Engagement Party (excerpt, 1956)

[Music] [Music] oh jie it's beautiful thank you isn't it beautiful well I'd hardly call this team iron beautiful but you can't beat it impressing a man's suit oh girls I really had no idea that you're going to do all this for me oh I'll get it hi car hello Janie is Ellen here sure come on in what's going on here just a little surprise for your girlfriend hi darling I don't understand well the girls decided to give me a surprise shower wasn't that sweet of them a shower but we're not well I I told them they were rushing things a little but they're convinced that it's only a matter of minutes and until we're man and wife oh we're expected at my house for dinner we better get going what about all the loot I mean do you have your dad's car with you yeah come on let's give him a [Music] hand you haven't said a word since we left janies Carla I know what you must be thinking but I didn't tell Janie or anyone else that we were going to be married soon I can't help it if the girls decided to give me a shower but I know what it must look like to you and I okay baby I'm sorry I'm a brute it's just that well you know how I feel about our getting married before things are right forgive me did everybody have enough to eat I guess so Mom if I can have seconds on pie and ice cream seconds and thirds there's another pie and plenty of ice cream oh oh and there half a chicken left over in the refrigerator for later on when you get a little hungry you know 10:30 have you kids decided on a date yet no Dad we haven't well what are you waiting for well as I told you I want to be set before I start making definite plans but you are sad in the store with me I don't see any sense in discussing this again right now well there's no time like to present you know I didn't build up the only department store in this town just for myself oh Mary uh have you decided what you're cooking for the church supper Saturday yes I'm going to make a couple of pot roasts that was the idea of you're going to business college wasn't it well things were different then what things well the store was showing a profit when I started school oh just because we're in the middle of a little temporary slump everybody else is showing bigger volume than ever before your business is way off and you call it a temporary slump it's a sag not a slump ah people in this town will get tired driving 12 mil each way to shop in that new department store in mville it's just a oh sort of a fat that's all some fat has been going on for a year and a half ever since the store was built you're not going to get customers back in our place until you learn to compete with competition you've got to bring your merchandising up to date did you hear that George two years of business school he knows all about running a business that I build up from nothing over a period of 25 years yes I know how these young fellows are Jack this is hardly the time to why not George and Mary have a perfect right to know how their prospective son-in-law thinks door is hardly supporting one family right now is it how can it support two well now like I said we're in a little bit of a slump but I've still got a few dollars in the bank and I can still afford to pay my son a decent salary so he can get married what are you offering me now charity charity I'm sorry Dad that was a rotten thing to say but I've got to think of my family's future I've decided the best thing for me and my family is a position with a solid Dependable firm a big firm big business is security so you're all set to bury the small businessman in this country huh no only the small businessman who refuses to keep Pace with The Changing Times which means you think I'm an old fogy you're putting the words in my mouth then I'll put some more what you call security is just another name for fear you're afraid afraid to stand on your own two feet you want someone else to take the risk and protect you you're Running Scared that's all oh why not face it pardon me excuse me Carl Carl wait a minute this seems to be my day I can't open my mouth without getting into an argument first you and then dad and your father didn't mean that about your being afraid it's just that he's planned on your going into the store for so many years and you refuse do you think I ought to I think you should do whatever you feel is best for you for us Ellen what's best for you is best for us Ellen I want you to understand just what's in my mind I spent 18 months in the Army and two years in business college all that time I've been thinking trying to figure out my future right now I have to be very very careful that's why I don't want to get married not until I'm sure where I'm going well as long as you're working for your father and until you can find what you really want to do I could get a job no car I wouldn't mind really I could work at least until I couldn't work any longer you know what I mean that's just it don't you see that's just what I'm trying to avoid what's what you're trying to avoid getting trapped into a situation by circumstances so that I'll be stuck with it for life trapped is that what marrying me means to you a trapped no of course not Ellen it was just an expression to explain how I pretty clear expression that is why you don't want to get married isn't it well in a way yes but I do want to get married eventually I don't blame your father you are selfish you don't care about anything or anybody but yourself wait a no no I'm not going to trap you I I w't be a ball and chain around your neck you're free you're free as a bird and you can do whatever you want to do Ellen Ellen [Music] well what do you expect what do you mean well you haven't tried to call him or get in touch with him in the past four days either have you why should I why should Carl you're the one that told him never to darken your doorstep again you mean you think I should make the first move well don't you suppose he has a little pride too I mean you tell him to go jump and then you expect him to come back crawling begging forgiveness after all those things he said to me well what about the things you said to him hey now he's still the guy you want to marry isn't he well yes then don't be foolish get on down to the store and start patching things up just like that just like that what do I say oh I'm sure you'll think of something once you get there now come on keep going [Music] [Music] hello land's department store I wanted to talk to you I thought maybe we could go for a drive well I'm right here at the corner of fifth I'll be right over I'll be waiting and I'm sorry for all those things I said to you I had no call to carry on like that aren't you going to say anything that's better than talking I talk all together too much sometimes sometimes we both do any special place you'd like to drive well I do have to go to meetville either today or tomorrow since we're halfway there where in mville the snhh Redemption Center on Lockridge snhh oh those stamp things I didn't know you bothered with them everybody in my family does for years why well today I'm going to get a toaster for the house the old one gave up the ghost yesterday and then Sunday is Daddy's birthday and mother and I are going to give him a watch well it's really none of my business but you know of course you pay for those things you're only kidding yourself well that's not true we always shop in places that give s H stamps and we've compared the prices and the stores that give them are just as reasonable as any other stores sometimes even more reasonable that's silly how could they be stores have to pay for the stamps so they have to add to the price of the items they sell that's logic well I don't know how it works but I do know it pays us to shop where they give SNH stamps it doesn't add up that's one thing my dad and I agree on we wouldn't have those stamps in our store on a bet now I don't want to start an argument with you yeah let's not what about the church supper tonight you going well I'm uh waiting for someone to ask me consider yourself asked well here's lockbridge Boulevard what number was it 723 well there it is just down the street [Music] this looks like a pretty fair racket well maybe if you're good you'll get one of them as a present two and a half books that doesn't sound like much how how long does it take to save that many stamps depends on how much shopping the family does about 5 weeks more or less can I help you yes we want to look at a toaster and a man's watch well the toasters are over here this Toastmaster is the newest and the best in the market completely automatic hey that's pretty neat really automatic makes pretty wonderful toast too Janie has one I'll take one of these now about that watch they're right over here I'm interested in a long jeene you mean you can actually get a long jeene watch for these stamps here you are how about this one think you'll like it it's a beauty I'll take it I think I have just enough books I check the amounts in your catalog thank you this quite a business well potato salad oh how I like potato salad yeah well you two look mighty happy we are [Music] that's I have something to tell you [Music] well what happened to you two you get lost oh that's a fine thing to ask an a cage cup and it's official now my little girl grown up congratulations son [Music] congratulations I am Elliot Winston thank you and Mrs Winston Carl Landis how do you do of course we know Ellen well Mr Winston is superintendent of our Sunday school and he also works for the y w yes and beside his regular job he works for the Chamber of Commerce he's president