Family Troubles 1943

Janet Janet Burston feels that her parents no longer love her because they have made her older sister the definite center of attention during her aunt’s visit. Filled with anger and despair, she decides to run away. The gang volunteers to look for a family or couple who will “adapt” Janet. After naming off potential candidates, they settle on the elderly Mr. Jones Harry C. Bradley and Mrs. Jones Sarah Padden and escort Janet to their home. A neighbor boy who witnesses the exchange runs to the Burstons’ house and inadvertently reports that Janet was kidnapped by a gang whose leader has a heavy voice (referring to Billy Laughlin as Froggy). Janet’s parents, Mary and Jasper, quickly call the police.

When the gang pay the Joneses a visit and offer Janet to them, the Jones quickly realize that Janet is a runaway and decide to teach her and the gang a lesson. They agree to adopt her but make her life a living hell by forcing her to scrub the kitchen floor (which causes Janet to wail, >Why did I ever leave home?<) and show where she will sleep (which is under the kitchen table). They even force her to give up all food in exchange for bread and water. When Mr. Jones Harry C. Bradley and Mrs. Jones Sarah Padden decide that Janet is unhappy enough, they phone Janet’s parents to retrieve her. But once they leave, Janet (with the help of the gang) runs away again.

The gang soon discover that the police are searching for them, so they run and hide in a cave. While trying to cook some food (a handful of potatoes), they burn them and create heavy smoke, which leaves their faces covered with soot and ashes. Once they see that the soot will hide their true identities, they bring Janet back home and tell Janet’s parents why she wanted to run away.

Janet’s family now realizes how fortunate they are to have her. Mary apologizes for her unfeeling behavior and assures that it will never happen again. With everything happy, Froggy says, “All’s well that ends well, I always say.” Jasper corrects him, saying that Shakespeare originally said that phrase. >He did? Shucks!<