Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:50 — 13.7MB)
As Gildersleeve pops into Peavey’s he spies on Leroy sitting with Brenda. She’s a niece who has been visiting the Bullards. The two share a soda, but when Leroy spots his uncle Mort, the nervous kid tries to rush out. Gildy thinks the puppy love is cute, until he learns that the last round was put on his tab.
How serious is this puppy love? Back home Birdie talks with Gildersleeve about the love stuff, and the degree of money that Leroy is spending on his new gal. It’s even worse than that. Leroy is even showing off by doing hand stands, and soaking up the flattery. Gildersleeve has a little chat with Leroy, expressing his concern that though she is nice enough, Brenda seems to be a little golddigger.
In the Bullard home, Runson Bullard, played by Gale Gordon, is having a talk with his sister along the line of the overspending topic. Gildy stops in to talk to Bullard’s sister to try to help intervene, and put a squeeze on the spending. As determined as he is, he finds out where the little girl gets her knack for flirting., and flattery. Before he knows it, he’s shelling out the bucks to take Brenda’s mom to a big country club event.
After Birdie helps out with the commercial, the show continues. Marjorie and Leroy comment as they read the social register that lists Gildy’s activity in high society. He gets his haircut at Floyd’s, and Floyd offers to help out with the splurge and act as his driver. Gildersleeve gets all spiffed up, and Marjorie helps him make fashion decisions. To swoon his date, Gildy sings a few bars of, I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.
Gilldersleeves learns a practical lesson that real love is far more expensive than puppy love. At the swanky, high society event, all the elaborate dressings of the party are impressive, but when the costs of the dinner is announced, and the fund raiser behind it, it stretches Gildy’s budget. Not to mention that the benefit is somewhat at odds with Gildersleeve profession. What does that mean? Listen and be as surprised as good old Throckmorton is.
Guest stars tonight are Martha Scot, and Barbara Whiting as the actresses who played mother and daughter in this episode.
