Podcast Summary: Ozzie and Harriet 47-10-12 (129) "Retreat from Civilization"

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode Date: December 5, 2025 (original broadcast: October 12, 1947)
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio
Show: The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
Episode Theme: Family Promises, Parental Example, and the Humorous Struggles of Keeping One’s Word

Episode Overview

This classic family comedy episode revolves around Ozzie making a promise to take his sons, David and Ricky, on a hike, only to realize there’s a big football game the same afternoon. The Nelsons navigate the complications of parental promises, kids’ expectations, and the ways everyone maneuvers for what they actually want. Laced with gentle humor and heartwarming wisdom, the episode delightfully explores the importance of keeping promises (and a little about the art of "changing your mind").

Key Discussion Points and Story Highlights

Opening Family Scene (00:05–04:48)

• The family is introduced in their living room, Harriet mending clothes and Ozzie attempting to read the paper.
• The boys, David and Ricky, are caught reading comic books rather than doing homework, defending themselves by claiming the comics are “educational.”
  • Quote:
    • David: “[Comic books] tell you all about it. They're very educational.” (02:41)
• Ozzie launches into a nostalgic account of his own boyhood hikes and how learning about nature meant going outdoors, not just reading about it.
  • Quote:
    • Ozzie: “When I went to school, we didn’t have to learn about nature out of comic books. We wanted to learn about animals and trees and plants, we went right out into the woods.” (03:23)
• The boys express excitement about the idea of a hike and prompt Ozzie into a promise.
  • Quote:
    • Ricky: “Gee, Pop, why don't you ever take us on hikes?” (04:18)
    • Ozzie (reluctantly): “Okay, it’s a promise.” (04:31)

Breakfast and the Forgotten Promise (05:04–06:42)

• The next morning, Harriet gently reminds Ozzie that the boys are preparing for the promised hike.
• Ozzie tries to convince himself the kids might have forgotten, but Harriet sets him straight.
  • Quote:
    • Harriet: “Perhaps I didn’t hear the boys correctly, but aren’t you taking them up to Indian Springs for a hike or something?” (05:36)

Neighborly Wisdom: Thorny’s Visit and the Parental Example (06:57–11:05)

• Ozzie’s neighbor Thorny drops by with a dubious cigar, sparking a comic routine about trusting gifts from children and upholding one’s promises as a parent.
• Thorny offers fatherly advice, stressing how seriously children take promises.
  • Quote:
    • Thorny: “A promise is a big thing to a kid.” (09:56)
    • Ozzie: “A promise is a promise.” (10:36)
• Ozzie, tempted by the big football game, debates whether to swap the hike for tickets. Thorny warns him that children will sense if their father is letting them down, even if they don’t complain.

The Boys’ Perspective: Disappointment vs. Loyalty (11:05–12:48)

• David and Ricky, learning from their friend Will about the football game, wrestle with whether to mention it to their father for fear of hurting his feelings.
  • Quote:
    • David: “All we get is an old hike.” (11:20)
    • Harriet: “You don’t want to hurt his feelings, do you?” (11:26)
• Harriet suggests the boys “hint” at the game if they really prefer it, but the boys ultimately don’t want to risk disappointing Ozzie.

The “Promise Standoff”: Who’s Sacrificing? (13:13–18:13)

• The show detours into a playful “promise montage,” as the narrator humorously lists Ozzie’s childhood feats of keeping promises, culminating in the present dilemma.
  • Quote:
    • Narrator: “The Ozzie Nelson of today has the same grim determination to keep his promise…” (15:27)
• Harriet and her mother discuss the absurdity of the family all going on the hike just to avoid breaking a promise, even though nobody actually wants to go. Harriet hatches a plan by recalling Ozzie also promised to take her to an art exhibit—the same day!
  • Harriet (to Ozzie): “You made a promise to me. Remember, dear? You promised to take me to the modern art exhibit. Whatever day I wanted to go.” (18:25)
• The family comedically argues about “which promise trumps which,” ultimately leaving Ozzie caught between outings.

The Stanislavski Method and the Reluctant Art-Goer (21:03–24:56)

• In a humorous riff on acting methods, Ozzie is coached by the kids to “convince himself” he wants to go to the art exhibit by repeating, “I want to go to the art exhibit” until he believes it.
  • Quote:
    • Ozzie: “I want to go to the art exhibit. I want to go… Well, I think I’ll try.” (22:43)
    • Ozzie: “I want to go to the art exhibit. Why? It’ll be fun.” (23:34)
• Ozzie insists to himself (and Harriet) that he wants to go to the exhibit, while the audience knows he’d much rather see the game.

The Final Twist: The Woman’s Right to Change Her Mind (24:40–25:25)

• As Harriet drives them—toward the football stadium, not the art gallery—she declares her prerogative to “change her mind,” humorously resolving the bind.
  • Quote:
    • Harriet: “Oh, yes. It is a woman’s right to change [her] mind.” (25:00)
• The boys have already been rerouted to meet them at the game.

Post-Game Wrap-Up and Comic Aftermath (27:19–28:10)

• Afterward, the family reunites, and it’s revealed that the boys ended up at Will Thornberry’s watching "Tarzan of the Apes" on television instead of doing anything originally planned.
  • Quote:
    • Ricky: “We were watching a picture on television.”
    • David: “Tarzan of the Apes with Elmo Lincoln.” (27:39–27:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Parental Example:
  • “You’ll find that the average boy patterns his entire behavior after his father.” (Thorny, 08:22)
• Wisdom on Promises:
  • “A promise is a big thing to a kid.” (Thorny, 09:56)
  • “A promise is a promise.” (Ozzie, 10:36)
• Family Humor:
  • Ozzie: “I want to go to the art exhibit. I want to go… I want to be a leaf… I want to go…” (23:25)
  • Harriet: “When the rules of living were drawn up, there was one rule that headed the list, and it supersedes all other rules.”
    Ozzie: “Harriet, nothing is more firmly established than the obligation to keep a promise.”
    Harriet: “Oh, yes. It is a woman’s right to change your mind.” (24:51–25:04)
• The Underlying Joke:
  • Every maneuver to “sacrifice” is met by the true desires of the participants lying elsewhere, especially as everyone schemes to not hurt others' feelings—an affectionate send-up of family life.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Family evening & the initial promise: 00:05–04:48
• Morning after & plans for hike: 05:04–06:42
• Ozzie & Thorny’s discussion on fatherhood: 06:57–11:05
• David & Ricky weigh loyalty vs. temptation: 11:05–12:48
• Narrator’s flashbacks on Ozzie’s promises: 13:13–15:27
• Harriet’s proposal to resolve the dilemma: 17:14–18:13
• Ozzie tries to “act” enthusiastic: 21:03–24:56
• Harriet changes her mind; solution found: 24:40–25:25
• Family reconvenes after the game: 27:19–27:40

Language & Tone

Staying true to the mid-century charm, the tone is warm, humorous, and gently moral. Family banter feels affectionate, with Ozzie as the gently flustered dad, Harriet as clever and practical, and the boys as mischievous but well-meaning. The neighbor Thorny provides wry comic commentary and advice.

In Summary

This episode deftly illustrates the perils and comic misfires that come with trying to do the “right thing” as a parent. Promises, expectations, and disappointments all mix together in a lighthearted way that underscores both the pressures and joys of family life and the subtle art of compromise. In the end, everyone gets—or at least accepts—what they wanted, and the journey is just as rewarding as the destination.

A great listen for fans of generational humor, gentle family comedy, and the wit of 1940s radio.