The Donna Reed Show Season 3, Episode 18: Variations On a Theme

Weekend

The family wants to get away for the weekend. The brochure shows Lakeview Lodge to be a great place to go, so Donna and Alex head up there early with Mary and Jeff to join them later, but Lakeview Lodge turns out to be a major disappointment. Now what can they do?

30 min

The Mystery Woman

A lady spots Donna and Mary having lunch in a restaurant, so she stops to say hello. She recognized Donna, even though ""it's been 13 years."" Donna doesn't recognize her but is polite and too embarrassed to ask her name. Later, Donna realizes she must find out who the mystery woman was.

30 min

Donna Decorates

Donna tries to redecorate the house, but neighbor boy Dennis Mitchell (Jay North) tries to help her...and ends up making things more of a mess. Donna finally calls Dennis' nearer neighbor Mr.Wilson (Joseph Kearns) to ask if Dennis would help him with anything. (I'm sure Mr.Wilson sympathized.) This was a crossover show-with two people from ""Dennis the Menace"" guesting. It turns out both shows are set in the town of Hilldale...but Dennis probably lived in a different neighborhood than Donna.

30 min

The Love Letter

Nick the Greek is the handyman at the Stone's house. He's still learning how to write English, so he asks Jeff for help in writing a love letter to his girlfriend. Later, Mary finds this love letter in Jeff's handwriting and wonders if Jeff is involved in a new romance.

30 min

How the Other Side Lives

Mary's friend Ginny lives in a mansion with a maid, a tennis court, and a swimming pool. Now Ginny is going to spend the weekend at Mary's house. What can Mary do to impress Ginny, with the Stone family having no maid, no pool, no tennis court, and with a wild unruly younger brother Jeff at home?

30 min

Alex's Twin

Mary is enamored with the new boy at school, Elroy! Why? Because he reminds her so much of what her dad must have been like as a teenager. Alex can't see the resemblance at all.

30 min

Worried Anyone?

Like, are we worried about Mary riding in Scotty's car? After all, its only a hot rod made with parts taken from wrecked cars!

30 min

Higher Learning

Alex is cited for his research in a Medical Journal article that he tries to read throughout the whole episode, but he's constantly interrupted. Mary gives up boys when Roger and Elroy let a coin toss decide which one will play tennis with her. She decides to become a scientist. Boys are back in her life when she discovers the new boy Stanley mowing their yard and conducting a science project at the same time.

30 min

Never Marry a Doctor

The Stones' cleaning lady has troubles. Her baby is sick and her husband lost his job due to illness. Alex takes care of the baby's health, and Donna hires the husband to do odd jobs in their house. Now the Stones have troubles. The twenty dollars that Alex left on the counter for Mrs. Cruikshank's charity is missing. Could the handyman be a thief? Mrs. Cruikshank thinks so and makes Donna wonder if it's true.

30 min

It Only Hurts When I Laugh

The tables are turned as Alex becomes a hospital patient, and a difficult one at that.

30 min

The Model Daughter

Mary goes to a session at Taffy Cinders Charm School and wins a scholarship to learn how to be a model. Most of the girls who went with Mary also ""won"" scholarships, too! Then the expenses mount up, as she needs the School instruction book, the School grooming aids, etc.

30 min

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Mary is so indecisive, always asking her mother about what clothes to wear which boys to date. Tonight though, she starts making her own decisions when she, Roger, and Larry go out on the town. They go to the Hungry Onion coffeehouse and listen to poetry. They get into money troubles with dinner at the Flamingo Club, and that's when Mary makes the right decision.

30 min

Donna Goes to a Reunion

Donna heads to a Blaine Women's College reunion, and while she's away, Jeff adopts Duke, the dog.

30 min

Someone is Watching

Jeff wants a motor scooter like Gordie just got, but Alex won't agree to that. Gordie shows off his riding skill until he drives the scooter into a tree in the Stones front yard. Gordie proceeds to fake a leg injury that puts him in Jeff's bed overnight, with Donna taking care of him. Why would Gordie do that? Does it have anything to do with his new stepmother or his dad giving him anything he wants? Does Donna have an idea about how to help Gordie's mom with this problem? You bet she does!

30 min

The Lean and Hungry Look

Donna can't fit into the dinner dress she bought a few months ago, and she wants to wear it! She decides it's time to exercise and diet the extra pounds off. Then, Alex notices his tuxedo is a little too tight now, so he decides, well, you get the picture! And will Jeff ever repay the money he borrowed from Mary so she can buy that sweater she's been wanting for a long time. And what do you think happens when she finally does get that sweater and tries it on?

30 min

Character Building

When Donna's letter-to-the-editor about parents needing to make sure that their children follow through by finishing what they start gets published, it prompts Donna to follow through herself. Now Mary can't play tennis till she finds her lost jacket and returns a library book, and Jeff can't rest till he finds the tire pump he borrowed from a friend.

30 min

World's Greatest Entertainer

Jeff just can't seem to do anything right --- he slams the door and the angel food cake in the oven droops; his model airplane has cockeyed wings; airplane glue gets on the carpet, so he bleaches it out! The family needs to build up his spirits, so when he does mediocre imitations of movie stars like James Cagney, Peter Lorre, and Edward G. Robinson, he gets all the family's praise. So he decides to enter the upcoming school talent show! Now what can Mary, Donna, and Alex do?

30 min

The Stones Go to Hollywood

Alex needs to go to Hollywood to discuss suggestions for a Children's Clinic, so the whole family takes the opportunity to go along and see Hollywood, except it rains, for 2 days! They had so much wanted to meet a movie and TV star before they leave, They do! Also enjoy Donna dreaming that she is a big Hollywood star.

30 min

Donna Directs a Play

Donna fills in for the director of Mary's drama group when he is called to Hollywood for a part in a movie.

30 min

Trip to Nowhere

Jeff has been complaing that there's nothing to do. To top it off, Ricky comes over and brags about how his dad is taking him on an exciting camping trip this weekend. Now Jeff wants to go camping, but Alex is away at a conference. So Donna decides to take Jeff and Mary camping at Truesdale Park right in town. This isn't the kind of camping trip Jeff had in mind.

30 min

The Geisha Girl

The new doctor has a Japanese Geisha girl for a wife. She is constantly seeing to her husband's needs, can't do enough for him. The married couples of Hilldale have a difficult time adjusting to her. Leave it to Donna to ""Americanize"" her in matters of wifely duties.

30 min

The Busy People

In a try for more togetherness, Donna signs Alex and herself up for painting lessons.

30 min

Tony Martin Visits

While driving through Hilldale, Tony Martin is arrested for speeding by a policeman using radar. He knows he wasn't speeding, but figures he'll just pay the fine and be on his way. In court, Tony sees Donna fighting a parking meter violation and insisting on a jury trial rather than pay a $2 fine. Tony decides to ask for a jury trial, too. It's a matter of man versus machine: is the parking meter keeping correct time or did Donna? Was the radar unit accurate or not? Will popular singer Tony Martin sing a song in this episode? Yes!

30 min

Aunt Belle's Earrings

30 min

Poodle Parlor

Donna and her friend consider opening a poodle parlor where owners can bring their poodles to get clipped and buy them fancy accessories. The husbands think the whole idea is ludicrous which make the ladies all the more determined to succeed.

30 min

Mary's Heart Throb

While babysitting for the Damons, Mary meets their older son, Rick, who has dropped out of college because he wasn't accepted by his father's old fraternity. He plans to join the Foreign Legion and wants Mary to help him.

30 min

Donna's Helping Hand

Dr. Steinhaus is retiring as the head of the Board of Health. Donna thinks this is the perfect opportunity for Alex to have a position that offers him more regular hours and she intends to help him get it.

30 min

The Merry Month of April

Income tax time, so Alex decides to save money and prepare his own taxes this year rather than have Harvey do it. When Alex figures out he owes money, he gets mad about a hat he thinks Donna bought for $49.50. When Harvey arrives at the Stone residence, having done Alex's taxes anyway and announces that Alex will be getting a refund, Alex's attitude becomes very pleasant indeed! Turns out Harvey's wife Nora had Donna buy the hat, but it was for Nora!

30 min

Music Hath Charms

The piano becomes a ""parking lot"" with everyone dropping things on it, like books, the newspaper, so Alex decides to sell it. All of a sudden Mary has a problem with that idea and won't let it go. She'll start practicing again, every day. It turns out a boy she'd like to date just loves to play the piano!

30 min

Let's Look at Love

30 min

For Better or Worse

A story about every married couple's dilemma: what decisions can a husband make on his own and which require a conference for his wife's permission? Like Alex and Joe, who tell the guys they will go fishing and they don't need to ask their wives. But see, Joe has a system: he bribes his wife Myra with an expensive gift first. Now Alex, on the other hand, faces an episode-long issue with Donna about this matter. Does he resort to a bribe, too?

30 min

Jeff, the Treasurer

Yes, Jeff is elected class Treasurer. He has the class dues to protect all $32 of it. Now what could possibly happen? Could he, oh, I don't know lose it? It's Thursday. The class picnic is Saturday. Mrs. Haskell needs the money to pay for the bus that will take the class to the picnic. Can Jeff find it in time?

30 min

The Good Guys and the Bad Guys

The school bully, Jocko, makes fun of Jeff being in the choir. Jeff starts ""pumping iron"" because it looks like there will be a fight. Can Mr. Trestle's sage advice possibly do Jeff and the guys any good and stop the conflict?

30 min

Military School

When Herbie suggests his visiting friend Ken goes along with them to the dance, Mary decides not to go to the dance at all. Then she meets Ken, who's in full uniform from the Carter Military Academy. Yeah, she wants to go to the dance now! But where does that leave Herbie? It's another good ""Mary learns a lesson""

30 min

Mary's Driving Lesson

Scotty, smitten by Mary, agrees to teach Mary how to drive. Oh boy! Does he have his hands full! Will their romantic friendship last through this experience?

30 min

The Mustache

Alex growing a mustache turns out to be quite a controversial event in the Stone household.

30 min

Mary's Little Lambs

Mary and Mark decide to have a Saturday nursery school (i.e., day care) to earn enough money to paint Mark's car. Alex, on the other hand, would like to sleep late on Saturday morning, unaware of the bedlam that's about to take place!

30 min