-Well, I understand that you're
buying the house next to mine.
Is that true?
-Yes, I expect to sign
the final papers today.
-Oh, that's marvelous.
The best news I've had in years.
-Really?
-Oh, I mean it, Mrs. Elkins.
You know, it's
terribly important
to have good neighbors.
And I'm sure that
nowhere could I
find a better neighbor than a
charming, and gracious lady,
such as yourself.
-What favor do you
want, Mr. Wilson?
-A, uh, oh, a favor?
-You and I have never
been on friendly terms.
When you start buttering me up,
there must be a hidden motive.
-Oh, you're wrong, Mrs. Elkins.
Oh, I'll admit we've had our
little differences of opinion.
But what I just said
was quite sincere.
You do believe me, don't you?
-No.
-Well, all right then.
I'll be honest with you.
-A welcome change.
-That property
you're going to buy
includes a -foot strip of
land adjoins my property.
Now it's not used for anything.
But I could use it
to widen my driveway.
You see, my wife is
a very good driver.
And she's continually scraping
our fenders on the fence.
-I see.
And you wish to
purchase this from me?
-Yes.
The present owners wouldn't
even discuss it with me.
But I thought you and I
might make a little deal.
-Well, it's possible.
I'll consider it.
-Well, couldn't
we settle it now?
I'll pay you a fair price.
-No.
I'll have to think it over.
I'm coming back at two o'clock
for a further inspection
of the house.
I'll think it over carefully,
and give you my decision then.
-Well, I'll be
waiting anxiously.
Thank you, dear lady.
-Will you repeat that, and just
refer to me as Mrs. Elkins?
I'd feel much more comfortable.
-Thank you, Mrs. Elkins.
-Thank you, Mr. Wilson.
-It's easier to be nice
to an old grizzly bear.
-Hi, mom.
What are you making?
-A cake for dinner.
-Oh boy.
Is it a chocolate cake, or
a pound cake, or a pineapple
cake, or angel cake,
or a coconut cake?
-It's an angel cake, Dennis.
-Oh boy.
I like angel cake.
Why do they call it angel cake?
Do angels eat it?
-I'm sure I don't know, dear.
-Well, maybe they don't eat it.
When I eat angel cake, I
get crumbs all over me.
But all the angels
I've seen pictures of
are wearing clean white clothes
without any crumbs on them.
Now how do you suppose
they eat angel cake,
and not get any crumbs on them?
-I'm sure I don't know, dear.
-Hey, was that salt you
put in the cake, mom?
-Yes.
-But a cake is
supposed to be sweet.
And if you put salt in
it, won't it be salty?
-No, it won't be salty.
You have to put in a pinch of
salt to bring out the flavor.
-But why do you have
to pinch the salt.
-You certainly are
talkative today, Dennis.
-Don't you want me to talk?
-Not while I'm
busy baking a cake.
Why don't you go into the living
room, and talk to your father?
-OK, mom.
-Hi, dad.
What are you doing?
-Hi, son.
Just taking care of
a little homework.
-Homework?
You mean like
arithmetic problems?
-No, something I didn't
finish up at the office.
-Oh.
You're lucky it's not
arithmetic problems.
They're the worst
kind of homework.
Hey, did you have
arithmetic problems
when you went to school, dad?
-Mhmm.
-Some of the
problems you have are
awful silly, like the one we had
last week about two men named
A and B. Hey, did you ever know
any men named A and B, dad?
-Mhmm.
-Well, that's what
these two men were
named-- A and B. And do
you know they were doing?
Do ya?
Huh?
-Look, son, how am I
going to get any work done
with you standing there
talking a blue streak?
-Jeepers, I enjoy talking.
But everybody jumps all over me.
-I'm sorry, son.
I tell you what.
You run out and play now.
And when I finish my work,
we'll have a nice long talk, OK?
-OK, dad.
-You know, Martha,
this Yugoslavian stamp
was an excellence buy.
Lightly cancelled, no
perforations missing.
-That's nice, dear.
-[sneezing]
-Bless you.
Are you catching cold, dear?
-No, not that I'm aware of.
I have no symptoms of a-- there.
That's what did it.
That infernal cat of Mrs.
Elkins, that Tinkerbell.
Cats.
Always make me sneeze.
Oh shoo, scat.
[violent sneeze]
[angry meow]
-My goodness.
You blew it right off the fence.
Well, I'd like to blow
it to kingdom come.
-It's too bad you're
allergic to cats.
When Mrs. Elkins
moves next door,
Tinkerbell will be
around all the time.
-Well, there's one compensation.
I think I can get her to sell
me that strip of land I want.
-Have you spoken to
her about it yet?
-Yes.
She'll let me know
this afternoon.
You know, Martha,
I forced myself
to be a sweet as pie to her.
So I'm pretty sure I'll get it.
-That's wonderful, dear.
-Believe me, it wasn't easy
to kowtow to Mrs. Elkins.
She's lived so long
with cats that she
has the same personality.
-Now dear, that's
not a nice thing
to say about a lady who's
going to be our neighbor.
-Well, I can speak
freely about cats.
I find them most repugnant.
-Hi, Mrs. Wilson.
-Hello, Dennis.
You're just in time to
entertain Mr. Wilson
while I get lunch started.
-All right, Dennis.
Don't bother to entertain me.
I can do without it.
-When I came in, you were
saying something about cats.
What did you say?
-I said that I find
them most repugnant.
-Does that mean you like them?
-Yes.
That means I love them.
I'm just crazy about them.
Now let's drop the subject.
-Hey, you're using your
magnifying glass, aren't you,
Mr. Wilson?
-Yes.
-I wish I had a
magnifying glass.
It must be fun to magnify
things with a magnifying glass.
How much bigger does
it make stuff look?
-About five times
natural sides, I guess.
-How big is natural size?
-Well natural size is natural
size, Dennis, naturally.
Can't you see I'm working
on my stamp collection?
-Sure I can.
You're looking at your stamps
with your magnifying glass.
If I had a magnifying
glass, I wouldn't
look at stamps with it.
I'd look at stuff that
was alive, like bugs.
I bet if I looked at a bug
that was only an inch long,
it would like the monster
from the slimy swamp.
-Oh, for heaven's sakes,
Dennis, please keep quiet.
You talk too confounded much.
-Jeepers, everybody
tells me that.
-Well, you do.
You just never shut up.
-All right.
If that's the way people
feel, I won't talk.
I may just never talk, not ever.
--[chortling] Why you couldn't
stop talking for five minutes.
-Well, I could, too.
I could stop taking for
five hours, or five years.
-Dennis, I'll make
you a proposition.
If you won't talk to me
for the rest of the day
whenever you're with me, I'll
give you this magnifying glass.
-You will?
-Yes, I will, to
protect my sanity.
Is it a deal?
Oh, you've already started, eh?
[chuckling] this is
too good to be true.
Oh, don't worry.
You'll be jabbering in no time.
All right, Dennis.
I'll hold you
strictly to the rules.
One word, you lose.
TOMMY (OFFSCREEN): Dennis
-You hear Tommy calling.
All right.
Run along.
-Dennis.
-Hi, Tommy.
I can't play now.
I've got a chance to win a
magnifying glass if I don't
talk to Mr. Wilson for
the rest of the day.
-Then you ought to stay with me.
If you're not with Mr.
Wilson, you can't talk to him.
-But what he wants
me to do is not talk.
And I've got to be with him
so he can see me not talking.
-Not is sure a funny way
to win a magnifying glass.
-It won't be easy, either.
Because l like to talk.
-Me too.
-When I go in the
house, I'm going
to practice keeping
quiet on mom and dad.
You wait here, Tommy.
DAD (OFFSCREEN): Thank you.
Goodbye.
Back already, son?
What's the matter with you?
Cat got your tongue?
Nope, there it is.
-Are you all right, dear?
Where are you off to now?
Up to your room?
-What's all this
silence business?
Are we raising
another Harpo Marx?
-I'm afraid it's all my fault.
I told him this morning
that he talked too much.
Well, this may be
his way of showing us
that his feelings are hurt.
-Come to think of it, I
told him the same thing.
-Oh dear.
Well, we have to let him
know we didn't mean it.
-But I did mean it.
He does talk too much sometimes.
-But Henry, we can't have
the poor child thinking he
can't open his mouth
in his own house.
Couldn't we be
extra nice to him,
encourage him to talk a little?
-If you want to, honey.
MOM (OFFSCREEN): Dennis.
Before you go out again,
would you like a chocolate?
Yes, you.
I know I've only allowed
you one after dinner.
But I thought you might
like to have one now.
Would you?
Help yourself.
-Oh, sun, just a minute.
Would you think
you'd have any use
for a nice, great,
big, shiny dime?
Well, aren't you
going to thank me?
Your welcome.
-Henry, I don't like this a bit.
He simply refuses to talk.
-Oh, he'll get over it.
It just shows you he's all boy.
Well, a girl any age wouldn't
be able to keep quiet
as long as that.
[barking]
-Fremont!
Stop that!
You get out of those daisies.
Stop it.
Shame on you, Fremont.
You just wait until
I get Mr. Wilson.
He'll make you stop!
-What is it now, Dennis?
What do you want?
The window?
No, no, leave it alone.
I don't want it open.
It's too drafty.
Oh, what is this?
Games?
Flowers, what about flowers?
Oh yes, they came
out of my front yard.
Why?
Well, they did too come
out of my front yard.
I cut them myself.
Now don't argue with me, Dennis.
You want to me to go outside
and play football with you?
Well, if that isn't
the stupidest,
most ridiculous-- Dennis, if you
have any other idiotic messages
like that, go write me a letter.
I'm in no mood for
such foolishness.
Good grief.
Playing games.
Is there one Z or
two Z's in daisies.
Oh, Dennis, there are no
Z's at all in-- daisies?
Are you trying to tell
me something about my new
daisy bad?
Huh?
Oh!
Fremont!
You get out of my daisy bed!
Go on!
Out!
Shoo!
Get out!
Oh.
Good heavens, what a mess.
Oh, Dennis, why didn't you
tell me what he was doing?
Well, I could have stopped him.
Now I'll have to get my
garden equipment and fix--
[doorbell]
-Uh oh.
Oh, that must be Mrs. Elkins.
Now Dennis, this is a
private conversation.
You run along.
Well, well, well, well, there
you are, right on the button.
Do come in, Mrs.
Elkins, right in here.
Uh oh, don't stumble
over the flowers.
And on the couch.
Here we are.
Well, now, did you decide
about the property I want?
-I did, Mr. Wilson.
I'm not selling.
-[stuttering] Why?
Your driveway's on the
other side of the house.
You won't need that
property when you move in.
-I'm not moving in.
-You mean you changed
your mind about buying?
-No, I closed the deal.
However, I plan to remain
in my present house
and rent this one,
thanks to you.
-Thanks to me?
-Remember what you
said this morning
about the importance
of good neighbors?
-Yes.
-You were right, Mr. Wilson.
I've thought it over carefully.
And I don't want to
live next door to you.
-Well, see here, Mrs. Elkins.
I don't like to be insulted.
You should be used to it.
With men like you, it
must happen frequently.
-But there's no reason
for you not selling.
-Oh, there are many reasons.
In the first place,
you told me you
wanted to widen your driveway
because your wife scratched
your car on your fence.
-Well, I--
-The people across
the street tell me
you're the one who does it.
You tried to cover
up your bad driving
at the expense of
an innocent woman.
-Well, Martha would
scratch our car
if I allowed her to
drive it more often.
-Just the sort of
excuse I'd expect
from a pompous, self-centered
man who doesn't like cats.
-Who says I don't like cats?
-I do.
I'm not forgetting
the time you squirted
the hose on my
darling Tinkerbell.
-That was an accident.
A dog was chasing your cat.
And I tried to squirt the dog.
-You see, you hate dogs, too.
-Well, that's not true.
Just yesterday I saw some little
boys throwing rocks at the dog.
And I told them if
they didn't stop,
I'd knock their blocks off.
-Naturally.
You despise children.
-Oh, what's the use.
-So my decision is final.
I will not enter
into any transaction
with a man of your type.
-But it's unfair.
You don't need that
property, and I do.
[stuttering] It's
a rotten trick.
It, it--
-Nothing further to discuss.
Good day, Mr. Wilson.
-Well, you'll regret
this, Mrs. Elkins.
I won't forget what you've done.
-Penny for your thoughts, honey,
or is that classified material?
-Henry, I know you think I'm
making too much out of this.
But I'm really worried about
Dennis not talking to us.
-I am too.
I didn't think he'd take what
we said to him so serious.
-I don't want a
quiet little boy.
-Neither do I. That's what's
so great about that little guy,
his bubbling enthusiasm
for everything.
-I just hope we haven't hurt
his feelings so badly that--
-Hi mom, dad.
Boy, am I glad you're home.
Because I'm about to
bust from not talking.
In fact, if I didn't have you
to talk to, I'd really blow up.
You see, I've got this
deal with Mr. Wilson
that if I don't talk to him
for the rest of the day,
he'll give me a swell
magnifying glass.
Trying to not talk
is sure tough.
But I got some good practicing
from not talking to you
and dad this morning.
But I can do it for the
rest of the day now.
And when I get that
magnifying glass,
you can both look through it.
I've got to get back
over to Mr. Wilson,
and not talk some more
while he paints his garage.
See you later.
-What were we talking about,
just before the dam burst.
-I think I was
saying one thing we
don't have to worry about is
having a quiet little boy.
-That's for sure.
[laughing]
-Hey, Dennis!
-Hi, Tommy.
-Boy, you sure missed
some excitement.
-I did?
What happened?
-Johnny Brady caught Mrs.
Elkins' cat, Tinkerbell,
and tied a tin can to its tail.
Boy, she took off down
the street like a hot rod.
-Gee, that was a
bad thing to do.
Did Johnny Brady get
scratched up much?
-No.
But he will when Mrs. Elkins
finds out what he did.
Come on.
Let's play some catch now.
-I wish I could.
But I gotta go over
to Mr. Wilson's.
-He's in his garage.
I saw him go back there
with a bucket of paint.
-After all, the
paint all washed out.
Now just relaxed.
-Well of all the
stupid things, Martha.
If Dennis had told
me the paint was
spilled, instead of that silly
tapping me on the shoulder.
-Well, you can't
blame Dennis, George.
You're the one that
told him not to talk.
He's waiting in the living room.
-Well, let him wait.
-Aren't you going to give
him the magnifying glass now?
After all, he hasn't
talked for hours.
-No, absolutely not, Martha.
If he wants that thing, he
can just finish earning it.
-Well, suit yourself, dear.
I'm going over to
Alice's for a while.
I'll be back.
-All right.
Dennis, I am going to mount
these stamps in my album.
Now if you must stay, sit
down, and leave me alone.
The way figure, I've got about
two hours of peace and quiet
if you're going
to get this glass.
[doorbell]
-Who the dickens is that?
Get the front door,
will you, Dennis?
-Oh, hello, Dennis.
Where's-- There you are.
How could you do that
to my poor little cat?
You, you, answer me.
-Why I-- what are you?
-I might have known you'd try to
get revenge because I wouldn't
sell you that piece of property.
You threatened to.
-I didn't thr*aten.
-But I didn't think
even you would
pick on a poor,
defenseless little kitty.
-What are you talking about?
-I'm talking about
you tying a tin can
to my poor little
Tinkerbell's tail.
-What?
Why, of all the
ridiculous, outrageous--
why I never did any such thing.
-You don't fool me with that
phony innocence, not one
little bit.
When I came home from
shopping, and found
that can tied to her tail,
I knew who to look for.
-Oh, Dennis, tell her
I didn't touch her cat.
You've been with me
all day, practically.
Well, go on, tell her.
Say something.
Eh?
Oh, for the love of-- oh, here.
Take it it's yours.
The deal is over.
Now go on, talk.
Tell her I didn't touch her cat.
-Of course he
didn't, Mrs. Elkins.
Mr. Wilson wouldn't hurt a flea.
And he didn't tie that
can to Tinkerbell's tail.
Because Johnny Brady did it.
-Johnny Brady?
Are-- are you sure, Dennis?
-I sure am sure.
Because Tommy told me.
He saw Johnny Brady do that
to poor little Tinkerbell.
-I've made a terrible mistake.
-You most certainly have.
-Good old Mr. Wilson would
never do a thing like that.
He's just crazy about cats.
He told me so this morning.
He just loves cats.
Don't you, Mr. Wilson?
-Well, I--
-Thank you, Dennis.
Mr. Wilson, I apologize
most sincerely.
-Well, you should.
-I'm so ashamed for having
misjudged you this way.
And I'm going to make up for it.
Believe me, I am.
-Well, if that's
the way you feel,
I could still use
that piece of land.
-It's yours.
-Oh, good, good.
-And I'll try to
think of another way
to bring us closer together.
-Oh, I'll see you to
the door, Mrs. Elkins.
Goodbye.
-Oh, I want to thank you
for backing me up, Dennis.
Ho ho!
Now I can widen my driveway, and
keep some pain on my fenders.
-Boy, this sure is a swell
magnifying glass, Mr. Wilson.
-And it's all yours, my boy.
You have earned it.
-Boy, this looks like
a mountain of ice cream
through this swell
magnifying glass.
-Well, Dennis, I
only wish it were.
You deserve it.
And I'll never ask you
to stop talking again.
You certainly stopped
Mrs. Elkins from--
MRS. ELKINS (OFFSCREEN): Yoohoo!
Oh, I was in hopes I'd
find you back here.
Oh, I'm so glad to
know I've been wrong
about you, Mr. Wilson.
Until this dear boy
told me, I never
dreamed that underneath that
rough exterior of yours,
there's a heart that beats
with love for little creatures.
-Oh, well, of course I--
-A few weeks ago my little
Tinkerbell became a mother.
-Again?
Boy, she's always becoming
mother, isn't she?
-And the cutest one of the
family is for you, Mr. Wilson.
[mewling]
-Oh, no, Mrs. Elkins.
I--
-I knew you'd be surprised.
You're just going
to love one another.
Oh.
And I'll come over
every day to find out
how you're getting along.
Now if you will excuse
me, just must dash.
-I--
-Bye bye.
-Ah, uh, oh, take it
quick, Dennis. [sneezing]
-Jeepers, don't
sneeze on the kitty.
You might give her a cold.
-[sneezing]
-Isn't she cute?
-Oh great Scott. [sneezing]
[music playing]
03x16 - Silence Is Golden
Watch/Buy Amazon Merchandise
Follows the Mitchell family – Henry, Alice, and their only child, Dennis, an energetic, trouble-prone, mischievous, but well-meaning boy, who often tangles first with his peace-and-quiet-loving neighbor, George Wilson, a retired salesman, and later with George's brother John, a writer.
Follows the Mitchell family – Henry, Alice, and their only child, Dennis, an energetic, trouble-prone, mischievous, but well-meaning boy, who often tangles first with his peace-and-quiet-loving neighbor, George Wilson, a retired salesman, and later with George's brother John, a writer.