The Flintstones

Wilma.

The cat is out of the bag.

Or more accurately, the saber-toothed lion is out of his cage.

Wilma, who is that?

Who is what, dear?

The guy sitting on our bed making all that racket.

Why, that's our new boarder, silly.

A hundred and seventeen...

sixty-two fifty...

forty-one seventy-five...

eleven eighty-two and twenty-six seventy.

Wilma.

Wilma, I want to talk to you.

- Oh, dear. I've been expecting this. - What's wrong, Wilma?

Fred's been looking over the checkbook stubs.

I'd better go home.

Husbands become so unreasonable...

when they get their nose in a checking account.

You're right, Betty.

Men just doesn't understand a woman's bookkeeping system.

They like our figures before we get married, but not afterwards.

Not when it comes to checkbooks.

Wilma...

I got a bone to pick with you.

See you later, Wilma. I hope.

I see you've been going over the checking account, dear.

- How do we stand? - Stand?

We don't stand. We're flat on our face.

We have no checking account. We're way overdrawn.

Why, that's impossible. The bank must have made a mistake.

Naturally.

What good are all their bookkeepers, adding machines, double checking...

compared to your system, whatever it is.

Are you going to believe your wife or the bank?

Does the bank cook your dinner for you every night?

Does the bank wash your clothes, clean your house?

Now don't go feminine on me, Wilma.

I stay home and slave all day.

And what thanks do I get?

- Overdrawn? - Way overdrawn.

- I'm sorry, Fred. - Okay, Wilma.

In the past, I used to get mad about this, but no more.

No reason why we can't discuss this calmly, like adult people.

- Right? - Right, Fred.

The way I look at it, Wilma...

being married is like running a business as partners.

That's a lovely thought, Fred.

And partners must sit down every once in a while...

and discuss how their business is going.

- Right? - That makes good sense.

Now, partner...

I have a report to make in regards to Fred Flintstone and Company...

if I may open the discussion?

Go right ahead, Fred. It's your right as senior partner.

Thank you. Let's see. Yeah, here it is.

- Partner. - Yes, partner?

You are spending too much money.

You use checks like they were coupons.

They're money, hard-earned money.

But, Fred, we're partners.

Partners. What's partners about the Frilly-Frilly Sweater Shop...

or the Bedrock Tearoom?

Or the Jolly Boys Tavern or the Sure Strike Bowling Ball Company?

That's different. That's business expenses.

Since when do you conduct your business at the bowling alley?

- Hey, Betty. - What is it, Barney?

Fred and Wilma are having a real ring-a-ding over there.

What's the trouble?

They're arguing over their checking account.

Fred was looking over the checks.

Checking account. That gives me an idea. I better check my checks.

I'm sorry.

Serves me right. Me and my big mouth.

Good morning, Betty.

How about coming over for a cup of coffee?

Okay, Wilma. Did Fred leave for work yet?

Yeah, the old beard slammed out of here earlier than usual.

I'm afraid we got pretty loud last night.

- Did you hear us? - Of course not.

I couldn't hear a thing over Barney's yelling.

Barney's yelling? About what?

Our checking account, what else?

You, too?

Come on over. I'll make the coffee real strong.

Okay, Wilma, I'll be right there.

If we could only earn some extra money...

it would eliminate all these arguments over bills.

Sure, but the boys won't let us go out and get a job.

Yeah. I can just hear Fred saying, "A woman's place is in the home."

I bet it wasn't a wife that started that saying.

Betty, I've got an idea.

Shooting them is against the law, Wilma.

Boarders.

Boarders.

We can make some money right here in our home by taking in a boarder.

That's right.

We're cooking and doing housework anyway.

Sure, we might as well make some money on it.

Wilma, that's a great idea. You're a genius.

- There, how does it look? - Great.

Now all we got to do is wait for results.

As soon as I rent the room, you can hang the sign at your house.

That's right. We're not in competition.

- I wonder who that is. - Maybe someone wants the room already.

Just a minute.

- Yes? - Hello, ma'am.

We're a couple of students working our way through college.

And we're looking for a nice pad, like.

- Pad? - What's that?

It's like your sign says, "Pad for hire."

You mean "room for rent." Come on in, boys.

You say you're majoring in music at Bedrock College?

- And you work at night? - That's right, ma'am.

It sounds okay.

One can stay here and the other can rent a room from you, Betty.

Crazy, man, crazy.

- What kind of a job do you boys have? - We work at the Granite Club, ma'am.

You mean that jazz joint downtown?

Yes, ma'am, music will be our life's work and that place is the most.

It's like an internship and way out grooberonie.

Would you like to glamour our act?

We'd love to. There's a piano in the corner.

Lead me in to it, Sully.

- They're good, Betty. - I'll say.

That's wonderful, boys, you have lots of talent.

Yes, ma'am, talent we got, money we ain't.

No money?

How do you expect to pay for your room and board?

We thought maybe we could pay by giving music lessons.

You know, maybe teach to beat the skins, or sock out a tune on the 88.

Or teach you the latest dance steps, maybe.

Come on, Sully, I guess it won't work.

I'm sorry, ladies, but by the time we pay our tuition at college...

and buy new skins for the bongos and the latest records...

we got no money left.

It's all very discouraging.

This is our first time away from home and...

Oh, well. Thanks anyway, ladies. Goodbye.

The poor kids.

Wait a minute, boys, I have an idea.

Betty, why don't we let them help us with the act we're gonna do?

You know, the contest at the Annual Dinosaur Lodge Affair.

Wilma, I was thinking the same thing.

And if we win first prize, we'll be $500 richer.

Right. And in the meantime, we'll be giving the boys a home.

Right.

Okay, fellas, I think we can wheel and deal.

We'll give you room and board for two weeks if you'll coach our act.

Gosh.

You are two of the nicest middle-aged ladies in the whole world.

Gee, thanks a lot.

I think I'll call about my social security, Wilma.

Maybe it's time for me to collect my old-age pension.

Yeah. Me, too.

Fine thing, we got to walk home from work...

because we can't afford gas for our cars until payday.

- The exercise will do us good, Fred. - Exercise.

My feet are killing me. Come on, let's take the subway.

Papers, get the latest papers here. Paper, mister?

How about that, Barney?

Says the army has developed a new bow and arrow.

Yeah, the sling shot is obsolete now.

This arrow really must be something. It has an atomic warhead.

A guy can get hurt playing around with one of those.

Would you big spenders like me to turn the page now?

Fresh kid. Come on, Barney.

Sheesh, you meet all kinds in this racket.

Here's the station, Fred.

Yeah, here we go, down with the rest of the sardines.

Next stop, Pebble Street.

That's our train, Fred, hurry.

Hold it, conductor.

We made it.

Come on, let's get moving. Plenty of room in the back.

Take it away, Charlie.

We squeezed in.

Yeah, and there's plenty of room, too.

Boy, I got a fat one tonight.

The little guy's got cold hands.

You know, Barney, I've been thinking about our financial problems all day...

and I got a great idea how we can make money right in our own houses.

No, count me out, pal. Counterfeiting is a federal offense.

Very funny.

Barney, sometimes I wonder why I stay friends with you.

I don't know, Fred.

Unless it's because I'm true blue, witty, generous...

and I let you beat me in bowling.

Cut it out, will you? This is serious.

I'm sorry, Fred. What's your idea?

It was about 2:00 this afternoon.

- No, it was close to 3:00. - All right, 3:00.

And I thought to myself, here's my friend, Barney...

in the same kind of financial bind I'm in.

How true.

But what to do about it, that's the question.

And then it comes to me.

- What comes to you, Fred? - My brilliant idea.

We both got spare rooms in our houses we never use.

So, why not put the rooms to work for us?

Let's take in some boarders.