miral rogers? - if you want to scream, captain, you go right ahead. we'll understand. - pay now. scream later. - robert young and jane wyatt (laughing) with elinor donahue, billy gray, and lauren chapin (playful music) - and that's where my new office building's going to be. right on that corner. - [bud] what are you going to call it, dad? the anderson building? (jim laughs) - (chuckles) no, it's not my building. the insurance company's putting it up, not me. i couldn't afford that. - [bud] why not, a little short this week? (audience laughs) (jim chuckles) - well now, that property's out near betty's college. shouldn't an office building be downtown?

of parking space, ventilation, fresh air, and enough room. (opens door) those drafty, dingy cubicles we're in now, it's so crowded you get crushed every time you pull out a filing cabinet door. - well it sounds wonderful! what's this little black square on the very corner of the property? - oh, that's the one thing that's been holding up the deal. (shuts door) a fellow holds a lease on that building, he could've renewed it for another five years if he had made certain improvements, so his lease is now expiring. - well, will you have to tear that building down? - no, a good, stiff wind would blow it down. it's sort of a off campus coffee hangout for the college kids. - oh, i know the place, betty says they call it "the hovel." - the hovel? oh, dear. - well, the official name is hanno's place. actually it's a small monstrosity. (romantic music) - look, we can't just sit here, and let them move hanno out. - but how can we stop them? this lease looks awful legal.

the one we want is the office that's trying to buy the property. - hanno, how many more days do you have? what's the deadline? - in the lease, it tells. a few days more, six, maybe ten. - oh, here's the date. your lease expires on the 20th. let's see, today's the 11th, wow, only nine more days, that doesn't give us much time. - that means we'll have to work that much faster. - hanno, how come you goofed on this provision here? - if you'd only put a new roof on, and modernized the front a little, . - well, i meant to do it, just never got around to it. - for the last five years, you never got around to it? - well, time flies, you know? (audience laughs) - it's too late to worry about that now. we'll have to figure out another way of keeping hanno here. say hanno, may we borrow this lease for a bit? - the less i see of that, the more i don't care if i don't see it too much again. - we can show this to my father. i know he'll be able to figure out some way

- hanno, i give you my pledge. you are going to stay right here for a long, long time. - good, i'm with you, viel glk! (joel speaks german) (audience laughs) (door jingles) - we want to discuss something very important with you, father. (door shuts) you know both ralph and joel. - sure, sure, sure. (boys greet him) i've seen their pictures on the post . (audience laughs) - now, father, you believe in justice, don't you? - and you believe in loyalty to old friends and traditions. - and a man's right to run his business. - and not get shoved out in the street. - i'm with you so far. (pats) (audience laughs) - father, we're enlisting out the name of a crass, heartless individual who's trying to pull the rug out from under a very good friend of ours. - get the dirty rat's name, and we'll write him a scorching letter. (audience laughs) - get a box of stationery for your birthday or something? - will you do it, father?

- well, some miserable sneak. - yes. - is planning to put up an office building. - an office building. - right where our friend has his place of business. - and your friend's name is? - hanno. (audience laughs) - hanno batreul. - uh, look, did it ever occur to you there might be two sides to this matter? - oh no, it's obvious that some greedy welp push hanno out to make a nice, neat pile for himself. (audience laughs) - how do you know, you don't even know him. - well it's obvious. - here's hanno's lease. maybe you can find some loophole in it. - well, betty. - [ralph] you got any ideas how we can throw a blockbuster at this land-grabbing gorilla? (audience laughs) - betty, could i talk to you alone for a moment? boys'll excuse us, won't you.

- what's the matter? (jim shushes) (concerned music) - [betty] why this sinister mood? - well, i thought before our discussion concerning the land-grabbing gorilla went any further, you'd better know that the gorilla in question is-- - yes, well. (audience laughs) you! - well, not me personally. t it will be my new office's. - no, you're joking, aren't you? - no, i'm afraid not. - but, father, you can't do this! tell them to build some place else. - we've been hunting for a suitable site for two years. this is the first piece of property the company's ever approved. the papers are being drawn up now. - hanno's lease hasn't expired yet, read it.

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- i'm really sorry, of course your friend hanno'll have plenty of opportunity - yes, i know, but he never could afford to put on a new roof and all that. - he must be a pretty poor business man then. - so maybe he is, but he, father, don't you understand, if hanno moves out, the college might just well fold up. - oh, well, betty, that's-- - better they should burn down the administration building (audience laughs) than tear down the hovel. - well i don't believe it's that serious. besides, why can't he find another place? the place would be much better than that ramshackle thing he's in now.

it's just right the way it is. it's oldness has meaning. and warmness and friendliness. and tradition, you feel all these things when you step inside. - betty you're just romanticizing now. - romantic-- father of all people, i thought you'd understand. - well i do see your point. - you know i gave hanno my pledge that i'd fight this thing through for him. - well, before you go around pledging yourself, you should look into all sides-- and i still believe that. i'm giving you fair warning, father. i'm going to have to fight you. - well, if you believe in it, that's what you're going to have to do. (chuckles) but you might as well know now, the battle is already over. - maybe it is, maybe it isn't. we'll see. (audience laughs) (playful music) - hey what's talulah so hacked about? - well, son, you're a student of shakespeare.

ng lear said. i think it was lear. "o, how sharper than a serpent's tooth it is "to have a thankless child." (playful music) (audience laughs) - good to get that cleared up. (audience laughs) - [ralph] wait, let me get this straight. your father knows who the gorilla is, but you won't tell us? - why not, is he a bigger crook than we figured? - he's not a crook! (audience laughs) well, this just puts a different light on things. see, how many days have we left? - only nine days until the deadline. - nine. alright, ralph, find a contractor. find out how much it will cost to put a new roof on the hovel, and whatever else has to be done to meet the terms of the lease. joel, you're head of the fundraising committee. - betty, we only have nine days. - ok, so we have to make every second count! are you with me? - you're darn right. viel glck! (put hands together)

other contractor today, and he'll give us a better deal than any of the others. only 500 bucks. - wonderful. - he can do the whole job in two days, maybe less. - well now we're cooking! (jingles coins) - how much loot do we have? - well, not much more than we had yesterday. about 123 dollars, and the deadline's bearing down on us. - yea, well how much did joel turn in today? - he hasn't even shown up yet. i'm afraid he's running out of gas after that big start he made. (door jingles) (door shuts) pennies from heaven. 65 ones. - 65, look joel, you're a doll! - all cheerfully donated, on threat of death by torture. - oh, that's beautiful, stop! by george, if we keep this up, we can make it, betty, we can beat the deadline! (gathering money) (audience laughs) - come on, johnny, cough up! - ralph, you know i'm 200% for hanno, but when you're broke, man, you're busted! (audience laughs)

- sweetie, i'd give hanno the shirt off my back! but, the only one i have is at the laundry. (audience laughs) (sad music) - well, that's it. only 272 dollars. we didn't do it. - we started out so good. and then nothing. - oh this may be the blackest day in the history of our school. - well, now, wait. we still have until midnight tomorrow night. - oh, cut it out, joel. that's when the lease expires, we'd have to have the work done before then. - yea, that's right. poor old hanno. - where are we going to go when the hovel's gone? - who's going to tell hanno we failed him? - yea, i know i couldn't face him. (thoughtful music)

- maybe you could write him a letter.

(starts to dial telephone) - well, what's the matter with my beloved enemy? (audience laughs) - can't you guess? - the hovel fund failed? - the worst part of it is i have to tell hanno we failed him. - no you didn't, you did all that you could.

i found out he does a good steady business. that he's always way behind in paying his bills. - ok, so he's no good at business, but, he's a wonderful person. now he's finished, and it's our fault. - betty, you mustn't take it so hard, dear. things usually work out the way they're supposed to. - this didn't. father, i know this is an awful lot to ask you, but, - me, oh, no, i don't even know the man. - but you know how to tell people grim things without making them want to leap off a bridge. (audience laughs) well, after all, you caused all this. - betty, that's not true. and i think it's much too much to ask of your father. especially after the way you've treated him. - i guess you're right. but you people just don't understand

- now, wait, i'm convinced it does mean a lot to you. why it does, i'm not quite sure. but, maybe i will go down there. i want to tell him that you didn't fail him. and i also want to explain to him that no one, the insurance company, me, or anyone has anything against him personally. - oh thank you, father. (father chuckles) and break the news to him, very gently. (audience laughs) (door jingles) (cheerful music) (door jingles shut) (sets tray down)

- yea, well, i guess the mistake is on me. (laughs) so, go ahead, eat. - no, no really, hanno, i'm not hungry. - eat, how do you expect to become a big, famous lawyer on an empty stomach? - thanks, hanno, but you shouldn't do this. (sets another plate down) hanno, i don't-- - and what's for you, sir? to talk to you hanno. i'm betty's father, betty anderson. - betty! that woman, oh she's the one. do you know, if it wasn't for that betty of yours, i would be in sad trouble. - yes, that's what i want to talk to you about. you see, - excuse me, hanno may i speak to you for a moment? - sure, georgie. excuse me please.

nno. - next month is ok. books you've got to have, if you want to get educated. (pats his back) - thank you. - ya, that betty of yours, (audience laughs) so i don't have to move. - but hanno, the lease expires tomorrow. surely you don't think they can still do anything. time is up. - you don't know these scholars like i do. - [jim] but, hanno, - excuse me. sam, how did it go with the examination?

all i can do now is, drop out. - oh no, quitting only forms the habit of quitting. we have to form the habit of fighting. walt whitman says, "never yield or falter." and now you go, and have a nice talk with your professor. tell him what it is you can't get through that head of yours. it. that's why he's a professor. you tried it. (thoughtful music)

as they do about you. but, all that does is just make my task harder. the deadline is tomorrow. and you haven't made any of the improvements that could have kept you here. - yea, it's so. - and i can see why. you give everything away, food, money, advice.

look, walt whitman, thoreau, abraham lincoln, waldo emerson. and look here, these are all like my own children. these scholars. - yes, but hanno. - i see them come, i see them begin to scratch their brains. and the story of all of them is here, and here, and here. - hanno, i understand all that, but. - this one just got married. this one is in the state assembly. this one is a doctor, and they all sat here,

in this room, in these walls. (touches wall) this woodwork. - hanno, this is, all well and good. but the facts of the case-- (door jingles) - [man at door] hanno! - old richie, he was one of mine! - hanno, my son tells me they're trying to move you - well, they say. - some kind of an office building going in, is that right? - i didn't know i would have to move, but now they say the deadline is coming. - well whatever outfit is going in here, they'll never do a nickel's worth of business with any of the alumni, you can bank on that. - [hanno] well, i just don't know, i just don't know. - excuse me, hanno. don't start packing up, yet. just tell me where the nearest telegraph office is. - telegraph office?

nobody's going to move you out of here. (door shuts) i'll get the alumni together. - go on, read it, it's a copy of the telegram i just now sent to my insurance company. (opens paper) - have discovered serious drawbacks to our building site. will explain in letter to follow. suggest we abandon site, and continue search for more suitable location, father! did you really send that? - yep, i called carter, the real estate man too. when i told him the deal was off, he thought i had rocks in my head. (chuckles) saving the hovel didn't seem very important to him. do it? - well, i learned a lot down there. i'm still for progress, but there are values (telephone rings) in old things too. that we shouldn't destroy. (picks up phone) hello. yes, carter. what? uh oh, i hadn't figured on that. no, no that doesn't change my mind. we still don't want the property. no that's definite, carter. ok. (hangs up phone) how do you like that?

- well the owner's going to sell the property whether we buy it or not. the only way he can sell it is to get hanno out of there. - oh, no! - [margaret] if hanno had only made those improvements on the building. - yea. that's the only thing that could've saved him. - why oh why did we fail him? - let's see, the deadline is midnight tomorrow. betty, how much money did you kids raise? a contractor wanted to buy-- - well, wouldn't do any good to get a hold of a contractor now anymore. how many kids could you round up right now? - well lots of them, but why? - then get on the phone and start calling them, go on. - ok. - tell them to wear their old clothes. if they have any of those study lamps, bring those along too. and lots of extension cords. come on, honey, i'm going to need you. - [margaret] but jim, what are you doing? - hello, ralph, would you get a hold of 10 kids, will you, and tell them to call 10 more.

what do you think boss, think we'll beat the deadline? - we will, if we can keep up this current pace! i'll tell you one thing though, i'm beginning to get hungry again. (shouts of agreement) think i'll go down, and see what's holding up the food. hey, how about some more of those hot dogs! - more hot dogs, get them there, boss, coming right up! more hot dogs! - more hot dogs! - more hot dogs! - coming, coming, ya, ya! - (sings in german) hot dogs! - (sings in german) donuts! - (sings in german) donuts! - hot dogs, donuts! - hot dogs, donuts! - hot dogs, donuts! - hot dogs, donuts! - [whole group] hot dogs, donuts, hot dogs donuts! (audience laughs) (group chanting "hot dogs, donuts" on roof)

(construction sounds) (audience applause) (father knows best theme music) - [voiceover] robert young and jane wyatt (children laughing) with elinore donahue, billy gray, and lauren chapin in father knows best. - [betty] come here a second, mother, i want you to see something. - oh, what a picture. - [betty] that's the most one-sided romance in history. honestly, sometimes bud is the dumbest thing. bernice has had a crush on him since they were in kindergarten and bud doesn't even know she's alive! - well, you have to give bernice credit. in spite of everything, she's loyal.