The Football Uniform

Donna (Donna Reed) and Mary (Shelley Fabares) organize items the Stone family plans to donate to a charity auction. To their surprise, Jeff (Paul Peterson) gives up a two-week old toy rocket. Jeff is more interested in football, now, and decides to "use psychology" to get a new uniform from "pushover" mom. But, Alex (Carl Betz) fears they are spoiling the lad, and tells Jeff he must earn the money by working. With the boys' football team due to be photographed for the local newspaper, Donna arranges for Jeff to "win" the uniform at the auction, with humorous results.

This, and the upcoming "Change Partners and Dance" episode show, early on, why "The Donna Reed Show" was so successful. The adults were a known commodity, but children are more of a wild card. Together, "The Football Uniform" and "Change Partners and Dance" show casting Paul Peterson and Shelley Fabares as the Stone children was going to work like a charm. This episode features Peterson, and the other Fabares - and, they've got the ticket.

***** The Football Uniform (10/22/58) Oscar Rudolph ~ Paul Peterson, Donna Reed, Shelley Fabares