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'THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW'
"LAURA'S LITTLE LIE"

When Ed Rubin, the Petries' insurance agent was coming over to get Laura to sign her insurance policy, she instead sneaked out of the house and went to a movie in order to avoid him.  The movie she went to see was "The Horrible Dr. Charming" starring Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre.

This is a fictional movie to be found only in Toobworld.  But it adds to the "Unseen On TV" credits to Mr. Karloff's tally for his membership in the TV Crossover Hall of Fame.  (Mr. Karloff was inducted last November in celebration of the 130th anniversary of his birth.)

As for Mr. Lorre, it puts him one step closer to his own induction as a member of the League of Themselves.  He already has a guest starring role, also with Mr. Karloff and Lon Chaney, Jr. as well, in an episode of 'Route 66'.

By the end of that episode of 'The Dick Van Dyke Show', the movie is mentioned again... but with a twist:

Rob Petrie: 
Why don't we run out and get married?
Laura Petrie: 
When?
Rob Petrie: 
Tonight.
Laura Petrie: 
You mean we elope?
Rob Petrie: 
Yeah! Yeah, we can... we can get Millie and Jerry, drive up to Greenwich and get married. And on the way back, we'll stop and see the last showing of the... of "The Charming Dr. Horrible." Ha-ha-ha.
Laura Petrie:
A marriage and a movie?
Rob Petrie: 
Sure. It's a perfect evening. Whadda ya say?
Laura Petrie: 
Wait a minute. We can't elope tonight.
Rob Petrie: 
Why not, Honey?
Laura Petrie: 
'cause WE haven't got a babysitter.
Rob Petrie: 
Aw, darn!
Laura Petrie: 
Well, wait! We can get married tomorrow night.
Rob Petrie:
Well, yeah, but tomorrow night the movie's not playin'.

As you can see, the words "Charming" and "Horrible" were reversed.

I think it was Rob who made the mistake.  Laura actually saw the film and knew she would need to corroborate her story about going out to a movie with an actual movie title.  And the name of the film may have been printed on her ticket - something else she would need for evidence and which she probably stared at often as she made her way home.

Meanwhile, Rob had just been gobsmacked with the news that there was a possibility that he and Laura were not technically/legally married because she had lied about her age on the marriage certificate.  And now he had come up with this brilliant idea for getting married again for the first time.  So he can be excused for confusing the title.

Besides, "Charming" is an actual last name so "The Horrible Dr. Charming" makes more sense.  "Dr. Horrible" would not actually become a character in one of the alternate dimensions of Toobworld for another forty years......