Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962)

St. Louis-based banker Roger Hobbs is writing a letter to his wife Peggy about his true feelings concerning their just-returned-from-month-long vacation, the letter to be opened only after his death, whenever that may be. Mr. Hobbs wanted the vacation to be a romantic getaway for two, but Peggy insisted that it be a family vacation to a central California beachside house, given to them for the month by friends. The vacation included all their offspring, and their offsprings' respective families where applicable. Hobbs hated the idea as he felt he didn't know his offspring--much less their spouses--and that they no longer needed him. Daughter Susan and her husband Stan Carver have a permissive parenting style as advised by the latest child-psychology books; daughter Janie's college-professor husband Byron Grant has an academic view of everything in life; 14-year-old daughter is self-conscious around boys because of her brand-new braces, but the boys see it as standoffishness; and preteen son Danny's sole focus in life is watching TV. The house ended up being a rat trap which exasperated their cook Brenda enough that she left. But beyond that, Mr. Hobbs ended up learning the true nature of his relationship to his offspring and to Peggy. In the process, he had to endure the extended visit by an odd couple, the Turners, and learned that some problems can be solved purely by yelling "Hey, Joe!" into an unknown group of boys.