-When is the party?
-Tomorrow afternoon.
Henry and I both bought
new bathing suits for it.
-Oh.
-Oh, just think.
They have their
own swimming pool.
-Oh, well it sounds
like quite an affair.
-Oh, it will be.
Henry's out on the patio now
trying to get a tan for it.
I started gussying
up this morning.
Gave myself a manicure.
-Oh, it's a lovely shade.
-Isn't it pretty?
It's called Scarlet Lady.
I even did my toes.
-Hey, mom.
I've just been helping dad
gussy up for the party, too.
-Now, Dennis, I hope you haven't
been disturbing your father.
-Heck no.
He's still sound
asleep in the hammock.
But I did his toes for him.
Here's your nail polish.
[theme music]
-That's one of the reasons
I came home for lunch today.
I thought we ought to talk this
over while Dennis was still
in school.
-Oh, yes.
We have to get the
whole thing set
before we tell him
anything about it.
-I think the best
thing to do will
be to drive up there
tomorrow and look it over.
I'll call him this afternoon--
-Hi, mom.
-Hi, mom.
Hi, dad.
I'm home!
[door slamming]
-That's for sure.
Hi, son.
-What in the world are
you doing home so early?
It's only : .
-The whole class got
out at noon today,
because Mr. Morrison got sick.
-Oh, that's too bad.
-Did you get the
afternoon off, too, dad?
Because if you want to take mom
to a movie, I'll go with ya!
-Thanks for the offer but--
-There's a swell
show up at Capital,
nine cartoons and
a double Western.
-I'd just love to see nine
cartoons and a double Western,
but I just came home for lunch.
-Yes, your dad has
to get back to work.
Now, you take your jacket and
hang it up before you go out
and play, OK?
-OK, mom.
Say, you know who'll be
surprised to see me home
so early?
Good ol' Mr. Wilson.
[humming]
-You're doing a beautiful
job of that vase, dear.
It's going to look
almost as good as new.
-Yes, Martha.
I must admit, it's going
to look pretty good.
-Last week when I
swept up those pieces,
I thought it was hopeless.
-Oh, no, my dear.
Nothing is hopeless.
All this job takes is a little
patience, steady hand, and-
-Hi, Mr. Wilson!
-Oh, Dennis.
What are you doing
out of school?
-Our teacher's sick.
-Let's not bother
Mr. Wilson now, dear.
He's very busy.
-Oh, I won't bother him.
Whatchya doin',
Mr. Wilson, gluing
that busted vase back together?
-No, Dennis.
I'm brushing my teeth.
-With glue?
Gee, it must taste awful sticky.
If you get your
teeth glued together,
you won't be able to talk.
-(NERVOUSLY) Eh!
Martha.
-Come over here,
dear, out of the way.
Mr. Wilson's too
busy to talk to us.
-OK.
I won't talk to him.
I'll just watch him.
[ping]
[ping]
[ping]
[ping]
[ping]
[ping]
-Dennis, will you please
put down that bat?
It makes me nervous.
That does it.
That does it.
I'm going to take this stuff in
the house and work on it alone.
Martha, open the door
for me, will you dear?
-Stay here, dear.
-Yes.
Oh!
Oh!
[crash]
-Boy, he sure ruined your
vase that time, Mrs. Wilson.
-Dennis, go home.
Home!
-And if this is my life
during the school year, what
am I going to do
this summer when
Dennis will be
over here all day?
-Oh, it won't be too bad, dear.
We're going on a vacation
in July, you know.
That'll be fun.
-Well, two weeks without
Dennis will help.
Yes, and maybe when we
get back, the Mitchell's
will take their vacation.
-Oh, they aren't
going away this year.
Alice said so.
-What?
Why, Martha, they've
got to go away
for a couple of weeks at least
or send Dennis somewhere.
That's it.
Send Dennis away.
-Not, George, you don't mean--
-Right, summer camp.
-Now, look.
We've been all over this before.
You have no right to
tell the Mitchell's what
to do with Dennis,
and you know it.
-Martha, I'm going to
convince the Mitchell's
they have got to send
that boy to camp.
-How are you going to
do it, by hypnotism?
-No.
No, my dear, by the gentle
art of conversation.
I've got it all
worked out in my mind.
For instance, I'll
start out by mentioning
that summer is just
around the corner.
-Uh-huh.
-And then I'll say,
in the summertime,
a boy needs to be outdoors.
He needs lakes to fish in
and mountains to climb.
-That's certainly subtle.
-And from then
on, I'll just very
casually lead the
conversation til Mitchell gets
the big idea all by himself.
Alice, he'll say, this summer,
let's send Dennis to camp.
That's it!
[doorbell]
-I'll say summer is
just around the corner.
He'll say, yes.
I'll say, boy needs
to be outdoors.
Boy needs-- Mitchell, you've
got to send that boy to camp!
-I beg your pardon?
-Uh, I mean, eh, hello.
Summer's just around the corner.
-Uh, why don't you come
inside, Mr. Wilson?
I
-Oh, thanks.
I will.
I just dropped in
to chat a minute.
-Hey, Mr. Wilson, guess what?
-Huh?
-Mom and dad are
going to let me go
to summer camp as
soon as school's out.
Boy, wait til I tell the kids!
And I'm going Saturday, too.
Dad's taking me.
Goodbye!
[door slamming]
-To camp?
To summer camp?
-Yes, we've been thinking
about it for some time.
-We've decided Dennis
is old enough this year.
-Oh, by all means.
We deserve-- uh, he deserves it.
Be wonderful for him.
When's he going?
-Well, we thought
right after school
is out, around the th of June.
-Oh, wonderful.
That's a lovely time
of year for a boy
to be going right to
camp, right from school.
Yes, indeed.
-It's camp Tall Pine
up in the mountains.
We've been getting circulars
from it every year.
And they're having
open house tomorrow.
-Yes, I'm driving
Dennis up for the day.
We're going to look the camp
over and see if we like it.
-Well, by golly.
I'm just delighted about this.
Oh, uh, for Dennis'
sake of course.
Got to tell Martha.
I tell ya, Martha,
this whole thing
is working out so
perfectly, it scares me.
-I still don't know how you
talked the Mitchell's into it.
-Well, just like
I told, my dear,
the gentle art of conversation.
Just think of it, Martha.
Starting June the , no more
Dennis for two whole weeks.
Do you realize the things
I can get done around here?
-You can paint the
screens, for one thing.
-Yes.
And I can do something I haven't
been able to do for years.
I can lay that concrete
floor on the barbecue pit.
-That will be good.
-Just think of it, Martha.
square feet of fresh concrete
without a single footprint
in it.
-Come to think of it, I've
never seen fresh concrete
without a footprint in it
since we've lived here.
[doorbell]
-There's the door.
Well, you will this
summer, my dear.
I guarantee it.
-Hello, Henry, Dennis.
Come on in.
-Well, thank you, Ms. Wilson.
We can only stay a moment.
Alice wanted me to return
this beater to you.
And thank you very much.
-Hello, Mitchell.
Well, Dennis, we were
just talking about you.
-Hi, Mr. Wilson.
-Oh, we were saying
what a lucky boy
you are to be visiting
that camp tomorrow.
-I'm afraid it's
off, Mr. Wilson.
-What?
-Yes, we're all pretty
unhappy about it.
But I've got to drive
down to Greenfield
on business in the morning.
-Oh, that's too bad.
-Geez, whiz.
-Oh, that is a shame.
But don't worry about
tomorrow, Dennis.
Think of the summer.
When the minute
school is out, off you
go for two glorious weeks.
-Well, we aren't
sure what to do now.
Alice and I don't want to make
a reservation before we've
had a chance to
look the place over.
-What?
Oh, well, yes.
-I suppose you--
-We want Dennis to
look it over, too,
before we do anything definite.
-Well, you're right.
He should have a chance
to give it a try first.
-Well, by golly.
He is going to have a
chance to give it a try.
I'll drive him there
myself tomorrow,
look the place over for you.
-You will?
Oh, boy!
That'll be swell, Mr. Wilson.
-Wonderful of you, Mr. Wilson.
But it'll take all day.
It's a hundred mile drive.
-Oh, I don't mind at all.
I'm glad to do it.
-He really means that, Henry.
-Sure he does, dad.
Isn't he swell?
-It's awfully nice
of you, Mr. Wilson.
I certainly hope
Alice and I will
be able to return
the favor someday.
-Oh.
-Come on, Dennis.
-Boy, wait'll I tell Tommy.
He'll sure be glad.
So will the other kids.
-Tommy?
The other kids?
But I thought--
-Sure, Tommy's going with me.
And we're going to take John,
Chris, and Kevin, and Rikki.
-Six of you?
-But don't you worry
about picking them up.
I told all the kids
to meet at my house.
So we'll be waiting in your
car at : AM tomorrow.
-Yeah, but I can't get up--
-If you're not up yet,
we'll blow the horn for ya.
-They blow the horn for--
-Yay!
-Yay!
-Oh, for goodness sakes!
You have to climb all
over me like that?
-Why are stopping, Mr. Wilson?
-Yeah, this isn't it.
-I know this isn't it.
-Gee, we'll never get there if
you keep stopping, Mr. Wilson.
You've stopped about
eight times already.
-Nine times.
Eight filling stations
for you boys and just one
stop for me to read that
sign, if you don't mind.
Thank heaven, one more
mile and we're there.
All right, come on.
Get in the car.
-Yay!
FRED HARMON (OFFSCREEN):
-Hi!
-Welcome to Camp Tall Pine.
Open house today.
Morning, name's Fred Harmon.
-Oh, Wilson, George Wilson.
I, uh, brought the boys
up to spend the day
and look things over.
Huh?
Oh, not again.
This little boy can't seem
to keep his shoelace tied.
Huh.
Well, at least one
of the lads will
be spending some time
with you this summer.
FRED HARMON
(OFFSCREEN): Oh, good.
Kids all like it up here.
-Yeah.
Well, I'll probably make his
reservation before I leave.
Uh, oh, uh, Dennis Mitchell
here and probably Tom-- well,
where did they go?
-Come on.
They all love the lake.
[kids shouting and playing]
-Dennis!
Boys!
Come back here!
-Don't worry, the deepest
spot in the whole lake
is only inches, and
that's out in the middle.
-Oh, well good.
-Come up to the lodge
and sign the guest book.
We want the boys' names
and addresses, of course.
-Dennis!
Tommy!
Come on, now, all of you!
[kids shouting and playing]
[whistle]
-All right, men!
We're going to sign in now.
On the double!
We want you and the
boys to have all the fun
in the world today, Mr. Wilson.
-Oh, we will.
I'm sure.
-Boy, I'll say!
-Yeah, this is a swell place!
-Uh, you and your group areas
signed at cottage four.
It's all yours for the day.
-Cottage four.
Oh, good.
-Uh, boys?
Mr. Wilson's the boss.
He's in charge today.
That's how we do it
on open house day.
We, uh, don't have
our counselors yet.
-Oh, naturally.
That make sense.
Well, I'll do my best
to keep them in line.
-Ah, the boys will be fine.
Uh, here's your
equipment for the day.
I, uh, think it'll
come in handy.
-Equipment?
-Uh, whistle, a cap, sweatshirt.
Boys seem to respond better
if you look official.
-Yes.That sounds like a good idea.
-Hey, look at Kevie.
-Heavens, what happened to you?
-He pushed me in the lake!
[yelling]
-Quiet!
Been up here five minutes
and fell in the lake already.
What am I going to do with you?
Did you bring any dry clothes?
-It's all right.
I'll take him out in the
kitchen and dry him out.
We keep plenty of dry clothes.
This happens all the time.
-Oh.
-Come on, honey.
-Thank you, you're very kind.
All right, now look boys.
I don't want anything
like that to happen again.
Is that understood?
-Yes, Mr. Wilson.
-And I don't want any
more pushing or shoving
or any more of
that loud arguing.
-No, sir.
No more hollering, you guys.
-That goes for you, too, Dennis.
Now, the first one of you who
makes any trouble of any kind
can just sit in the cottage
and miss out on all the fun.
Is that clear?
-Yes, Mr. Wilson.
-All right, fine.
Now, let's go see our
cottage number four.
FRED HARMON
(OFFSCREEN): Mr. Wilson.
-Oh.
Oh, yes.
Thank you.
-Oh!
-Oh!
-Oh, I'm so sorry madam.
-Oh, I'm so sorry madam.
I beg your pardon--
-Ugh.
[whistle]
-Hey, get your feet off my bed!
-You don't own a bed!
-My stuff's on it,
so it's my bed!
-Get 'em off.
-OK, I will!
-Boys!
Boys!
Stop that fighting right now.
Now, stop it.
Stop it, do you hear?
Shame on you.
All right.
Now, that does it.
I told you the first one who
caused any trouble would just
have to stay here
in the cottage.
All right.
Now, you sit right
here for one hour.
And you, you sit over here.
And I don't want to hear a
sound out of either one of you.
-I don't have to sit here.
If my mom was here,
she'd tell you.
-Are you wonder
going to obey me?
-Charles, what
you're doing in here?
I told you to stay with mother.
I've been so worried, dear.
Well, now, come with mother.
-I can't come with you.
He's making me sit
here for an hour.
He won't even let me talk!
-What?
Well, of all the nerve.
Who do you think you are telling
my child he has to sit there?
What's going on here?
-I thought he was one of us.
Didn't he come with us, boys?
-Well, of course
not, you ruffian.
I ought to call the police.
You, you-- come Charles.
This man is sick.
-Oh, madam.
It's just an innocent mistake.
I-- ow!
-Are you sick, Mr. Wilson?
Gee, you look sick.
-Wha--?
Oh.
All right.
Shoe.
[whistle]
FRED HARMON (OFFSCREEN):
Come on, Mr. Wilson.
Get your g*ng out here.
Everybody out,
fellas, on the double.
Game time.
-Yay!
[kids shouting and playing]
[whistle]
-All right.
Right here, right
here, right here.
This is where Dennis tagged you.
All right, boys.
Wouldn't you boys like
to play something else
for a while, something you
could play sitting down?
-Gee, we can't quit
now, Mr. Wilson.
-No, the score's tied.
-Yeah, to .
We need another touchdown.
Come on, g*ng.
Fight!
Let's fight!
[whistle]
[kids shouting and playing]
[whistle]
-Gee, Mr. Wilson.
You should be more careful.
You almost swallowed
your whistle.
-Oh.
And I tell you, Martha.
Believe me, it's
been pure m*rder.
Eh, oh, no, no, no, no.
I'll live.
We just, uh, finished
a fine lunch.
I got a little strength back.
Hm?
Oh, yes.
I most certainly will.
I'll book Dennis
in here before I
leave if I have
to pay it myself.
-Wilson, Mr. Wilson!
Come on, hurry!
We're going to hike all
the way around the lake!
-Oh, I have to go now, Martha.
We're going to take a little
hike-- around the lake?
Dennis, are you
out of your mind?
Oh, Martha.
I've got to go now.
I'll see you later.
I'll be home at o'clock.
Goodbye, dear.
Dennis, do you realize how
far it is around the lake?
-Oh, it's a fine hike.
Just a mile each
way, that's all.
Better take your
jackets, though, boys.
It's warm now, but the
weather changes pretty fast
in these mountains sometimes.
-OK.
We'll run and get our jackets.
-Now, just a minute.
Never mind your jackets.
You won't need them.
We are not going on any hike.
And that is final!
Dennis!
Dennis!
DENNIS (OFFSCREEN): We're
up here, Mr. Wilson.
-Well, I told you
to keep in sight.
I don't want anybody
getting lost.
Let's stick together now.
-OK, Mr. Wilson.
We could stick
together a lot better
if you could walk faster.
-Well, we're not supposed to
walk fast in high altitudes.
Oh, let's sit down a minute.
We can all use some rest now.
-Hey, I know what let's
do while we're resting.
Let's play leap frog!
-Leap frog?
-Mr. Wilson.
-Hi, Mr. Wilson.
-Oh, Dennis.
I wish you boys would
quit running ahead.
I don't want
anybody to get lost.
-Oh, we aren't lost, Mr. Wilson.
But we sure thought you were.
Didn't we, Tommy?
-Yeah.
It's not very far to the end
of the lake now, Mr. Wilson.
Me and Dennis have
already been there twice.
-You what?
-Yeah.
All the other kids
are waiting there now.
There's a picnic table and
a swell bench to rest on.
And--
-That's what I need,
something to rest on.
Come on, boys.
Ah.
Well, we finally made it!
Well, I guess we're
pretty good hikers.
Huh, boys?
-We sure are, Mr. Wilson.
Boy, Tommy, we'll
do this every day
when we come up
here this summer.
-Oh, that warm sunshine
feels marvelous.
Well, boys.
You can play for a
while if you want
before we start back to camp.
-Come on!
Let's play run sheep, run!
-All right.
But stay close together, though.
We'll start back
in a few minutes.
Ah.
[snoring]
-Boy, listen to him snore.
-Yeah.
He sure does like sleeping.
Hey, looks like it's going
to rain over that way.
You think we ought
to wake him up?
-I don't think so, Tommy.
It'll probably just
rain over that way.
If it rains here, that'll
wake him up all right.
[snoring]
-Yeah, Clint.
According to the
radio, the storm
kind of went around
us over here.
How are things up your way?
Oh, it is, huh?
I'll be getting
back to you, Clint.
Ranger says there was
cloud bursts over there.
It rain down hard on the
other side of the mountain.
-Well, I'm glad it's
not raining here anyway.
Everybody gone home?
-Yeah, except Wilson
and his bunch.
Still out on the trail.
Wish they'd get back here.
[snoring]
-Oh.
Eh, well, boys.
I guess I sort of most
have dosed off there
for a minute, huh?
-You sure did dose
off, Mr. Wilson.
I'm glad you woke up,
because what time is it?
-Oh.
Great Scott!
Oh, it's almost o'clock.
Oh, heavens.
Now, we won't get home
until-- oh, my goodness.
Why didn't you wake me up?
-We started to, Mr. Wilson.
But you were sleeping so
happy we just couldn't do it.
Come on, everybody!
I'll race you back to camp!
-Ah.
[kids shouting and playing]
-Come on, come on.
I'll get ya.
-Hi, Mr. Wilson!
-Hi!
-We've been waiting for you
a long time, Mr. Wilson.
We ran all the way!
-Oh, my running days are a
thing of the past, I'm afraid.
-I never thought you'd
get here, Mr. Wilson.
Elsie, uh, call the
ranger station, will ya?
-Well, I, uh, I got, uh,
delayed a little back there.
But now it's time
to go, thank heaven.
Oh, before I go, I want to
make a reservation for Dennis
here for two weeks,
for two glorious weeks.
-We're having some pretty bad
weather right now, Mr. Wilson.
It's storming hard down
towards the highway.
-Oh.
Well, a little stormi
sn't going to bother me.
No, sir.
Why, in two hours from
now, I'll be home.
And in and / hours from
now, I'll be sound asleep.
When I wake up,
day after tomorrow.
-Fred?
I've got the ranger
station for you.
-Oh, let me give
you a check right
now for his reservation, so
there won't be any mix up.
-Hello, Clint.
What's the news?
Oh, I was afraid of that.
Bridge went out,
just like last year.
-Oh, fine.
-A bridge went out?
-Went down the creak
bobbing like a cork, huh?
Half hour ago, he said.
-What bridge is this?
I mean, is it nearby?
I mean---Just off the main highway.
You remember the
bridge you crossed
over coming up here,
over Gopher Creak?
-You mean, the-- the
road coming in here?
The bridge washed out?
Well, what do we do?
I mean, how do we--
-Oh, good.
What do they say?
Highway says it'll
be about a week
before they can get
a new bridge in.
Oh, we're OK.
-But-- I mean--
we're all stuck here?
I mean, all of us are stranded?
-You hear that, Tommy?
We can't get out.
We have to stay here.
-For a whole week maybe!
Wow!
-Yay!
-Yeah, we have a few
guests left, Clint.
But, uh, we got plenty
of food and stuff.
Yeah, I'll give you
the names and addresses
so you can call their folks.
-Oh, a whole week.
Great Scott!
[theme music]
02x21 - Dennis Goes to Camp
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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.