Written by Bernard Slade
Produced by Paul Junger Witt
Directed by E.W. Swackhamer
Original Air Date: November 13, 1970
The Partridge family take a week off from their grinding schedule to picnic,
rest their vocal chords, and to enjoy the sights and smells of nature. Their
plans are polluted when a skunk wanders into their bus! The animal leaves long
before his scent does and so the family is faced with the dilemma of getting
deodorized before their very exclusive hotel booking the next day. Reuben,
instead of thinking up a solution, gets them into more of a "stink"
by scheduling them to do a benefit performance that day at a children's
hospital. He made the last minute hospital booking hurriedly and without
realizing what the Partridges smelled like. By the time he gets a whiff of
what's happened, it's too late to cancel.
Leaving Simone, the Partridge dog, in the bus, the family decontaminates one
at a time in a nearby motel shower. After much scrubbing and much cologne,
there is still a dissenting scent about the perfumed Partridges. Reuben
suddenly remembers that tomato juice is a sure-fire skunk odor remover. He
orders several gallons and pours them in the tub. To everyone's surprise, the
juice works! The sweet-smelling family heads for the hospital in borrowed
clothes -- their luggage was contaminated as well. En route in a cab, an
unsuspecting boy, thinking the Partridges had forgot their pooch, pushes a
smelly Simone into the cab. Once again, the Partridges have an "air"
about themselves. Too late for a change, the foul family goes to the hospital
where they sing in a glass-enclosed operating amphitheater with the audience
well protected from the scent. The sound is piped in through speakers. The
young audience is jubilant. The sweet smell of success has returned!
Songs:
"I Think I Love You," music and lyrics by Tony Romeo (on The
Partridge Family Album)
"Brand New Me," music and lyrics by Wes Farrell and Eddie Singleton
(on The Partridge Family Album)
Guest Cast:
First Bell Boy -------------------------------------------- Gino Gonforti
Jerome Donkin ------------------------------------------- Howard Morton
Sergeant ------------------------------------------------- Joseph Perry
Clerk ---------------------------------------------------- Bob Gibbons
Boy ----------------------------------------------------- George Spell
Elevator Operator --------------------------------------- Dick Balduzzi
Matron -------------------------------------------------- Jo Anne Meredith
Sweeney ------------------------------------------------ Bill Lucking
Cigarette Girl -------------------------------------------- A'Leshia Lee
Tube Trivia:
- Gino Conforti played Logan Mays in Episode 15 and
appeared again in Episode 85.
- Howard Morton was a regular on "Gimme A Break," and "The New
Munsters."
- As the skunk enters the Partridge Family bus, look closely and you'll see
the wire that technicians had to use to coax it inside!
- This is probably the best remembered of all episodes written by series
creator Bernard Slade. He also wrote Episodes 1, 3,
5, 13, 17,
25, 36, and 38.
To read our exclusive interview with Bernard Slade, visit the People and
Places section of the website!
- Director E.W. Swackhamer was married to actress Bridget Hanley ("Here
Come the Brides.")
- "I Think I Love You" hit Number 1 on the Billboard charts a week
after this episode aired! It remained there for 3 weeks, and was certified
gold in December.
- Wes Farrell and the Partridge Family's musicians and singers reunited in the
studio to start recording the remaining songs for "Up To Date" the
week this episode aired.
