Guys,

That's the one where Wally takes a new girl Kathy Gregory to an all-night graduation dance. After Ward and June give their consent for Wally to go after a long discussion and ground rules set by them and the chaperones at the dance, things go well, until Wally and Kathy leave the dance and once outside a drunk comes along and pushes Kathy into a water fountain. Wally through meeting Kathy's parents (especially her ultra strict father) make Ward and June seem liberal by comparison. The scene when Wally brings Kathy home in her wet dress and her father screaming at both of them is so realistic you forget that this is supposed to be this happy little sitcom. The actor who played Mr. Gregory was chillingly realistic in his scenes.

Jack

I agree. It seems to be a "rite of passage" episode in 3 ways-- Wally's high school graduation, obviously; then in having to be a bit more 'frank' about youth problems which a rite like graduation can cause to burst forth, which LITB always avoided being direct about; and finally of the show itself, as things could no longer be the same with the family altogether all the time.

When Ward tells Wally they have decided to let him go to the all-night party he specifically mentions that it must be chaperoned with no drinking allowed and the rule must be that the parents be called if anyone leaves the party before it's daybreak. Then he adds, "Under ordinary circumstances I wouldn't even mention it, but there's something about graduation that gives kids the idea that all rules are now off..." With this the authority, pe se, seems to be making it official that LITB was graduating from its world of innocence to having to confront certain realities, and it's even implicit that the parents of the Mayfield High grads know that if the kids really had their way, they would go for a wild party with drinking, and maybe some other mind-altering substances, and some would leave as couples to spend the rest of the night wherever they could be alone.

So with even Ward and June aware of what's on their minds, it's fitting that a newcomer would be even more suspicious and apprehensious of what the intentions of the graduates are. The strict, untrusting and unyeilding father of a teenage girl was a common character in many old movies and television episodes. This LITB ep generally follows the pattern of such a man being persuaded to go against his judgment, thinking his fears are realized, as they are at least partially, then mellowing out at the end. The best example of this strict father/lovesick daughter relationship on television IMO was on My Three Sons in its later years when son Chip, a college freshman, got involved with Polly, a new classmate with a very strict and suspicious father, with the irony that his lurking and trying to break them up compelled them to elope; thus he caused what he was trying to prevent. But this, of course, was continuing action over several episodes. It's easy to believe Kathy Gregory could go through something like this; we would think not with Wally though, but Wally was alot like Chip in MTS; modest, straight, with good sense, but likely vulnerable to a "designing woman", as in previous years Mary Ellen Rogers, Julie Foster, and a few others.

I agree, very realistic! It was a good episode. I like the fact that Ward and June had to take more time to make a decision about such a party, afterall it wasn't the normal teen party. When Ward mentioned that there was to be no drinking beer or liquor I thought well they were underage anyway so what's the worry. But then I thought there was a time when the drinking age was 18 so it's possible that they could have bought some. I do know that they could find other ways to get it though.