's a samurai sword, Rob.
Thanks very much, Dad.
And here's a flag l found
on a dead Jap soldier.
All that writing is good-luck messages
from his relatives.
Yes, l know. The Japanese attach a lot of
importance to their family relationship.
Yeah. Yeah, entirely different from us.
- You were at Hiroshima, weren't you?
- Mm-hm.
Did you notice any of the effects of
radioactivity on the people who survived?
No, l didn't. Should l have?
We've been having lectures
in atomic energy at school.
Mr McLaglen, our physics teacher,
he says that we've reached the point
where the whole human race has either
got to find a way to live together, or else...
- Or else.
- That's right. Or else.
When you combine atomic energy with jet
propulsion and radar and guided missiles,
just think of the...
Oh, you're just kidding me, Dad.
You've been to all these places
and you've seen everything.
l've seen nothing.
l should have stayed home
and found out what was really going on.
l finished the dishes.
Why do you have to do that?
ls this the maid's night out?
Our maid took a night out three years ago
and we haven't seen her since.
But everything's all right because
l took a course in Domestic Science.
What's happened to this family? All this
atomic energy and scientific efficiency...
- lt was the war! You heard about that.
- Yeah.
All those problems on the home front.
We used to read about 'em
in Stars and Stripes.
We felt awfully sorry for the civilians.
You don't have to worry about us, though.
We can handle the problems. We're tough.
Rob, haven't you any homework?
Oh, sure.
- Night, Dad.
- l don't see why you have to go now.
Rob, aren't you going to take
the souvenirs Father brought you?
Oh, yes.
Thanks an awful lot, Dad,
for these... things.
- Good night. See you in the morning.
- Night.
- Night, Mom.
- Good night, darling.
Nice to have you around, Dad.
You'll get us back to normal.
Or maybe go nuts myself.
What do you think of the children?
The children?
l don't recognise them.
They've grown so old.
l tried to stop them, to keep them
just as they were when you left,
but they got away from me.
l guess Peggy has a lot of boyfriends.
She's very popular.
- ls she concentrating on anyone?
- She hasn't told me of anyone.
But you've, uh... told her
all the things she ought to know?
What, for instance?
Well, have you?
She's worked two years in a hospital.
She knows more than you or l ever will.
- Want a cigarette?
- Have you forgotten? l don't smoke.
- Sorry.
- lt's all right, darling.
Yeah, it's frightening.
What is?
Youth.
Didn't you meet young people
in the army?
No, they were all old men, like me.
Yes...
lt's terrible to be old, isn't it?
- Why don't you sit down and relax?
- l'm perfectly relaxed standing up.
ls there such a thing
as a drink in this house?
l'll see.
We haven't got bacon for Dad's breakfast.
l'll go out first thing and try to get some.
ls this all the liquor we have left?
Gosh, l'm afraid so.
l wish he'd given us some warning
he was going to get here today.
Don't worry, Mom.
l mean, so that we could have
gotten in some supplies of things.
Oh, Mother.
l know it's a little difficult, but...
that's only because Dad's
so crazy about you,
and he's been away so long
and missed you so terribly.
He can't just walk in
and immediately pick up...
Hey, l got a wonderful idea.
Let's go out on the town, the three of us.
- Tonight?
- Yes, tonight.
- To celebrate the old man's homecoming.
- Not me.
No, no, no. You too.
The three of us.
l want to do something, see something.
l've been in jungles
and around savages so long,
l gotta find out
l'm back in civilisation again.
Be-bop, be-bop
Be-bop a-ree-bop
Rupert, another one in here.
l'll tell you, as l see it, we're headed
for bad times in this country.
Of course, we're in the backwash of the
war boom, but the tide is running out fast.
Next year, we'll see widespread