Teleplays written for television were very popular during the 1950s and hundreds, if not thousands. Many are classics which were later remade into very successful Hollywood films, most were just pleasant diversions. Sadly, however, not many of them have survived and a handful are available on DVD or on YouTube, like "Philco Theater" and their play "Here's Father".
When the story begins, an angry judge is granting a divorce and custody decree. He's angry because the husband and father in this case is completely indifferent to them and couldn't care less if he ever sees his son again. To punish him, he orders the man to see his son for a week each year....and during that time he had to do whatever his son wanted. I know this is NOT realistic in the least and normally in such a situation, the judge would just give sole custody of the child to the parent who isn't a jerk!
Soon the scene switches. The week with father is about to take place...and 'father' is spending his time wining and dining women and he's little aware that it's time to put this aside and spend his time with his boy. Fortunately, although at first things go poorly because father is a self-absorbed guy, things improve considerably. But there's father's girlfriend...she seems determined to keep him and the boy apart.
Cyril Ritchard is wonderful as the haughty father and Van Dyke Parks is just adorable as the son. Overall, it's a nice heart-warming story...well worth seeing and quite cute.
When the story begins, an angry judge is granting a divorce and custody decree. He's angry because the husband and father in this case is completely indifferent to them and couldn't care less if he ever sees his son again. To punish him, he orders the man to see his son for a week each year....and during that time he had to do whatever his son wanted. I know this is NOT realistic in the least and normally in such a situation, the judge would just give sole custody of the child to the parent who isn't a jerk!
Soon the scene switches. The week with father is about to take place...and 'father' is spending his time wining and dining women and he's little aware that it's time to put this aside and spend his time with his boy. Fortunately, although at first things go poorly because father is a self-absorbed guy, things improve considerably. But there's father's girlfriend...she seems determined to keep him and the boy apart.
Cyril Ritchard is wonderful as the haughty father and Van Dyke Parks is just adorable as the son. Overall, it's a nice heart-warming story...well worth seeing and quite cute.