Dick's Dream!  

In Season 1, Episode 28, April 4, 1962 of the very popular Dick Van Dyke Show on CBS Television, Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) and Buddy Sorrell (Morey Amsterdam) were in the office lamenting how men were no longer in charge of their households like in the "old days." See my latest posting of TV Trivia, June 18, 2023. Gradually, that day, Rob came around to thinking that he had worked hard at the office all day and maybe he shouldn't then come home and face domestic chores. (Now remember, this episode dates back to the early 1960's.)

That evening, he lay down the law to his wife, Laura. He was done gathering laundry off the clothesline, setting the table for dinner, putting their son to bed, and the like. He told her, he was going to sit down, relax and read the paper. Just leave him alone.

That night, still fretting after climbing into bed, he fell restlessly asleep, dreaming he was the master of his house. He was back to a time, around the turn of the twentieth century, when husbands, in most cases, "ruled the roost." 

In that dream, Rob came home after a hard day at work, tired and grumpy, and made numeous demands of this wife and boy, making them wait on him hand and foot. 

 

After dinner that night, Rob complained that his shirt had not been laundered properly and smelled! And, by the way, his suit needed ironing. He demanded attentiveness! Immediately!

 

 At that point, Laura reached over and grabbed the clothes right off Rob's body, leaving him standing there in his union suit underwear! 

A man couldn't be caught without his hat even when in his long underwear, so reaching for his cigar, he regained his top hat, placing it back on his head.

Properly adorned, Rob could now stand by patiently in his union suit, while his wife hurriedly ironed his clothes.  

 

Laura had rushed to her ironing board...

...and in moments, returned with her husband's clothes, redressing him in his perfecly ironed suit.

There was no mentioned as to the condition of Rob's 

union suit which he had been wearing all day!  

In order to view the satisfying conclusion, watch this and other episodes now streaming on YouTube, DailyMotion, and other services. Thanks to CBS, the incomparable and talented Dick Van Dyke, and the Syndications for this look into Rob's turn of the century behavior and attire right down to his underwear.