Studs’ Place: Bowling

"Bowling," an episode of "Studs' Place," has Studs, Chet, and Willie trying to tell Win that he's been kicked off their bowling team. All the while, Studs has to get himself out of an obligation with his wife to go to a dance. Studs finds an ingenious way to restore Win's hurt feelings and go to the dance, but his plan backfires on him. The episode also features a musical performance by Win.

0:16Copy video clip URL Opening credits.

0:27Copy video clip URL Announcer: “Welcome to Studs’ Place. It’s just a little place in the neighborhood where the food is good, the prices are reasonable—” Cut to Studs and Chet admiring their new bowling jackets for the Studs Place Panthers. Studs asks Grace: “How do you like the lettering, huh? All hand stitched” They discuss strategies for winning the game.

1:55Copy video clip URL Grace goes over the next jacket and expects to find Win’s name. Instead, she finds a jacket for Louie, the cook. Studs tells Grace that Win is not going to be on the team: “The team is more important than the individual.” Chet explains to Grace: “Grace, it figures, Louie averages 150, and the best Win did last year was 65.”

3:18Copy video clip URL Grace: “Is winning that important to you that you’d throw your best friend off the team?” They continue to argue. She tells how Win has been so excited for tonight’s game that he hasn’t been sleeping well. He even went to far to take a sedative last night to be well-rested for tonight’s game. She leaves into the kitchen. Studs: “The worst is over. She knows, she knows.” Chet and Studs share in each other’s confusion over the fact that Win, a large man, is not a strong bowler. Studs suggests that Chet be the one to tell Win he’s off the team.

5:40Copy video clip URL Singing, Willie comes down the stairs into the restaurant. Together, they discuss how to break the news to Win. Willie then details how he got out of a dance for the Women’s Auxiliary of the Near Northwest Side Boosters Club. His wife, Rosy, is a member, but she understood that the good of the team prevails over a dance. Studs looks shocked. He forgot about “the red letter day.” Studs’s wife, Ida, is also a member of the club and has been excited for the dance for several weeks. Studs goes to tell Ida that he will have to miss the dance. Willie: “No matter what she says…remember the team.” Studs calls Ida from a phone booth inside the restaurant.

9:30Copy video clip URL Grace comes into the dining room. Chet and Willie block the phone booth and effectively hide the image of Studs pleading with his wife. Chet sings Grace a song. In the background, we see Studs becoming more distraught as his conversation continues. Studs breaks out in a sweat, yells, pounds the glass. Studs leaves the phonebooth. Willie: “How’d you hold out?” Studs: “I told her that the team was more important than any dance.” Grace is astounded by Studs’s loyalties: “It makes no difference to you whether your wife’s evening is ruined and your friend’s fun is spoiled…it’d be a perfect chance to take Ida to the dance and let Win play for you.” Grace leaves into the kitchen.

12:25Copy video clip URL Win comes down the stairs, singing, with a bowling ball in his hands: “And now, ladies and gentlemen, we come to that climactic moment in the big bowling series. That sensational rookie, Big Win…” Win pretends to bowl until he runs into Studs. Win shows his friends his new two-fingered ball, which increased his score from a 65 to a 67. Win: “I’ve never been on a team before! Where’s my shirt? I wanna put it on right away.”

13:46Copy video clip URL Cut to a photograph of two women sitting on a stoop. Announcer reads a note from the USO and the Red Feather Fund extolling the virtues of neighborliness. Note ends in a solicitation for money.

14:51Copy video clip URL Cut back into the restaurant. Win is admiring everyone else’s shirts. Studs: “We didn’t get a shirt for you.” Win: “I guess you had trouble getting one big enough.” Grace comes into the dining room and almost runs into Win. Win tries explaining his bowling technique, but Grace holds Louie’s shirt in front of him. Win slowly realizes what’s happened after counting the total number of people on the team.

16:24Copy video clip URL Studs breaks the news to Win: “It’s my fault, Win. I neglected to mention one little detail. Do you mind, Win, if during the first four months of the bowling season Louie is your pinch hitter?” Win: “Did I do something wrong, Studs?”  Studs encourages Win to keep practicing until he can “become a regular member of our ensemble” and then spells out the difference between Louie and Win’s average. Win is visibly hurt: “Louie’s a better player. I suppose you’d better use him.” Win gives his bowling ball to Studs. Studs asks Win to come to the game as scorekeeper. Win ignores Studs and picks up a guitar. Win starts humming a tune.

18:33Copy video clip URL Grace interrupts: “Maybe you’d be willing to take me to the show tonight?” Win: “Maybe we can do it tomorrow or the next day?” Grace sits next to him and Win sings “Go ‘Way from My Window.” He cheers up and agrees to go to the movie.

20:49Copy video clip URL As Grace and Win prepare for the movie, Studs starts yawning. Studs took a sedative instead of an aspirin.  Studs passes out. Win and Grace leave for the cinema. Chet and Willie approach Win and beg him to replace Studs for the evening. Win initially rebuffs them, but eventually agrees. Chet, Willie, and Win leave the restaurant.

23:54Copy video clip URL Studs wakes up. Grace: “You were only pretending!?” Studs: “What’s more important, winning a bowling contest or friendship?” They prepare to leave for the Boosters dance, and then it emerges that Studs did in fact take the sedatives. He passes out again.

26:09Copy video clip URL End credits.

27:07Copy video clip URL Back to Studs, asleep on a table. Grace tries to wake Studs for the farewell, but without success. She says: “Thanks for dropping in on us. We came here from Chicago.”

27:31Copy video clip URL End of tape.