Good Table Manners (1951)

I hope you got something good to eat tonight um the coach really gave us a workout oh boy ham I'm so hungry I could eat a I knew to see what he gave us to do sh huh could you serve yourself in a in a less athletic manner oh is this better chck at least you could manage to be on time after your mother goes to all the trouble to prepare a fine meal it's it's only common courtesy Chuck I know but I couldn't help but I was late home from school never mind he did wash up and brush his hair by the way Chuck I saw Barbara's mother downtown that's quite a separate party she's planning is it this Friday I'm not not going why not do I have to have a reason but all your friends will be there I'm not Chuck don't talk with your mouth full good night Chuck good night have a good time thank you Chuck good night oh who wants to go to a supper party you do Chuck huh who are you we're looking into the future Chuck and the young man you are going to be in a few short years well if you say so and take it from me when we're my age we won't be turning down invitations maybe not tell me why aren't you going I don't know I do you're worried about not doing the right thing you're table manners now you're talking like Mom and Dad look you may not care much about table manners now but when you grow up to be me then you'll care but why why does it matter for several reasons look maybe I can show you let's imagine the family at dinner with nobody mining his manners not very pretty is it each person busy feeding his face showing no consideration for the others people become irritated angry no one can enjoy a meal like this no meal time is a time for pleasure and relaxation it's the best opportunity the family has to talk together exchange bits of nudes make plans when everybody eats properly the meal goes better and everybody has more fun what's more when we relax and enjoy ourselves we digest our food better and ask your doctor if that isn't important to your health but there's more what's that how long now before you'll be going out to make your own way in the world not very long I guess and whatever you do wherever you go you'll want to put your best foot forward here let's try another trick let's change that to a table in a restaurant you're taking a girl out to dinner to make a good impression you must know what to do who seats the girl when you sit how to order your meal of course the girl wants to know these things too in order to show herself at her best then you must know how to eat your meal and the only way to have good table manners when you want them is to practice them regularly at home get in a habit of eating properly so so it just comes naturally or take another case say you're having lunch with your boss say he's thinking about somebody to fill a good position that's opening up well put yourself in the boss's place would you give the job to a fellow like this or to a fellow who thinks that table manners are silly you see what I mean about putting your best foot forward table manners are important because people judge many things about you just by the way you eat all right maybe so but it's it's all so complicated is it look there's nobody here let's try it out what do you mean come on besides that supper party sounds good if we know what to do I think we'll want to go well look sharp now there there is a play setting properly arranged it looks all right but what am I supposed to do that's the question well what would you do if you sat down to dinner and found Three Forks like this I'd probably end up with one left over and wonder what I did wrong not if you remember one simple rule always use silverware from the outside in so starting from the outside use this for your salad this for your main course and this why that one must be for the dessert you see it's easy but there's something funny here doesn't the butter knife belong here well the book says either place and speaking of the book it wouldn't hurt you to use one sometime and check up on any points that you're not sure of sure we have some books in school but I'll have to be careful who sees me reading it don't worry you can manage that and now to use these things let's have some food say it's too bad you've just eaten yeah excuse me me things will be easier if you'll remember that in eating there are three kinds of food finger foods pork foods and Spoon Foods now clean dry Foods bread is one of them are finger foods but when you have something that's messy or sticky you better use a fork yeah like a cream puff that's the idea now Fork Foods include Meats potatoes vegetables salads and many others there's a right way to hold a fork and this is it don't put on your fork any more than one mouthful of food oh yes after you've placed food on your fork if you decide to talk lay it down until you're ready to eat it looks better and this is the way to park a fork after you've used it not propped up on the edge of the plate huh that's the idea here now you try it okay now with with some Fork Foods we need a knife let's see how you use it the folks say I do it wrong hey that's not only the wrong way it's the hard way here try this put the ends of both the handles in the palms of your hands like that hold the meat with your fork and cut the meat don't tear it apart see this is better you see good table manners are just common sense is that right yes that's the way most people in America handle their knife and fork we don't have to worry with the European method but now after you finished eating I have you place your knife and fork this way to show that you have finished but what about spoon Foods oh yes all right how do you manage soup H you don't fool me on this one you never tip the bowl and you dip the soup away from you not too much in the spoon and you eat from the side of the spoon precisely and now would you care for some turnips oh turnup you know I can't bear um no thank you that's the idea Chuck courtesy consideration for others common sense that's what table manners are you mean that's all there is to table manners just what we've talked about oh no but you already know a great deal and you can learn still more by watching mother and dad and other people who have good man but the main thing is the main thing is is to practice at home so that table manners will come naturally and I won't have to think about them when I'm out you can't miss oh let's Ste the dishes mother should see that well Chuck are we going to that party sure we are we are that's right Chuck we are going to the party you can't see me any longer but remember I'm the fellow you're going to be so I'm interested in seeing that you always make a good impression this really isn't hard is it you know what to do that's right ladies first into the dining room right again find your place and remain standing you see Chuck it's easy to do the right thing if you remember courtesy consideration of others and common sense and also remember you're here not to see how much and how fast you can eat but to have a good time well our boy is doing all right don't you think so don't you think you can do the [Music] same