User Reviews

Pint-sized Dennis Mitchell and freckle-faced friend Tommy innocently cause more chaos in their suburban bubble: seems some old Valentine's Day cards they rescued from the trash have everyone in the neighborhood suddenly feeling romantic--except for neighbor George Wilson, who gets caught in the fray. Hank Ketcham's popular daily comic strip was complimented by this television version, particularly by the well-chosen leads and talented supporting players. Crack comedy writers Peggy Chantler Dick and William Cowley penned this episode from season one, which is surprisingly heavy on narrative. Joseph Kearns as Wilson--who appears to be batching it this time out--is once again an irrepressible windbag, warning everyone to steer clear of Dennis and his scheme to sell Valentines at ten-cents a pop (the show would lose much of its comedic vitality after his death in the third season). Mary Wickes is very funny as a man-hungry spinster setting traps for the postman and a gardener, but this is really little Jay North's show. North takes a troublesome character and makes him likable--no small feat; he isn't malicious, precocious or impudent, while his responses and reactions to frustrated grown-ups are genuine and charming (he's an ordinary kid, not a ham or a nuisance). This episode also features small roles for Cyril Delevanti and an uncredited Sue Lyon, both of whom would co-star in John Huston's "The Night of the Iguana" four years later.