BOB NEWHART SHOW, THE: A GIRL IN HER TWENTIES (TV)
Summary
One in this series of comedy programs about the personal and professional life of a Chicago psychologist. In this episode, Bob is on a publicity tour to promote his new book, and Howard keeps Emily company while he’s away. Howard tells her that the apartment next to the Hartleys, which they believed was abandoned, is actually occupied by a reclusive old woman. Emily gets curious and decides to pay her a visit, bringing Howard along with her. However, the woman refuses to open the door for Emily. Bob calls Emily from an airport payphone but gets interrupted by a loudmouth who snatches the phone for his own use before he can stop him. Meanwhile, the old woman emerges from her room and attempts to befriend Emily by showing her an old scrapbook. The woman, Grace DuBois, reveals that she has had a long career in vaudeville, and they soon discover that Grace seems to believe that it is still the 1920’s and that she is “temporarily” retired after the death of her husband, who served as her partner in her act. Grace shows them the scrapbook of her career, believing that Emily and Howard are a couple. Soon Emily is visited by Nora, Grace’s niece, who cannot find Grace and is worried since she never leaves the apartment. They enter Grace’s apartment, which has been made up in extravagant fashion, just before Grace returns with Howard from a tour of the apartment. Despite her efforts, Nora cannot break Grace’s delusion that she is still in the 1920’s. Nora tells Emily that she is trying to get Grace to move into a rest home, and Emily questions the wisdom of this decision, remarking that Grace is eccentric but otherwise functional.
Emily gets Jerry and Carol to help her look through Bob’s office; a consultant psychiatrist is to come in to interview Grace and she wants to see if he has the authority to commit her to a rest home. She determines that he can, and goes back to see Grace again to explain the situation to her. Grace is disturbed by this knowledge, but Emily wants to help her by convincing the psychiatrist that Grace is “with the times.” Emily helps Grace get caught up on current events and redecorates both the apartment and Grace’s wardrobe to seem more modern. The psychiatrist, Dr. Malcolm, arrives and Emily is permitted to stay for the interview. Grace tries too hard to sound as though she is accustomed to the modern era, making Dr. Malcolm suspicious. Howard arrives to help Grace with the interview, but soon Dr. Malcom sees through Grace’s deception. She admits that she “lives in the past” but prefers it that way, unwilling to accept the various problems of the modern-day world. She thanks Emily and Howard for caring about her and is prepared to go to the rest home, but Dr. Malcolm surprises her by electing not to take her, believing that despite her delusions she is much saner and well-adjusted than the “normal” people he usually deals with. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: December 3, 1977 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:24:58
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:64770
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1972-1978
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Michael Zinberg … Executive Producer
- Glen Charles … Producer
- Les Charles … Producer
- Mark C. Tinker … Associate Producer
- Peter Bonerz … Director
- Lorenzo Music … Created by, Theme Music by
- David Davis … Created by
- Laura Levine … Writer
- Patrick Williams … Music by
- Henrietta Music … Theme Music by
- Bob Newhart … Cast, Bob Hartley
- Suzanne Pleshette … Cast, Emily Hartley
- Bill Daily … Cast, Howard Borden
- Peter Bonerz … Cast, Dr. Jerry Robinson
- Marcia Wallace … Cast, Carol Kester Bondurant
- Mildred Natwick … Cast, Grace DuBois
- Sondra Currie … Cast, Nora DuBois
- Macon McCalman … Cast, Dr. Malcolm
- J.J. Johnston … Cast, The Man