Chip wants to take Gail to a party at a friend's house, but the girl's grandmother, who is her guardian, insists that girls should not "date" boys until they are 16 years old-two years away.
After being turned down for the second time, Chip is advised by his family to try to get to know the grandmother as a way to get her to change her mind. He goes home with Gail and meets the grandma. Now Chip seems to have no clue what to say, using much more slang than usual and not understanding what the grandma means when she speaks about being properly introduced (which wouldn't apply to school classmates in any age).
Charley takes Chip to a stable and rents a horse and carriage for him to make a good impression on Gail's grandma. Apparently, without any training at all, Chip can drive a large two-seat carriage, instinctively knowing how to handle the reins and control the carriage. He takes the pair on a ride, and is later back home talking about everything with his family again.
Later, he gets dressed and takes the carriage back to Gail's, planning on spending time with the two and get Grandma to change her mind. Grandma shows him her multiple family photo albums, get Chip to dance the waltz with her to the record on her Gramophone. Chip gets a chance to phone Uncle Charley. Because Grandma returned to the room, Chip has to just suggest that he'd like Uncle Charley to come to a certain address, without directly revealing to Grandma what he has in mind.
Then Grandma gets the idea of a taffy pull. The young people are busily involved when Charley shows up. He winds up helping with the taffy pull and although Grandma has twice rejected the teens' request to relent and let them go to the party, she gives in when Charley asks if they could go.
So Gail and Chip leave for the party in the carriage and we later hear that the carriage was a hit with their friends because it was so different.
Not a terrible episode, mildly funny, but there were some things that just didn't ring true. While a 14-year-old at the turn of the century would have had plenty of experience with reins for a horse and likely driving the family buggy, someone in the 60s who has never done so would have much difficulty with things like how to use the reins to get the horse to go, stop, or turn in the desired direction. But Chip had no trouble at all.
Chip complained about getting blisters on his hands from the taffy pull. I don't believe one gets blisters from handling a soft candy material like that. They come from friction with harder things rubbing on your hands. Yet, there was Chip, lying in bed after the party with his hands all bandaged up.
And that's another thing. If you get blisters, you wouldn't want to have your hands bandages overnight-that's when the air will help them heal. Yet Chip apparently went to the party, danced and talked with his friends, returned Gail to her home, the horse and carriage to the stable, went home and THEN put on bandages just before bedtime. I don't think so.
And what sort of 1960s stable in a small town would still be open until 11 p.m.-the time we heard by which Chip had to return the horse and carriage?
Another thing bugged me: Grandma was not seen as being feeble minded in any way. She showed no signs of the medical issues our current president displays. She was just a lady who liked the things she grew up with. As scripted, she twice turned down her granddaughter's request to go to this party before meeting Chip, then was asked two more times before Uncle Charley got there.
I would think she would be upset that her granddaughter and this boy keep pestering her by asking about the same thing. She told them no four times, and here's this older guy asking her again.
If I was 4 or 5 it would be a different matter, but at the age of 14 (as Chip is said to be) if I asked my parents if I could do X and they said no, and I kept asking-three more times in the same day (as depicted here) I would likely be in some sort of trouble with my parents for not accepting their answer to the same question.
These things weaken the overall program. I didn't find much to laugh about-a 3.
After being turned down for the second time, Chip is advised by his family to try to get to know the grandmother as a way to get her to change her mind. He goes home with Gail and meets the grandma. Now Chip seems to have no clue what to say, using much more slang than usual and not understanding what the grandma means when she speaks about being properly introduced (which wouldn't apply to school classmates in any age).
Charley takes Chip to a stable and rents a horse and carriage for him to make a good impression on Gail's grandma. Apparently, without any training at all, Chip can drive a large two-seat carriage, instinctively knowing how to handle the reins and control the carriage. He takes the pair on a ride, and is later back home talking about everything with his family again.
Later, he gets dressed and takes the carriage back to Gail's, planning on spending time with the two and get Grandma to change her mind. Grandma shows him her multiple family photo albums, get Chip to dance the waltz with her to the record on her Gramophone. Chip gets a chance to phone Uncle Charley. Because Grandma returned to the room, Chip has to just suggest that he'd like Uncle Charley to come to a certain address, without directly revealing to Grandma what he has in mind.
Then Grandma gets the idea of a taffy pull. The young people are busily involved when Charley shows up. He winds up helping with the taffy pull and although Grandma has twice rejected the teens' request to relent and let them go to the party, she gives in when Charley asks if they could go.
So Gail and Chip leave for the party in the carriage and we later hear that the carriage was a hit with their friends because it was so different.
Not a terrible episode, mildly funny, but there were some things that just didn't ring true. While a 14-year-old at the turn of the century would have had plenty of experience with reins for a horse and likely driving the family buggy, someone in the 60s who has never done so would have much difficulty with things like how to use the reins to get the horse to go, stop, or turn in the desired direction. But Chip had no trouble at all.
Chip complained about getting blisters on his hands from the taffy pull. I don't believe one gets blisters from handling a soft candy material like that. They come from friction with harder things rubbing on your hands. Yet, there was Chip, lying in bed after the party with his hands all bandaged up.
And that's another thing. If you get blisters, you wouldn't want to have your hands bandages overnight-that's when the air will help them heal. Yet Chip apparently went to the party, danced and talked with his friends, returned Gail to her home, the horse and carriage to the stable, went home and THEN put on bandages just before bedtime. I don't think so.
And what sort of 1960s stable in a small town would still be open until 11 p.m.-the time we heard by which Chip had to return the horse and carriage?
Another thing bugged me: Grandma was not seen as being feeble minded in any way. She showed no signs of the medical issues our current president displays. She was just a lady who liked the things she grew up with. As scripted, she twice turned down her granddaughter's request to go to this party before meeting Chip, then was asked two more times before Uncle Charley got there.
I would think she would be upset that her granddaughter and this boy keep pestering her by asking about the same thing. She told them no four times, and here's this older guy asking her again.
If I was 4 or 5 it would be a different matter, but at the age of 14 (as Chip is said to be) if I asked my parents if I could do X and they said no, and I kept asking-three more times in the same day (as depicted here) I would likely be in some sort of trouble with my parents for not accepting their answer to the same question.
These things weaken the overall program. I didn't find much to laugh about-a 3.
