MY LITTLE MARGIE: REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY {SERIES PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
The first in this series of comedy programs about widower and former silent film star Vern Albright, who lives in a hotel suite with his spirited twentysomething daughter Margie. In this episode, Vern and his neighbor Roberta return from a date and notice the elevator operator reading a book on reverse psychology. Vern then bids her good night, spotted by Margie, who chides him for the lateness of the hour. However, he soon catches her with her own paramour, Freddie, and sends him on his way. After bantering about their respective love lives, they head off to bed. The next day, Margie chats with Mildred, who gives her the reverse psychology book and advises her to try it on her father, so she plans to pretend that she is breaking up with Freddie to get Vern to encourage her to stay with him. At work, Mr. Honeywell recommends precisely the same book, and Vern plans to pretend to like Freddie to convince Margie otherwise. At home, Vern and Margie both hide their copies of the book and attempt the trick on one another, both believing their scheme is working. Freddie and Roberta soon join them for what becomes a very awkward evening.
The next day, Mr. Honeywell invites Vern to attend a dog show upstate, but Vern says he has plans with Roberta. Roberta soon arrives to cancel, however, saying she has to deliver a wedding dress. Vern, annoyed, tries to issue an ultimatum to make her stay, but she just leaves. Margie tells Freddie about her father’s apparent breakup with Roberta, but soon finds the second copy of the book and realizes what has happened, believing her father is reverse-psyching her again, and when she hears where Roberta is going with the dress, she believes they are going to get married. Roberta and Vern run into each other on the train and make up, and Margie and Freddie soon arrive and get on the same train to stop them. Vern misunderstands a comment from the conductor and thinks they are the ones eloping. Eventually, Margie slips her necklace into Freddie’s pocket and accuses Vern of theft, claiming not to know him, and Roberta plays along. Soon, Mr. Honeywell is involved, and everything descends into chaos once his show dogs escape their hold. Finally, the group agrees not to try any more reverse psychology on each other, and everyone is content—except for Freddie, who has been hauled off to jail for stealing her necklace. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: June 9, 1952 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:24:04
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:40865
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Fathers and daughters
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1952-1953; NBC - 1953-1955
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Hal Roach, Jr. … Producer
- Guy V. Thayer, Jr. … Associate Producer
- Frank Fox … Writer
- G. Carleton Brown … Writer
- Hal Yates … Director
- Gale Storm … Cast, Margie
- Charles Farrell … Cast, Vern
- Hillary Brooke … Cast, Roberta
- Don Hayden … Cast, Freddie
- Clarence Kolb … Cast, Mr. Honeywell
- Willie Best … Cast, Charlie
- Eileen Stevens … Cast, Mildred