Belles on Their Toes

---

1

[ Commencement ]

- Where's Mother?

- I don't know.

- Hello, Mother. We were

beginning to worry about you.

- Hello, Ann.

- Hello, Mother.

- Hello, Ernestine.

- Hello, Mother.

- Hello, Frank.

- Hello, Mother.

- Hello, Martha.

- Hello, Mother.

- Hello, Bill.

- Hello, Mother.

- Hello, Lillian.

- Hello, Mother.

- Hello, Fred.

- Hello, Mother.

- Hello, Dan.

- Hello, Mother.

- Hello,Jack.

- Where were you, Mother?

- I ran into someone from

the engineering department.

- He insisted that I--

- Shh!

- Oh, hi, Mom.

- Hello, Bob, dear.

- Where's Jane?

- In front. Fifth from the left.

[ Continues ]

The baby.

The baby's being graduated.

- The last one. I can hardly believe it.

- What was that, Mother?

- [ Man ] Ladies and gentlemen...

- Shh.

it gives me great pleasure

to introduce to you...

the class valedictorian,

Miss Susan Whitaker...

who will speak to you on...

''Our Generation and the

Challenge of the Future.''

Professor Dickerson,

members of the faculty...

honored guests

and fellow students...

this is an important day

in our lives.

[ Mother Narrating ]

Yes, it is an important day.

And there were times, Frank,

when I thought this day would never come.

But it had to,

for in my mind...

I had promised you

that thejob would be done.

I remember we hadjust sold

the house in Montclair...

the house that you

had bought for us...

and had moved to one not quite so spacious

and not quite so full of memories.

I was packing to go away

on a lecture trip...

for I was determined that I would

keep on with your work.

I had to.

[ Boys ]

Lazy

I want to be lazy

I long to be out in the sun

With no work to be done

Under that awning

They call us

Ay-yi-yi

Stretching and yawning

And let the world go drifting by

I want to peep

through the deep

Tangled wildwood

Counting sheep till I sleep

Like a child would

With a great big

Valise full of books to read

Where it's peaceful

[ GirlJoins In ]

While I'm killing time

Being lazy

-Janey, you do a good job down there.

- Lazy

I want to be lazy

I long to be out in the sun

With no work to be done

- I pressed your dinner dress, Mother.

- Dinner dress?

Just because you're a lady engineer

doesn't mean you can't dress up.

Thank you, Martha.

Ernestine, dust the banister

on your way down.

While I'm killing time

Being lazy

[ Humming ]

Counting sheep till I sleep

Like a child would

And I'll pack my valise

And I'll say good-bye

to the Gilbreths

While I'm wasting time

- Being lazy

- Tom, you wouldn't leave us.

'Course not. Where could

I get such an easy job?

1 4 rooms to clean,

36 meals to get every day.

If I hadn't quit school

in the second grade...

I could tell you how many meals

that'd make a week.

- 252. Are we having hash again?

- [ Sighs ]

- That ain't hash. That's lamb Rangoon.

- What is lamb Rangoon?

- Been in my family for generations.

- It smells like it.

- [ Doorbell Ringing ]

- I'll get it.

Lazy

I want to be lazy

I--

- Hello, cousin Leora.

- Hello, Martha, and Jean, isn't it?

- Ann here and Ernestine there.

- How stupid of me.

- I always get you turned 'round.

- Well, there's so many of us.

- Yes, isn't it heartbreaking?

- Hmm?

- How are things?

-Just fine.

- I'll tell Mother you're here.

- Thank you, dear.

I'll tell her too.

Honestly, every time she comes here,

she makes me feel like a charity case.

- Shh! She might hear you.

- I hope she does.

Maybe she'll stay away and mind

her own business.

[ Banging ]

- Good afternoon, Tom.

- Good afternoon, Mrs. Simmons.

- Old snoop.

- Did you say something?

No. I just said I'd swoop

in here later.

Will you close the doors, Tom?

- Hello, Leora.

- Hello, Lillie.

[ Indistinct Chattering ]

- Hey, what's she want?

- Shh!

It's very simple.

I talked to your brother Bill

and to Aunt Margaret.

And each of us has agreed

to take two of the younger children.

I wouldn't think of it!

Why, it's outrageous!

Do you--

There. I told you

you'd fly off the handle.

Now you listen to me, Lillie Gilbreth,

and try and be sensible about this.

I know nearly all of Frank's life insurance

money has been spent already.

- That's true, isn't it?

- Yes.

Well, I have that whole big house

up in Westchester, and it's empty.

If I'm willing to take in

two of your children...

and give them some of the advantages

you can't possibly give them...

why should you feel

that I'm being outrageous?

I know it's hard to give them up.

That's only natural...

but you're not thinking

of the children when you feel like that.

- You're thinking of yourself.

- I never thought I was being selfish.

Oh, I don't think you mean to be, but

that's the way it works out for them.

Suppose something were to happen...

- to one of them while you're away.

- Oh, Leora!

You can't just shut your eyes, Lillie.

You've got to think of things like that!

I'm right. I'll telephone Bill and Aunt

Margaret and tell them you've agreed.

No. No, I have to think about it.

- Call me tonight.

- Very well, Lillie.

Oh, Leora, would you like

to stay for dinner?

Thank you very much,

but I think not.

There are enough hungry birds

to feed without me.

Well, hello, children.

Oh, you little darling.

- How would you like to come and live with me?

- No!

- Call me later, Leora.

- [ Crying ]

I will, Lillie. Good-bye.

Good-bye, children.

[ Children ]

Good-bye.

[ Telephone Ringing ]

[ Lillie ]

Hello?

Yes, Leora.

Yes, I have made up my mind.

I want to thank you and Bill and

Aunt Margaret for all your kindness...

but we've decided

to stay together.

[ All Cheering ]

No, I'm still going away.

I'm going to fill Frank's last lecture contracts.

I'm sure they'll lead to something.

No, Leora. I'm afraid once

we broke up the family, we'd--

So you're going away

and leaving those children...

to the mercy of the heat

and theJersey mosquitoes.

No. I'm sending them

to Nantucket.

- [ All Cheering ]

- Shh.

No, not by themselves.

Tom will go with them.

I'm sorry, Leora.

I-- I have to do

what I think is best.

- Thank you and good-bye.

- [ All Chattering At Once ]

When did you decide on Nantucket?

I don't know.

It just came to me.

We have that house there,

and we haven't been able to sell it.

We've gone there every other year.

Why not this one?

- [ Cheering ]

- Now, you will be careful, won't you?

- We'll be so good, nobody will know us.

- Don't worry about a thing.

- I'll try not to.

- Oh, everything will be fine, Mother.

I'll take your place, Martha can

have charge of the money and the meals...

Frank will take care of the boys

and Ernestine will take care of the girls...

- and we'll all take care ofTom.

- [ All Chuckling ]

- and we'll all take care ofTom.

- [ All Chuckling ]

Let's go, everybody.

We only have 20 minutes.

- See you at the station.

- All right.

- Ain't they comin' with us too?

- No, no. It'll be too crowded.

How can you say that? Eight valises,

a dog, a cat, a canary bird.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes