Father Knows Best

From fifties

1 Plot Synopsis
2 History
3 Episodes
4 Cultural Significance
5 Bibliography

[edit] Plot Synopsis

(Clockwise, L-R) Chapin, Donahue, Young, Wyatt, and Gray

Cast^[1]
Robert Young    ...     James 'Jim' Anderson 
Jane Wyatt      ...     Margaret Anderson 
Billy Gray      ...     James 'Bud' Anderson, Jr. 
Elinor Donahue  ...     Betty 'Princess' Anderson 
Lauren Chapin   ...     Kathleen 'Kathy' 'Kitten' Anderson

Father Knows Best was a show about the idealized, wholesome Anderson family, which consisted of father Jim (an insurance agent), mother Margaret (a housewife), and three children: Betty, 17, Jim Jr. 14, and Kathy, 9, or "Princess", "Bud", and "Kitten", respectively. The Andersons lived in Springfield, a suburb somewhere in the Midwest. When his children found themselves in a moral predicament, Jim would dispense his fatherly wisdom and everything turned out just fine.

[edit] History

Jim Anderson receives an exciting phone call while his wife and older children look on.

Father Knows Best originated as a radio program in 1949. Listen to an episode. On the radio show, Jim was sarcastic and even more patriarchal. He would call his children derogatory names, and was far less genial than his portrayal on the television series. Margaret was patient and reasonable, but was often portrayed as naive and air-headed when the comedic element of the plot called for it. Betty was the typical boy-crazy teenage girl; Bud was always wanting more money; Kathy was the irritating little sister. After five years on radio, the show was brought to television, where star Robert Young was the only cast member to cross over. The show premiered on CBS on October 3, 1954 ^[2], but it did so poorly in the ratings that CBS canceled it in March of 1955. Fan protests saved it, and gradually Father Knows Best became a hit. ^[1] A total of 203 episodes were produced, running until September 17, 1960. ^[2]

[edit] Episodes

Margaret Anderson serves her family dinner.

A selection of episode titles and descriptions from the 7 seasons of Father Knows Best:^[3]

Father's Private Life

Jim feels that his children need to work out their own problems. He feels if he has a private life for himself, they will have to work out their problems independently. Complications to his plan quickly occur.

Father is a Dope

Jim becomes paranoid after watching a family sitcom on television. On the sitcom a father is about to take a hunting trip and they manipulates the dad into staying home. Jim has a trip planned with his neighbor to go hunting. Jim is sure his own family is going to prevent the trip with the same tricks as the sitcom family.

Grandpa Jim's Rejuvenation

Jim decides that his best years are behind him. He has aged to the point that he is over the hill. What can be done to rejuvenate him?

Kathy, the Indian Giver

Kathy is much younger than Bud and Betty. Though they love her they often do not want to play with her. Kathy is tired of being left alone with her dolls to play. She wants to have a real baby sister to play with. Her best friend Susi is tired of dealing with a real baby sister. The girls decide to trade. The Andersons are quite surprised to come home to a baby in the house. When the go to return the child, Kathy insists that they can not because of a lesson the family has taught her a trade is a trade and can not be canceled unless both parties agree.

Jim, the Tyrant

Jim has had a bad day at work. When he comes home from the office his mood is amplified when the family ignores him. He responses with a kick jerk declaring that the family is lacking in discipline. He affirms his statement stating that it would take a tyrant to get the family back on track. The next day Kathy has a bad day. She is annoying the other family members. Her general behaviors a inconsiderate. It make matters worse she breaks a window. How is tyrant Jim going to respond?

The Andersons spend quality family time together.

Betty, Girl Engineer

After a job fair, Betty decides she would like to be an engineer. The students are able to sign up for practical work experience to see if the vocation is right for them. Betty’s friends are opposed to her choice of professions because she is a girl. Unfortunately, her boss for the practical experience thinks a woman’s place is in the home. How will Betty resolve this situation?

Dilemma for Margaret

Margaret is candid about some minor issues with her children. The members of the PTA interpret her remarks less than flattering. They think she can not control her own children.

No Apron Strings

Bud has a new girlfriend, Georgia. Georgia is jealous of Bud’s family life. Bud has a close relationship with his parents. He lives in a nice neighborhood. Georgia’s mother is dead. She and her father live in a rundown apartment. Georgia wants to Bud to prove to her that he is not tied to his mother and makes him promise that they will out on the same day that the family is going to celebrate Margaret’s birthday.

Calypso Kid

Bud decides to learn the bongos to impress a girl.

[edit] Cultural Significance

Robert Young with his television children on the cover of TV Guide

Father Knows Best revolutionized sitcoms as a moralizing form of entertainment. The formula adopted by subsequent family sitcoms to teach a valuable lesson was pioneered by the writers: "No sitcom had ever attempted to teach social lessons in a contemporary mass culture setting. Father Knows Best, however, flung itself into the task of demonstrating proper family conduct with all the ingenuous confidence of a Sunday School film." ^[4] "As Father Knows Best climbed the charts, it transformed sitcoms all around it. Moral lessons became an accepted, even expected, part of the form, even when the content didn't seem to justify it." ^[4] The character 'Jim Anderson' was ranked #6 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time". ^[1]