Family Affair, A (1952)

[Music] what's all is about where is he now he's up in his room packing he's drunk he's crazy Donald what can we do what do you mean he's drunk does he know what what he's doing no I I don't think so he he reeled in here a little after 3 singing and making speeches you can't stop me nobody can stop me now Donal was terrible well what does he mean we can't stop him he's impossible he he thinks he's going to be a great actor just because somebody offered him a job in a summer stock company Donald you must stop him well coming in here drunk who does he think he is hello Dad glad to have the chance to say goodbye where do you think you're going going to work yes sir going to my first real job all right Frank now snap out of it got your mother all upset she thinks you're serious can't you see Donald he is serious and drunk besides have you been drinking I had a couple of beers with the fellas over at Eddy's house kind of farewell party they were wishing me luck more than anybody around here seems ready to do oh Donald I told you he means it well if you won't stop him I will you're you're not going past me Frank now listen mother let's not have a scene I know you don't want me to take this job but I'm 18 years old and I know what I want I want to be an actor not a lawyer I don't want to spend the rest of my life in a law library just because you think it's a nice job with a safe future Frank you're talking to your mother I'm sorry I'm just trying to tell her I've made up my mind how can you make up your mind mind you've been out of high school exactly 3 days don't you think we know something about the world look dad you may know all about the world but you don't know anything about me you live in your world I have to make mine but we want to help you make yours maybe you do but this is the first time you ever mentioned it come on dad I know you hate your job down at the paper but you're stuck with it how can you help me do what I want to do I want to be an actor so long folks and anyhow I wish you luck is take it easy you'll be all right all right all right everything will be all right I might have known better than to ask you to help me and that was the last they saw of the boy he hasn't written home that was about a week ago exactly 10 days he left on a Saturday and Mrs Cooper came in last Monday and I saw her again yesterday she's awfully worried about the boy almost hysterical so I agreed to phone where is the summer theater at Lake Maran it's called The Little Theater in the woods oh sure I know the place and Bill Lockard who runs it I could easily call and ask him if the boy arrives safely would you and tell him to tell the boy you phone if you don't mind my supervising the supervisor why and you're right we shouldn't go behind the boy's back are there other children one a girl 16 Mrs Cooper's barely mentioned her what's your impression of Mrs Cooper well she's particularly upset now but I think she's always a bit tense she's in kind of worry about everything so she tries to settle things by being strict and bossy and her husband I see him today for the first time but Mrs Cooper says she can't count on him that he keeps aloof from the family and leaves all the responsibilities up to her she feels hurt and left out and unloved now she's really frightened by the boy's Rebellion no matter what kind of person Mr Cooper is I think she needs a warm reassuring relationship for a while very good let's talk it over again after you've seen Mr Cooper I'll call you as soon as I reach Bill the boy is all right the lake may be a good place for him at the moment I agree family service good afternoon I'm sorry he's out today 2:30 Tuesday yes I'll tell him thank you for calling can I help you sir I'm supposed to see Mrs uh Wright my name's Donald Cooper yes Mr Cooper I'll tell Mrs Wright you're here Mrs wri Mr Cooper is here to see you thank you yes Miss bonam I'll try them how do you do Mr Cooper I'm Mrs Wright family service good afternoon just a minute please I'll see if she's in put your hat on that chair Mr Cooper and sit down I'm glad you agreed to come in and see me well why shouldn't I come he's my kid too we just had news about Frank a few minutes ago we phoned the theater the director says Frank's been there since last Saturday and is doing very well oh that's a relief at least now we know he's there they might have written their phone himself young people sometimes aren't very considerate considered he was downright rude oh not his fault though what do you mean that's the way he's been brought up he's been babied spoiled his mother's fussed over him ever since he was an infant too much do you think much too much she can't leave him alone she can't leave anybody alone that's another story I'd like to hear it no there's no use I know you've heard Elizabeth's side and you want to help us patch up our troubles but this marriage is through it can't be patched you may be right but as I said before I'd like to know a little more let's hear your side oh I've got no special side I'm not fighting Elizabeth she means well just can't take take it anymore I'll pay up mind you I'm not running out on Elizabeth and the kids there's no other woman I just had it I'm fed up why not tell me what's happened in the last few weeks where do we had a big fight about Frank after he ran away well I guess Elizabeth told you she didn't want him to be an actor well how did you feel about it did you think it was a good idea well how should I know the kid's only 18 just decided to cut bait and go naturally she's upset she believes a lot in sensible jobs and security and all that and don't you well she worries about those things too much now that night after Frank left I was thinking about it after supper suddenly the whole whole picture came clear to me I found myself getting angrier and angrier what were you angry about Frank was right she was starting to ruin the boy's life just as she'd ruined mine scaring him with words like security keeping him from doing what he wanted to do whole deal was Familiar of me I I lived through it myself what happened that night well at first I tried to be reasonable with her well look Liz all I say is let's give the kid a chance to show what he can do people like to think for themselves they want to feel free free exactly free to pick up habits that will ruin his life what in the world do you mean I mean learning not to work learning to get up at noon drinking showing off all the time oh Don you know what actors are like as a matter of fact I don't how's the boy going to settle down to a real job when he's finally found out he's got no Talent it'll be just that much harder to Face Reality what makes you say he's got no Talent how do you know oh Don wake up this is just a dream he's had a role in two high school plays now he has a chance to play little Parts in a summer theater does that prove he has talent all right maybe it is a dream so what it's Frank's dream and he's got a right to it lots of people have dreams Elizabeth and it's their parents' duty to tell them when it's time to wake up Frank is an actor why it's Preposterous look Elizabeth what's Preposterous is your fantastic notion that you were born with some magic gift for knowing what people are don't you ever stop for a moment to consider that you might be wrong sometimes that some people might have talents you can't understand that maybe they just want to try something new because it interests them or excites them D what's the matter with you you shouting well then maybe you'll hear me I've been trying to tell you this for the last 18 years you haven't heard of it yet even though the kid knows it that's the matter with me everything's the matter with me I'm over 40 years old Elizabeth still working at a job I took 20 years ago because you made speeches about security and reality when I was hunting for a chance to prove my talent to find work I wanted to do you know I just might have made a success of that farm newspaper I wanted to start I might have found work in the country where I like living but no it is always too risky not safe not sure now I'm still selling advertising week after week to the storekeeper that pass for merchants in this city is this your idea of reality because if it is then I don't want your reality I hate all this Don you don't know what you're saying I know exactly what I'm saying I hate the way I live the way I work everything I do and I've hated it for a long time Elizabeth all these years you sto me at every turn with your line that is all for the children and now you start all over again doing the same thing to them you did to me did to you yes and I'm not going to let it happen I'm going to protect them from your great gift from knowing how they should talk and think and breathe you're not going to push the kids around too Elizabeth not if I have to break up the family d and I went out then and took a walk around the block I slept on the living room sofa that night if you can call it sleeping I guess Elizabeth had a bad night too I'm sure she did as the next day was Sunday and we hardly talked then Monday she came here she told me I'm sorry about her being so upset first the boy then me but I just can't help it how do you mean sorry well it's hard to explain though I blame Elizabeth for the best I'm in I know it's not her fault she can't help being what she is now now think this thing about money for instance it's funny it seems to be all she ever thinks about yet she never spends money on herself like some women do hardly ever goes out well let's get back to you you talk about the mess you're in how bad is it pretty bad went for my fishing I don't think I could go on week after week fishing I'm present of the local Anglers Club you spend a lot of time at it quite a bit you see it's a way of getting off by myself getting away from people why do you want to be alone so I can get a little peace and quiet that's the kind of a person I am I need time to think or sometimes not to think I can relax when there's nobody around telling me what to do nobody expecting me to do something I don't want to do besides I get a kick out of just being in the outdoors sometimes I'm fishing I get the feeling I own the stream that's because I know it better and can use it better than anybody else isn't it a little lonely well you get a great kick out of winning a really tough fight there's some stral satisfaction in outwitting the crafty ones and I admit I enjoy knowing I'm considered to be the best fisherman in the County fishing really seems to make up to you for a lot of things you miss in life I think so I miss them in life what do you mean well even if you fish a lot you may spend part of a 100 days a year at it what about the other 265 maybe fishing isn't enough maybe you're missing a lot of satisfactions what satisfactions well it might be nice to get some kick out of your real life your job and your home and family sure but how why not think about it yourself and then come in and talk to me say next week at the same time perhaps we could think of some ways together don't you think you've been missing most of the fun in life I don't know I you know you make me feel like a quitter not a a quitter I hope someone who hasn't quite learned to enjoy life let's say goodbye [Music] goodbye [Music] you know that Mrs Right Down at Family Service she's no fool she's a very sensible young woman I think I've been there three no four times now I'm still quite impressed and I the way she thinks about things if you're after information she told me I didn't have to discuss our meetings with you okay okay I know that I wasn't after anything I just wanted to tell you I like her I'm sorry Don I didn't mean to be cross I'm just so upset these days I I don't seem to know right from wrong anymore I never dreamed I'd talk to a stranger about our personal affairs neither doubt did I about Frank about his running off to act you know I never told you but it was Mrs Wright who helped me to get over it she did yes she was the one who suggested getting an outsider's opinion about Frank's ability so I went to see Mr Kent who coached the school of plays I went to his house what did he say well he said Frank showed a real flare for acting he he wouldn't call it Talent mind you not at this stage but he considered it a real flare wonder where Frank got it well as a matter of fact you know my father was a wonderful speaker yeah I remember but I still don't think acting is any life it won't be too late for him to start college in the fall you don't give up do you Elizabeth oh Don I only want the boy to be happy well I don't know if people can change she's trying that's obvious but doesn't mean much what about you that's what I being I'm not changing much either oh I made a lot of good resolutions but they don't come to anything well maybe it's not as easy as you thought it was we talked about that a few weeks ago well now now take this one thing this business about Frank you asked me questions about him and I was stuck I didn't know the kid at all so I made up my mind to find out something about him what did you do well there's pretty good fishing up at leg Maran so last Saturday I thought I'd try it long as I was up there I thought I might as well have dinner with Frank I tried to talk to him but it was like an Indian Pow mostly grunts what did you talk about I guess I talked about fishing you know lures tackle stuff like that we listen but I can see he wasn't interested he kept talking about a play by sh is's going to have a part in how about your job is it going any better well pretty good month this last one same grind your heart isn't in it no but it's a living you know maybe Elizabeth was right with almost no Capital starting a paper like I've been dreaming about it's pretty risky these days would it take much oh several thousand five 10 know it's funny but I don't really know haven't you ever tried to work out an estimate no I I haven't you know maybe I don't want to know the Cold Fact whenever I think about it I get scared I think maybe that's been going on for years my being scared I mean maybe it had nothing to do with Elizabeth at all could be funny thing to have to admit being scared the only reason he's coming here is to take me to the party he still had time to make other plans I don't want Paul to make other plans I know you don't could you please move your argument to some other room this is awfully important work I'm doing and this table is the only place I can do it I'm sorry Donald I I'm just finishing up besides I've made up my mind mother you can't do this to me come into the kitchen fellas there's nothing wrong with Paul what's wrong is his age you've just turned 16 and he's 20 you're in high school and he's in college it's just not right for you to keep going out with a boy with a man who's that much older than you are oh mother you don't know what you're talking about Phil is I'm sorry mother but you're not being fair to Paul he's Mary am's cousin and you always said you like to Pringles by the time he's out of college you will be old enough to decide who you want to go out with and in the meantime I think you might listen to me a little Elizabeth can I speak to you a minute alone now Donald I have a perfect right to object of course you do but leave us alone for a few minutes phis Oh Daddy you you heard me nobody understands me well what I can't understand is with all these boys in her school and all these friends of Frank you think she'd find someone we know well sure but maybe we ought to let her go this time once she can brag about going out with him she'll probably call it quits you know how anxious she is to collect new dates the way these kids carry on nowadays you really think it's all right yes I think so it all gets so complicated well these problem seems so important now but in a few years we'll laugh at him I only want them to be happy but I always seem to be fighting with them about something well they're they're just exploring with they they don't really know what they do want I guess no one can learn without making mistakes that what Mrs Wright says they have to find out for themselves and most people do I know I know that's what you think too that's why we fought about Frank now I I just try to avoid the dangers that I see ahead and I get so frightened when I think of Frank or Phyllis getting into any real trouble that's because they're your kids well Mrs Wright says it's partly that but maybe it's also because I'm too easily frightened for them and for myself but why should you be frightened I shouldn't be that's just it but often I am you know I think of myself as being all alone taking all the responsibility doing all the worrying as if well as if if all the rest of you were children well well that's partly my fa I've kind of left the worrying to you while I fished or dreamed of a never Neverland that's what I'm trying to make up for now not much good at it I guess but you are Don you are we not take this Phyllis business should we let her go well if you think it's all right I think so too and what about well as long as he's going on to college I'm satisfied even if he doesn't take law you don't think I give up that easily a new job well it's not exactly a new job just went down the corridor to the next office and created something you got me confused now you were the one who suggested it I was kept on talking about the importance of finding satisfaction in my own work I stewed about that for a long time you see what I wanted wasn't advertising it was a farm paper work that would get me out of town so then I got an idea what why not use the spot I was already in I still don't understand and I went next door and sold TR you know my boss the publisher on an idea for increasing advertising revenues he listens to me on things like that so I told him about the number of potential readers we were missing in the 50 mile radius around the city country people who didn't care for our society Pages or our stories on City politics why not a supplement for them twice a week rural news Farm features the added circulation would boost advertising rates across the board and get us additional accounts besid was a tempting Plum and he reached for it so for the next 6 months I'm concentrating on the examiner's new downstate supplement it's a real chance it certainly is I hope it works out it's all due to you a minute ago you said you created it yourself that's right I did it then let's say with your help oh I almost forgot could you postpone my next appointment at Elizabeth for a few weeks I making a little trip to see how other country's papers are run and she's coming with me wonderful it'll be the first time we away alone together since since the kids were born we'll have a good time and call me when you get back goodbye goodbye [Music]