 Mother, is Maxwell House really the only coffee in the world? Well, your father says so, and your father knows best. Yes, it's Father Knows Best, transcribed in Hollywood, starring Robert Young as father. A half-hour visit with your neighbors, the Andersons, 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. And it seems, are born on special days. Abraham Lincoln, for example, was born on Lincoln's birthday. Coincidence, isn't it? In Springfield, where Jim Anderson was born, they do things in a slightly different manner. So Jim shares his birthday with George Washington. That was yesterday, and in the White Frame House on Maple Street, they had quite a time. It went something like this. Bud? You want me, Mom? Are you almost finished down there? Just about. I have to put up one more thing of balloons. Well, please hurry, dear. Your father will be home any minute. Okay. Did you get Mr. Gribble, Mother? Oh, dear, I knew there was something. He's the only one I couldn't reach. It's too bad, because I know your father'd like him to be here. I bet Daddy's gonna be surprised. Well, if he isn't, it won't be our fault. And if you say one word to him... Oh, I won't, Betty. I didn't this morning, did I? No, but you certainly came close a couple of times. Now, don't be a little smile, you dug up. You look like the Mona Lisa junior grade. What's that? Never mind. Betty, you know, I'm not sure that we did the right thing at breakfast. How's that, Mother? Well, your father looked so hurt. The least we could have done was wish him a happy birthday. Oh, no, Mommy! Mother, you're going to spoil everything. Father even said birthdays weren't important when you got to be his age. I know, dear, but... And if he knows that we remembered his birthday, he might suspect something. Everything's all finished, Mom. Oh, that's fine, Bud. Oh, you've done a wonderful job, all of you. And I haven't even said anything. Now, don't forget, Bud, you've got to get Father out of the house at 7.45. Yeah, I know. But, holy cow, how am I going to do that? Bud, you don't want him to see the people when they come in do you. It's a surprise party. But how am I going to get him out? Jumping creepers. You only have to get him out for 15 minutes. What's so hard about that? Well, if it's so easy, why don't you do it? Daddy's home. Oh, the sandwich is Betty. Put them in the pantry. Okay. He isn't coming in here. Well, that's peculiar. I'd better go in and see. Jim. Yes? We thought we heard you come in, dear. Is anything wrong? No, nothing's wrong. Nothing important, anyway. Jim, you sound so strange. Hi, Dad. What goes? Hi, Daddy. Hello. I'll be in the den when dinner's ready. Now, just a minute, Jim Anderson. You're not going to walk away from us like that. Oh, you didn't, huh? Jim, if there's anything wrong, we have a right to know what it is. You have a right to know what it is, do you? You haven't the faintest idea. All right, I'll tell you what it is. I don't ask for a great deal from this family. A minimum of respect and courtesy, that's all. But I certainly think that when a man's birthday comes around... Oh, Jim. Well, the least you can do is remember it. Jim Anderson. And stop looking at me as though I had three heads. All of you. Isn't the least bit funny? Jim, darling, I was telling the children just before you got here that... Mother! Something's burning in the kitchen. Burning? Why, Betty, I turned up all... Oh. Well, I'd better go and see what it is. Man works hard for his wife and family and tries to give them all the advantages he can manage. What thanks does he get? They don't even remember his birthday. And cow-dad, you said birthdays didn't mean anything. When did I say that? When you forgot moms. But I did not forget your mother's birthday. If you'll remember, I bought her the largest bottle of perfume in Springfield. Not that I expected you to buy anything for me, of course. Of course. I don't care anything about getting presents. I mean even a small thing like a necktie or something. Dad. It isn't a gift, it's the thought behind it that counts. Dad. And it isn't as though it were a hard day to remember. I mean like October 19th or August 64th or something like that. Dad. But Washington's birthday, the easiest day of the whole year. How could you possibly forget? Dad. What is it, bud? Happy birthday. Thank you. I'll get it, father. Never mind, I'll answer it myself. And as a birthday once a year, nobody even remembers it. Fine, thank you. Hello. Oh, hello, Mr. Gribble. Yes, just fine, thank you. You what? What message? I didn't leave any message. To call me? Are you sure? Well, just a minute, I'll ask Margaret. Margaret. Yes, dear? Did you call Mr. Gribble? I said did you call Mr. Gribble? Mr. Gribble? Why, why should I call Mr. Gribble, dear? Margaret, the man's on the phone, he got a message to call us. I didn't leave any message. Well, Jim, what possible reason could I have for calling Mr. Gribble? If that isn't just like a woman. All you had to say was no. Yes, dear. Hello, Mr. Gribble. But Margaret doesn't know anything about it. Uh-uh. Well, they probably got the name wrong. You know how it is. Oh, by the way, New York sent me the revised figures on that compensation setup. All right, anytime you say. No, I'll be free all evening. Eight o'clock? Fine, see you later. Jim, you're not going to meet Mr. Gribble tonight. Why not? Well, uh, it's your birthday. What's that got to do with it? My birthday certainly wasn't important a few minutes ago. Jim, I don't know how the children are going to feel about this. Father, we just had the most wonderful idea. Why do you hear it, Dad? We're going to have a wonderful time, all of us. Now, just a minute. Your mother was about to tell me something. I know. I mean, she was? It's all right, Jim. I guess it wasn't. It's all right, Jim. I guess it wasn't important. Well, you ought to know. What is it, Betty? Well, Father, even if we did forget your birthday, we're all very sorry. Yes. And we've decided to devote our entire evening to making you happy. Fine. I won't even be here. But you can go out, Father. You'll spoil everything. What do you mean? Well, um, tell him, Bud. What? Oh. Oh, uh, well, uh, we, uh, we had a lot of things figured out to do, Dad. Like what? Well, uh, we, uh, we thought that we'd, uh, play the radio. He means games, Father. We'll all play games. It's like spin the bottle. Don't find. I can't think of anything I'd enjoy more than a good, fast game of spin the bottle. Unfortunately, I have to work. But you can't work, Father. Not on your birthday. I worked all day. I know. But you can't work at night. New law, huh? The man in the radio said it was gonna snow or rain or something. Margaret. Yes, dear? There seems to have developed a concerted and rather unusual desire for my company. How come? Well, frankly, Jim. Mother. We, well, we hope that if we made your evening a pleasant one, you might forgive us for not remembering your birthday. We could even have a little celebration. Just the five of us. Oh, we could make popcorn. And get some ice cream. It'd be just like a regular party, Daddy. Well... You'd make us all very happy, dear. I don't get it. If my birthday means that much to you... Oh, it does, Father. It sure does. Why did you forget it in the first place? Well, all right. I'll call Gribble and tell him we'll make it tomorrow. Gee, that's great, Dad. Would you like me to call him for you, Father? No, I'd better do it myself. He's certainly going to wonder if I got all my buttons. Make an appointment and then cancel it five minutes later. I'm sure he'll understand, Jim. I wish I could be that sure. Hello, Mr. Gribble. This is Jim Anderson. Well, about that appointment for tonight, I... You see, it's my birthday and I... Well, I... I guess it slipped my mind. Yes. Well, birthdays don't mean very much to me anymore, but, uh... Well, my family wants me to stay home with them. You know how it is. Yes. Uh, suppose I call you in the morning, Mr. Gribble. Right. What? Oh, thank you very much. Good night. Well, I guess that takes care of that. Something wrong, Kathy? No. I was just thinking... About what? George Washington. Oh, well, dinner about ready? Oh, just about, dear. I'd better go upstairs and wash. Fine, family. One minute, they don't even know it's your birthday and the next they'll die if you leave them alone. Wow, that was a close one. Well, as long as he didn't leave, everything's gonna be all right. And I didn't even say anything! I know, dear. You were a very good girl. Same as me. I know, dear. You were a very good girl. Say, Mom. Yes, bud? There's only one thing I don't understand. What's that, dear? We got him to stay home. Now how am I gonna get him out? He's got to figure that one out for himself. You know, we all do in lots of ways, as some of you may have found out just recently. About coffee in particular. Have you been shopping around more for your coffee since the price went up? Trying this brand and that in the name of economy? If you have, I'll bet lots of you have discovered this fact. Maxwell House is true economy. A friend of my wife's did. She was telling us just the other night. You see, when prices went up, she started buying cheaper coffee. Might not taste as good, she figured, but it ought to be more economical. First thing she found, though, it took lots more to make the breakfast coffee strong enough. And even then, the flavor just wasn't there. So, meal after meal, her family would leave their cups unfinished. She said, that settled it for me. Maxwell House is true economy. Sure it is. Because you get so many more truly good cups of coffee from every pound. Just see how much more your family enjoys that wonderful Maxwell House flavor. So good to the last drop, they drink every drop. Discover the extra freshness, the clear, rich taste that's vacuum packed in that familiar blue tin. You'll say, Maxwell House is true economy. So get your money's worth and more. Get Maxwell House always good to the last drop. It's 7.45 in the White Frame House on Maple Street, and time for Jim's surprise birthday party. With great effort, the Andersons have managed to keep father at home. Now with the guests about to arrive, they can't get rid of him, like this. Dad. Yes, bud? After you finish the paper, you wouldn't like to go down to the drugstore with me, would you? Why do you have to go to the drugstore? I don't. I imagine you can explain that, but I just assumed you didn't. Well, I just thought that... Would you like to take a walk? No, thank you. Go for a ride? No, thank you. You want to clean out the garage? Well, what's the matter with you? Nothing, I... Let's go sit upstairs in my room. What for? Well, it's comfortable. I'm quite comfortable right where I am. Yeah. Yeah. And stop fidgeting. Okay. Excuse me, will you, dad? Oh, sure. Whenever you're free, stop back and we'll figure out some more places I don't want to go. I'm crying out loud, Betty. Now what's the matter? You're supposed to have him out of here. It's a quarter of eight. But he won't go. He has to go. Everybody will be here in a minute. Well, what do you want me to do about it? I can't hit him over the head. It's his birthday. Nothing, dad. I'll be with you in a minute. You better go back, bud, and see if he can't think of something. I'll be with you in a minute. I'll go back, bud, and see if he can't think of something. Where are you going? Back into the kitchen. I've got to talk to mom. This is getting desperate. Has your father gone, dear? No. He's sitting in there as big as life. A lot of help Bud turned out to be. Well, Betty, we may as well face it. We're not going to get your father out of the house. But we have to, mother. It'll spoil everything. Maybe not. We can do it another way. I'll just put a note on the front porch asking everybody to come in the back way. But daddy'll hear him. Oh, I don't think so. He will, mother. He's bound to hear them going down to the playroom. Not if you're all singing. Oh. That's an idea. Why do we have to sing? So father won't hear anything. It's a wonderful idea, mother. Well, it's the best we can do. Margaret. Just a minute. Yes, Jim. What are you doing in there? We'll be finished in a few minutes, dear. Well, hurry up. Well, you before Bud shoves me out the front door. All right, dear. Now, remember, girls, sing and loud if you hear anything. Now, I'll go around to the front and leave the note. All right, mother. Come on, Kathy. Gee whiz. Why do we have to sing? I don't feel like singing. Tell your father I'll join you in about five minutes. Okay, mother. Betty, what are we going to sing? What difference does that make? Well, how can I sing loud if I don't know what I'm singing? We'll sing the birthday song. We can't. That's what they're going to say at the party. Oh. How about for he's a jolly good fellow? Why? Because it's loud. I know louder ones. That's loud enough. Hi, father. Hi, where's your mother? She said she'd be right in. Well, I guess I'd better... Betty, it isn't cold in here, is it? A little, why? Oh, you can feel cold. Dad says he wants to go down and look at the furnace. The furnace? Oh, no. It's hot. It's very hot. Isn't it, Kathy? Oh, it's hotter than it's ever been. It's roasting. I don't think so. Father, please don't worry about the furnace. It's your birthday and we're going to have all kinds of fun. Betty, you and Bud wouldn't have any bodies buried in the basement, would you? Bodies? Well, why would we want to put bodies in the basement? We keep all the bodies in the attic, don't we, Bud? Yeah, we sure do. Boy, that's a good one. Kathy, have they been like this all day? Betty and Bud, I'm going inside to see your mother. You can't! Now, just a minute. I had just about enough of this. What's going on around here? Oh, point nothing, Dad. We just want you to have a good time. Well, if this is your idea of a good time... What was that? What was what? I didn't hear anything. Did you, Kathy? Oh, no! I distinctly heard somebody at the back door. Oh, that was Mother. She took the garbage out. I took it out before. Maybe she's bringing it back. How would you like to go to bed? Kyle, Dad, all I said was... Father, we're supposed to be having a party, so why don't we all sing? We haven't done anything like that all winter. Well, you know, we haven't at that, my golly. That's a good idea. I said it before and nobody even listened. We'll listen now, honey. Come on, Betty, you can play for us. All right, Father. Would you please get me a cushion from the couch? Gladly, Your Highness. Your slightest wish is my command. What's going on? Mother's bringing everybody in the back way. And we have to sing. He's a jolly good fellow. Loud. One cushion coming up. There you are, Betty. Thank you, Father. This might turn out to be quite a party after all. Now, uh, what do we sing? Well, Betty said that... Kathy, be quiet. It's your birthday, Dad. Why don't you pick it? All right. How about... Please, the jolly good fellow. What was that for? For your birthday, Dad. Oh, well, uh, thank you. Which nominee? That's very nice. Thank you. Now, uh, how about down by the old mill stream? That's kind of corny, isn't it, Dad? It isn't your birthday. It's Father's. And if he wants to sing down by the old mill stream, why, that's what we'll sing. Right, Father? Right. Please, the jolly good fellow. What happened to down by the old mill stream getting a little monotonous, isn't it? Old mill stream. How about, uh, do you know how to sing anything else? But it's your birthday. What's the matter with these children? They're behaving like a bunch of lowercase lunatics. Well, I, uh, my... Isn't it chilly in here? Mother. Oh, but it is, dear. I think your father ought to go down and take a look at the furnace. You do? I certainly do. You mean we don't have to sing anymore? Thank you, dear. I don't know. If this isn't the goofiest family in the United States, it certainly comes close. Yes, dear, but the furnace, remember? It's awfully chilly, Father. Oh, it is, is it? Five minutes ago, you were roasting. Well, I know, but, but now I'm cold. We're freezing. It won't take you a minute, Jim. Please take a look at it. Oh, for crying out loud. Don't be long, dear. I won't. The silliest, darn family I've ever seen in my life. Stay home, go out. Fix the furnace. Don't fix the furnace. Can't make up their minds, if any. I told them it was cold ten minutes ago. Oh, I have to do it their way. Everything has to be done the way they want it. Hmm. For he's a doggie-fellow. For he's a doggie-fellow. For he's a doggie-fellow. Oh, for goodness' sake. Now, mixed up birthday for father. But everything's straight now. You know, so often we seem to be in the midst of confusion, and then comes the light, which leads to this point. Ladies with coffee prices higher today, remember Maxwell House is true economy. Yes, Maxwell House is true economy. Of course you can buy cheaper coffees in the store, but are they really economical? There's no economy in coffee when you have to use lots more to get it strong enough, and even then you can't get the flavor you want. There's no economy in coffee so stingy with its flavor, your family leaves their cups unfinished. But Maxwell House now, Maxwell House is true economy. So many more cups of wonderfully good coffee in every pound. So extra rich and full of flavor. So good to the last drop, it leaves you wanting more. Yes, there's real reason why more people drink Maxwell House than any other brand at any price. Maxwell House is true economy. Tomorrow ask for Maxwell House, get your money's worth and more, with coffee that's always good to the last drop. It's quite late in the White Frame House on Maple Street. Long past bedtime as a matter of fact, the Anderson kids are sound asleep. But in the master bedroom, Jim and Margaret are busy with a pair of widely divergent thoughts, like this. Oh, dear. What? Oh, nothing, dear. I was just thinking of tomorrow. They made quite a mess, didn't they? Oh, I wouldn't worry about it too much. It was quite a party, wasn't it? Yes, dear, it certainly was. You know, in a way, I feel a little guilty. I mean, you and the kids had to work so hard. Oh, we didn't mind, dear. I know the children had a wonderful time surprising you so completely. Well, I wouldn't say it was a complete surprise. What was that, Mr. Washington? Hmm? Oh, well, I mean, after all, when they, uh... Margaret. Yes, dear? Have you ever seen anything more beautiful than those matched irons the kids gave me? No, dear. If I don't break 90 with those, I'll quit. Yes, dear. I'd have settled for a necktie. I really wouldn't. But those irons. Now, there's a birthday present I'll never forget. I know, dear. It must have cost the kids a fortune. Well, not exactly, dear. They kept watching for a sale at Gormans. That was a good idea. And then they charged them. Good night, Margaret. Good night, dear. Yes, instant Maxwell House means great coffee instantly in your cup. Here's real instant coffee. All pure Maxwell House coffee in instant form. Enjoy instant Maxwell House instantly. Good to the very last you. Join us again next week when we'll be back with Father Knows Best, starring Robert Young as Jim Anderson with Roy Bargy on the Maxwell House Orchestra and yours truly, Bill Foreman. Say, Bill. Yes, Bob. You won't forget about Saturday, will you? Oh, that's right. On Saturday, February 25th, Bob Young will be in Albany, New York to attend a ceremony during which 2,000 young drivers and their parents are going to join the Robert Young Good Drivers Club and sign the man-to-man and dad-to-daughter agreements. Does that do it, Bob? Yes, except that there's going to be a parade and if they're looking for me, I'll be the one sitting between Governor Dewey and Mayor Corny. See you on Saturday, Albany. That he will. And now 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 Screen Guild Theater, which follows immediately over most of these stations. Next, Laura with the original cast on Screen Guild on NBC.