-See you later.
-Dennis?
-Yes, dad?
-Son, don't stay out too late.
You're having dinner
early this evening.
-Oh boy.
Are we going some place?
-Your mother and
I are going over
to the Martins' for dinner.
You're staying home as
sort of man of the house.
-Maryann is going to
sit with you, dear.
-You mean dumb old
Margaret's sister.
-Now Dennis, we're very lucky to
get a lovely girl like Maryann.
You know it's next to impossible
to find a sitter for Saturday
night.
-Yeah, mom.
But if I'm going to
be man of the house,
why do I need a dumb
old sitter, anyway?
-I pass.
-Well, so you'll have
someone to talk to, dear.
-Mom, sitters
don't want to talk.
All they want to do
is read, and tell you
ya aren't supposed to
do what you're doing.
-Dennis, you're going to
have a sitter tonight,
and that's that.
-Oh, OK.
Hey, I'll go ask
Mr. Wilson if he
wants to come over and
keep me company, too.
-Oh my goodness.
Look at the time.
-What's your hurry, honey?
You've got almost two hours.
-Two hours?
It takes me practically that
long for my bubble bath.
[theme music]
-Shame on you, Fremont.
How could you?
(SHOUTING) Martha!
Oh, Fremont, you're a bad
dog, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad.
-What is it, George?
-Martha, I accidentally dropped
my new, valuable, D
dime, and Fremont swallowed it.
-Are you sure?
-Of course I'm sue, Martha.
Look at him, sitting
there, licking his chops.
Oh, you, you money
snatcher, you.
-I do wish you had
taken out an insurance
policy on your coin collection.
-Well now how was I to know my
own dog would turn against me?
-Look.
-Huh? [gasp] Martha,
my dime, my dime.
-You should
apologize to Fremont.
-Oh, oh yes.
Oh, Fremont, I
sincerely apologize.
Martha, we're friends again.
Thank you, honey bunch.
-Are you sure you
don't mind my going
to the book club
lecture tonight?
-Oh no, no.
Of course not.
As a matter of fact,
I'm looking forward
to a quiet evening working
on my coin collection.
DENNIS (OFFSCREEN):
Hey, Mr. Wilson?
-Oh no.
Hi, Mr. Wilson.
Hi, Mrs. Wilson.
-Hi.
-Guess what?
Besides our sitter, I got our
house all to myself tonight.
-Oh, well bully for you.
-Want to come over and watch
television, or something?
-I don't want to come over and
watch television or nothing.
-I bet Mrs. Wilson wouldn't mind
getting you out of the house,
would you, Mrs. Wilson?
-Not at all, dear.
-You see there?
-Dennis, I'm going to be
extremely busy this evening.
-Doing what?
Uh, having a nervous
breakdown. [chuckling] Now
you go spread your sweetness
and light someplace else.
-OK, bye Mr. Wilson.
Bye Mrs. Wilson.
-Goodbye dear.
--[chuckling] You know, Martha,
I'm going to enjoy this evening
all the more because of Dennis.
-I don't understand.
-Well, if I get lonely or
anything, all I have to do
is imagine how
horrible it'd be if I
had to spend the evening
with him. [laughing]
-Henry, I was just
wondering if this red dress
might look better on me tonight.
-Oh, that'll be fine, honey.
-Hey dad, guess what?
-Dennis, what have you been told
about running in the bathroom
while I'm shaving.
-Dear, your dinner's
all ready for you.
It's down in the kitchen.
-I'm hungry!
-What's Seymour doing here?
-That's what I was
going to tell you.
I'm babysitting with him.
-You're what?
-Seymour's mom couldn't
find a sitter for tonight.
And when she heard I had
one, we kind of made a deal.
-Dennis Mitchell!
-Seymour won't be any trouble.
I'll look after him real good.
-Oh, Henry.
-Don't look at me, honey.
I'm busy cutting my throat.
[phone ringing]
-Hello.
Oh, hello, Mrs. Williams.
Yes, they are here now.
Oh no, no, of course
we don't mind.
You say Seymour's already eaten?
-What time's dinner.
-No, not at all, Mrs. Williams.
We're only too
happy to help out.
Goodbye.
-You mean it's OK for
Seymour to stay, mom?
-I suppose so.
-Oh boy.
Now I can keep that quarter
Seymour's mom gave me.
Boy, I'm sure glad
you could stay.
[doorbell]
-I'll get it.
You wait in my room, Seymour.
-Good evening, Dennis?
-What are you doing
here, Margaret?
-You'll find out, Dennis.
-Dennis, if that's Maryann,
you tell her-- well,
hello, Margaret.
-Good evening Mrs. Mitchell.
Maryann can't come.
-She can't come?
But she promised me faithfully.
-It's not her fault,
Mrs. Mitchell.
She got her dates mixed up,
and took two sitting jobs
by mistake.
-Oh dear.
-It's all right, though.
I came in her place.
-Listen, Margaret.
You can't be my sitter.
You're too young.
-Dennis Mitchell, if I'm old
enough to be engaged to you,
I'm certainly old
enough to sit with you.
-Mom, if you don't get her out
of here, I'm going to be sick.
-Children, please be quiet.
Margaret dear,
I'm afraid you are
a little young to be a sitter.
-You see there.
DAD (OFFSCREEN):
Alice, there's mud
on my only clean white shirt.
-I'll be right up, dear.
-But if I don't stay here, Mrs.
Mitchell, who Will you get?
-Me.
That's who she'll get.
-Don't be silly Dennis Mitchell.
You can't be your own sitter.
-Why not?
I'm my own stander.
-Perhaps Mrs. Wilson
could help me.
-Well, I must say,
you certainly look
the picture of contentment.
-[chuckling] I am, Martha.
You know, there's nothing quite
like getting into something
comfortable, and
spending a quiet evening
at one's favorite pastime.
[phone ringing]
-I'll get it, dear.
-Hello?
Why hello, Alice.
-Mrs. Wilson, I hate to
bother you like this.
But, well, I simply haven't
anyone else to turn to.
-Henry and I are invited to
a dinner party this evening.
And our sitter let us down.
-Oh, you poor thing, you.
I'd love to help out.
But I'm just on my way
to a lecture myself.
-Oh.
Well, thank you
anyway, Mrs. Wilson.
-However, Georgie
is here, Alice.
I'm sure he wouldn't mind
dropping over for a few hours.
-Why of course I-- Martha!
What are you saying?
-Mrs. Wilson, do
you really think so?
-Yes, of course.
-Martha, are you
out of your mind?
-Shh!
I'll just ask him
to make sure, dear.
-No, I refuse.
I simply refuse.
-George, the Mitchells
are our best friends.
They're in trouble.
We can't refuse to help them.
-But Martha, what about
my nice, quiet evening
I had all planned?
-Well, you can take your
coin collection with you,
and have a nice, quiet
evening over there.
-Martha, you can't be serious.
Why, nobody's had a nice
quiet evening with Dennis
around ever since
that first day they
brought him home
from the hospital.
-Alice?
George says he'd love to come.
-Oh Mrs. Wilson,
that's wonderful.
We'll be leaving soon.
Goodbye.
-Martha, how could you?
Oh!
-Oh, thank goodness.
-You hear that, Margaret?
Mr. Wilson's coming over.
So you can take your
dumb doll, and go home.
-Dear, here's a little
something for your trouble.
-You mean you're giving her
money for not doing something?
-Dennis Mitchell,
not one more word.
[phone ringing]
-Oh dear.
Hello?
Oh, hello Mrs. Moore.
Yes, Margaret's here.
Well, I do think
she's a little young.
Oh no, don't bother
to come over.
Mr. Wilson will be
here this evening,
and everything will be fine.
All right.
Thank you for calling.
Goodbye.
Well, Margaret, I
guess you'll stay
here and keep Dennis company.
-But mom, she'll
ruin everything!
-Dennis.
DAD (OFFSCREEN): You
better hurry up, honey.
You've only got a minute.
-I'm coming, dear.
-My goodness, your mother's
an emotional housekeeper.
Now then, we can eat,
talk, play post office.
What would you like
to do first, Dennis?
-Find some way to get
you out of my house.
-Uh, children, you may go
back to your television.
-I'd rather stay
with you, Mr. Wilson.
-And I have to be
wherever Dennis is.
Because I'm his sitter.
-You are not my
sitter, Margaret.
-I am so, Dennis Mitchell.
Why else would your
mother give me $ . ?
-So you'd go home, that's why.
-Children, please.
-Listen, Margaret,
go soak your head.
And go soak your
doll's head, too.
-Is that so?
-Yes, that's so.
-Quiet!
There, that's better.
-How are they paying you?
-Paying me?
Now you kids behave yourselves.
The idea.
-Shh.
-Shh.
-Shh.
-Well, that's more like it.
-(SHOUTING) Quiet!
-Oh, now you three children
sit down and be quiet,
like little ladies
and gentlemen.
-Mr. Wilson?
-Yes, Dennis?
-Do you have any new coins
in your coin collection?
-Oh, yes, Dennis.
Indeed I do.
Now this coin, for example,
is a D dime worth $ .
-Wow.
-May I please see
it, Mr. Wilson?
-Oh, of course
you may, Margaret.
There you are.
How utterly fascinating.
--[chuckling] Now this
coin here, for example--
-Seymour, come back here.
-I'm hungry.
-You can't be hungry.
You just ate.
Why, I'm not even hungry yet.
-May I play house, Mr. Wilson?
-Well, of course
you may, Margaret.
You may play anything you like,
as long as you do it quietly.
-Now then, you're the father.
My doll Pamela can
be our daughter.
And Seymour can be our son.
-Thank you, Margaret.
But I have no desire to
be related to any of you.
-All right, then.
We'll play hospital.
I'm the nurse.
You're the doctor.
And Seymour's the patient
about to the operated on.
-(SHOUTING) I'm going home!
-Seymour, come back here.
It's all in fun.
-Let me go!
Help!
Help!
Let me go!
Help!
Help!
Let me go.
Help, help.
-Children, children,
for heaven's sakes,
don't you know any quiet games?
-Like what?
-Well, like staring at each
other with your mouths shut.
-Hey, we could play
spaceship and go to the moon.
-Listen here, Dennis Mitchell.
Girls aren't interested
in going to the moon.
-That's exactly why we men
want to go there, Margaret.
-I can't go.
I'm not allowed to
cross the street.
-Not allowed to cross the--
oh, for heaven's sakes.
-Will you play a
game of hide and go
seek with us, Mr. Wilson?
-Oh now, Dennis.
-That's a nice, quite
game, isn't it Gretchen?
-I thought you said your dumb
old doll's name was Pamela.
-The dear little
thing has two names.
I wanted twins.
-Oh good grief.
-Oh, Dennis.
All right, children.
I'll tell you what.
I'll play one game
of hide and seek
with you, if you promise
to be quiet for the rest
of the evening.
-We promise.
-OK.
-I want to do the counting.
-OK, Seymour.
Stand in the corner
and count to .
-I only can count to nine.
-Well, you count to nine
five times, Seymour.
-Come on, kids.
-One, two--
-Dennis I am not a kid.
-One, two, three,
seven, eight, nine.
One, two, three,
seven, eight, nine.
One, two three,
seven, eight, nine.
One, two, three,
seven, eight, nine.
Here I come, ready or not.
-Do you hear him?
[crash]
-It sounds like
he's in the kitchen.
-I think we better go
see what he's doing.
-Seymour!
-You shouldn't do
things like this.
-I'm hungry.
-Oh, Seymour.
-Put these things--
-Mr. Wilson?
Mr. Wilson, the game's over.
[pounding]
MR. WILSON (OFFSCREEN):
Dennis, let me out of here.
-Out of where?
MR. WILSON (OFFSCREEN):
The closet.
-Jeepers, Mr. Wilson.
You weren't supposed
to lock yourself in.
That's against the rules.
-Dennis, I didn't try to
lock myself in the closet.
I-- oh, I give up.
-There.
Now you come right
in here with me.
You sit right down here,
and behave yourself.
Now don't you move.
-I want some candy.
-Oh, Seymour, it's night time.
And all the candy
stores are closed.
[throwing a tantrum]
-Hey, Mr. Wilson, I
know where there's
some candy machines
on Main Street.
-Dennis, we are not
going to go to any candy
machines on Main Street.
So forget it.
-Seymour, come back here!
-Dennis, come back here!
-Children, come back here!
[laughing]
-Wow.
-Here he is, Mr. Wilson.
-Shame on you, Seymour,
running off like that.
-Seymour, you're a bad boy.
It's late at night.
If a policeman--
oh, he's all sticky.
-Seymour, I didn't
know you had a dime.
-I borrowed it from Mr. Wilson.
-Now, Seymour,
little boys who tell
fibs-- oh, Seymour, you mean
the dime that was on the desk?
You mean-- oh,
tell me you didn't!
Oh!
Great Scott!
My $ dime.
Oh.
-Mr. Wilson, you're
going to break it.
-Oh, where's that
old nail file I had?
-You got a hangnail Mr. Wilson?
-Oh, Dennis, please.
-Oh dear.
This isn't legal, you know.
-Oh, darn this machine!
-Wow.
Look at all those peachy dimes.
-I'm glad Pamela and
I had no part in this.
-Four, ' .
[whistle blowing]
-Mr. Wilson, here comes a--
-Oh Dennis, don't bother me now.
[whistle blowing]
-Seymour, we better
get out of here.
Come on, Margaret.
- D. Dennis, I j--
oh. [nervous laugh]
Oh, good evening officer.
I was just--
-So we finally caught you, huh?
-Caught?
Oh, no officer.
You see I was just--
-Breaking into
the candy machine.
-Oh, no, no, no.
You see, officer, I lost
this rare dime and--
-Tell it to the judge.
-Tell it to the judge?
-Come on, now.
-Oh, now wait a minute, officer.
Children, children,
where are you?
Officer, please.
I'm a babysitter.
-Yeah, yeah, I know.
And It with some little
kid, got you just
started on a life of crime.
-Oh no, officer.
Now pick up the dimes.
-Oh.
-Boy, poor old Mr.
Wilson can sure
get himself into
some awful messes.
-Can't he?
[doorbell]
-Hi, Mr. Martin.
-Why, Dennis.
-Can I see my dad?
It's a matter of
almost life and death.
-That serious, eh?
Well now you just
hold on a minute.
-What a lovely party.
See what a good time married
people can have, Dennis.
-Gosh, Margaret, don't
you ever give up?
-Dennis, what are
you doing here?
-Why aren't you children
with Mr. Wilson?
-Because poor old Mr. Wilson
is in a lot of trouble.
-It was awful.
He broke into a candy machine.
-And then the policeman
took him away.
-And they put him
in the hoosegow.
-I don't understand.
-Dad, that's the whole trouble.
Neither did the policeman.
-Margaret, you and Seymour
stay with Mrs. Mitchell.
Come on, son.
We'll do down to
the police station.
POLICEMAN (OFFSCREEN):
All right then.
Where were you the night
of Thursday, November ?
-I don't remember.
Now I keep telling you.
-Yeah, yeah, you
don't know nothing
about those other
coin machine jobs.
-You were only looking
for a rare dime.
-Exactly.
-What's your real name.
-George Wilson.
And I assure you.
-You ever been called
George the Gat?
-George the Gat?
-Your real name's Watson, is it?
Come clean.
-Where'd you serve time last?
-My name is George Wilson.
And I have never
served time anywhere.
If you don't-- you call Sergeant
Mooney if you don't believe me.
-It's his night off.
He's out.
-Let's see.
George the Gat picks
locks with nail files,
smooth talker, odd dresser.
-Now look here.
I demand to speak to--
[phone ringing]
-Yeah.
OK.
Let's go.
-Go?
Go where?
-When was the last time
you made the lineup?
-The lineup?
Oh no!
-That's the darnedest story
I ever heard in my life.
-But it's the truth, Sergeant.
-Sure.
Cub Scouts never lie.
-You're a Cub Scout?
-Oh, Mitchell, am I
ever glad to see you.
Will you tell these two that
I am not Georgia the Gat?
-We've already told
him, Mr. Wilson.
-It's all right, boys.
There's evidently
been a mistake.
-You see?
That's what I've been trying
to tell you, you know-it-alls.
-You sure, Sarge?
-Yes, I'm sure.
He may be some kind nut,
but he's no criminal.
-Now that's what I've
been trying to tell you.
I may be some kind of a
nut-- I beg your pardon?
-We're only trying to
do our duty, Mr. Wilson.
After all, you were unlawfully
pilfering a vending machine.
When they brought you in you
had no wallet or identification
of any kind.
-Well.
-Mr. Wilson, I'm sure
glad you're free.
-We're terribly sorry all
this happened, Mr. Wilson.
-I suppose there was
no real harm done.
At least I got my
valuable dime back.
-Here's your
personal property we
took from you when
you were booked.
one pocket comb, three teeth
missing, one nail file,
seven jelly beans--
-Goodness.
I wonder how they got in there.
-One quarter, two nickels,
and three pennies.
Sign here, please.
-Well, everything seems
to be-- wait a minute.
My dime.
Where's my dime?
-Well you've got two
nickels, haven't you?
I needed the dime for that
candy machine over there.
-Candy?
Great Scott, my dime.
-Wilson!
Stop that!
Stop that!
Wilson!
-Not until I get my dime back.
-Wilson, stop it!
-I want my dime.
-Whoa, poor old
Mr. Wilson sure has
trouble hanging onto his
money, doesn't he, dad?
-I'm glad your foot
feels better, Mr. Wilson.
-Oh, thank you, Alice.
-The idea of getting into a
fight with a vending machine.
-Well, at least that's
one fight I won.
Wouldn't you say so, Mitchell?
-I sure would.
-My golly.
When George Wilson goes after
something, he really gets it.
-Hey, Mr. Wilson?
-Yes, Dennis?
-Can I try the
vending machine you
bought from the
police department?
-Why yes, be my guest.
Provided, of course, you
brought your own dime.
-Boy, it sure is
swell living next door
to a candy machine, especially
when it not only gives you
a candy bar, but sends
your dime back, too!
[laughter]
[theme music]
03x21 - A Quiet Evening
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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.