Not a Honeymooners question, not even Christmas, but here goes...

As the only full-length non-Honeymooners Gleason show that made it to syndication in the 1970s, the 1966 Poor Soul Christmas remains a personal favorite. I sense part of the reason that it is so well remembered is that CBS ran the 1966 version every December for the remaining run of the Gleason Show. Like so many of the Honeymooners episodes, this show was staged more than once. The Museum of Broadcasting's Jackie Gleason: The Great One lists an earlier version of this show as having aired December 22, 1956. The December 25, 1965 edition of TV Guide lists the same program synopsis. I doubt CBS was rerunning the 1956 show, so that would mean that at least three versions of the Poor Soul Christmas were made.

I like the 1966 color version enough to have suggested to MPI that they withhold "Santa and the Bookies" (the next Color Honeymooners segment in chronology) from the second Color Honeymooners DVD (whenever it is released), team it up with the Poor Soul Christmas, and release the two on one Christmas DVD.

Not a Honeymooners question, not even Christmas, but here goes...

As the only full-length non-Honeymooners Gleason show that made it to syndication in the 1970s, the 1966 Poor Soul Christmas remains a personal favorite. I sense part of the reason that it is so well remembered is that CBS ran the 1966 version every December for the remaining run of the Gleason Show. Like so many of the Honeymooners episodes, this show was staged more than once. The Museum of Broadcasting's Jackie Gleason: The Great One lists an earlier version of this show as having aired December 22, 1956. The December 25, 1965 edition of TV Guide lists the same program synopsis. I doubt CBS was rerunning the 1956 show, so that would mean that at least three versions of the Poor Soul Christmas were made.

I like the 1966 color version enough to have suggested to MPI that they withhold "Santa and the Bookies" (the next Color Honeymooners segment in chronology) from the second Color Honeymooners DVD (whenever it is released), team it up with the Poor Soul Christmas, and release the two on one Christmas DVD.

Yup, there were 3 versions of that Poor Soul Christmas show: 1956, 1965 and finally a 1966 color version. The 1965 version was part of Gleason's "American Scene Magazine" series, with Frank Fontaine as Old King Cole in the finale. In the color 1966 version, Art Carney had the role. The shows were identical in song and dance.

Speaking of Frank Fontaine, I've never read anything of the circumstances of his leaving the Gleason Show in 1966. Was it just that Gleason was overhauling the format of the show? I'm guessing his departure was amicable if Art Carney could do a dead-on Crazy Guggenheim impersonation in "Ship of Fools."

Also, the 1966 version of the Honeymooners Xmas episode was called "Run, Santa, Run" - which I suspect was a play on the title of a flop TV show of the time called Run, Buddy, Run.

Oops, you're right. I was thinking of the original title from the fifties. Thanks.

Speaking of Frank Fontaine, I've never read anything of the circumstances of his leaving the Gleason Show in 1966. Was it just that Gleason was overhauling the format of the show? I'm guessing his departure was amicable if Art Carney could do a dead-on Crazy Guggenheim impersonation in "Ship of Fools."
Sounds like part of it was Gleason cleaning house with his 1966 revamp. Remember, after the last vestiges of The American Scene Magazine were dropped after the end of the 1965-66 season (apparently, only the title was what was left), most all the "major" comic support cast members of the last of the four season run of TASM (besides Mr. Fontaine) were gone, the only leftovers being "bit" players who did likewise on color Honeymooners episodes. But then, during American Scene days Mr. Carney only appeared in, what, five shows, three of which were as Norton in Honeymooners installments. So I think the "overhaul" explanation is as valid as anything else about The Great One. . . .

Speaking of Frank Fontaine, I've never read anything of the circumstances of his leaving the Gleason Show in 1966. Was it just that Gleason was overhauling the format of the show? I'm guessing his departure was amicable if Art Carney could do a dead-on Crazy Guggenheim impersonation in "Ship of Fools."

I'd say he left due to a change in format, yes.

With Fontaine leaving, did Gleason do any more Joe the Bartender sketches past 1966?

-Greg

With Fontaine leaving, did Gleason do any more Joe the Bartender sketches past 1966?

-Greg

Yes. Gleason did a variety special I believe sometime in 1967, where we DID get to see the only color "Joe The Bartender" sketch that would be done. Frank Fontaine was, of course, present.

Would this variety special have one of the shorter Honeymooners sketches from the 1960s that was performed?

Speaking of these shorter skits, are any of these aired on the reruns of the Color Honeymooners or are they still waiting to be brought out again?

Would this variety special have one of the shorter Honeymooners sketches from the 1960s that was performed?

Speaking of these shorter skits, are any of these aired on the reruns of the Color Honeymooners or are they still waiting to be brought out again?

Ben, not sure if Honeymooners appeared on that variety hour.....I've been attempting to look it up among my papers and museum clippings I have.

Yes. Gleason did a variety special I believe sometime in 1967, where we DID get to see the only color "Joe The Bartender" sketch that would be done. Frank Fontaine was, of course, present.
Actually, it was a regular "variety" episode, from Dec. 30, 1967. There was one more time, in 1972 or thereabouts, during one of Gleason's co-hosting stints on The Mike Douglas Show (R.I.P. Mike Douglas), where Fontaine played "Craz' " one last time to Gleason's "Joe" . . . which The Great One would portray for what may be the last time in the 1974 special he did with Julie Andrews.

Actually, it was a regular "variety" episode, from Dec. 30, 1967. There was one more time, in 1972 or thereabouts, during one of Gleason's co-hosting stints on The Mike Douglas Show (R.I.P. Mike Douglas), where Fontaine played "Craz' " one last time to Gleason's "Joe" . . . which The Great One would portray for what may be the last time in the 1974 special he did with Julie Andrews.

Oh yes, I wish I could get my hands of those Mike Douglas shows JG co-hosted.....he did 2 weeks initially. I forgot that Frank Fontaine appeared.

I would love to see those shows, too. It's funny how when I first met my now fiance that she never even seen The Honeymooners or Lucy or any of the shows that I love to watch. Then, when I would come across something in my tape collection like the Mike Douglas Shows with Moe Howard's appearances, or a documentary like "Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie" Melissa will sit and watch and say how much she now has a complete different impression of these shows and people and loves to watch them with me now.