16. The Dinner Party

Complete story — includes the ending

Maxwell decides to shop for a new ring for Fran, and Sylvia asks them to go to their uncle Stanley's, because he’s family. But once there, they change their minds and go to Cartier instead. Fran gets an astonishing ring and they are mentioned in the social column where Fran's name is misspelled as Fran Fone. But Fran starts to see that she might not be very well accepted among Maxwell's rich friends: she, Sylvia and Val are mistaken for ordinary people at a fancy clothing store, and at a dinner party Fran learns that everybody is ridiculing her behind her back. Hurt and afraid she might not be good enough for Maxwell, she goes to the park where she meets a shabbily-dressed man ( Dick Martin ). She offers him chicken and opens her heart for him, giving him her address and offering him to drop by anytime he feels hungry. The man later visits and Maxwell recognizes him as one of the richest men in the city. Because of Fran's kindness, he sponsors Maxwell's new play. Meanwhile, Sylvia gets Maxwell and the kids to call her "ma" and "nana"; Niles has fun by showing C.C. the engagement ring.