Boy, Helen dropped that kid on a stranger when she had a date.

I know! That was odd. People like to say "It was a more innocent time" but I don't think a mother would have done that even back then.

I was cringing at that situation too. I thought that even nasty Tom relented to Helen on that score a bit too easily.

It was the 50s, paedophiles didn't exist yet, people were too busy worrying about the damn Reds.

If you watch carefully, she really didn't want to, but her date didn't want the kid along as a third wheel, so he pushed her into it.