Father Knows Best 50-06-08 (041) Time for a New Car

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Father Knows Best 50-06-08 (041) Time for a New Car

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Host: Harolds Old Time Radio
Episode Date: January 24, 2026 (original air date: June 8, 1950)
Show Stars: Robert Young as Jim Anderson

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Overview

This classic radio episode of Father Knows Best centers around the Anderson family's struggles with their aging automobile. As the car falls further into disrepair on the day of a big church picnic—and a drawing for a new car—family members bicker over whether to give up the old clunker or stick with it. Through humorous mishaps and family squabbles, themes of generational tension, pride, thrift, and sentimentality are warmly explored.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The State of the Andersons’ Car

• Family’s View on the Car
  • Betty and Bud see the car as a “wreck,” embarrassing and practically useless.
  • Jim (Father) defends it as a sturdy, reliable “old friend,” scoffing at the notion of buying a flashy new model.
• Generational Divide
  • The younger Andersons want something modern; Jim is attached out of pride and nostalgia.

Notable Quotes

• Betty: "It is a wreck and you know it." (01:17)
• Jim: "For your information, Betty, they don't build cars like this anymore." (01:21)
• Bud: "They sound tinny and cheap. Dad, have you seen the fenders they're putting on the new cars? Just like paper mache." (02:09)

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2. Attempts to Patch up the Car

• DIY Repairs
  • The family uses wire (and a pencil!) to patch together the fender and distributor.
  • They bicker over who tangled the wire and who will fetch the lunch.
  • As mishap after mishap strikes (loose wires, flat tires), tempers flare.
• Father’s Frustration and Stubbornness
  • Jim’s pride in the car bumps against the growing list of needed repairs.

Notable Quotes

• Jim (about the mechanic): "Charges me $7.80 to put a fender back on and doesn't even use a good grade of Scotch tape." (03:31)
• Jim: "That car is good enough for me. And if it's good enough for me, it's good enough for my family." (05:11)
• Bud: "What is it, Bud? There's a pencil stuck in the distributor...Well, the pencil's in, but the wires out." (08:35)

Important Segment:

• Car Repair Chaos: 02:52–09:13
  • Series of slapstick attempts to keep the car running and the fender attached.

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3. The Picnic and the Car Raffle

• Church Picnic Preparation
  • While preparing, the Andersons are anxious not to miss the drawing for a new car.
  • Betty is embarrassed by the old car but excited by the chance to win.
• Winning the Car
  • Kathy excitedly delivers the news that the Andersons’ number has been drawn—they’ve won the new car.
  • The family’s reaction is jubilant; Jim gleefully destroys the stubborn fender.

Notable Quotes

• Jim: "The only people who ever win new cars are old ladies of 90 who wouldn't be caught dead with anything but a horse and buggy." (06:14)
• Kathy: "Daddy, we won." (11:05)
• Jim: "I'm going to show this no good misguided fender just where it gets off." (11:25)

Important Segment:

• Winning News and Fender Destruction: 11:05–12:19

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4. The Car Dealer Dilemma

• At the Dealership
  • Jim insists on repairs, while Fred Haney (the dealer) and Gilhousen (the mechanic) try to convince him the car is beyond hope.
  • The repair estimate exceeds the cost of a new car, highlighting Jim’s stubborn refusal to let go.
• Comical List of Repairs
  • Gilhousen lists nearly every major part as needing replacement ("new panel...new body...new frame...new motor...").
• Family Preferences
  • Amid the chaos, the children chime in with color preferences (Betty: blue, Kathy: red, Bud: green), and Jim jokes about a “light black” or "Scotch plaid" paint job.

Notable Quotes

• Fred Haney: "You’re just throwing good money after bad. Will you please buy a new car?" (18:40)
• Gilhousen: "It’s old. It’s worn out...Why anybody would want to throw good money into that wreck..." (19:04)
• Haney (on total repair cost): "The whole thing, including labor and parts, comes to exactly $1,678." (22:44)
• Jim: "Sixteen hundred and seventy-eight dollars. That’s the most outrageous thing I’ve ever heard in my life." (23:13)

Important Segment:

• Costly Repairs at the Dealer: 17:56–23:40

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5. The Moral and Sentimentality

• Jim’s Sentimentality
  • He likens the car to the “Wonderful One-Hoss Shay,” a machine that lasted a hundred years before collapsing all at once.
  • Even as another fender falls off, Jim holds to his belief that with a few fixes, the car "will be as good as new."
• Family Pressure
  • Margaret gently insists it’s time for a new car.
  • Jim finally seems to realize he’s fighting a losing battle, though his pride is still wounded.

Notable Quotes

• Jim: "Betty, this is more than a car. This is an old friend which has served us faithfully and well. And you don’t give up an old friend just because it’s a little droopy in the fenders." (14:57)
• Margaret: "Jim, we've just got to get a new car." (24:37)
• Jim (philosophically): "Well, we're sitting in it [the One-Hoss Shay] right now...This car is as sound as it was the day we bought it." (23:59)

Important Segment:

• Father's Musings & Moral: 23:56–24:37

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Memorable Moments

• Collapse of the Old Car: The car’s steady disintegration, culminating in falling-off fenders (and Jim’s destruction of a fender after winning the raffle), provide classic slapstick and highlight the Andersons’ predicament.
• Family Banter: Bickering over paint choices, the impractical car repairs, and Jim’s staunch defense of his car create an affectionate, comedic portrait of postwar American family life.

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Final Reflections

The episode captures mid-20th-century values: loyalty to things old and trusted, pragmatic financial concerns, and the burgeoning American obsession with new consumer goods. Ultimately, even Father seems forced to accept that sometimes, clinging to the past is both funny and futile.

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Notable Quotes (by Timestamp)

• "I don't care what you say, Father. It is a wreck and you know it." — Betty (01:17)
• "For your information, Betty, they don't build cars like this anymore." — Jim (01:21)
• "That car is good enough for me. And if it's good enough for me, it's good enough for my family." — Jim (05:11)
• "Daddy, we won." — Kathy (11:05)
• "I'm going to show this no good misguided fender just where it gets off." — Jim (11:25)
• "The whole thing, including labor and parts, comes to exactly $1,678." — Fred Haney (22:44)
• "Sixteen hundred and seventy-eight dollars. That’s the most outrageous thing I’ve ever heard in my life." — Jim (23:13)
• "Betty, this is more than a car. This is an old friend which has served us faithfully and well. And you don’t give up an old friend just because it’s a little droopy in the fenders." — Jim (14:57)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Car Complaints and Early Repairs: 01:17–06:55
• Car Refuses to Start/Betty Leaves with Raffle Tickets: 06:55–08:20
• Picnic & Fenders Falling Off: 09:13–11:05
• Winning the New Car: 11:05–12:19
• Dealer and Mechanic Scene: 17:56–23:40
• Philosophical Wrap Up & Conclusion: 23:56–24:57

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For fans of classic radio comedy, this episode delivers plenty of laughs, warm family moments, and a dose of hard-earned wisdom about knowing when to let go—delivered in the jovial, homespun style that made Father Knows Best a timeless favorite.

Transcript

[A]

Mother, is Nashville House really the only coffee in the world? Well, your father says so, and your father knows best.

[B]

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 America's favorite coffee, Maxwell House, the coffee that's always good to the last drop. Have you heard of the wonderful one Horse Shay, that was built in such a logical way, it ran a hundred years to a day, and then of a sudden it. Ah, but stay. I'll tell you what happened without delay. Well, of course, it hasn't been a hundred years since the Andersons bought their car, but you get the general idea. In Springfield, in the driveway beside the white frame house on Maple street, the Anderson chariot is getting quite a going over like this.

[A]

I don't care what you say, Father. It is a wreck and you know it.

[B]

Is that so? For your information, Betty, they don't build cars like this anymore. They don't build covered wagons either. What was that? Oh, nothing, Dad. I was just thinking.

[A]

He said they didn't build covered wagons either.

[B]

Oh, he did, did he? Okay, Kathy, just you wait. But if you find the car so objectionable, we can arrange for you not to be annoyed with it any longer on Thursday nights. Oh, I didn't mean that, Dad. I think it's fine.

[A]

Well, I don't. I don't even want to borrow it anymore.

[B]

Good. I'll keep that in mind.

[A]

Look at it. The paint all worn off, the upholstery all faded.

[B]

You know, that's the trouble with you kids. You don't look beneath the surface. That's where your value is. Do you know there's 30% more metal in this car than in any 1950 model on the road? There is, huh? There certainly is. You see this body panel? It's a little banged up, I admit that. But listen to it. That's solid. That's good, honest metal. Dad, cars today aren't built that way. None of them. They sound tinny and cheap. Dad, have you seen the fenders they're putting on the new cars? Just like paper mache. Dad, but on this car. Well, listen to this. Gosh, Dad, I was trying to tell you. I don't know. Why do things like this always happen to me?

[A]

Daddy, why did you not send her off the car? Kathy, you'd better be quiet if you know what's good for you. Jim, I'm ready to leave anytime you are.

[B]

That's fine, Margaret, just fine.

[A]

But you'll find the basket with Lunch on the kitchen table. So why don't you. Jim, what on earth did you do to the car?

[B]

I didn't do anything to the car, Margaret.

[A]

Daddy knocked the fender off.

[B]

I did no such thing. All I did was give it one or two little taps.

[A]

Yeah, Mr. Gilhousing said it wasn't going to last.

[B]

Mr. Gilhousing? That crook. He doesn't know any more about fixing a car than. Than Kathy does.

[A]

I didn't do anything.

[B]

Charges me $7.80 to put a fender back on and doesn't even use a good grade of Scotch tape.

[A]

They want me to get the sandwiches, Mom.

[B]

Leave the sandwiches alone, Bud. We can't go to a church picnic or any place else until we get the car fixed. We can put the fender on with wire, dad. It didn't look too bad the last time. All right, go get the wire. I think there's a whole bunch of it in the garage. Mr. Gilhousen, a fine mechanic he turned out to be. Father, he's a butcher, that's what he is. Anybody who can't put a fender on, so it stays put.

[A]

Father, may I please have the tickets for the picnic?

[B]

You certainly may not.

[A]

But, Father, Mr. Leggett set out to bride with them.

[B]

Oh, he did, did he?

[A]

And we'll be there hours before you.

[B]

You're going with us, or you aren't going at all.

[A]

But, Father.

[B]

Hurry up, Bud. I can't.

[A]

Patty got the wire all tangled up. Oh, I did not.

[B]

There's a roll on top of the workbench. Bud, bring that.

[A]

Okay, Father. I certainly think.

[B]

Betty, you're going in our car or you aren't going. Now, that's fine.

[A]

Oh, pooh. Jim, don't you think you're being a little severe? Betty wants to spend more time with Janie Liggett, that's all. It isn't that she's ashamed to be seen in our car, is it, Betty? It certainly is. That old he.

[B]

You see, Margaret, she's ashamed of us. She's too good to ride in our car.

[A]

I knocked, but that isn't even a car. Just a bunch of old bolts held together with bobby pins.

[B]

Here's the wire, dad. Betty, that car is good enough for me. And if it's good enough for me, it's good enough for my family. Is that clear? Here's the wire, dad. Anytime you think that you're better than the rest of us, well, we'll just do something about it. And let's not forget it. Here's the wire, Dad. I heard you Bud. How did I know? Sounds like your needle was stuck. Here's the wire, dad. Here's the wire, Daddy.

[A]

Kathy, be quiet. T whiz.

[B]

Bud. I'll hold the fender in place and you wire it together. Okay, dad.

[A]

Jim, I know what Betty had in mind. She was only thinking of our good. Weren't you, Betty? Oh, sure. They're going to have a drawing for a new car. And if someone isn't there.

[B]

Someone will be there, Margaret. We'll all be there. Not that we'd ever be lucky enough to win a new car.

[A]

Hold the front up a little higher, dad.

[B]

How's that? Okay. I've been going to church picnics since I was 4 years old. And the only people who ever win new cars are old ladies of 90 who wouldn't be caught dead with anything but a horse and buggy.

[A]

Father, if they pick our number and we aren't there.

[B]

We'll be there. Now, stop worrying about it. How's it going, Bud? I think it's almost finished, Betty. Go in and get the lunch.

[A]

All right, Father.

[B]

And lock the door on the way out.

[A]

Yes, Father.

[B]

I think that's as good as I can do, dad. It seems firm enough. I wouldn't lean on it too hard. It's all rusted away on the inside. Well, it'll certainly last until we get home. And believe me, I'll give that Gilhousing character a piece of my mind tomorrow morning.

[A]

Hurry up, Betty. We're ready to leave. See you right there.

[B]

I'll get the motor warmed up while we're waiting.

[A]

Want me to do it, dad?

[B]

No, I'm perfectly capable of starting my own car. Now, what's gotten into this miserable wreck? Bang on the dashboard, dad. Sometimes that does it. I did bang on the dashboard. Just cold, that's all.

[A]

Is this all of it, Mother? Yes, dear. Thank you.

[B]

No good, Jim. Bud, jump up and down on the bumper a few times.

[A]

Okay. What's wrong with the car? It won't start again. Be quiet, Kathy, please. Well, it won't, will it? Try it now, dad.

[B]

Boss?

[A]

Yes, dad?

[B]

Jiggle the wire on the distributor.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I never saw it to fail. The car runs like a dream. Except when you need it. We.

[A]

Oh, Mother, there's Janie Liggett. What am I going to tell them? Well, you just have to tell them.

[B]

Ready?

[A]

Yes, Father.

[B]

What time is the drawing for the new car?

[A]

I don't know, Father. But if we aren't there.

[B]

Don't worry, we'll be there. But just in case it takes us a while to get started. Well, here. You take the tickets and go ahead with the Liggett. Oh, Father, we should happen to win the car. You. Well, go ahead. We'll meet you out there.

[A]

I'm coming. Goodbye, everybody. See you later, Betty. Be careful, Betty. Daddy?

[B]

Yes, Kathy?

[A]

I don't mind riding in your car.

[B]

Thank you, Kathy.

[A]

I'm brave. Hey, dad.

[B]

What is it, Bud? There's a pencil stuck in the distributor. I know. That's to keep the wire in. Well, the pencil's in, but the wires out. But fix it. That's why it won't start. Okay. I knew it wasn't anything important. Just a loose wire, that's all. It's all set, dad. Okay, stand back. I'll try it again. There, see? All right, everybody, let's go. Put the hood down, Bud. Okay, let it down easy so it won't shake the pencil loose. Come on, Margaret. What are you and Kathy waiting for?

[A]

Daddy.

[B]

What is it, Cassie?

[A]

We've got a flat tire.

[B]

Oh, no. Ridiculous thing I've ever seen. There must be some way of keeping that fender on.

[A]

We'll be there in a minute, dear, and then you can fix it properly.

[B]

What do you mean, properly? How can you fix a fender properly with those silly hunks of wire? It isn't a wire that's breaking. Dad, pieces are coming out of the fender.

[A]

It only fell off three times.

[B]

I know how many times it fell off. I know. What's the matter with it? I don't know how to fix it, that's all.

[A]

Daddy, there's a fistnet.

[B]

Where?

[A]

Right over there. Dad, look out.

[B]

What?

[A]

There's a bum. There he goes again. That makes four times.

[B]

Oh, Jim. Fiddlesticks.

[A]

Kathy, why don't you run ahead and find Betty? Okay, Mommy. I'll see if anybody knows who won the car.

[B]

Come on, Bud, let's take another whack at it. I don't think it's gonna do much good, dad. Look at the holes in it. Idiotic looking contraption. Dad, I think I know how we can do it. If we can get some long pieces of wire, we can. No, that won't work. What won't work? I thought we could run the wire under the car and over the hood and tie it on that way. Bud, that won't work. Well, that's what I said. No good fender, no good. Moth eaten, lopsided pot belly. Kathy. What is it?

[A]

Daddy, we won.

[B]

We what?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Are you sure?

[A]

I just saw Daddy and they called our number and we won. How wonderful.

[B]

Well, Bud. Boy, oh, boy. Bud, would you care to join me?

[A]

What are you going to do, dad?

[B]

I'm going to show this no good misguided fender just where it gets off. And that's right here. Turn it over, Bud.

[A]

Like that?

[B]

That's it. Now watch. I guess that'll show it.

[A]

Can I jump on it, too, Daddy?

[B]

Sure, go right ahead. You too, Bud. Have a good time.

[A]

Jim, isn't it wonderful?

[B]

It certainly is.

[A]

I wonder what color it is, if.

[B]

That isn't just like a woman. I suppose if you don't like the color, we'll have to give it back.

[A]

Oh, no. But I just thought it. Mother. Wonderful, isn't it? Simply lush.

[B]

It certainly is. Where is it, Father?

[A]

What are they doing?

[B]

Never mind them. Where is it?

[A]

But, Father, they're ruining the fender.

[B]

Who cares about an old fender? We won a new car, didn't we?

[A]

Oh, Father knows we want a ham.

[B]

Well, it's not the first time folks have expected one thing and ended up with a lot less. It just points up a fact we've learned, you and I, many times. You've got to make sure of what you get in everything. In a pound of coffee, for instance, you want to make sure of the flavor you get. You want the most in flavor for every penny you spend. To millions of folks, that means getting the one coffee famous for flavor above all others. Our Maxwell House coffee. That wonderful good to the last drop flavor. You won't find it, you know, in any other coffee. No coffee but Maxwell House. And there's a mighty good reason why. It's our recipe and there's no mistaking it's important. It's the one and only recipe of its kind. It calls for certain fine varieties of coffee. And our Maxwell House people carefully combine them just so. It's the one way the one recipe for that good to the last drop flavor. And it spells the big difference between just any coffee and coffee at its Sunday go to meeting best. And this difference adds up to more enjoyment, more flavor for your money, when you pour Maxwell House coffee into those cups on your table. So next time, bring home that familiar blue tin of Maxwell House. Enjoy coffee that's always good to the last drop. You know, for some reason or other, automobile people are a cheerful lot. The smiling Irishman, the laughing Lithuanian. They're a gay group of fellows with lilting hearts and names to match. In Springfield, it's Fred Haney, the Happy Hibernian. And that's where the Andersons are headed. Like this.

[A]

Father.

[B]

What is it, Betty?

[A]

Don't you think it's about time we gave up on this old heap. Betty, please don't annoy your father. Well, jump and creeper.

[B]

It's all right, Margaret. It. I'm used to being ridiculed. After all, I'm only her father.

[A]

Everybody has to get so personal about everything. Why is it such an insult if I think we need a new car?

[B]

Betty, this is more than a car. This is an old friend which has served us faithfully and well. And you don't give up an old friend just because it's a little droopy in the fenders. You treat it gently, humor it, restore it to health.

[A]

The best thing you can do for this friend is give it a decent funeral.

[B]

For your information, Betty, this car will be as good as new in less than a week. And it'll be good for another 12 years. Holy cow.

[A]

Golly. The car's even older than I am.

[B]

It makes more noise too.

[A]

Father.

[B]

What is it?

[A]

Betty, as long as you insist on having the car fixed up, can we please have it painted?

[B]

I fully intend to have it painted. A new fender, new paint job, a few little touches on the motor here and there. We'll have a car you can be proud of.

[A]

Can we have it painted blue, please?

[B]

What's the matter with black?

[A]

But it's always been black. And black is so dark.

[B]

Well, we'll get a light black.

[A]

I like red. Then you can pretend you're riding in a fire engine.

[B]

You know, Margaret, I should have had this done a long time ago. Had the car fixed up, I mean. When I think of the way I've let it get run down, though. I should have had my head examined. That's all we've been telling you.

[A]

Oh, I didn't mean.

[B]

I mean. Well, green's a nice color. Is it? Well, if you like green. You know, for a while I thought maybe we'd get a new car.

[A]

Golly.

[B]

But then I said, why? Oh, I can have this one fixed up for 50 or $60. So why go to all that unnecessary expense? Did anybody say they'd fix it up.

[A]

For 50 or $60?

[B]

No, but I'm just figuring conservatively. Maybe It'll only be $40. What a dreamer. I don't know. When I was a boy, children showed a little respect for their parents. They didn't spend half their lives. What is it, Margaret?

[A]

Isn't that Haney?

[B]

I know it's Haney's. I've only been here a million times. Where was I? Bud, they didn't spend half their life. They didn't spend half their life trying to make up wisecracks about their fathers. Now behave yourself. Okay, dad.

[A]

Father.

[B]

I know, Betty. You want it painted blue.

[A]

Well, I just thought you want blue.

[B]

Kathy wants red, Bud wants green. How would it be if we settled for a nice scotch plaid? Well, hello, Jim. Got the whole family with you this time, huh? Yeah, that's right. Say, Fred, I'd like to see if we can't.

[A]

We want it painted red, Kathy. And make the horn louder.

[B]

Kathy, get back in the car and sit down.

[A]

Yes, Daddy.

[B]

Fred.

[A]

Father, look.

[B]

What?

[A]

That yellow one. Isn't it a dream boat?

[B]

Betty, I'm trying to tell Mr. Haney. Boy, look at that foreign job. Is that something.

[A]

Margaret, dear, I know you and Mr. Haney want to talk, so why don't the children and I just wander around and look at the different cars?

[B]

An Excellent idea, Mrs. Anderson. Excellent.

[A]

Oh, Buzz, look at that one. It's got a motorcycle on it. That's for deliveries, Dopey. Mother, have you ever seen anything like that blue one? It's very nice here.

[B]

Well, maybe now we can talk. Don't tell me you're finally going to give up on that wreck. What wreck? That's because it looks a little shabby. Why don't you face it, Jim? You'll need a new car. Fred, I'm not spending any $1600 for a car. 1663, 20. Pardon me? Including license and tax. I'll take 12. Jim, I've known you for a long time. I value your business, but more than that, I value your friendship. Then tell Gilhousen to fix my car so it'll stay together. He can't, Jim. It's old. It's worn out. You're just throwing good money after bad. Will you please buy a new car? You don't have to buy it from me. Buy it from anybody, but buy it. Are you all finished?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

No. Just tell Gilhousen to fix my car right this time. Of all the stub. Gilhousen, come over here. Fred, come here, will ya? Ben Hur is back. Very funny. Holy smoke, Mr. Anderson. I don't have to work on that thing again, do I? No, you don't have to. I know a lot of places that'll be very glad. Just a minute, Jim. Don't get up on your high horse. If you want it fixed, we'll fix it, won't we, Gil? We'll fix it or we'll give it either a transfusion. Why anybody would want to throw good money into that rank, Gil. So we fix It. Where's the fender? It got stepped on. It what? It's gone. It fell off because you don't know how to put a fender on. I put fenders on before you was born. But not fenders like your fender. All right. All right, Gil. We'll just have to put on a new fender. Okay, Jim? I suppose so. While we're at it, let's do it upright. Let's paint the whole thing, get the motor tuned up, fix the lights. Have you got all that, Gil? This time we're going to fix it, right? Well, that's more like it. So we start with the fender. Look. You see this big hole in the panel? Yes. That's where I got a bolt defender on a hole? No, we need a new panel. A new panel? Go ahead, Gil. I'm writing it down. Wait a minute. Why can't you just. No panel bolts onto the body only. It's all rusted away over here and it won't hold. So we need new body. Look, Fred, all I want you to take a new body. It's too light. New frame, chassis, rear assembly, transmission. You got it? Got it. New crankshaft, flywheel feed line, Mr. Gilhous. Connecting rods, clutch, camshaft. Mr. Gilhouser. New springs, muffler, exhaust, shocks, bumpers. Mr. Gilhouser. Horn's all right, Mr. Gilhouser. Forget about the whole thing, will you? Just fix the wire in the distributor and I'll be happy. Mr. Anderson, look. Lift the hood, will you, Fred? Okay. Thanks, Fred. Now, you see that wire, Mr. Anderson? It goes down there and hooks onto that. But it can't because it's loose. Here, you see this? You got a cracked block. The water pumps broke, the radiator leaks, the piston assembly shot. The valves are gone. You gotta get a new motor. Just because you can't hook up one little wire, huh? What am I going to hook it on? Jim, we're trying to help you. And with a job this big, we'll give you a special rate. Well, that's more like it. What does it come to? The whole thing with a paint job. You want me anymore, Fred? No. Thanks a lot, Gil. Okay. See you later, Mr. Anderson. You bet. Go ahead, Fred. Figure it up and sharpen your pencil. Well, let me see. 15, 38, 247. 496. 496. The whole thing, including labor and parts, comes to exactly 16 $78.

[A]

60.

[B]

That's 15 dollars more than a new one. Jim, this is all on a piecework basis. And besides, with seat covers, you'll have a car that's practically new.

[A]

1600.

[B]

Margaret. Well, I told you in the very beginning. Jim.

[A]

Margaret. Jim, Is anything wrong?

[B]

$1,600. It's an outrage. That's what it is. An outrage. Well, you think it over, Jim. And whatever you decide, just let me know. Sixteen hundred and $78. That's the most outrageous thing I've ever heard in my life.

[A]

What did he say, dad? Is it going to be blue? Father. Daddy, the man let me shoot the grease gun.

[B]

All right, get in. We're going home. Aren't you gonna have it fixed? I said get in.

[A]

I wanna stay and shoot the grease, son. All right, children, let's not argue. Do as your father says.

[B]

I'll get another mechanic. That's what I'll do. Haney isn't the only dealer in Springfield. Tell me my car isn't any good. Sixteen hundred and $78, dear.

[A]

Don't you think if you talk to Mr. Haney again.

[B]

Haney? He's a worse crook than Gilhousen ever was. He's ten times as bad. Somebody will fix this car and it'll be good for another 12 years and another hundred and forty thousand miles.

[A]

Oh, Father, have you heard of the.

[B]

Wonderful one horse shay that was built in such a logical way it ran a hundred years to a day? Well, we're sitting in it right now.

[A]

A hundred years.

[B]

Holy cow. This car is as sound as it was the day we bought a good car. Solid and sturdy. I'll put on a fender, get a little paint, a few tires. What was that?

[A]

Another fender fell off.

[B]

Well, we'll put it back on, Dad.

[A]

F. Jim, we've just got to get a new car.

[B]

Fred. Fred.

[A]

Oh, Fred.

[B]

You see, of course, if you're not a dunce, how it went to pieces all at once. All at once and nothing first. Just as bubbles do when they burst. End of the wonderful one horse shade. Logic is logic. That's all I say. Yes, logic is logic. And when it comes to coffee, that's the reason you naturally look for the most in flavor. For every penny you spend and it's yours. And the coffee with the world's most famous flavor, our good to the last drop, Maxwell House. That wonderful flavor begins with our Maxwell House recipe. But we don't stop there. We know that air can steal coffee flavor. And ordinary containers like paper bags can't prevent roasted coffee from losing flavor whether it's ground or whole bean. That's why we carefully vacuum pack our Maxwell House in the familiar blue tin. It's the only way you can be guaranteed coffee fresh as the hour it was roasted without one bit of flavor wasted. So these days, be sure you get the most in value in flavor and freshness. You always will when you open up a pound of Maxwell House, the coffee that's always good to the last drop. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Robert Young. Since the beginning of this year, as you probably know, we on Father Knows Best have been working hand in glove with the Inter Industry Highway Safety Committee. Our particular phase of the overall problem was the enlistment of teenagers and their parents in a good driver's club. And now, after five months of campaigning, we'd like to make our first report. And for all those connected with this safety movement, we have news I consider little short of miraculous. Since the inception of this campaign, two and three quarter million pledges have been requested by the teenage drivers of America. Think of it. Two and three quarter million. In large cities, in small hamlets. The young men and women of this country have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt the basic integrity of their generation. We are proud of them. Prouder than we can say. By recognizing their common problem, by driving safely and carefully, these young men and women have brought added security to the highways and everlasting glory to themselves. We congratulate them on a job well done and ask only that they continue their good work in the future. Good night. Now yours to enjoy an instant coffee you'll love for breakfast every morning. An instant coffee you'll be proud to serve to your dinner guests. It's Instant Maxwell House, the instant coffee with a famous flavor. Here's the happiest combination in coffee. Wonderful good to the last drop. Flavor combined with the convenience and thrift of coffee made instantly in the cup. Tomorrow try Instant Maxwell House, the instant coffee with a famous flavor instantly good to the last drop. Join us again next week when we'll be back with Father Knows Best, starring Robert Young and Jim Anderson, with Roy Boggy and the Maxwell House Orchestra and yours truly, Bill Foreman. 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 for Screen Guild Theater which follows immediately over most of these stations. Stay tuned for screen guild theater next on NBC.