Podcast Summary: Harold’s Old Time Radio

Episode: Father Knows Best – “Superstitious Folk” (Aired 1950-05-25)

Release Date: January 12, 2026

Episode Overview

This classic “Father Knows Best” episode explores the dynamics of superstition within the Anderson family as Jim Anderson prepares for a business trip. The story humorously examines how superstition—whether dismissed as “twaddle” or embraced through family quirks—infiltrates daily life. What begins with debates about packing for a convention quickly devolves into concerns over “lucky” objects, fortune cards, and misunderstanding-fueled antics involving missing hats, black cats, and lucky pennies.

Key Discussion Points and Story Highlights

Packing for the Trip and Family Antics (00:20 – 05:00)

• Jim prepares for his Chicago convention, bickering good-naturedly with Margaret about over-packing.

  • Margaret insists on including extra socks and shirts “to be on the safe side.”
  • Bud, sensing an opportunity, interrupts to ask for $3 for a “new bat with some hits in it” because he believes his hitting slump is due to bad luck with the old one.
    • Quote:

      Bud: “I think I’ve used up all the hits.” (03:03)
      Jim: “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard… If you can’t get a hit with the old bat, you won’t get one with a new one either.” (03:10)

• Betty and Kathy quibble about going to a club; Betty’s concerns center on a fortune told by her friend Janie.

  • Betty is wary of meeting “a tall, dark man” because a fortune-telling card warned her, much to Jim’s exasperation.
  • Margaret sheepishly admits she had a dream about a wedding, referencing her grandmother, who claimed wedding dreams “mean trouble.”
  • Kathy chimes in about the lucky penny, rabbit’s foot, and horseshoe she keeps.

• Jim tries to be the voice of reason:

  • Quote:

    Jim: “Margaret, what’s gotten into this family anyway? … These aren’t the Middle Ages. This is the 20th century. We’re supposed to be intelligent human beings.” (06:41)

Exposing Superstitions in the Anderson Household (07:01 – 11:00)

• Margaret accuses Jim of being just as superstitious.

  • The family debates Jim’s steadfastness to his “old gray hat”—a hat he insists is just comfortable, but which he refuses to travel without.
  • When Margaret reveals she gave the hat away to the junk man (Mr. Adams), Jim’s veneer cracks:
    • Quote:

      Jim (alarmed): “How could you do a thing like that to me? That was my luck—I mean, how could you?” (08:32)

• Despite protestations, Jim frantically offers to buy back the hat for $5, then $10.

• **This contradiction between his stated disbelief in superstition and his obsession with the hat becomes a running gag.

Chaos and Consequences: Superstition Cascade (14:26 – 22:53)

• Jim, Margaret, and Ed Davis (neighbor) anxiously await news after Betty goes missing with Charlie Davis.

  • Jim reluctantly calls the authorities out of worry, not superstition—or so he claims.

  • Bud returns home with a black eye from baseball, blaming his bad luck on not having a new bat.

    • Quote:

      Bud: “I told you that bat wasn’t any good…” (16:32)

  • Kathy, trying to bring luck, accidentally throws a horseshoe through the garage window.

    • Quote:

      Jim: “That idiotic rabbit’s foot you carry around. Where’s the rabbit it used to belong to? … Did it bring him any luck?” (19:47)
      Kathy: “He must have looked at the moon over the wrong shoulder.” (20:04)

• The situation escalates into comic confusion about fortune tellers, fortune cards, and the “tall, dark man”—who turns out to be a case of mistaken identity (the boy is not even tall or dark).

  • Quote:

    Ed: “But he isn’t... Charlie’s short and he has red hair.” (12:09)

The Truth Comes Out & Resolution (22:53 – 27:19)

• Mr. Adams, the junk man, returns… not just with the hat, but bearing gifts, having been incredibly lucky since acquiring it (he won the Irish Sweepstakes).

  • Quote:

    Mr. Adams: “I wouldn’t sell it for a million dollars. Haven’t you heard what it did for me? I just won the Irish Sweet—” (23:50)

• Misunderstandings are cleared up:

  • Betty was only at the drugstore with another boy due to a mix-up; her antics and the family’s superstitions are gently poked fun at.
  • The police officer jokes that the Anderson house seems “infested with leprechauns” and suggests leaving out a bowl of milk.

Epilogue: Lessons and Lingering Quirks (25:23 – 27:38)

• Jim returns from Chicago in high spirits despite leaving his “lucky” hat behind, having “accomplished a great deal.”
• Bud’s luck also seems to turn with his new (Mr. Adams’) bat, hitting several home runs.
• In a final touch, Jim continues to deny superstitious tendencies, while the rest of the family resumes their normal (and still slightly superstitious) lives.
  • Quote:

    Jim: “I never said it was a lucky hat. I merely said, well, the man’s entitled to a few little idiosyncrasies. That’s all it was. So let’s just forget it.” (26:53)
    Kathy: “Good. Now can I please have my rabbit’s foot back?” (27:19)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bud’s Bat Superstition:

  "I think I've used up all the hits." (03:03, Bud Anderson)

• Jim's Reasoning vs. Reality:

  "I've walked under hundreds of ladders, broken thousands of mirrors, ignored millions of black cats, and if you can call that being superstitious..."

• Margaret Calling Out Jim:

  "You have just as many silly little superstitions as anyone else." (07:02, Margaret)

• Jim’s Panic over the Hat:

  “You gave my hat to the junk man?” (08:27, Jim)

• The Rabbit’s Luck:

  “That idiotic rabbit’s foot you carry around. Where’s the rabbit it used to belong to? ... Did it bring him any luck?” (19:47, Jim)
  “Well, he was lucky while he had –” (19:53, Kathy)

• Officer’s Leprechauns Comment:

  “Sounds to me like the whole house is infested with leprechauns. Better leave a bowl of milk out for them tonight.” (21:37, Officer)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:20 – 05:00: Packing chaos, Bud’s “hitless” bat, Betty’s fortune
• 06:41 – 07:01: Jim’s denouncement of superstition
• 08:11 – 09:03: Revelation of the missing hat
• 14:26 – 15:47: The aftermath: Betty missing, family in turmoil
• 16:32 – 17:04: Bud’s baseball injury and “bad luck”
• 19:02 – 20:14: Kathy’s horseshoe fiasco
• 21:37 – 22:53: Return of Betty, police intervention, and Mr. Adams’ appearance
• 25:23 – 27:38: Aftermath, convention success, and humorously unresolved superstitions

Concluding Thoughts

This episode of “Father Knows Best” cleverly lampoons the persistence of superstition in modern family life, with the Andersons’ levelheaded patriarch ultimately being just as susceptible as the rest. The sharp, affectionate humor highlights how traditions and personal quirks endure across generations—even as everyone insists they’re above it all.

The episode’s light, warm tone, fast-paced banter, and relatable themes make it a perfect snapshot of postwar American radio comedy, loaded with memorable moments and the kind of gentle family ribbing that keeps “Father Knows Best” beloved to this day.