Surprise! I did a tape trade with a guy and was able to get a hold of some rare Honeymoners episodes.

Episode #1
TV: This episode was seen The Honeymooners Really Lost Debut Episodes. This special was shown in 1993 on Disney Channel (yes, THAT Disney Channel) & March of 2000 on TV Land. This episode was attached to the first six Really Lost Debut Episodes.

VHS & DVD: Has not been released on VHS & DVD. MPI “plans” to release this episode when they re-release the Lost Episodes.

Don Russell makes the introduction and talks about what the word “honeymoon” means. Don: “This evening, Jackie Gleason introduces two ‘new’ characters. Ralph Kramden & Alice Kramden who’s boat has sprung a leak. Alice is preparing a dinner for Ralph who is coming home after a hard day driving a bus.”

Alice is preparing dinner. Alice (singing): “They say, I am much to young to love.” Ralph comes home. Alice asks Ralph ot go down to Krauss’ and get some bread. Ralph doesn’t want to. Alice says that she can’t because she is cooking dinner. Ralph: “Did you spend all day doing that?” Alice: “Don’t start me. I am not in the mood for it.” Ralph still won’t go. Alice says that she wouldn’t ask Ralph to go down if they didn’t have any bread. Alice says that she didn’t go down to Krauss’ because she had a lot to do all day. Ralph is still upset. Ralph wants everybody to hear him yell. Alice: “Do you want to hear me yell? I’ll yell. I’LL YELL” Neighbors complain. Ralph says that he will not go tonight, last night or the night before. Alice: “I don’t eat bread.” She takes the bread heels and throws them out the window. Eventually, they end up throwing, a bread box, some pots and pans and a thing of flour all end up on the street in anger. Alice then threatens to throw herself out the window. Ralph encourages her to throw herself out. Alice: “I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction.”

A cop comes up. The cop is played by Art Carney is his first appearance on the show. He is covered in bread flower. Alice says that it was her fault. The cop is very lenient. He says: “Don’t let it happen again. Sheesh!” “Sheesh!” would later be one of Ed Norton’s catchphrases. Ralph apologizes to Alice. Alice forgives him. Ralph asks Alice if she wants to go out to eat at a pizzeria. Alice says yes. Ralph: “Come here baby!” They hug and kiss.

Episode #2
TV: This episode was seen The Honeymooners Really Lost Debut Episodes. This special was shown in 1993 on Disney Channel (yes, THAT Disney Channel) & March of 2000 on TV Land. This episode was attached to the first six Really Lost Debut Episodes.
VHS & DVD: Has not been released on VHS & DVD. MPI “plans” to release this episode when they re-release the Lost Episodes

This Honeymooners episode is the shortest ever. It is only 5:02.

Alice is cooking. Ralph comes out with shaving cream on and asks where his razor blades are. Last night, he bought a pack of blades and put them on the table. Ralph: “We live on the third floor. Nobody can climb up and get them. Nobody got lowered. This door has been locked all night. A mouse couldn’t have taken them.” Ralph accuses Alice of taking the blades. Alice denies it. Ralph: “Don’t steam me up because I am already steamed.” Alice (sarcastically): “You got me scared to death.” Ralph accuses Alice of stealing things like his gray pants. Ralph: “One of these days…” Alice: “What one of these days? What? What? What?” Alice: “You will find out when the day comes.” Alice says that you put things in the drawer. That is where they belong.

Ralph opens the drawer. The drawer is small. Ralph says that Alice has three drawers. Ralph has trouble opening it. He eventually does. One a few things are in that drawer but not his razor blades. Ralph is still angry. Alice: “Don’t start. Don’t start.” Ralph (sarcastically): “You frighten me.” Alice: “All right. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!” Alice then threatens to throw herself out the window. Ralph encourages her to throw herself out. Alice: “I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction.”

People from downstairs are knocking their ceiling to tell the Kramdens to be quiet. Ralph responds by pounding the floor with a chair. Man (from upstairs, yells): “KEEP QUIET DOWN THERE! KEEP QUIET!” Ralph is going to take one of Alice’s drawers even though there is clothing in it. Ralph tears her clothing that is in it. Wow! He even starts to tear a dress. Alice says no. She is supposedly crying. Ralph calls her clothing that was in that dresser junk. That is her wedding dress. Ralph feels bad. He didn’t mean to tear that dress. Alice knows it. He apologizes. Alice forgives him. They hug and kiss even though Ralph still has cream on his face.

What I think of them? I thought they were okay. I found it funny that Pert's Alice took Ralph's threats like she can take them. I loved her line in one episode: "You want me to yell? I will yell. I'LL YELLLLLL!"

I do have the '51 special too.

I think that the special that has clips of the '52 version is from Gleason's A&E biogoraphy. I think MPI's The Great Gleason also has clips from that special too.

I was always under the impression that the 1952 Christmas episode wasn't released because it was too close to the 1953 version! Regardless, it would be nice to have them both since you can't tell me they were right down to the very last hair exactly the same!

So is this your first time seeing these episodes? If so, what'd you think?


Nobody at MPI ever told me of any plans to release these episodes, but I did send a complete list to them with air dates, so I guess we'll see...that is, if MPI ever decides to actually re-release the Lost Episodes. MrBand actually mentioned not too long ago that the Cavalcade episodes might be in the public domain, if that's the case, then maybe a few of us dedicated fans can chip in and put these out there for everybody to enjoy.

Well, Bill, I don't know that they're PD for certain. I'm just guessing based on the fact that the episodes themselves carry no copyright notice and TV Land used Cavalcade clips for their most recent countdown special. It seems everytime there are budgetary or rights restrictions, these clip fests either settle for panning and scanning over still photos or heading for the PD shows. Since there is so much footage of Gleason out there from his various shows, I was guessing that TV Land didn't want to pay the Gleason estate or CBS/Paramount/Viacom/whoever owns the Classic 39. Hence the presumption that Cavalcade was used because the footage was PD. Just wanted to clarify since I'm not qualified to make the definitive statement. :)

I"I remember hearing from somebody (possibly the same person) that in one of those two specials, a scene from the beginning of the '52 version was used, and that in the other, a scene from the end was used, which would go against what's been said about only one reel of that show having been found. Do you know if there's any truth to that? I have the A&E biography, but I'll have to get "The Great Gleason" on Amazon or something to verify this for myself."

To answer your question, I don't know for sure and I have never seen the beginning and ending of that X-Mas special.