Episode
Petticoat Junction: The Black Box
Overview
Kate's spring cleaning coincides with the US Air Force doing maneuvers over the valley. Part of those maneuvers includes testing out a new high powered camera. It looks like an ordinary black box with wires coming out of it and is set to explode twelve hours after any unauthorized removal from the plane. Colonel Millbank, who is flying the aircraft, accidentally loses the camera. It winds up landing on the Shady Rest property. Joe finds it and thinking it might be valuable, brings to the hotel. But as often as Kate and the girls try to get rid of it, Dog keeps bringing it back. General Elmer Loomis and Millbank make it to Hooterville. With little time to spare, they get to the hotel and start searching for the box. Dog brings them the box with no time left. However, the box winds up being a dud and doesn't explode
Details
- Series
- Petticoat Junction
- Season
- Season 2
- Episode
- Episode 26
- Air date
- 1965-04-06
- Runtime
- 25 min
Episode context
The Black Box is Episode 26 in Season 2 of Petticoat Junction. It aired on 1965-04-06. The runtime is 25 min.
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Episode 25: A Tale of Two Dogs
Crabwell Corners is suing the Town of Hooterville for possession of a Spanish-American War cannon. Crabwell Corners feels it is rightly theirs. Meanwhile, Tad Winslow of Crabwell Corners challenges his lazy dog, a blood hound named Speedy, against Betty Jo's dog in an obedience contest. If Tad wins, Betty Jo has to get Billie Jo to go with him to the upcoming Pioneer Dance. Betty Jo finds out that Billie Jo already has a date with her steady, Henry Brewster. Kate and Uncle Joe want to speak to the Winslows to call off the bet. But things intensify, with now the winner getting either the Crabwell Corners' fire engine or the Spanish-American War cannon. To make matters worse, Kate and Joe find out that Speedy isn't Tad's dog after all. Tad has a well trained German Shepherd. The day of the contest arrives. The score is close, but Dog pulls a trick of his own and wins.
Episode 27: Bedloe's Most Fiendish Scheme
Kate has a lot of outstanding debts, plus she hasn't made a mortgage payment in six months. Mr. Guerney, the President of the Pixley Bank, informs her that there is a new majority shareholder of the bank. Because of this, she has two weeks to pay $138 on her mortgage or the bank will have to foreclose. Mr. Guerney didn't tell Kate that the majority shareholder is Homer Bedloe, who hopes to ruin Kate. The girls say they will get part time jobs to help raise the money. Kate gets a job as a short order cook, but she doesn't last long at it. Kate and the girls do come up with the amount needed, but some of it's in I.O.U.s. Bedloe says that isn't good enough and still wants to foreclose. Mr. Guerney comes up with a way to give Kate a little more time.
More episodes from this season
Episode 24: The Shady Rest Hotel Corporation
Uncle Joe mentions investing in the stock market and Kate reminds him about the bad stock he had her invest in once before. Meanwhile, the hot water heater in the hotel springs a leak. They'll need to buy a new one. Joe suggests selling stock in the Shady Rest Hotel Corporation to pay for it. Sam is willing to sell Kate a heater at cost for $97.50. Kate doesn't have that much. She also gets turned down for a loan at the Pixley Bank. Joe sells stock to Sam, Charley and Floyd to cover the cost of the water heater. They do this because they know Kate wouldn't accept a loan from them. Kate is not happy and still considers it charity. She comes up with a plan to teach Joe a lesson. Mr. Guerney, from the bank, brings Kate some good news.
Episode 28: Bedloe Gets His Comeuppance
In this second half of a two-part story, Homer Bedloe has controlling interest in the Pixley Bank and has fired its President, Mr. Guerney. He has decided not only to foreclose on Kate's mortgage, but foreclose on all the bad mortgages in the valley. That will make the Cannonball's services useless. The Shady Rest is going to host a Monte Carlo night as a modest fundraiser. Whoever wins the most fake money by the end of the evening wins the secret grand prize. Betty Jo's friend Willie gets vibrations off of the roulette wheel and can guess the number every spin. Uncle Joe wants send Willie to Vegas to win enough money to solve all their problems. With Willie's help, Kate comes up with a plan to save the valley and get rid of Bedloe.
Episode 23: A Borderline Story
Uncle Joe sees some surveyors down by the railroad tracks next to the hotel. He mistakenly believes that a new road is going to be built there. Kate learns from surveyor Ralph Craig that the last survey done twenty-five years ago was incorrect. The new survey shows that the border between Hooterville County and Pixley County runs right through the Shady Rest. Joe and Kate find out there's money to be made from curiosity seekers. Mr. Travis, from the Pixley License Division, tells Kate there's a lot of red tape in operating a business in two counties. Licenses and fees required could cost her in the thousands. Mr. Lindley, from the Health Dept., also finds costly problems. Mr. Dixon, from the Pixley Building Dept., finds more issues. Kate comes up with a permanent solution with the help of the Cannonball.
Episode 29: The Mayor of Hooterville
Because they don't have one, Uncle Joe wants to be named the Mayor of Hooterville. And as mayor, he would get an all expenses paid trip to the state capitol for the state's mayors' convention, and a free haircut. Sam, Charley and Floyd think that having a mayor isn't such a bad idea, but the person should be elected. They and the girls convince Kate to run, even though she really doesn't want to. When Joe learns Kate is running, he decides to move out of the Hotel. Selma Plout will do anything she can to make sure Kate doesn't win. She even becomes Joe's campaign manager. Selma also has another reason to help Joe, she would like to be the mayor's wife. Kate comes up with a plan to get both her and Joe off the hook.
Episode 22: Visit From the Governor
The Governor announces that he will make a grassroots tour of the state. Uncle Joe is excited by the news, but no one else seems to care. The Governor has not announced his itinerary, but he is welcoming invitations from interested communities. Joe hopes to be able to advertise that the Governor slept at the Shady Rest. Joe says he sent an invitation and believes that the Governor is coming to Hooterville. Joe has a hard time organizing a welcoming as everyone is still not that excited. When the Cannonball arrives, there is no Governor. Turns out Joe forgot to mail the invite
Episode 30: Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Jinx?
Lately, bad things have been happening to people whenever Uncle Joe is around. He is now getting the reputation of being a jinx. Joe is initially upset by all the talk of him being a jinx. But then he decides to offer his services as a jinx for a fee. Sam hires Joe to jinx Crabwell Corners so they don't get the new box factory, and it instead comes to Hooterville. As hard as Joe tries, that factory still winds up going to Crabwell Corners. Kate says that proves that Joe is not a jinx. But, could there be another jinx at the Shady Rest?
Episode 21: Modern Merchandising
O'Donnel's, a new supermarket, has just opened in Pixley. Sam hasn't had a customer since it opened. Even Uncle Joe goes to O'Donnel's to check it out. While there, Joe manages to annoy Mr. O'Donnel. Kate and the girls are still loyal customers of Sam's. Sam starts to have anxiety attacks and doesn't recognize Kate and Betty Joe. Kate and Doc Stuart convince Sam to take a two week vacation. Kate and the girls agree to look after the store for him. They decide to reorganize the store. Kate briefly leaves Joe in charge of the store and he puts in an overly large grocery order. This could cause irreparable damage to both the store's financial health and Sam and Kate's sanity.
Episode 31: The Chicken Killer
Hinky Mittenfloss, the new dog catcher, is constantly trying to catch Dog. Hinky now believes that Dog killed three of Luther Craig's chickens. He takes Dog to the County Dog Pound where he will eventually be put down. Kate, Betty Jo and Uncle Joe consult with lawyer Melvin Randall. Melvin thinks that Kate is more than capable of handling the case before a judge. Though hesitant at first, Judge Murdock allows the case to proceed. With the help of a cat, Arnold the pig and Dog, Kate almost wins the case. But Dog grabbing Joe's chicken sandwich seals his fate. That is until Betty Jo wakes up from her dream.
Episode 20: For the Birds
The Cannonball has temporarily ceased operations. The reason is a bird has built a nest on top of the smokestack and has laid five eggs. Charley and Floyd refuse to move the train until the eggs have hatched. They figure it will be two weeks before they hatch. When Homer Bedloe hears of this news, he is all in support of what Charley and Floyd are doing, he even puts an article in the paper about it. But he has a reason why he wants to help the birds: If the train doesn't run for two weeks, he can shut it down permanently. Homer shows up at the hotel and Kate is suspicious of his motives. Billie Jo and Betty Jo overhear Homer's plan and tell Kate. Kate comes up with a plan to save both the Cannonball and the birds.
Episode 32: Why Girls Leave Home
Music Professor Lieberschmit recommends that would-be singer Bobbie Jo go to New York City for three months to take singing lessons. Kate barely manages to borrow $300 for Bobbie Jo's trip from Mr. Guerney at the bank. Billie Jo announces that her secretarial school is giving her a chance for a secretarial job at a Hollywood studio. Along with the job there is also the possibility of a screen test. Kate is able to get an extra $100 from Mr. Gurney. Then Betty Jo announces that she has received a Phys-Ed scholarship at a school in New Hampshire. Kate figures that only one girl can go and now has to decide which one. Before Kate can, the girls decide Billie Jo should be the one. Billie Jo says she has fallen for a boy and that Bobbie Jo should go. Bobbie Jo says it will cost too much in New York and that Betty Jo should go. Betty Jo says she found out it's an all girl school and doesn't want to go.