MovieChat Forums > Father Knows Best (1954) Discussion > Woman in the house?

Woman in the house?

posted 9 years ago by dominicsipos
8 replies | jump to latest

Why was Jill Carlson such an odd woman did she have mental issues? and why in the world would Virge marry her? Was she reliving her childhood?

[–] IBikeNYC 8 years ago

Uh, YEAH. . .

When Kathy walked into the house (I'm actually watching this one right now!), my spontaneous thought was, "Oh, good; someone her own age to play with!"

As for why in the world Virge would marry her, well, to put it delicately, sometimes "Little Jerry" wins!

(This sort of behaviour is, IMHO, a big part of why recreational drugs have such a bad name!)

[–] Dr. Cumin 8 years ago

Actually this is one of my very favorite episodes. It's hardly typical of the era to broach subjects like age difference in marriage, mamma's boy husbands and cultural differences. Jill is definitely an "oddball" if that means someone who reads "books" but by the end of the episode you definitely like her (at least I did) and unfortunately that great last scene with Margaret lounging on the couch reading Kafka is getting cut on recent reairings.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mom2wolf-1 8 years ago

This episode is one of my favorites as well. When Jill is washing Kathy's hair we finally get more information about Jill. Her parents are both deceased, she has a difficult time making friends and she is very lonely. This part warms my heart every time.

[–] jgrv-1 8 years ago

I was turned off to this episode when I first saw it but, upon watching it again recently, I really like it.

Jill was such a beatnik-child, an intellectual reader of great literaure and a chain smoker. I can picture her reciting her own improvisatory poems in a coffeehouse, accompanied by a bearded bongo player. What a character... love her!

[–] snsurone 8 years ago

I can picture her dying of cancer or emphysema from that chain-smoking!

[–] hillbrian2005 8 years ago

That was a rather serious episode of the series along with the one abotu the classmate of Bud's who is homeless.

[–] Tristan_Booth (403) 7 years ago

Mary Webster (Jill) actually just passed away in January of this year at age 81. She was also in a couple of Twilight Zones.