It Must Be The Neighbors (1966)

[Music] [Music] quitting time Friday no more traffic jams no more rush rush rush no more headaches at the office but suddenly all my plans for a nice week in at home were forgotten [Music] hey what you got Bill wouldn't you know Pete Granger what a laugh he was having good afternoon Mr Duncan and just my luck Miss Monroe had to see it too I'd been meaning to buy a new garbage can but well what would Betty say Bill dunan where have you been I've been waiting all morning for you and I'm so terribly upset do you know what's going on outside that garbage can's a mess the red labels on the neighbors have been calling and I just my parents have been calling me up whoa wait a minute there's someone downtown I know can take care of this Health Department Mr Foster please friend of mine Larry Foster he was a big football store in college he works for the health department now Larry Bill Duncan say F what goes on here some of your people have been nosing around my yard yes Bill yes I know well got uh report right here ready for filing well let's talk about it I'll drop by your place on my way home it's just a reminder that improperly stored garbage provides food for rats flies and other disease carrying insects while Larry talked my son Stevie and the Granger boy stood around bugey with hero worship but Larry coached the kids in the neighborhood in their football league it was as if Johnny unitis had come to our block well thanks for the advice Larry Bill why Mr Foster is here why don't you show him the yard our yard was Betty's pride and joy no visitor to our home could Escape without first taking The Grand Tour look here any container holding water can produce mosquitoes including ad ayti which carries the germs of Deni and yellow fever from man to man in fact these look like the Lara right now we've already identified some in this neighborhood Betty I guess was having some second thoughts about our invitation especially when Larry spotted some bread Crums Betty had put out for the birds if there are any hungry rats around now watch out I saw one yesterday Frankie crer honest Duncan you're making that up broen don't recognize boundaries Mrs Duncan they'll invade any neighborhood Larry went on to tell us a lot more about the biology and habits of rats flies mosquitoes and another threats to Public Health when suddenly I noticed the two boys taking off as though shot out of a cannon but on one thing Betty and I were agreed if anyone in the neighborhood was helping to breed these pest it must be the neighbors [Music] Frankie told his dad about the rat but depend on Pete Granger to weasel out of it must be the neighbors next morning I had a talk with Pete Granger about what Stevie had told me you're a fine one to talk Bill Duncan if you kept your yard half as clean as mine see those tiny dark wigglers they're probably disease caring mosquitoes they breed in water if you'd pull your plug or cover your boat Pete oh yeah well at least I don't get red tags on my garbage can if Pete and I didn't exactly see eye to eye our boys joined hands that morning in a common cause an expedition along with other Kids on the Block to survey each boy's yard at the costellos a tire containing stagnant water a favorite breeding place for domestic mosquitoes ditto for their waiting pool at The Mulligans food left out for their dog an invitation to insects and rats at the Jacobson scrap Lumber a good hiding place for rats who fed at a nearby garbage can the vacant lot next door with overgrown weeds clored with bottles tin cans discarded Auto Parts and appliances each containing stagnant water from yard to yard the boys went Gathering new recruits on the way at the Morrison's their septic tank had over float now a breeding place for the clex mosquito that carries the germs of En sephtis or sleeping sickness at the digby's children's play things but each also a menace for all of these containers could produce [Music] mosquitoes but when each boy confronted his parent the answer was about the same it must be the neighbors son oh darling it isn't us it's the neighbors however there was one yard in which the boys couldn't get Miss Monro next door okay boys take 10 that Saturday afternoon I saw Larry Foster doing football practice I asked him what the city was doing to keep our neighborhood clean the city provides ordinances and regulations for the guidance of the individual household bill at the health department we put out information for TV radio and the the newspapers we also make periodic inspections of the premises then of course the city collects your garbage twice a week your rubbish once a week and disposes of it by sanitary methods now if it weren't for that service any modern city would soon become a shambles but the job of keeping your property free from health hazards is mainly yours bill now the good citizen recognizes that fact and does all that he can to safeguard the health of his family family and the whole neighborhood as Larry went on to paint a grim picture of the various serious diseases carried from manto Man by pest such as mosquitoes rats and flies he had a Spellbound audience it wasn't long before our neighbors taking their queue from their youngsters got the message [Music] throughout our neighborhood there was a general cleanup and Improvement campaign as for the Duncan we had also learned a lesson I had purchased a new garbage container and each day Betty took pains to drain and wrap our garbage carefully before putting it into the container that set on a new cart I had purchased a protection against rats and prowling dogs no more breadcrumbs in our yard either for Betty had a bird feed her now taking care not to let it overflow but there was still a problem the yard next door as tightly guarded as Fort [Music] Knox with all sorts of water holding containers something Larry Foster said had burned itself into Betty's mind like most people no doubt you thought that all mosquitoes came from stagnant pools along the creek and on the street but any container holding stagnant water can produce the yellow fever and other mosquitoes however I didn't count on the resourcefulness of one Mrs bill dunan for next morning she had Miss Monroe in for coffee soon for the good of Miss Monroe in the whole neighborhood Betty convinced her of certain things that a bird bass should be scrubbed clean at least once a week that water and pet dishes should be changed daily that water holding container should be eliminated wherever possible and that many plants should be grown in Earth or sand instead of [Music] water Miss Monroe's yard our own yard two down and one to go hi Bill Pete Granger a hard nut to crack however when the Grangers invited us over to a wienie roast that Sunday afternoon I found that Pete had also seen the light dear do a good job son and careful about those food scraps well congratulations Pete I see you've learned your lesson see here Bill Duncan if you kept your yard half as clean as I keep mine and that goes double for you Mr [Laughter] Granger took the kids to wake us up Bill it's time we quit passing the buck keeping this neighborhood clean is up to all the folks on this block each and every one of [Music] us