Who's Boss? (1950)

[Music] egotist if he thinks I'm going to sit home and cry my eyes out he's got a door to SL am well so have I I can make my own living just as well as he can make his he ought to be glad I'm working just because he can't stand competition he wants me to quit my work isn't important enough I'm only a woman but he the man is boss he'd like me to be a slave to the house while some cutie on the paper Whispers into his pories look at this mess the way he throws his clothes around it wouldn't hurt His Highness a little interest in the house I'm the one who's married but he can act as if he were single he wouldn't dream of wearing a wedding ring no matter how much I tell him I like it but I'm as good as he is I've got a brain of my own and I intend to make the most of my life too yes I want a home in kids but I'm not going to be a fool like mother bending over a wash tub all her life while Dad went around as free as air A Woman's Place is in the home why His Highness ought to wear side whiskers and carry a gold-headed cane if he thinks I'm going to obey his every command he can get right out of my life and I mean it right out of my life that's a woman for you never tell what she'll do next all the time I thought she was so sweet and tender what a temper lucky I ducked out when I did how could I win I'm only a man oh well a copy won't wait where do women get the idea that they wore the pants must be her diploma to a man it's a piece of paper but Virginia she's got the world at her feet way she hangs on to her name you'd think it was a shame to be a Jackson I write the copy but it comes out as a picture Story by Virginia Chase she break her neck for a good shot but our home is like a bachelor rooming house it's about time she learned what comes first marriage or her job everybody else leads a normal life why can't we I'm fed up with warmed up leftovers and dishes in the sink she can't even find time to sew in a button for me how mom used to take care of dad and how happy both of them were Virginia's got no such respect for him man what was she thinking of when she said I do a roommate to help with the dishes what does a man work for beating his brains out to make something out of himself if his wife doesn't look up to him instead she competes with me and makes a half man out of me and a half woman out of herself and I like a fool thought I was getting a wife I'll show her who's boss even if we wind up in the courts this wasn't the first time the Jackson's marriage had shown signs of cracking and the next morning as had happened many mornings Afters they were assigned to the same story here they were who was to blame neither and both each one felt he was being asked to give up more than he could afford yet almost without knowing why they moved toward each other and fumbled for some way of coming closer together let's go someplace and talk Mike said thank you this was my last assignment Mike why what happened nothing I've made up my mind I'm quitting the job are you serious mhm but what would you do nothing stay in all and your when you come home at night oh Jenny I wasn't trying to defeat you and what was all that yelling about last night I was a fool you know after I cooled off last night I found I'd been hanging on to a lot of ideas I don't really believe in anymore I realized I'd miss your puttering in the dark room Mike you don't have to prop me up no really I like a woman who's doing things Jenny I didn't marry you so you'd admire me and laugh at my jokes you've got a mind of your own and you've got to use it it's about time I accepted you as you really are darling you don't know how much you're saying it's like getting a wonderful present I feel like I don't know well here's my padded shoulder you know when we disagree it's a good idea to disagree about things we really don't agree about that was a mouthful I'd like to get some shots of the kids in the park Let's Straighten Up and go outside it's too nice a day to stay in the house when don't we forget about cleaning up and go then oh no I hate to come home to a messy house the least you could do is pick up your clothes and the least you could do is forget about your job on Sunday I hate weekends like this so you didn't mean a word of what you said yesterday did you no that's not what I meant but can't we have a little bit of a family life at least on Sunday well we may as well have this out again sure I want family life but if I'm to keep up my job I can't do all the housework myself you've got to do the few things I ask you to Mike are you trying to boss me again oh Mike okay Jenny this is the last time you'll have to tell me what do you want me to do okay okay we're up Jenny you're doing things to me a year ago I'd have heard that alarm in my dreams and slept on I feel good too I feel like splurging tonight it's payday but we were out only day before yesterday every day seems PID ad to you one day we go out the next day you buy Shon night gown but we never save a penny that way it's my money your toast's going to burn don't run away I want to straighten up I thought you weren't going to mold me anymore you got a cigarette no you haven't brushed your teeth yet and don't change the subject do I look good in a chiffon night gown or don't I or don't you notice anymore I do dear I didn't mean to pick on that I'm just trying to make a dollar worth of buck that's my point well how do we do that something we'll have to find out well I think it's just one of the things we'll have to work out breakfast will be ready in a minute you waste as much money as I do Mike and you know it who me yes how about all your taxi cabs and fancy lunches and Cocktails and things oh that's a business investment you mean an alibi don't you all right so I've got no head for money oh now don't get crossed I'm not trying to start an argument from now on why don't we both write down every cent we spend that won't help we just spend it anyway well what will help a budget oh that would depress me Mike I feel like a dependent on an allowance that's the only thing that'll make a marriage like ours work what about love doesn't that come first of course let's got to rest on a balanced budget there you are we' still got $40 of our week's pay left mind you that's after all bills are paid doctor your allowance and mine everything taken care of now what do we going to do with all this money tell you what you just write down everything you've ever wanted all right I like this part of it go ahead just flurge I'll write mine down too let's see riflex fur jacket some new China hey this is fun wait a minute we wanted a vacation we must save something for a vacation yes I need a vacation too oh I see you mean we have to cut out something and J another thing remember a house and a kid or kids and a car we've got to start saving and all that out of 40 bucks a week don't forget that's a lot of money in a year we can cut down on our allows too look if I cut down on cigarettes on cabs I bring in another $10 well that's $500 a year let me see the food budget if we eat home two more days a week and look that fur jacket can wait too baby you catch on quick it's fun to make money like this Jenny we just made a chunk of dough it's 60 instead of 40 a week now well that's wonderful Mike you're wonderful where would I be without you well there goes the budget was your idea that city desk friend of yours the one that was making passes at Marge I thought he was disgusting if you must know that genius photographer friend of yours bores me stad why do we have to have two sets of friends anyway that's right why incidentally you could have mentioned that I made the cake myself sorry you could have let me get halfway through one story without breaking in on it I guess we haven't learned yet not to compete with each other I'm tired you know the Robinsons that live up the street in that new house you like I keep meeting her at the grocery all the time she's asked us in lots of times what's her husband like I think you'd like him yes I think it'd be a good idea if we made friends with some neighbors next time you see her tell her we'd be delighted to come what's today 20th and last month when we did that hospital story when was that nth no 10th why I think you better take me to the doctor tomorrow it's s years now since the Jackson decided to work at their marriage it's no coincidence perhaps that for the last 7 years the marriage has worked for them not perfectly of course but well enough they were tough years too full of crisis in the normal run of trouble but the Jacksons took them in stride Mike has won his promotion by hard work the same way he has made himself a happy home a little luck but mostly Sweat and Tears there have been two additions to the family Tom is seven and a budding tarzen Mike gets a kick out of seeing young muscles and skills develop he can nearly remember when he was seven himself so long fella be seeing you they get along pretty well these male Jacksons with themselves and with their women folk hello Mike thanks for bringing those things the couple still need kid gloves from time to time but they figured out ways to handle tickly situations Virginia's apron when it's worn a Stern means take it easy I need tender love and care tonight and Mike's got his own danger signals his spinning hat says it's one of those days when a fell needs a friend I see you had a hard day not so hard that a warm greeting can't help a little let me finish this I'll be with you in a minute and even now can't you teach Tom to keep his junk out of the way why don't you watch where you're going Tom's part of this family too you know but he has to learn to keep order someday well he will but losing your deer won't do it but nowadays such scenes don't end with one of them sulking their relationship isn't brittle always at the cracking point like it used to be Mike isn't troubled by the fact that Virginia still has her own work to do once in a while they've long since stopped worrying about who's bread winner and who's housemaker Mike's dignity is much more flexible since he discovered that a wet baby loves whoever changes her male or female J is almost ready come anytime it'll be awfully simple he learned his techniques when Tom was an infant and he's Mighty proud of his Tender Touch why not some guys boast of their sensitivity to the feel of a fishing line Mike thinks handling a primadonna is even trickier home life at the Jacksons like most American home life is a curious jumble of interests and needs to make it everybody's Family Table takes a lot of doing Mike and Virginia have learned they can make it theirs by being aware of everybody else's wants by taking time out for the others they make time for themselves these days Virginia is proud of Mike's succcess they're not competing anymore why should they budgets and careers and differences of personalities don't have to mean trouble it's a good deal for both this partnership without a boss the fruits of adjustment are a little noisy But Mighty sweet [Music]