Classic 39 edited?

[Bill S.]

I think I remember hearing about CBS editing many of the Classic 39 episodes for video release but I'm not positive. The reason I ask is because lately I've been noticing little cuts in the middle of scenes. At first I thought it was just a glitch that occured from switching the cameras too fast but when I watched "Oh My Aching Back" the other night, I noticed something that really got on my nerves. During the scene where Alice's Uncle Leo (I believe) drops by, Alice is about to say something, you hear the word "Hey" come out of her mouth and then a noticeable cut. After the camera switches, Alice never finished what she was saying and they are discussing something else. Does anyone have any information on this? I don't see why CBS would edit these episodes in such a way, especially for video. :confused:

[Lexx82]

yeah i noticed that too....im trying to finish watching the complete collection

[W.B.]

I think I remember hearing about CBS editing many of the Classic 39 episodes for video release but I'm not positive. The reason I ask is because lately I've been noticing little cuts in the middle of scenes. At first I thought it was just a glitch that occured from switching the cameras too fast but when I watched "Oh My Aching Back" the other night, I noticed something that really got on my nerves. During the scene where Alice's Uncle Leo (I believe) drops by, Alice is about to say something, you hear the word "Hey" come out of her mouth and then a noticeable cut. After the camera switches, Alice never finished what she was saying and they are discussing something else. Does anyone have any information on this? I don't see why CBS would edit these episodes in such a way, especially for video. :confused:
That example from "Oh, My Aching Back," it appears to have always been there. (Cutting from Alice's "Hey" and Ralph's groaning, to Uncle Leo starting off with "Now, remember . . . ") I recall it vividly from my earliest days of seeing The Honeymooners on WPIX/Ch. 11 in the 1980's. In fact, looking at the commercially-released VHS tapes, they almost all corresponded to how they were shown on TV. Well, except for the sound of the ending music for the end of Act I of "The Babysitter" being cut off before the final notes, on the tape. Other than that, I wouldn't attribute such cuts to CBS Video per se . . .

Probably the reverse of this was "The Man From Space," where at the costume ball they showed the same sequence of Ralph dancing twice, each time from a different camera.

[Bill S.]

That example from "Oh, My Aching Back," it appears to have always been there. (Cutting from Alice's "Hey" and Ralph's groaning, to Uncle Leo starting off with "Now, remember . . . ") I recall it vividly from my earliest days of seeing The Honeymooners on WPIX/Ch. 11 in the 1980's. In fact, looking at the commercially-released VHS tapes, they almost all corresponded to how they were shown on TV. Well, except for the sound of the ending music for the end of Act I of "The Babysitter" being cut off before the final notes, on the tape. Other than that, I wouldn't attribute such cuts to CBS Video per se . . .

Probably the reverse of this was "The Man From Space," where at the costume ball they showed the same sequence of Ralph dancing twice, each time from a different camera.
Do you think this is the way they were originally broadcast? That would explain some of those minor cuts, since they had to fit the shows into a half-hour time slot.

And I never noticed that with "The Man From Space." That's interesting, I'll have to check that out for myself.

[W.B.]

Do you think this is the way they were originally broadcast? That would explain some of those minor cuts, since they had to fit the shows into a half-hour time slot.
Possibly. Well, except for the alteration of the opening, the replacement of the announcer's voice, and the change in the way the end credits were shown (i.e. cutting out "For Buick - Jack Lescoulie").

And I never noticed that with "The Man From Space." That's interesting, I'll have to check that out for myself.
F.Y.I., the music heard in that costume ball was a Dixieland-arranged version of "Marilyn," the original Music to Remember Her (Capitol W-570) version of which was in both "TV Or Not TV" (albeit played at about 20% increase in pitch) and the first minute or two of the final scene of "A Man's Pride" (played at proper pitch). That song's writing was credited to Gleason, Carolyn Leigh, and Moose Charlap.

[Bill S.]

Possibly. Well, except for the alteration of the opening, the replacement of the announcer's voice, and the change in the way the end credits were shown (i.e. cutting out "For Buick - Jack Lescoulie").
Was the original opening much different? I mean, did it use the same concept with the moon and everything? The opening MPI uses for the Lost Episodes seems slightly different than the one used for the Classic 39.

[W.B.]

Was the original opening much different? I mean, did it use the same concept with the moon and everything? The opening MPI uses for the Lost Episodes seems slightly different than the one used for the Classic 39.
Actually, the opening as used for the Lost Episodes as on MPI's collections (and in syndication) is the same as used for the 39 episodes since they were syndicated - and the 39 opening, when first on CBS in 1955-56, faded from the credits of the co-stars to a moon which changed into the Buick logo as at that time - and then a shot of a Buick driving off to the road. I believe the last of the discs on CBS Video's Classic 39 set actually has this opening as a "Bonus" feature - as they do some ads Gleason did, plus the end credits with the stick "Great One" figure (a cousin of The Saint, perhaps? ;) ) behind them.

[Woolworth27]

In the C39 episode A women's work is never done when Ralf is about to give Alice her demeras, the scene is cut all of a sudden. I remember when they use to show it on TVland Ralf starts telling Alice her demeras.

[Bill S.]

In the C39 episode A women's work is never done when Ralf is about to give Alice her demeras, the scene is cut all of a sudden. I remember when they use to show it on TVland Ralf starts telling Alice her demeras.
Yeah I remember this being brought up a while back. Do you own the DVD collection?

[W.B.]

Yeah I remember this being brought up a while back. Do you own the DVD collection?
Is this the segment (which I remember from seeing on TV since the 1980's) whereby after Ralph notes, "Do you know what happens to people who get 10 demerits?" they cut to Alice responding, "Don't you bully me, Sergeant Kramden!" (All quotes approximate.) It does seem like something's cut out. . . .

[Bill S.]

Is this the segment (which I remember from seeing on TV since the 1980's) whereby after Ralph notes, "Do you know what happens to people who get 10 demerits?" they cut to Alice responding, "Don't you bully me, Sergeant Kramden!" (All quotes approximate.) It does seem like something's cut out. . . .
Yeah that's the segment. I couldn't remember the exact quotes but that's it alright. That seems like a very obvious cut to me. If it's been like that since the 80's then I guess it's in the same boat as the segment from "Oh My Aching Back." I wish we had an explanation for this. All I can figure is this is the way it was edited for TV (just like I Love Lucy was on Nick At Nite). But since it's also released on video this way, those little bits must be rotting away somewhere or just lost forever.

[Bill S.]

I'm interested to see what they did with the opening on the DVD releases (I still own all the VHS tapes). Does the opening play before the menu loads or does it play when you select the episode you want to watch?
Can anyone who owns the Honeymooners on DVD answer this for me? Thanks.

[bossradio93]

Can anyone who owns the Honeymooners on DVD answer this for me? Thanks.


I went to my Honeymooners 'Classic 39' collection (which I got for Christmas over 2 years ago), and yes, the openings are the same except for the bonus feature on the fifth disc that the moon turns into a steering wheel for the Buick sponsorships.

I also checked on the 'Classic 39' series on DVD, there are no chapter scenes (for each episode) on the menu you can skip to, however, you can skip to a scene anywhere within the episode by using your DVD remote. The other thing The Honeymooners '39' didn't have is the "Play All" feature for each disc so you can watch one disc continuously without interruption. They do have the original opening and closings not seen since 1956 on the fifth disc as well as "The Honeymooners Anniversary Special".

All in all, the set's still very enjoyable if you enjoy 1950's comedy as opposed to the stuff that's out there today. :)

[Bill S.]

I went to my Honeymooners 'Classic 39' collection (which I got for Christmas over 2 years ago), and yes, the openings are the same except for the bonus feature on the fifth disc that the moon turns into a steering wheel for the Buick sponsorships.

I also checked on the 'Classic 39' series on DVD, there are no chapter scenes (for each episode) on the menu you can skip to, however, you can skip to a scene anywhere within the episode by using your DVD remote. The other thing The Honeymooners '39' didn't have is the "Play All" feature for each disc so you can watch one disc continuously without interruption. They do have the original opening and closings not seen since 1956 on the fifth disc as well as "The Honeymooners Anniversary Special".

All in all, the set's still very enjoyable if you enjoy 1950's comedy as opposed to the stuff that's out there today. :)
Okay, but does the opening play when you select an episode or does it play before the menu loads?

[bossradio93]

Okay, but does the opening play when you select an episode or does it play before the menu loads?


The opening plays if an episode's selected from the beginning and it does not play before the menu loads. After the menu appears, you choose what episode you want to play and the opening's from the beginning.

[Woolworth27]

I own the classic 39 and the lost episodes. The Honeymooners are timeless, I love this show just as much as I love the King of Queens!

[TV Knowledge Fan]

...the original telecasts of the "Classic 39" on CBS.

The first one, with the exploding fireworks, has Jack Lescoulie yelling out Jackie's name and the show's title (with the words coming towards you on screen), then cutting to the the interior of a bus moving down a busy city street, as Lescoulie shouts out Art's, Audrey's and Joyce's names (with their names in big letters zooming towards "you"). Then, we see the outside of the bus, as Jack yells, "Brought to you by---"....and a Buick pulls up alongisde it "--Your BUICK dealer!!". When he adds, "And away we GO!!!", the Buick pulls away from bus, as the camera follows it briefly before fading to black and the first scene of the episode. That opneing was used frrom October 1955 through January 1956.

The second opening is basically the one that's used to this day.....after Joyce Randolph's credit, though, we see the "moon" slowly becoming a steering wheel and then flashing the word "BUICK". And then, a shot of a Buick traveling down a road before it fades out...and into the first scene.
Jack Lescoulie's voice-over on these titles was re-recorded for syndication by CBS staff announcer Gaylord Avery in 1957.

The ONE commerical that Buick presented during the show was only seen after the end of the first act, and the pitch usually lasted about two and a half minutes. After the end of the episode, Jackie reappears "on stage" in front of a curtain [in his dressing gown], with a sign next to him saying, "Best Buick Yet". He then delivers a 30 second pitch for the '56 Buick, and, oh, how much you'll be "the boss of your neighborhood" when you drive and own one. He waves "good night, everybody!!", and the credits flash. However, the original closing credits featured the famous "matchstick figure" of Jackie behind them, along with Lescoulie's "For Buick" credit.

:tv: