Our Miss Brooks – “Cure That Habit”

Our Miss Brooks

Original Air Date: June 12, 1953
Starring: Eve Arden, Richard Crenna, Robert Rockwell
Directed by: Al Lewis

Cat Out of the Bag Alert!  This review contains spoilers for this episode!

Synopsis: Walter Denton (Richard Crenna) pulls a trick on Principal Conklin (Gale Gordon) which brings the man’s sobriety into question on a day when a frog, a snake and two kittens are running loose in his office.

Cat Burglars (Scene Stealers): The episode begins with Mrs. Davis (Jane Morgan) telling Miss Brooks (Eve Arden) how her cat Minerva (not seen in this episode) has brought home two kittens. Miss Brooks suggests she can take them to Stretch’s father’s pet shop. But the shop is closed and she and Walter have to take the kittens to school with them. The fuzzballs are first seen when Walter reveals he is carrying them inside his jacket.

Our Miss Brooks - Cure That Habit - long-haired tabby kitten in jacket close

Our Miss Brooks - Cure That Habit - long-haired tabby kitten in jacket close

Our Miss Brooks - Cure That Habit - Walter Richard Crenna pulling long-haired tabby kitten out of jacket with Miss Brooks Eve Arden

Our Miss Brooks - Cure That Habit - Miss Brooks Eve Arden holding long-haired tabby kittens with Walter Richard Crenna

They decide to take the kittens to Mr. Boynton’s (Robert Rockwell) classroom where they can stay with his other lab animals.

Our Miss Brooks - Cure That Habit - Miss Brooks Eve Arden holding long-haired tabby kittens with Walter Richard Crenna and Harriet Gloria McMillan

In the lab, Mr. Boynton explains to Miss Brooks that he’s had to keep the kittens in a cage apart from the other animals as the cats were disturbing the mice.

Our Miss Brooks - Cure That Habit - Mr. Boynton Robert Rockwell and Miss Brooks Eve Arden with long-haired tabby kittens in cage

Mr. Boynton then talks about how the kittens love to be petted and takes each one out to demonstrate. The kittens meow in the classic Minerva voice performed by Mel Blanc. A jealous Miss Brooks meows and leans on Mr. Boynton’s shoulder.

Our Miss Brooks - Cure That Habit - Mr. Boynton Robert Rockwell holding long-haired tabby kitten with Miss Brooks Eve Arden

Our Miss Brooks - Cure That Habit - Mr. Boynton Robert Rockwell petting long-haired tabby kitten with Miss Brooks Eve Arden

Our Miss Brooks - Cure That Habit - Mr. Boynton Robert Rockwell holding long-haired tabby kitten with Miss Brooks Eve Arden leaning on his shoulder

Stretch (Leonard Smith) then arrives and agrees to take the kittens to his father’s shop if he can trade a snake he has for a frog Mr. Boynton has. All of the animals end up in Stretch’s pockets and then end up in Conklin’s office. The kittens are not seen again, they are only represented by Mel Blanc’s mews.

Our Miss Brooks - Cure That Habit - Mr. Boynton Robert Rockwell Miss Brooks Eve Arden and Stretch Leonard Smith with long-haired tabby kittens in cage

Final Mewsings: Kittens should be seen as well as heard!


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