One of the more intelligent and consistently funny episodes of the series (even better than the very amusing "Back to Nature"), this deals with the battle of the sexes as well as papa/Mayor Jones (Jed Prouty) dealing with con-artists who swindle the town over phony mineral water. It's also a great opportunity for Spring Byington to do more than just offer advice and subtly help her husband Prouty avoid getting into trouble without his knowing it.
The film starts with the youngest daughter winning a "Best Mother" contest which leads to Byington getting her own radio advice show. The oldest son wants to marry the daughter of the town snob and prepares to elope, using Byington's column as a ruse to find out what his mother thinks they should do. Meanwhile, the youngest son and his pal Tommy discover the truth about the phony mineral water, but this sets the town against Prouty, resulting in an exciting finale.
Grandma Florence Roberts insists to her future grand daughter-in-law that it is a man's world, but it is obvious that she is being sardonic, and Byington gets to offer some sensible advice that lightly roasts the older patriarchy lead here by her own husband Prouty. Those scenes are classic and still hold up with simple wisdom more than 80 years later. This entry does not have one dull moment, and could easily be the best of the series.
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