 My there is Maxwell house the best coffee in the whole world. Well, your father says so and your father knows best Yes, it's father knows best transcribed in Hollywood starring Robert Young his father a half-hour visit with your neighbors the Anderson's brought to you by Maxwell house the coffee that's bought and enjoyed by more people than any other brand of coffee at any price Maxwell house always good to the last drop All marriages we've often told are figured out in heaven But there must be an annex on maple street at number 607 In the event that you didn't know that's where the anderson's live And that's where dan cupid gets in some pretty powerful licks like well like this But i'm not hungry stop arguing Kathleen and eat your dinner Margaret I see no reason why the children have to eat at this ridiculous hour I don't mind eating at five o'clock You don't mind eating period Is that so by nine o'clock they'll be storming around here like a bunch of starving armenians and if you think Jim Louise will hear you she's upstairs getting dressed Well, it wasn't her idea. It was yours candlelight and soft muse She happens to be my favorite cousin and if she needs a little help in getting tom goodwin to propose They've been going together for almost five years and if he hasn't proposed by this time jim He's going to propose believe me I don't know women get these weird ideas. There's nothing weird about marriage. There isn't Look honey, the guy obviously isn't the marrying type. It doesn't take five years to make up your mind I'm going to see to it that tom goodwin proposes to my cousin louise tonight bud. Yes, dad I want you to keep this little scene in mind. It may come in very handy in the future Okay, dad Jim a poor guy by the name of goodwin just goes along minding his own business and what happens They gang up on him set traps. Do they really daddy? Oh, yes flickering candlelight The sweet scent of chameleons. I thought chameleons didn't smell but what i'm being charged. They'd better smell Isn't he awful mother just because he's a man now. There's another thing. Isn't it disgraceful? I'm a man You know, this isn't just a case of louise and her friend having dinner with us This is a fight to the finish the hunters smelled blood and they're closing in for the kill I thought they were just gonna have dinner But as you grow older you'll learn that women have a peculiar attitude when it comes to unattached males If a man wanders around unmarried every woman in the world considers it a personal insult They band together they form little groups. They compare strategies father leave him alone, dear He'll run down. You see bud. I don't get it. I don't too Well, it's very simple children your mother being a woman and I wouldn't have it any other way Is trying to get poor tom goodwin to commit matrimony with her cousin louise. Oh Well, sure. Did you understand that? Keep still or he'll explain it again Jim I don't understand your sudden interest in poor tom goodwin You don't even know the man that has nothing to do with it. He's a man and in a case like this We've got to stick together Right bud. Hmm. Oh, oh, sure Oh bud, those are probably the flowers. Will you get them like a good boy? How about my cake? No one's going to touch your cake. Well, I better take it with me. Anyway, bud. You'll get comes all over the floor Oh, dear if he gets this house messed up honey, don't you think you're going a little overboard on this thing? I certainly do not Tom goodwin is coming all the way from middletown for this dinner and if one thing goes wrong Nothing is going wrong mother. He'll be hooked before he knows what hit him. Who's gonna get hooked? Never mind, dear. Just drink your milk What I like is the high plane on which females conduct these campaigns He's going to be hooked Who is daddy? Betty it's thick andrews tell him i'll be right there. Betty you haven't finished your dinner Oh, it's all right mother. We're going to stop in for hamburger on the way to rehearsal Well, don't stay out too late dear. I won't and good honey If she knew she was going to have a hamburger, why did she I can't understand what happened to the flowers They were supposed to be here at four You still didn't tell me tell you what dear who's going to get hooked No one is Kathy and please drink your milk Anytime nobody wants to tell me anything drink your milk Boys that thick andrew's a character. You know what he's got on three mussels and hey What happened to my cake? Sit down and drink your milk But I had a whole piece of cake you took it with you I did Oh, well, I guess I ate it You know what dick andrew's had on three mufflers Yeah, what a character jim if the flowers aren't here in 15 minutes You'll have to go after them. I have to change my shirt. What's the matter with bud? He's leaving as soon as he finishes his milk. Me too. I'm being stashed over at patties So I won't say anything. Well, you've certainly got everything all figured out, haven't you? Yes, dear to the last detail Poor guy. I hope he knows what he's in for meaning me. I suppose. Oh, hello, louise Don't pay any attention to jim dear. He's just being a man. Oh margaret Would you mind very much if louise you haven't changed your clothes? I know dear You see, I've been thinking the whole thing over and I'm not she looks all right margaret Why don't you leave her alone louise baker? You march right upstairs and put on your blue dress margaret Jim, will you please leave this to me? Or he's here. He isn't here. He won't be here for an hour. It's only the man with the flowers bud Yes, ma'am. It's a good thing for this family. I know how to open a door He's the ambitious type Margaret, would you mind very much if we called the whole thing off? I most certainly would But if tom ever finds out louise, you can't call off an avalanche and once margaret gets started. Well, uh, that's it Somebody's gonna get hooked. Kathy. Oh dear Don't worry about helpful henry at her She'll be out of here before you can say why tom how sudden Jim when it comes to being helpful, even if he does propose margaret, it won't work. A man shouldn't be tricked into marriage Oh, don't be ridiculous Shouldn't a marriage has to be built on a firmer foundation And if it starts out with trickery and deceit, well, how can it possibly last? Jim and I've done all right, haven't we? Now wait a minute What is it bud? It was mr. Davis and he said to tell you he was awfully sorry, but they have to go over to his mother's for dinner Oh dear now. What are we going to do about kathy? Why don't I go over to the witties? Why don't I just go back to middletown? You go upstairs and change your clothes and let's not have any more of this nonsense Better do what she says louise. She's a pretty rough customer. I'll see you later Just a minute bud, but joe's waiting for me. Go ahead louise margaret. I am not a child Of course you aren't Now go upstairs and change. Oh good grief This is the silliest thing i've ever done in my entire life Wait until after you're married. That's when the silly things really begin Jim what are you trying to do? What am I supposed to do just stand here? Oh Bud you'll take kathy with you. Oh boy Holy cow mom. You're only going over to joe's. I know but we're gonna invent a telephone Okay, kathy can be the bell Holy cow go ahead bud and take good care of your sister if she touches one thing But honest, I won't you won't even know i'm there margaret. Yes dear Would you mind explaining one small thing to me? Of course not, but don't you think you better run down for the flowers the flowers can wait What did you mean jim and i have done all right? Well, haven't we naturally but there wasn't any Trickery involved in our marriage the whole thing was my idea Oh jim it was no such thing. I made up my mind the first day we ever met And I suppose I had nothing to do with it. That's right Now look margaret angel. Do you remember what happened the night you proposed? Of course I do I walked around the block six times before I had the nerve to go in It was only five there was six my father was counting them and it was five Okay, five but when I pushed the bell that was it jim you were it before you even saw the bell You know now that I think of it I got the candlelight and soft music business myself, didn't I? To a wild rose took me six months to learn the darn thing and come to think of it. I've never heard you play anything since Just to a wild rose That's all it took. Well, if that isn't the most cold blooded conniving I'm getting to the point where I don't even like women. You aren't supposed to dare just me think you're clever, don't you? I've got a good mind to tell tom goodman what this is all about. You wouldn't dare. Oh, I wouldn't wouldn't know you wouldn't Now stop acting like a spoiled little boy and answer the door Yes, mother, and if it isn't the man with the flowers, you will have to go after them. I don't have to But I will Women they think they're so smart about everything Can't even let a man make up his own mind about getting married music flowers Well, it certainly took you long enough to get here. Well, I'm sorry, mr. Anderson, but you see never mind the explanations Just give me the flowers. Yes, sir. You just about ruined everything. I did you certainly did you see these aren't just flowers These are tools to dig the grave of an unsuspecting bachelor They are yep poor guy. He's as good as cooked right now. Well, where do I sign? For what the flowers don't I have to sign for them? Oh, no You see I'm tom goodman Well, it looks like father may have talked out a turn this time And yet more often than not the man of the house does know exactly what he's talking about For instance ladies when it comes to coffee truly good coffee that husband of yours is the world's greatest expert No two ways about it. The number one expert on coffee is your husband Of course grocers call us experts too. They know more families enjoy our Maxwell house coffee than any other brand But when you brew the coffee the final judge is your husband And tomorrow if you'll fill his cup with wonderfully good Maxwell house We're sure he'll smile across the table and say Wonderful best coffee ever in fact if he doesn't we'll give you your money back You see we know no coffee tastes like Maxwell house because no coffee is made like Maxwell house In all this world there's only one recipe for that famous good to the last drop flavor A recipe demanding certain choice coffees blended just so and only Maxwell house has that recipe So we say take home a pound of our coffee tomorrow serve your husband Maxwell house If he doesn't say best coffee ever Just send us the can an unused portion and we'll gladly refund the price you paid Our address is plainly printed on every familiar blue tin But enough from me tomorrow see how much the world's greatest expert enjoys our coffee Tomorrow serve your husband Maxwell house coffee Good to the last drop The candles have burned low in the anderson's dining room And the scent of flowers mingles gently with the memory of good red beef The dinner hour is almost gone and a delicate moment approaches the time has arrived for The kill like this. Why don't we have our coffee in the living room? I think we'll be much more comfortable in the living room since when do we have Jim? Oh, yes Why don't we have our coffee in the living room? We'll be more comfortable. Oh gosh, that was sure a wonderful dinner Margaret. Oh, thank you, Tom Margaret's a wonderful cook, isn't she? She sure is Well, it runs in our family Doesn't it louise? Well, I wouldn't exactly say that She's just being modest Tom Grandmother williams always used to say that our family produced the finest cooks in the entire country He gods What was that dear? Yeah, nothing. Nothing. I was just uh, well Certainly looks romantic in here, doesn't it Fire in the fireplace all the lights turned off Jim Well, I was only saying why don't you sit down Tom and we'll have our coffee. Well, thank you very much Cream and sugar. No, thanks. I'll take it straight All right Louise thank you Margaret you take yours plain too, don't you? Yes, I do. Isn't that an amazing coincidence? You and Tom have so many things in common, don't you? Oh Is something wrong Jim? No, no, I uh, I was just wondering when my turn was coming up For coffee, I mean here you are dear Thank you very much. You know Tom. It's a funny thing. But after you get used to having a few kids in the house Louise Uh, why don't you play something for us? Oh, I don't think sure sure go ahead lou you play and uh We'll drink our coffee. All right How would you like to a wild rose? What happened Jim if you don't stop it's all right I It went down the wrong pipe. Let's Go ahead Louise. Oh, but I'm a love to a wild rose. Oh, yes. It's uh, it's uh practically my favorite song Yeah, mine too Yes Well, that didn't last very long it and Kathy. Why aren't you? Hi everybody bud. Oh, Mrs. Anderson. Mr. Anderson. You guys they brought a friend I But I distinctly told you mom, you know what she did she blew out all the fuses at the phillips I did not you certainly did I didn't either did I joe? Well, I don't know who did it, but the lights are sure all out Look, uh, why don't you kiss we told her to plug it in when we said okay You did not you just said to plug it in joe. You were right there. Didn't I tell her to wait? Gosh, I don't know. I was down in the basement. What were you trying to do blow up the house We were making a telephone dad and I told bud. Yes, ma'am I want you and Kathy to go right back to joe's, but there aren't any lights Bud Anderson, if you don't go back to joe's this very instant. Hey, what's the matter with our lights? Jim, will you please do something? All right, honey. Did we blow a fuse too? Your mother is liable to any second Joe yes, sir aren't your mother and father at home No, sir. You see we didn't know Kathy was coming over and when she did my mother and father decided they had to go to the movies Jim Why don't you take the children inside? All right. Come on kids. I'm sure louise and tom will understand of course Oh, was he the one who's gonna get Kathy? Let's all go down to the playroom and see if we can't get this thing straight now. Come on Kathy Well, stop calling me Anderson. All right joe I'm awfully sorry tom. Oh, that's okay. I don't mind a little noise Tom lives at the y in middletown and he's used to having boys around aren't you tom? Yeah, I sure am I see Tell me do you like living at the y? Oh, sure Yeah, I like it fine. I mean it isn't like having your own home. Is it? Well, no, but then there wouldn't be any sense in my having my own home, would there gosh, I'm not even married and So we understand margaret if you don't mind. Well, I guess I got that all Jim Why aren't you more careful? What do you mean careful? It's so dark in here. I can't even see where I'm I'm sorry tom. Oh, that's all right. Jim There Just about made it didn't I Are the children all right, dear? Oh, sure. They're going to rig up the phone over here, but they promise not to make any noise Oh, dear, you see joe got a telephone outfit for christmas and they've been trying to jim Louise was going to play but I was just telling uh, I'm sorry Uh, just go right ahead. Well to a wild rose All right Pretty isn't it jim Well, I was just Yes Okay, mother the most terrible thing happened. We were what are y'all sitting around the door? Roses grow better that way Betty you said the rehearsal wouldn't be over until 10 Well, the boiler broke down and there wasn't any heat and you've never seen any place so cold. Hi, louise. Hello, dear I um, I haven't met your friend. Oh, I'm sorry Betty, this is tom goodwin. How do you do? Hi, betty louise was telling me Oh, excuse me. I forgot all about dick. I'll be right in betty, please I understand mother. We won't make a sound How did he get upstairs? Kathy bud, we're almost finished dad. Kathy. I don't know what's gotten into those children tonight. Uh Did you say something tom? No, no, I was just sitting here. That's all Well, ordinarily you don't even know they're in the house honey Well, I mean you you know, they're in the house, of course, but Go ahead, dear. What the piano you were doing beautifully. Wasn't she tom? Oh, she sure was just great All right, louise if the roses weren't wild in the beginning. They are now Jim I'm sorry go ahead. Oh dear Jim leave them alone margaret. They'll stop I don't think I can stand this for another second the kids are the piano Oh Will you excuse us for just a minute? Uh jim and I have a few things we want to take care of. Oh, please don't worry about us margaret Oh, we'll get along fine. All right jim What? We have to take care of those things What thing? Oh those things We'll be right back tom. Well, don't worry on our account now. We're not going anywhere Hello jim. I have never been so embarrassed in my entire life Well, this will teach you not to go around playing cupid with a house full of kids. What did you expect? I expected tom goodwin to propose and he's going to I'll still take tennessee in six points I want you to go right down to the playroom and explain to kathy and why don't I just shoot them and get it over with Well, how do you expect a bunch of normal kids? They don't have to practice hog calling tonight. Do they no, but Well, I'll speak to them. I'll take care of betty and jim. Please be firm with them. Oh sure I'll tell them they've got to make a very quiet type of noise But we're down here dad But whether or not you know it you and kathy are in a jam. We are what we do Hey, look at this. There's a whole box of things we never even saw Well, no wonder it wouldn't work, but I'm trying to tell you let's go upstairs and try it again. Kathy. What now look But kathy And you too joe Yes, sir I went out and bought a book and I'm now an expert on child psychology You are Gosh And you know what the book says to do If I hear one more peep out of any one of you i'm to come down here and ring your scrawny little necks Oh boy Psychology Now is that understood We're only trying to fix up the phone dad We know you were gonna get mad. All right. Just remember one little peep jim. Oh jim. What's the matter honey? Oh jim. It happens. What what happened? Isn't it wonderful father? Did he get hugged? I can't even think what's going on bud No, we Oh jim. I've never been so happy in my whole life. You mean he did it Look a ring and everything. Well, what do you know? Well, congratulate me jim. I finally made it. You finally made it I mean just Congratulations tom. Thank you jim. They're going to be married in june. Isn't it thrilling? I should say Yes, sir. I know what all to you and margaret to us. Well, sure You see jim. I was an only child and things around my house were always Well, kind of quiet. All right, but that's why I was afraid to get married. I thought it'd be Sort of dull But gosh if it's like this, you mean you're getting married for the noise. Isn't it wonderful? Oh Tomorrow or saturday, you'll probably buy coffee for that family of yours and above all you'll be shopping for flavor Then it makes sense doesn't it to choose the coffee with the most famous flavor in the world Our maxwell house coffee now don't take my word call in the world's greatest coffee expert Right brew a pot of maxwell house for your husband. He's the final expert on coffee When he beams and says best coffee ever You'll know maxwell house has the flavor and for value Well count for yourself all the truly good cups of coffee you get from every pound This weekend look for coffee that gives you your money's worth and more Look for the friendly blue tin with a big white cup and drop That's your sign of good coffee maxwell house coffee always good to the last drop It's breakfast time on maple street and the anderson's five little cupids with egg on their chins Are deep in the morning meal and deep in their usual problems Like this Isn't it strange the way things turn out dear you mean louise and tom? Yes Now who would ever have guessed that he was so crazy about children louise said they're going to have millions of them She said six, that's what I said Margaret yes, dear You don't have any more cousins. You'd like to uh No, dear Not even a second cousin jim. I give you my word my matchmaking days are over Good Matt, please have the sugar Father Yes, benny. Do you know a boy named frank culberton? No, I don't think so why well he belongs to the athletic club. What about him? You must know him bother He's 27 years old blonde hair blue eyes five feet 11 inches 165 Wait a minute Even if I did know him don't you think he's a little old for you Oh, I didn't mean for me But janey ligates cousin is 25 and that's pretty old for a girl to be wandering around without a boyfriend So we were just wondering if you couldn't sort of drop a hit around the club that you know A girl you don't drink your milk. You're going to be late for school. Isn't it all right if I dust my post? At breakfast time you don't have to say You children eat your cereal right this instant just say Hop along cassidy is crazy about hot wheat meal just a little psychology Yes to get your children to eat a hot cereal just tell them post wheat meal is hop along cassidy's favorite hot cereal And they'll eat it too post wheat meal is chuck full of solid whole wheat nourishment Has a wonderful nut like flavor and it cooks in just three and a half minutes You'll see you'll all agree. It's the best hot cereal you ever ate Join us again next week when we'll be back with father knows best Starring robert young is jim anderson with june wittley is margaret Roy bargy in the maxwell house orchestra and yours truly bill former So until next thursday good night and good luck from the makers of maxwell house america's favorite brand of coffee Always good to the last drop father knows best was transcribed in hollywood and written by ed james Now stay tuned in for dragnet which follows immediately over most of these stations Coming up dragnet with tense absorbing drama on nbc