Belles on Their Toes Page #4

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I got a great opportunity

for fellas like them.

Know anybody you'd like to do a favor for?

I could use a couple of good men.

- I could use a half a dozen.

- Well, Mr., uh--

- Harper. Sam Harper.

- Of Harper Electric?

- That's right.

- Well, Mr. Harper...

my husband trained many men,

but they all have very good jobs.

Bet they wouldn't

give 'em up, either.

I tried to steal those two fellas

from Wilson, but nothing doing.

- They wouldn't be exactly right for you, anyway.

- No?

We trained Evans and Boyd

for Wilson Tool and Die.

- They wouldn't be right for Harper Electric.

- We?

Yes. My husband and I

always worked together.

- Is that so?

- I'm an engineer too.

Oh, women are creeping

in all over.

- What?

- Oh, nothing.

Do you suppose you--

No, that'd never work.

- It certainly would. Why wouldn't it?

- Why wouldn't what?

What you're thinking about.

I'll train some men for you.

- Where?

- Right here.

My husband and I trained

all the others at home.

Aw, never work.

No man who's worth anything would ever

take instructions from a woman.

I know I wouldn't.

That is a very narrow-minded,

bigoted point of view, Mr. Harper.

Well, maybe it is, but it's my opinion,

and I'm stuck with it.

Yes, you are.

And if it's any comfort to you...

that opinion is shared by most

of the big industrial firms in the country.

- There's no reason to get excited.

- Good day, Mr. Harper.

- [ Boy ] Oh, boy. That was fun.

- We sure have enough.

[ All Chattering At Once ]

Are you teaching school here?

No. These are my own children.

Children, this is Mr. Harper.

[ All ]

Hi.

- How do you do?

- Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry.

- This is another one. Ann, this is Mr. Harper.

- How do you do, Mr. Harper?

You think you can train

executives here too, huh?

That is my opinion, Mr. Harper,

and apparently, I'm stuck with it.

Yes, well, good-bye.

Pardon me.

- Stupid, arrogant, hardheaded, ignorant--

- Mother, what is it?

Oh, Ann, it would have been

absolutely perfect.

I could have earned enough

money right here at home--

enough to take care of all of us,

send you back to college...

and I wouldn't have had

to leave the children.

It's absolutely maddening to come up

against that stupid male conceit.

- I don't understand.

- Oh, I'm so sorry, dear.

It's just that I'm at my wit's end.

Oh, Mother, I know you'll get something.

Some of those letters you wrote.

I've already had enough answers

to know what they'll all say.

''Sorry, we have nothing for you.''

It makes me so furious.

For a moment there, I thought

all my troubles were at an end.

- [ Explosion ]

- Mercy Maude! What's that?

- In the cellar. It must be the furnace.

- [ Explosion ]

We've gotta get the children

out of the house before it blows up!

The house ain't blowing up.

There ain't nothing to get excited about.

- Well, what is it?

- It's just the children's root beer, that's all.

- Thank heaven!

- Don't you worry about a thing.

I'll go clean it all up.

Children's root beer?

Tom!

Just a minute.

- Root beer doesn't explode.

- Huh?

[ Sniffs ]

Alcohol.

Alcohol? You smell alcohol,

Mrs. Gilbreth?

Smell it? If I lit a match,

the whole house would explode.

What have you been

making down there?

- Me?

- Not the children. You.

Well, it's an old family ''re-ceep,''

you might say.

You take some prunes and yeast, and add

a little sugar just to change the flavor.

It's just possible that with

this you might create something...

that has a chemical reaction

like alcohol and smells like alcohol.

- And tastes like alcohol.

- Yeah-- Uh, no.

- And tastes like alcohol.

- Yeah-- Uh, no.

Step in here, Tom.

Tom, this is outrageous.

I know you've been with us

many years, but this is the last straw.

I warned you time

and time again.

But now you leave me no alternative.

You'll simply have to go.

- I had to do it. I had to let him go.

- [ All Complaining ]

- We couldn't get along without Tom.

- I know how you feel about him...

but you're just going to have to

get along without him.

Well, come on, everybody. Let's go on down

there and clean up the mess.

[ Doorbell Ringing ]

- Good afternoon, Mrs. Gilbreth.

- Yes?

I think you ought to let me come in

because I've changed my mind.

- You have?

- Yes.

Oh, come in. Come in.

Thank you.

You can have your school.

I'll send you two men.

- But two men won't do.

- What?

It won't really pay me to start

a school unless I have at least six pupils.

It would be inefficient to teach two

when I can teach six at the same time.

You said yourself you could use half a dozen,

so it'd be just as inefficient for you--

All right. You phone me tomorrow

and we'll work out the details.

- Thank you, Mr. Harper. I'll do that.

- You're quite welcome.

[ Explosions ]

- What the devil is that?

- Oh, the children have a laboratory downstairs...

and I expect they're fooling

around with chemicals.

Chemicals?

[ Sniffs ]

Smells like alcohol to me.

Mr. Harper, alcohol is a chemical.

Yes. So it is.

Good afternoon.

Good-bye.

I'll call you tomorrow.

Mrs. Gilbreth, I know

you're a busy woman...

with your scientific

management and engineering...

so I wrote myself

a character reference.

- If you'll sign it, I'll be obliged to you.

- You wrote yourself a reference?

I learned something in the years

I've been here. I'll read it to you.

''To Who It May Concern:

''Thomas George Bracken

has worked for me for 20 years...

''as cook, cleaning man,

gardener, furnace man...

''children's nurse and butler.

''After 20 years

of loyalty and devotion...

''I was forced to fire him

against my will...

because of certain financial reverses

which he was not responsible for.''

I most certainly

will not sign that.

I know it stretches

the truth a bit...

but if we tell the truth,

who's gonna give me a job?

- Quitting just when I need you most.

- But, Mrs. Gilbreth--

A fine time you picked.

Just when I'm getting my school started...

and you know I can't get along without you,

you decide to walk out after 20 years.

I never heard of anyone

so ungrateful.

Yes, ma'am.

Sorry, ma'am.

- Thank you, ma'am.

- That's better.

[ Explosion ]

Uh, Mrs. Gilbreth, the last one.

[ Mother Narrating ] By Thanksgiving,

the school was fully launched.

Sam Harper more than kept his word.

He not only sent

four men himself...

but he contrived to have the biggest

department store in New York send two more...

and persuaded Kincaid Rubber

to send an additional two.

We must remember that of all the factors

involved in industrial management...

the most important

is the human being.

In view of the fact that

tomorrow is Thanksgiving...

we'll end our class

a little early today.

My eldest daughter is home

from college for the holiday.

And this is a very big day

in our house.

I hope you'll all have

a very happy Thanksgiving.

[ All ]

Thank you.

[ Musical Horn Honking ]

- Boy, what a catsy car!

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