 The Anderson family. Oliver, aren't you proud of Junior? Winning the essay on why I want a horse. I certainly am. Maybe I'll win a horse, Pop. If we don't have room for relatives, where are we going to put a horse? Oh, gee, Pop, I want a horse worse than anything I can think of. But we can't keep a horse in a garage, Junior. I don't see why not, Oliver. Now, don't you make it tougher for me, Mary. Uh-oh. Here we go again, folks. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's the Anderson family. There's Papa Oliver Anderson who doesn't believe in the adage, be sure you're right and go ahead. He just goes ahead anyhow. Then Mary Anderson, his lovely wife, who thinks everything happens for the best, and she's the best. Then let's not forget Junior, 12 years old in the spark plug of the Anderson's daily life. They're a happy family, although Oliver is somewhat confused with life. He takes a beating from the boss all day, and then he comes home to his little family where he is king. Well, almost king. There's no place for morbidity in their life, and their happy outlook is a tonic for everyone. Now, this whole thing started when Junior Anderson won an essay on why I want a horse. The first thing Oliver knew about it was when his boss called him into his office today and told him the bad news. Oh, yes. Anderson, come in. Sit down. I'll stand. I'm tired of sitting down. Now, as you know, Anderson, I was on the judging committee on the juvenile essay contest, which was won by Junior Anderson. Yes, I know. Junior's very happy about the whole thing. Yes, as your employer, I'm going to do something which gives me great pleasure. Well, gee, I don't think I deserve it. You're absolutely right, except that you're wrong. I don't get it. I hate to spoil the whole affair by tipping you off, but I'll tell you, it's something big. Oh, now you didn't have to do that, Mr. Thompson. My car is good for another three weeks. It's not a car and it's not for you. It's just something to show my appreciation for Junior's efforts. Oh, that's different. Well, whatever it is, it's probably more than he'd ever get from me on my salary. I love your sense of humor, Anderson. Yeah. Well, I'm going home pretty soon. Shall I take it to him? No, it's been delivered already. Right to your door. Or should I say to your garage? Wait a minute. You don't mean a horse. Not just a horse. My, my, no. This is a racehorse. I know, but they eat too, don't they? Would you deprive the little fellow of the pleasure of a horse? Would you allow his victory to be turned into defeat? Well, of course not, but... He expressly wished for a racehorse. How proud he'll be of Flora Dora the second. Yeah, but I don't have a race. Flora Dora's racing days are over. She's just a kindly old lady of the turf. Now run on. I'm busy. Why, of course, he will. He's always glad to see you happy. But why can't I go in the garage and pet her, Mom? A horse isn't any good if you can't ride him. I think you'd better wait till your father gets home. He knows more about horses. Oh, gee, Mom, I have to get acquainted with Flora Dora sometime. I'm sure she likes me. Uh-oh. Something fell in the garage, Mom. That was the horse. Oh, me. If we don't do something with it, she'll kick our car to pieces. Oh, here you are. I thought you folks had left home. Oh, Oliver, I'm so glad you're home. Junior wants to bring the horse out of the garage. Well, then why doesn't he bring her out? I was going to, but Mom said wait for your father. Oh, maybe your mother's right. What's that? Oh, I don't think the horse likes to share a quarters with your car. My car? Well, let's do something. Don't look at me. I'm not a trainer. If you'd just bring her out, Pop, I'd lead her around. Well, now, this has to stop. I won't have my car kicked to pieces. I must. Wait a minute. I'm a stranger to this horse. Maybe I hadn't better go in there right now. Wait a minute. I have an idea. I'll go get Homer Meister. He's an old horseman from the North. And anyhow, if he's laid up, he won't lose any salary. Hi, Homer. Are you busy? Why, uh, can't work, is it? No, no work. Oh, well then, come on in. Martha's home. Oh, uh, hello, Martha. Oh, I just wanted to see Homer about a horse. See him about a horse? That's a new one, ain't it? No, uh, I, uh, I don't know. We have a horse. Oh, sure now, Martha. Let Oliver talk. I can hear you anytime. Well, uh, I knew you liked horses, Homer, and I know you're familiar with them. Well, now, you're right, Oliver. Why, I read Bear Beck when I was 12 years old, hanging on but nothing but my teeth in his mane. Then I had a little pinto once. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. Look, before we go into the pinto, I just want to explain that the horse is in the garage. And I don't think she likes me. Oh, Shucks. You just don't know how to handle a metal. Keeping it in the garage? How about your car? I've been thinking about that, too. Well, now, Shucks, now there ain't a horse living that don't make up to me. Wait till I get my head. Oh, gee, well, if there's a horse. Mary! Can Junior walk? Well, then have him come in here. I'd like to speak to him a moment. Four days. Oh, well. Oh, well. I haven't got a friend left in the neighborhood. A fine arrangement. Oliver, what did you want? Junior, why did you allow Florida to eat up all the gunkle's imported tulip bulbs? Oh, gosh. I just let her nibble some grass in their yard. Before I knew it, she'd eaten a few of those green things. I see. Well, he's going to sue us. Oh, Oliver, he's always suing someone. Yeah, but this time he is going to, he said. Oh, gee, Pop, I've been pretty careful with her. Homer's been riding her mother. Boy, can he ride a horse. I bet he could win a race with her. You haven't said anything like that to Homer, have you? Why, Oliver, what if he did? Simply because if he did, Homer would rather talk me into letting him enter her in a race. Oh, but she's too old, Oliver. Oh, gee, Mom, if you'd see them fly down that alley. Well, maybe we should lock the horse up, Oliver, and then Homer wouldn't ride anymore. Well, I don't think we can do that. You see, I made a kind of a deal with Homer. Deal? Well, yeah, sort of a deal. And, well, Homer's paying half her hay bill, and for that he gets to ride her as much as he likes. It seems to me you could have consulted Junior. It's really his horse, you know. Well, it doesn't hurt to humor Homer a bit. After all, he tamed her, didn't he, so we could pet her. Dear, I wonder who that is. Well, it's probably Gunkel one. I don't think so. Well, it's probably Gunkel wanting to check for those bulls. Howdy, Oliver. Got a minute? Yeah, come on in, I guess. Well, Pagliacci? Who? Huh? What's the Turkish wardrobe for, Homer? Turkish? Why, they ain't Turkish. Just some old racing silks that wore back home. Why, Homer, where did you ever buy silk? Oh, had them for years, Mary. Old jockey silks. Gee, just like a regular jockey, Mr. Meister. You see, Mom, but they aren't pay a little snug, Homer. Well, yes, yeah. But I'm eating nothing but celery and oranges and drinking grapefruit juice. Keepin' my weight down. Are you havin' some pictures taken or somethin', Mr. Meister? Pictures? Nope, nope. Just gettin' down to my best bride and wait. Lost nine pounds. Been down to 120 Friday, Brigham. Friday? Yep, Oliver, let me look at that racing record book again. The page that shows Flora Dora's racing record. Oh, sit still, Oliver. I'll get it. You've seen it 50 times, Homer. Psst, did you tell her about our gear? Haven't you, uh, about you having the use of her? Well, uh, yeah. Uh, what'd she say? What do you whisperin' about, Pop? Well, uh, nothing. I'll tell you later, Junior. Oh, uh, here you are, Homer. It's on page 206, Mr. Meister. He even knows the page, huh? Oh, wait, that's the page, Pop. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Here it is, Homer. Flora Dora, the second. Baymare by Mudhog out of Flora Dora Girl. Born 1930. Well, eggs don't make no difference to the horse, Oliver. Just like a woman. Give him a kind word and he'll knock themselves out trying to make you happy. Well, let's see, you know, third race at Pimlico, 1934. Oh, yes, here it is. This is what I want to see. Yeah, that's her racing record. Yep, yep. Um, uh, third race, one-mile track, muddy. Finish third, Oliver. Then three horses in the race. Why, she couldn't have been worse. Well, give her a chance. She was not training, maybe. Yeah, I can just see her at the post. Turning to the next horse and saying, pardon me, I'm a stranger on this track. May I follow you around? Somehow that isn't funny, Oliver. Uh, nope, it ain't, Mary. A horse has got a heart and feelings. Well, just like anyone else. Yeah, and you should see how Floridora obeys Homer. Well, he says, get going. Well, of course she won't have her full speed for a few days, you know. And with you looking over her shoulder, it probably keeps her from doing her best work. I don't see the necessity for this rigid training routine, Homer. Floridora's getting old and just a pet. Yeah, and the neighbors go across the street when I approach them. They kid me about Junior's racing stable. They're just jealous, Pop. Well, that may be true, but I'd like to have the whole thing die down. Nope, Oliver, nope. I went to the trouble of sewing up the jogging suit, starving to get down to the best weight. It's too late to quit now, Oliver. Anyhow, it's going to rain Friday, and that's where I got him. Now, look, Homer, Floridora's too old. Now get a hold of yourself. Her racing days are over. But, Pop, it's going to rain Friday. What is this rain on Friday business, young man? Well, it's a secret, Mom. You mean it was a secret? Well, regardless, I got to deal with you, Oliver. And besides, Floridora's a mother. I don't care if she's a grandmother, Homer. I'll not let you go through with this and have people laughing at me. That's too late, Oliver. Too late? Yep, I entered Floridora already in the third race at Marthorn Friday. Anderson's. Junior was rewarded with a real live race horse for riding the best essay on Why I Want a Horse. Homer Meister next door has been training the horse, Floridora the Second, for two weeks. And now it's Thursday, the day before the big race. Oliver Anderson, by this time, has most of the neighbors avoiding him, and he wishes Homer would scratch the horse. Mary and Junior are waiting at the racetrack for Oliver, who has stopped to chat on a corner with his boss. Now, see here, Anderson. You have to do something about this hat rack. Floridora running in that race. I'm losing face all over town. People will think I'm the owner. Oh, now wait, boss. It's just a phase in the life of Junior. He's thrilled to death. His horse in a real race. So you're going through with it, huh? Why, sure, there's nothing wrong with it, and you did give him the horse. Okay. Let me tell you this, Anderson. If that plug runs in that race, you and I'll have an important conference first thing Saturday morning, and you won't like what we talk about. You mean I'm being fired? It could amount to that. Thank your choice, Anderson. You can only push me so far. Oh, here, here comes Pop now, Mom. You'd think he was the one who'd been standing in the rain to see his dejected appearance. Oh, here you are. I'm sorry, I'm late. Stand back in here out of the rain, Pop. Oh, thanks. Uh, Junior, would you care very much if Floridora didn't run tomorrow? Floridora not run? Gee, Pop, you don't mean it, do you? Why, you've let Junior believe you thought it was all wrong. Never mind, all right. She'll run then. I just thought I'd ask. And the horse burns right down this way, Pop. What's wrong, Oliver? Oh, nothing. I just left Thompson and the boss. He's burned, Pop. Well, he can't say anything to me. It's my horse. Well, I wish I'd have thought of that. Oh, well come, Oliver. Let him be angry. You've gone along with Homer this far. Now you'll go all the way. Gee, Pop, Mr. Meister went to a lot of trouble. He borrowed a bridle and saddled today. Well, let's not stand here. Come on, Pop, I'll show you which store Floridora's in. Junior, don't step in the mud. I just don't know what to do, Mary. I do. Come on, you keep out of the mud. Let me in out of this rain. Gee, you certainly are locked up tight, Mr. Meister. Yep, that I am, Junior. I heard about fellas doping horses before a big race. I'm a gardener with my life. But, uh, couldn't someone come in the back way, Homer? Nope. No, no. Sorry, I got Martha sleeping right up in the door on a cot. Martha? Oh, I didn't know she was here. Who knows me? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I guess she does. Um, uh, Homer, won't Martha be angry? Staying here night like this? Yes, it's a wet and damp, Homer. Oh, shucks, she's a pioneer, she is, Mary. But you're soaking wet yourself. Take that boy who was down in the hall and you'll find a lounge room with a fire in it. And get dried off. That sounds good to me, Homer. Come on, Junior. Okay, Mom, I guess I'm wetter than I thought I was. I'll be with you in a minute, Mary. Oh, don't upset Homer now, Oliver. I won't, don't worry. What'd she mean, don't upset me? What's wrong, Oliver? Oh, nothing. My boss doesn't want the horse to run. Oh, fiddlesticks. My Florida daughter's raring to go. It's in the bag. I wish I could agree with you, Homer. Gosh, Oliver, I'm set to ride the race of my life. I'm down to 120 pounds in underwear and Florida daughter minds everything a teller. Then you wouldn't want to scratch her, huh? Nope, I wouldn't, Oliver. I got publicity out and everything and the paper's taking a picture of us, if we win. I see. Uh, this bridal saddle hanging there, where'd you get it? A bard. A bardit from the other stable. Yeah, a little big for Florida and then during blinkers, kept falling down over her eyes. Well, then how does she see? Oh, shucks. She don't need to see. That old girl knows her way around. Who's that you're talking to, Homer? It's Oliver, Martha. Oh, gee, I'm sorry, I woke her up in more ways than one. Oh, shucks, she ain't mad at nobody. You wantin' to be keepin' Homer up like this, Oliver? He needs his strength. Well, I was worried. I thought he might want to scratch the horse. No, don't go puttin' that notions in his head. Homer comes from good old Nebraska stock. But that track is a sea of mud, Martha. Mud ain't nothin' new to a farmer. Why, the first thing Homer said to me after we was married was, here's mud in your eye. But he might get hurt and I didn't think you'd let him go out there like I've foolin' around with a horse. I can see you don't know nothin' about women, Oliver Anderson. A woman's place is alongside her husband. Martha's a good woman, Oliver. Shut up, Homer. Why, Homer, don't know what quit means. Oliver, when they blow that bazooka for the third race, you'll find Floridor and Homer awaitin' at the gate. I never saw Homer more serious than he is today, Oliver. Yeah, let's stand under this lean-to back a bit from the track. We can see the finish line from here. Homer has his race all planned, Pop. He knows how to rate a horse and save him for the stretch. He told me about it. I'm sure he does, dear. This must be the third race comin' up. I can't see 30 feet ahead of me in the rain here. Tension, ladies and gentlemen, all horses have been scratched in the third race except Blue Bonnet, Big Boy and Floridor II. This is a three-horse race. Just like her record at Pimlico. Third. Yeah, but she didn't have Homer up that time, Pop. Of course, she didn't, Junior. Homer said he'd waive to me when he went to the gate. He's lucky just to hang on. There at the gate, it's Blue Bonnet on the rail, one to four, Big Boy's second post position, one to seven, Floridora 65 to one. 65 to one? Boy, look where we went. Oliver, you didn't bet. Oh, what's $20? Homer can keep a saddle on her. He might even win. He can swimmer home. There they go. You're quiet. Two horses, Oliver. I hope Homer didn't get that bridle caught on the starting gate. There's Floridora now. It's in the bag, Oliver. Blue Bonnet by two lengths and a Big Boy by 15 lengths. Oh, Homer. Homer will never catch them now. 15 lengths. Going into the back stretch. Blue Bonnet by six lengths and a Big Boy by nine lengths. He's gaining. Come on. Let them look. They have nothing to lose. Rounding the far turn. Blue Bonnet by six lengths. Big Boy by... Big Boy by 23 lengths. Oh, Oliver, he's dropping back. He's saving her for the stretch, Pop. Mr. Meister, explain how you do it. Into the stretch. I hate lightning. Into the stretch. Blue Bonnet by two lengths. Big Boy by 35 lengths. Floridora's trailing. That lightning hit something. Just a minute, folks. Something has happened. Blue Bonnet through her jockey and Big Boy is down. He didn't say. I wonder if he and Floridora are still together. Let us go for him, Floridora, Pop. I don't know, Junior. I could have stopped all this, but I'm too soft. He's a horse. We are home, and everyone's happy. Here's a little toast to Homer. With coffee. And don't say here's mud in your eye, Homer. Nope, nope, I won't. It was a good race, and I'm glad to won. And so is Oliver. Did you place that little... You know what, Oliver? I sure did, Homer. All ten of yours and ten of mine, right on the nose. You mean you took my money out of that trunk and bet it on an old horse race? Why, Homer Meister, I... Oh, come now, Martha. We're visiting now, you know. And you're so proud of him, Martha. Well, I guess I am. And I'm proud of that horse, too, Mary. Gosh, I guess every kid in the neighborhood's out in the garage looking at her with Junior. Well, now that you're warm and comfortable, Homer, tell us what happened. Well, Mary, I planned the race beforehand, and I followed the plan. You followed the other horses, too, Homer. I didn't do no such thing. I just went out in front, right off the bat, and they never did catch me. Oh, wait a minute. The announcer said you were trailing. Maybe you was, Homer, but you didn't know it. Maybe you was, but I swear I didn't hear nobody go by me. Well, so I eased her up a bit on the first turn and, you know, saving her for the stretch. I think you did a wonderful job, Homer. I do, too, Mary. First thing he's done right for years. Oh, let me be. Who's telling this? How'd he made better time, too, but that there saddle kept sliding over on the G side. Yeah, I noticed that saddle. Harsh your mouth, now. Well, sir, I got off on the back stretch and pulled up some slack on the stage, and that darn saddle was just too big for old Floridora. But what I don't understand, Homer, the lightning scared the other two horses, and you didn't mind it? Well, now I'll tell you. You see, it was them borrowed blinders that darned things that kept falling down over her eyes, and I guess she didn't see the flash. Now, about this small wager, Oliver. Oh, yes. It was $20 and paid off at 65 to 1. That's $1,300 and most of it's homers. Now, wait a minute, Mary. I'm out of work, you know, starting tomorrow. And 10 of that was my money. Now, just a minute, Oliver. First stop it. Be quiet. I'll get it, Mary. Now, wait a minute, boss. I don't have to talk to you until 9 o'clock tomorrow morning. A little misunderstanding. You and I'll go on a short fishing trip. Give me some pointers. I may want to start a stable of my own. Okay, I'm glad I made you happy. I'll see you tomorrow, Oliver. Good evening. Good evening. Oh, boy. The boss has changed his tune. He's proud of Floridora. Well, who ain't? Yep. You know, I can see her big brown eyes looking up at me at the starting gate. Probably was hungry. Yep. A horse is a true friend. And Junior takes such an interest in her. Yeah. I guess I was wrong about our having a horse. Oh, my goodness. What's that? I like the garage. Oliver, where are you going? I'm going to stop Floridora from kicking my car to pieces. Mary, hold up Homer's winnings until I check the damage. The Anderson family is written by Howard Swart, directed by Herb Lytton and features Dick Lane as Oliver. Louise Arthur as Mary. Walter Tetley as Junior. Herbert Rawlinson as Homer. And Jackie DeWitt as Martha. Others in the cast were Paul Theodore and George Perroni. Sound effects by Ray Erlenborn and your announcer is Ken Peters. The Anderson family is a Hollywood broadcasters production transcribed in Hollywood. Thank you for watching.