Frank Gannucci
01-18-2008, 09:28 AM
Episode #7:
TV: This special was shown on Disney Channel (yes, THAT Disney Channel) in 1993 and probably in 2000 on TV Land. Paul Reiser introduces us to this episode and provides us with some information.
VHS: Has not been released on VHS.
DVD: Has not been released on DVD.
The episode opens up with Alice decorating the Christmas tree. Ralph comes home with potato salad from DeVitos. She says that he should get it from Krauss'. Ralph explains that at DeVitos that Reginald Van Gleason as running a party and that a lot of people are there including people who came from Connecticut. Ralph, disgustedly, leaves to get potato salad from Krauss'.
Trixie comes in. For whatever reason, she is having trouble with the door. So Alice helps her. Trixie reveals that Ed gave her an orange juice squeezer. You squeeze the oranges on top of Napoleon’s head and the juice squirts out of his ears. Same gift that he would give her in "'Twas The Night Before Christmas." A guy knocks on the door and Trixie answers it. A man mumbles, yet Trixie somehow knows his name and he is delivering a keg of beer here. His name: Fenwick Babbit. Fenwick is played by Jackie Gleason. After placing his beer barrel in the apartment, Trixie goes upstairs to get a pan for Fenwick’s ice. Fenwick asks: "Does she live nearby?" The crowd laughs. Trixie comes back. Fenwick begins to cut the ice. He hits his finger and yells in Ralph Kramden fashion. Doesn’t look like he hit his finger to me. Now I wonder why Alice and Trixie don't come up with the thought that Ralph and him look alike. When Fenwick gets told that this isn’t the Murphy apartment, Alice calls him a big lummox. Wow! That ain’t nice. Fenwick realizes that he is in the wrong apartment and leaves.
Ed comes in and says that he has come with broadway star Jane Pickens. The episode abruptly cuts to Joe The Bartender’s (also played by Gleason) entrance. I wonder if that was because Jane originally sang two songs and Disney & probably subsequently TV Land (if they aired it) didn’t want to pay for the rights to the songs and just edited them out. Of course after hearing Joe speak, Alice, Ed and Trixie don't come up with tht thought that him and Ralph look alike. Joe The Bartender reveals something that just happened a few minutes ago at Krauss'. A person came into his bar. Joe says that this person’s name is “The Poor Soul.” What a name, huh? This poor soul comes in and takes the last bit of steak and gives it to a kitten that he bought in from the cold. Fatso Fogarty, also at his bar, sees this and becomes mad. He sets up a nasty practical joke in which he tells him he had "won" a diamond and then handed him a cheap rhinestone. What made the hoax particularly pathetic was that the poor soul, totally taken in, cherished his prize. Alice, moved by the tale, tells Joe to send the poor soul up, and she'll give him a real present. Joe, Frances and Ed leaves. Trixie: "Now that Ed is gone, we can relax."
The poor soul comes up (played by Jackie Gleason in panotime) comes up. “Tenderly” is played throughout this sketch. Ed somehow was able to identify him. Alice gives him a real present. Once again, Alice and Trixie don't even think that him and Ralph look alike. He gives her the "diamond" and leaves.
We cut back to Paul Reiser. Paul says that this episode was one of the most difficult episodes to make. So hard that Jackie actually had to rehearse (something that he rarely did because of his photographic memory) Since Jackie had to change clothes SIX times, he had to rehearse that so the actors would know how much time to spend on stage between his appearances.
Back to the episode. Trixie says that they are showing some Christmas Specials on TV, so she asks Alice if they can watch it on Alice's TV Alice says that the TV is n the brink. Rudy the Repairman comes by to fix it. Rudy is played by Jackie Gleason and once again by looking and hearing Rudy speak, Alice and Trixie don't think that Ralph and him look alike. Alice explains all the trouble she is having with some of the channels. Some of the channels that I think she talks about: 2, 4, 5, 7, 11, and 13. Now, since I used to live in North Jersey and about an hour away from New York, I can tell you that those channels in real life do exist (and that channel 2 has been a CBS affiliate forever.) And do you know what? The channel 11 that Alice is talking about would start to carry reruns of the Honeymooners four years later and has carried them for the better part of 50 years. Rudy, after hearing Alice's strange problems, brings in Whitey. Whitey talks to Ralph in language that is not real English. But Rudy understands him anyway. Great comedy. Rudy talks to Whitey about a dead horse. Rudy makes a pass at Alice and Trixie, destroys the television set, and departs. Alice tells Trixie that it doesn't really matter, since she just had the set on trial.
Ed Norton comes in. Ed explains that he saw two guys bringing a horse into their truck. Trixie explains to Ed that it was two what happened with those two men and how they “attempted” to fix Alice’s TV. Ed: “They found a dead horse in it?” Trixie: “Yeah, stupid.” Ed looks like he is about to hit Trix. Something that Ralph ordinarily does in later episodes. A man who is the son of person named Cardini comes in after. Ed: “he’s a terrific juggler." Cardini’s kid starts juggling things. The person who played him is doing a great job. Ed even joins in. Both Ed and the juggler leave.
We cut back to Paul. Paul says that Jackie’s favorite character was Reggie Van Gleason III. Reggie was rich & flamboyant. Those things Jackie would become later in his life since at this time, he wasn’t very rich and flamboyant at all.
Back to the episode. Alice says that Ed is always looking to help someone. Trixie then says a get-rich-quick idea that Ed had. He had an idea of making tires last forever by putting helium into them instead of air. Ed read that dirigibles are filled with air to keep them up. Ed figured out that way if the tires are three feet off the ground, they wouldn’t burst. (What?) I wonder if Joyce meant to say balloons. When Alice asks her how would the tires move on air, Trixie says that Ed had another idea. The idea: To raise the roads. Ha! That is not an idea that Ralph would get.
Ed comes back in and Reginald Van Gleason comes in (played by Jackie Gleason). An old Disney Channel logo comes on the screen indicating that my copy was taped off Disney. He brings in gifts for Ed, Trixie, and Alice. He also brings in his band (from Jimmy Ryan’s café according to Reggie) and June Taylor Dancers. The band plays a song VERY loudly and Gleason dances with the dancers. Try doing what Reggie is doing in an ordinary apartment at night in real life and you will probably get a TON of complaints (and maybe get kicked out too.) Once again, Alice, Ed and Trixie don't come up with the conclusion that Reggie and Ralph look and probably sound alike (maybe except for Reggie's mustache). Reggie and his whole entourage leave. Ed: "Reggie is okay in my book." Ed says that in Reggie's limo, he watches wrestling. Not on TV, he watches wrestlers wrestling each other in the limo in a pro wrestling match. Oh God! Trixie is afraid to leave because another star may drop by. Alice says that she wonders where Ralph is. Ed says to Trixie that he will give her what every woman wants on her hand, that being rubber gloves. Ha!
Ed and Trixie leave. Ralph comes by with a policeman. Alice explains the whole situation to the policeman and leaves. Ralph reveals what happened. After he returned the original potato salad, he had to walk two LONG blocks to Krauss only to find out that Krauss was asleep. He kocked so hard on his door that he knocked out the window and got in trouble with the police. Ralph says that after 13 years of marriage, every Christmas gets better and better. 25 years later in an ABC Special, Ralph and Alice say that they are celebrating 25 years of marriage (the writers thought that that would be appropriate since that show marked the 25th anniversary of the show.) Anyway, Alice and Ralph exchange gifts. Ralph, opens his gift first and finds out that Alice gave him rubber-lined gloves. Alice gets an ornage juice squeezer from Ralph. The same gift that Ralph will giver again in "'Twas The Night Before Christmas." They hug and kiss.
I lot of people probably don't like this episode since it's a great departure from traditional episodes. I liked it because it's a great X-Mas episode and it offers a change of pace. Jackie Gleason must have had to do some quick costume changes in this episode since this episode (like all the other ones in the 50's) were done live.
Paul wishes us Happy Holidays!
I should also mention that these Paul Reiser specials played the same (albeit updated versions) of the early 50’s version of The Jackie Gleason Show theme song.
Episode #8
TV: I believe that this episode was shown on FOX in 1988 during their specials about Jackie Gleason called “The Best of Gleason.”
VHS & DVD: Hasn’t been released.
Ed McMahon introduces us to this sketch. This is the first appearance of Audrey as Alice. The episode opens up with Alice coming home. Trixie comes in. Alice says that she has to rush to make dinner. Alice also bought food and a new bowling ball for Ralph. Ralph is going bowling tonight. The boys come in. Ralph looks at the bowling ball and loves it. Ralph: “She’s all mine.” Ed: “I hope the two of you are very happy together.” Ed said that he saved money to get a bowling ball, but she says that Trixie thought of only herself and got her tooth pulled with that money. The Nortons leave.
Ralph is ready for dinner. He is upset that dinner isn’t near ready yet. When Alice tells Ralph what they are having, he doesn’t like it. Alice asks Ralph to unwrap the steak. When Ralph finds out that the steak is frozen solid, he is upset. The steak has to thaw out but Ralph has to go bowling in a little while. Ralph yells. Alice: “Keep yelling and the steak will thaw out in no time.” This is also one of the first times that Ralph says to Alice that one of these days, he will hit her. Ralph gets the can opener but has difficulty with it. He accidentally hurts his finger with the can opener. According to Ralph, now he can’t go bowling. Alice says for him to stop exaggerating. Ralph tires to prove Alice wrong by putting his hurt finger in the bowling ball. He can’t get it all the way in somehow. Ralph: “I’m going bowling now.” Ralph then finds out that he can’t get his fingers out of the ball. Uh oh! Ralph is upset at Alice some more. He now thinks he can’t do his job anymore because of the fact that he has a bowling ball stuck to him. Ed comes down. Ralph explains to him what just happened to him. Ed: “Why don’t you go on a diet? Maybe it will drop off.” Alice and Ed help Ralph out. Ed grabs the ball while Alice grabs Ralph by the waist and both of them pull. The ball falls off as Ralph backs into the corner with Alice behind him and accidentally hits her slightly. Ralph’s thumb is so hurt that he thinks he (Ralph) can’t go bowling. Ed leaves. Ralph is still upset at Alice. Ralph calls him unlucky. Ralph: “Not as unlucky as King Faruk though.” Alice says that Ralph hurt his left hand. Ralph finds out that he is RIGHT HANDED. So, he can go bowling after all. He tries to leave. Alice wishes him good luck. Ralph is upset at what he just did to Alice. He asks Alice if she wants to see him bowl. She says yes. Ralph: “Baby, you’re the greatest.” They hug and kiss.
Credit goes to tv.com.
TV: This special was shown on Disney Channel (yes, THAT Disney Channel) in 1993 and probably in 2000 on TV Land. Paul Reiser introduces us to this episode and provides us with some information.
VHS: Has not been released on VHS.
DVD: Has not been released on DVD.
The episode opens up with Alice decorating the Christmas tree. Ralph comes home with potato salad from DeVitos. She says that he should get it from Krauss'. Ralph explains that at DeVitos that Reginald Van Gleason as running a party and that a lot of people are there including people who came from Connecticut. Ralph, disgustedly, leaves to get potato salad from Krauss'.
Trixie comes in. For whatever reason, she is having trouble with the door. So Alice helps her. Trixie reveals that Ed gave her an orange juice squeezer. You squeeze the oranges on top of Napoleon’s head and the juice squirts out of his ears. Same gift that he would give her in "'Twas The Night Before Christmas." A guy knocks on the door and Trixie answers it. A man mumbles, yet Trixie somehow knows his name and he is delivering a keg of beer here. His name: Fenwick Babbit. Fenwick is played by Jackie Gleason. After placing his beer barrel in the apartment, Trixie goes upstairs to get a pan for Fenwick’s ice. Fenwick asks: "Does she live nearby?" The crowd laughs. Trixie comes back. Fenwick begins to cut the ice. He hits his finger and yells in Ralph Kramden fashion. Doesn’t look like he hit his finger to me. Now I wonder why Alice and Trixie don't come up with the thought that Ralph and him look alike. When Fenwick gets told that this isn’t the Murphy apartment, Alice calls him a big lummox. Wow! That ain’t nice. Fenwick realizes that he is in the wrong apartment and leaves.
Ed comes in and says that he has come with broadway star Jane Pickens. The episode abruptly cuts to Joe The Bartender’s (also played by Gleason) entrance. I wonder if that was because Jane originally sang two songs and Disney & probably subsequently TV Land (if they aired it) didn’t want to pay for the rights to the songs and just edited them out. Of course after hearing Joe speak, Alice, Ed and Trixie don't come up with tht thought that him and Ralph look alike. Joe The Bartender reveals something that just happened a few minutes ago at Krauss'. A person came into his bar. Joe says that this person’s name is “The Poor Soul.” What a name, huh? This poor soul comes in and takes the last bit of steak and gives it to a kitten that he bought in from the cold. Fatso Fogarty, also at his bar, sees this and becomes mad. He sets up a nasty practical joke in which he tells him he had "won" a diamond and then handed him a cheap rhinestone. What made the hoax particularly pathetic was that the poor soul, totally taken in, cherished his prize. Alice, moved by the tale, tells Joe to send the poor soul up, and she'll give him a real present. Joe, Frances and Ed leaves. Trixie: "Now that Ed is gone, we can relax."
The poor soul comes up (played by Jackie Gleason in panotime) comes up. “Tenderly” is played throughout this sketch. Ed somehow was able to identify him. Alice gives him a real present. Once again, Alice and Trixie don't even think that him and Ralph look alike. He gives her the "diamond" and leaves.
We cut back to Paul Reiser. Paul says that this episode was one of the most difficult episodes to make. So hard that Jackie actually had to rehearse (something that he rarely did because of his photographic memory) Since Jackie had to change clothes SIX times, he had to rehearse that so the actors would know how much time to spend on stage between his appearances.
Back to the episode. Trixie says that they are showing some Christmas Specials on TV, so she asks Alice if they can watch it on Alice's TV Alice says that the TV is n the brink. Rudy the Repairman comes by to fix it. Rudy is played by Jackie Gleason and once again by looking and hearing Rudy speak, Alice and Trixie don't think that Ralph and him look alike. Alice explains all the trouble she is having with some of the channels. Some of the channels that I think she talks about: 2, 4, 5, 7, 11, and 13. Now, since I used to live in North Jersey and about an hour away from New York, I can tell you that those channels in real life do exist (and that channel 2 has been a CBS affiliate forever.) And do you know what? The channel 11 that Alice is talking about would start to carry reruns of the Honeymooners four years later and has carried them for the better part of 50 years. Rudy, after hearing Alice's strange problems, brings in Whitey. Whitey talks to Ralph in language that is not real English. But Rudy understands him anyway. Great comedy. Rudy talks to Whitey about a dead horse. Rudy makes a pass at Alice and Trixie, destroys the television set, and departs. Alice tells Trixie that it doesn't really matter, since she just had the set on trial.
Ed Norton comes in. Ed explains that he saw two guys bringing a horse into their truck. Trixie explains to Ed that it was two what happened with those two men and how they “attempted” to fix Alice’s TV. Ed: “They found a dead horse in it?” Trixie: “Yeah, stupid.” Ed looks like he is about to hit Trix. Something that Ralph ordinarily does in later episodes. A man who is the son of person named Cardini comes in after. Ed: “he’s a terrific juggler." Cardini’s kid starts juggling things. The person who played him is doing a great job. Ed even joins in. Both Ed and the juggler leave.
We cut back to Paul. Paul says that Jackie’s favorite character was Reggie Van Gleason III. Reggie was rich & flamboyant. Those things Jackie would become later in his life since at this time, he wasn’t very rich and flamboyant at all.
Back to the episode. Alice says that Ed is always looking to help someone. Trixie then says a get-rich-quick idea that Ed had. He had an idea of making tires last forever by putting helium into them instead of air. Ed read that dirigibles are filled with air to keep them up. Ed figured out that way if the tires are three feet off the ground, they wouldn’t burst. (What?) I wonder if Joyce meant to say balloons. When Alice asks her how would the tires move on air, Trixie says that Ed had another idea. The idea: To raise the roads. Ha! That is not an idea that Ralph would get.
Ed comes back in and Reginald Van Gleason comes in (played by Jackie Gleason). An old Disney Channel logo comes on the screen indicating that my copy was taped off Disney. He brings in gifts for Ed, Trixie, and Alice. He also brings in his band (from Jimmy Ryan’s café according to Reggie) and June Taylor Dancers. The band plays a song VERY loudly and Gleason dances with the dancers. Try doing what Reggie is doing in an ordinary apartment at night in real life and you will probably get a TON of complaints (and maybe get kicked out too.) Once again, Alice, Ed and Trixie don't come up with the conclusion that Reggie and Ralph look and probably sound alike (maybe except for Reggie's mustache). Reggie and his whole entourage leave. Ed: "Reggie is okay in my book." Ed says that in Reggie's limo, he watches wrestling. Not on TV, he watches wrestlers wrestling each other in the limo in a pro wrestling match. Oh God! Trixie is afraid to leave because another star may drop by. Alice says that she wonders where Ralph is. Ed says to Trixie that he will give her what every woman wants on her hand, that being rubber gloves. Ha!
Ed and Trixie leave. Ralph comes by with a policeman. Alice explains the whole situation to the policeman and leaves. Ralph reveals what happened. After he returned the original potato salad, he had to walk two LONG blocks to Krauss only to find out that Krauss was asleep. He kocked so hard on his door that he knocked out the window and got in trouble with the police. Ralph says that after 13 years of marriage, every Christmas gets better and better. 25 years later in an ABC Special, Ralph and Alice say that they are celebrating 25 years of marriage (the writers thought that that would be appropriate since that show marked the 25th anniversary of the show.) Anyway, Alice and Ralph exchange gifts. Ralph, opens his gift first and finds out that Alice gave him rubber-lined gloves. Alice gets an ornage juice squeezer from Ralph. The same gift that Ralph will giver again in "'Twas The Night Before Christmas." They hug and kiss.
I lot of people probably don't like this episode since it's a great departure from traditional episodes. I liked it because it's a great X-Mas episode and it offers a change of pace. Jackie Gleason must have had to do some quick costume changes in this episode since this episode (like all the other ones in the 50's) were done live.
Paul wishes us Happy Holidays!
I should also mention that these Paul Reiser specials played the same (albeit updated versions) of the early 50’s version of The Jackie Gleason Show theme song.
Episode #8
TV: I believe that this episode was shown on FOX in 1988 during their specials about Jackie Gleason called “The Best of Gleason.”
VHS & DVD: Hasn’t been released.
Ed McMahon introduces us to this sketch. This is the first appearance of Audrey as Alice. The episode opens up with Alice coming home. Trixie comes in. Alice says that she has to rush to make dinner. Alice also bought food and a new bowling ball for Ralph. Ralph is going bowling tonight. The boys come in. Ralph looks at the bowling ball and loves it. Ralph: “She’s all mine.” Ed: “I hope the two of you are very happy together.” Ed said that he saved money to get a bowling ball, but she says that Trixie thought of only herself and got her tooth pulled with that money. The Nortons leave.
Ralph is ready for dinner. He is upset that dinner isn’t near ready yet. When Alice tells Ralph what they are having, he doesn’t like it. Alice asks Ralph to unwrap the steak. When Ralph finds out that the steak is frozen solid, he is upset. The steak has to thaw out but Ralph has to go bowling in a little while. Ralph yells. Alice: “Keep yelling and the steak will thaw out in no time.” This is also one of the first times that Ralph says to Alice that one of these days, he will hit her. Ralph gets the can opener but has difficulty with it. He accidentally hurts his finger with the can opener. According to Ralph, now he can’t go bowling. Alice says for him to stop exaggerating. Ralph tires to prove Alice wrong by putting his hurt finger in the bowling ball. He can’t get it all the way in somehow. Ralph: “I’m going bowling now.” Ralph then finds out that he can’t get his fingers out of the ball. Uh oh! Ralph is upset at Alice some more. He now thinks he can’t do his job anymore because of the fact that he has a bowling ball stuck to him. Ed comes down. Ralph explains to him what just happened to him. Ed: “Why don’t you go on a diet? Maybe it will drop off.” Alice and Ed help Ralph out. Ed grabs the ball while Alice grabs Ralph by the waist and both of them pull. The ball falls off as Ralph backs into the corner with Alice behind him and accidentally hits her slightly. Ralph’s thumb is so hurt that he thinks he (Ralph) can’t go bowling. Ed leaves. Ralph is still upset at Alice. Ralph calls him unlucky. Ralph: “Not as unlucky as King Faruk though.” Alice says that Ralph hurt his left hand. Ralph finds out that he is RIGHT HANDED. So, he can go bowling after all. He tries to leave. Alice wishes him good luck. Ralph is upset at what he just did to Alice. He asks Alice if she wants to see him bowl. She says yes. Ralph: “Baby, you’re the greatest.” They hug and kiss.
Credit goes to tv.com.