Frank Gannucci
07-21-2017, 07:44 AM
Honeymooners Episode Reviews: "Box Top Kid" & "Two Men On A Horse":
Episode #79 (Syndicated episode #77)
TV: In two-parts.
VCR: Attached to "Halloween Party”
DVD: Attached to "Stand-In For Murder" & "The Prowler." On the Remastered Lost Episodes DVD Box Set, it is attached to “Hair-Raising Tale”, “Box Top Kid”, “Two Men On A Horse”, “Good Buy Aunt Ethel” & “Vacation At Fred’s Landing” (’54 version).
Lost Episode Title: “Box Top Kid.”
Color Episode Title: “In Twenty-Five Words Or Less.”
Air Date: Sat. 5/22/54
Alice's sister, Helen, and her husband, Frank, have won a cruise to Europe, and Ralph and Alice go to see them off on the boat. They are in their stateroom. Ralph is jealous and acts it too. One of the things that Frank has is a video camera that he plans to use on the trip. One of the things that he films is Ralph dancing in a terrible manner and the girls dancing. He plans to show the video off at the Raccoon Lodge. So Ralph tries to run after him in the stateroom to get that video. Ralph is acted like his typical self here.
The next day, Alice, who is outside on the fire escape is talking to Trixie about how big and beautiful the boat was and the cruise in which Frank and Helen was going on. According to her, the boat was as big as a city. Trixie says that Ed says that you should visit every major part of America first then go to Europe. Trixie: "So far, last year we have scratched off Bayonne, Yonkers and Scranton." Alice: "What have you scratched off this year?" Trixie: "I would like to scratch off Norton." Trixie leaves.
Ralph and Ed come in. Ralph has bought every product that's running a contest--$23.50 worth of dog food, cereal, cake mix, detergent, etc.--so he can win something too. He says to Ed that once Alice finds out about this if she finds about this, he will pull the scheme in which he has done this for her. Alice listens and when Ralph and Ed want to put the boxes on the fire escape, they spot Alice. Alice doesn't believe what Ralph has done and the "I did it for you" scheme. Alice goes into the bedroom as Ralph and Ed do the contest work. One of the contests required Ralph to open the box. But the box is too tough for Jackie to open. D'oh! Not something that was in the script. Anyway, one contest is "Guess the US President. One of the clues is a woman washing and the other clue is a ton. Ed: "I know it. Eisenhower. What they are trying to say is Washington. Who's in Washington right now? Eisenhower." Ed is so stupid and Ralph's more stupid for believing him. They also do another contest for the Slim-O Bread Company in which you have to write an essay on how Slim-O has made you lose weight. Ed writes what Ralph says: "Before I started eating delicious Slim-O bread, I weighed 250 pounds. I now weigh..." Ed: "260 pounds." Ralph says to erase that and put down 170 pounds. Ralph's winning slogan: "Slim-O Bread adds to the taste and takes away from the waist." They do another contest where you have to name the dog that is in the picture. Ed suggests: Ralph as the name so not only can people can call him, but so can dogs. Ed: "Ralph! Ralph!" Ed barks like a dog and Ralph kicks him out.
The next day, Alice says to Trixie that Ralph finally won a contest. A big puppy dog named Happy. The dog's appetite is o big, that he ate the large amount of dog food that the Kramdens had for lunch. Ralph comes home and is scared to death of the dog. He says that he is a dinosaur. Alice: "That is Happy, the dog that you won." Ralph: "He doesn't look happy to me." Ralph also says: "He is too big for a zoo." Ralph says that they have to give toe dog away. Ed comes in. Ralph mentions what he has won and says that they have to give the dog away. He says he doesn't want to go in the bedroom, the place where the dog is, because he claims he is afraid that he will get too attached to him. Yeah! A telegram comes saying that Ralph won the Slim-O Bread contest and the first prize is a cruise for two to Europe. Ed: "You and me are going to have a fun time in Paris." Ralph says that he will be taking Alice and when he sees Frank and Helen coming home while they are going to Europe, he will gloat. Ed: "That's what I like about Ralph. He never holds a grudge." Just think, later on in the series, the whole Honeymooners gang would have gone to Europe two times. Mrs. Manicotti comes in and hears the news. Ralph and Alice say that they will go to Italy, Mrs. Manicotti's home country, and get a souvenir for her. She leaves. The only problem is that the man from the Slim-O bread company is going to come and see pictures of what Ralph looked like before he lost all the weight thanks to Slim-O Bread. Ed's solution: "You sad in the essay that you lost eighty pounds by eating 80 loaves of bread. What you need to do is between now and when the guy gets here is eat 80 loaves of bread." Gee, that makes sense. Ed then gives Ralph the idea he needs. He will be "Mr. Kramden" and Ralph will be "Ed." Ralph will take a picture of Ed looking like he's a big guy.
The next day, Alice arrives with the camera. Ed comes in with a bunch of pillows underneath his jacket to make him look big but according to Alice, he looks like an overstuffed balloon. Alice leaves. Ralph takes the picture and it came out great. (He used a non-disposable camera.) Ed goes into the bedroom to change. The man from the Slim-O Bread Company comes. Ralph and Ed have a little problem as far as their "real identities" are. Ed refers to himself as "Ralph Kramden" but he does it in a funny fashion. The man from the Bread Company sees the picture of what "Ralph" looked like before and is puzzled by the fact that "Ralph's" face didn't decrease in size due to the decrease in his weight so "Ed" covers it buy saying that "Ralph" ate the food very fast. He believes him. The whole idea works until Mrs. Manicotti foils it. When the Slim-O man questions her, she tells him that Ralph is Kramden. Ralph is also fat, so he doesn't get to go to Europe. No one gets to go to Europe.
This episode marked the first episode I saw a two-part episode on TV. I saw the first part of this episode on WPIX in 1996 and up until that time, I didn't know that any Honeymooners episode had been split in two parts.
Episode #80 (syndicated episode #77)
TV: In two parts.
VCR: Attached to "Checkup."
DVD: Attached to "Checkup," "Hot Tip" & "A Promotion." On the Remastered Lost Episodes DVD Box Set, it is attached to “Hair-Raising Tale”, “Box Top Kid”, “Good Buy Aunt Ethel”, “Box Top Kid” & “Vacation At Fred’s Landing” (’54 version).
Lost Episode Title: “Two Men On A Horse.”
Color Episode Title: “Two For The Money.”
Air Date: Sat. 5/29/54
After I have seen this episode in 1997, I made two attempts to record it only to have the tape run out. I managed to tape it a third time with no problem. This is one of my favorites.
Ralph, Ed and Brother Garvin come to the Kramden apartment at 1am with a lot of fanfare. Ralph: "Gentlemen, I like to make toast to a former brother. He was a good friend, a good man, good family man, but what's most important, a good Raccoon. Gentlemen, a toast to Brother Garrity who is no longer with us." Ed: "Yes, too bad he got kicked out of the lodge for not paying his dues." Gee, Ralph thinks that being a good Raccoon is better than being a good family man? Wow! They also break out into a song. They sing: "Were poor little Raccoons who have gone astray. Bah! Bah! Bah!" After hearing them, you can tell they are singing off-key, especially when Ralph feels it is necessary to sing in a high-pitched voice. This is funny. Alice orders them to shut up. Ralph: "Alice, you are the first person in history to interrupt the Raccoon song." Alice: "Well scotty watty do dah day." Ralph: "Just for that remark, you will never be in the Ladies Auxiliary." Alice: "From this blow, I may never recover." In "On Stage", it is revealed that Alice joined the Ladies Auxiliary. Brother Garvin leaves. Alice complains about Ralph coming home at 1am singing at the top of his lungs. Ralph says that this is his night to howl because tonight he was elected Treasurer of The Raccoons. He was up against Sullivan. Sullivan said that if he was elected, he will use the money to build a home of aged Raccoons amongst other good things. Ralph won with the promise of beer and hot dogs after each meeting. Even Sullivan voted for him. Some organization with some members, huh? Ed leaves.
Ralph reveals that he had to come home with the $200 the lodge had collected. Alice is concerned that Ralph did that being with all the holdups there have been. In six of them, Ralph was on the bus when the hold up took place. Only one of those times where the holdup took place on Ralph's bus, they took $45 and took the bus. Ralph: "I have been working at the bus company for 15 years and because I lose one bus, you got to hold it over my head." Ralph notices that the money is gone. Oh boy! He remembers all the bars he went to after the meeting. He didn't drink all night. He goes outside to retract his steps, but not before he falls downstairs because he can't see.
In Jerry's lunchroom, which is presumably barley occupied 100% of the time, Ralph and Ed have lunch. Jerry (played by George Petrie) is upset at Ed. Ed: "Don't get mad at me. I was the one responsible for bringing the gang from the sewer here." Jerry: "Yeah and look what it did to my business." Ralph and Ed order lunch as Ralph and Ed think of some ways to get $200. Ed's suggestion involves going to the bank and getting a loan. Ralph says that won't work. They get their lunch as Ed spots a guy using an old-fashioned pinball machine (these were the ones that unfortunately don't have the buttons where you can spring the ball back into the game if you know what I mean). Ed says that Ralph can double the $8 that Ralph got for hocking Alice's wedding ring and make it $16. Ed says that Ralph is the greatest pinball player in New York and is surprised he hasn't made it his professional occupation. Something about that last sentence does not seem right to me. Ralph makes a bet with the guy that whoever gets the highest score with three balls, wins $8. Ralph plays the first ball and as the ball is going up and down in the machine, Ralph does some funny dance movements. When MSNBC did a special on Jackie Gleason (I think it was Headliners & Legends), they used the dancing part of this scene. After 3 balls, Ed is sure that Ralph's score will go in the Pinball Hall of Fame. Sure it will. The other guy plays and scores a bigger score on his first ball and says should he shoot another one. They say no and the guy wins $8 and some points. Question: Why didn't Ralph and Ed say yes? This way if he got a tilt in the game, he would lose. Ralph has now lost $208. They leave when the phone rings. It's for Jerry. It's a person who has a hot tip on Cigar Box at a race. The odds are 20-1 that Cigar Box will win. Jerry now closes his restaurant for what he claims is the last time since now he thinks he is going to be rich. Sure, he will. That gives Ralph an idea. Him and Ed will go to the track and bet on Cigar Box and if he wins, Ralph wins $200. Ralph leaves. Ed leaves, but not before deciding to play with the pinball machine which somehow causes it to go on fire. How could that happen?
At the race, Ralph and Ed notice that the odds for Cigar Box are still 20-1. Ralph says he will not place his bet until the last minute. If the odds get lower, the prize for him will get lower too. The odds do get lower, so Ralph and Ed scheme to get the odds in their favor. When the odds on Cigar Box start dropping, Ralph goes around dissuading people from betting on the horse. He and Norton split up, and Norton tells one man who's going to bet Cigar Box that he's the horse's owner, and that the horse can't win. Norton tells him to bet Happy Feet instead. Ralph bumps into the same man, who tells Ralph Cigar Box won't win because his owner just told him the horse is in the race only for a workout. Ed also says that his friend Ralph used to be a jockey and that he quit when he outweighed the horse. Ha! Ralph bets Happy Feet instead, and then finds out Cigar Box's "owner" is Norton. Oh, Ralph isn’t going to like that. Ralph rips up his ticket in despair, just when Happy Feet looks like he is going to lose. But Happy Feet comes back and win forcing Ralph and Ed to look on the ground and scramble up the ticket. I wonder if they would have won the prize if they presented the ripped up ticket to the person who they had to present it to if they won.
Credit I think goes to (the original) Bill's 'Mooners Archives, eBay.com, tv.com, Honeymooners Lost Episodes Book, tvguide.com, honeymooners.net, Honeymooners Lost Episodes DVD booklet, Wikipedia.org, Yahoo Groups You're A Riot! & Amazon.com.
Episode #79 (Syndicated episode #77)
TV: In two-parts.
VCR: Attached to "Halloween Party”
DVD: Attached to "Stand-In For Murder" & "The Prowler." On the Remastered Lost Episodes DVD Box Set, it is attached to “Hair-Raising Tale”, “Box Top Kid”, “Two Men On A Horse”, “Good Buy Aunt Ethel” & “Vacation At Fred’s Landing” (’54 version).
Lost Episode Title: “Box Top Kid.”
Color Episode Title: “In Twenty-Five Words Or Less.”
Air Date: Sat. 5/22/54
Alice's sister, Helen, and her husband, Frank, have won a cruise to Europe, and Ralph and Alice go to see them off on the boat. They are in their stateroom. Ralph is jealous and acts it too. One of the things that Frank has is a video camera that he plans to use on the trip. One of the things that he films is Ralph dancing in a terrible manner and the girls dancing. He plans to show the video off at the Raccoon Lodge. So Ralph tries to run after him in the stateroom to get that video. Ralph is acted like his typical self here.
The next day, Alice, who is outside on the fire escape is talking to Trixie about how big and beautiful the boat was and the cruise in which Frank and Helen was going on. According to her, the boat was as big as a city. Trixie says that Ed says that you should visit every major part of America first then go to Europe. Trixie: "So far, last year we have scratched off Bayonne, Yonkers and Scranton." Alice: "What have you scratched off this year?" Trixie: "I would like to scratch off Norton." Trixie leaves.
Ralph and Ed come in. Ralph has bought every product that's running a contest--$23.50 worth of dog food, cereal, cake mix, detergent, etc.--so he can win something too. He says to Ed that once Alice finds out about this if she finds about this, he will pull the scheme in which he has done this for her. Alice listens and when Ralph and Ed want to put the boxes on the fire escape, they spot Alice. Alice doesn't believe what Ralph has done and the "I did it for you" scheme. Alice goes into the bedroom as Ralph and Ed do the contest work. One of the contests required Ralph to open the box. But the box is too tough for Jackie to open. D'oh! Not something that was in the script. Anyway, one contest is "Guess the US President. One of the clues is a woman washing and the other clue is a ton. Ed: "I know it. Eisenhower. What they are trying to say is Washington. Who's in Washington right now? Eisenhower." Ed is so stupid and Ralph's more stupid for believing him. They also do another contest for the Slim-O Bread Company in which you have to write an essay on how Slim-O has made you lose weight. Ed writes what Ralph says: "Before I started eating delicious Slim-O bread, I weighed 250 pounds. I now weigh..." Ed: "260 pounds." Ralph says to erase that and put down 170 pounds. Ralph's winning slogan: "Slim-O Bread adds to the taste and takes away from the waist." They do another contest where you have to name the dog that is in the picture. Ed suggests: Ralph as the name so not only can people can call him, but so can dogs. Ed: "Ralph! Ralph!" Ed barks like a dog and Ralph kicks him out.
The next day, Alice says to Trixie that Ralph finally won a contest. A big puppy dog named Happy. The dog's appetite is o big, that he ate the large amount of dog food that the Kramdens had for lunch. Ralph comes home and is scared to death of the dog. He says that he is a dinosaur. Alice: "That is Happy, the dog that you won." Ralph: "He doesn't look happy to me." Ralph also says: "He is too big for a zoo." Ralph says that they have to give toe dog away. Ed comes in. Ralph mentions what he has won and says that they have to give the dog away. He says he doesn't want to go in the bedroom, the place where the dog is, because he claims he is afraid that he will get too attached to him. Yeah! A telegram comes saying that Ralph won the Slim-O Bread contest and the first prize is a cruise for two to Europe. Ed: "You and me are going to have a fun time in Paris." Ralph says that he will be taking Alice and when he sees Frank and Helen coming home while they are going to Europe, he will gloat. Ed: "That's what I like about Ralph. He never holds a grudge." Just think, later on in the series, the whole Honeymooners gang would have gone to Europe two times. Mrs. Manicotti comes in and hears the news. Ralph and Alice say that they will go to Italy, Mrs. Manicotti's home country, and get a souvenir for her. She leaves. The only problem is that the man from the Slim-O bread company is going to come and see pictures of what Ralph looked like before he lost all the weight thanks to Slim-O Bread. Ed's solution: "You sad in the essay that you lost eighty pounds by eating 80 loaves of bread. What you need to do is between now and when the guy gets here is eat 80 loaves of bread." Gee, that makes sense. Ed then gives Ralph the idea he needs. He will be "Mr. Kramden" and Ralph will be "Ed." Ralph will take a picture of Ed looking like he's a big guy.
The next day, Alice arrives with the camera. Ed comes in with a bunch of pillows underneath his jacket to make him look big but according to Alice, he looks like an overstuffed balloon. Alice leaves. Ralph takes the picture and it came out great. (He used a non-disposable camera.) Ed goes into the bedroom to change. The man from the Slim-O Bread Company comes. Ralph and Ed have a little problem as far as their "real identities" are. Ed refers to himself as "Ralph Kramden" but he does it in a funny fashion. The man from the Bread Company sees the picture of what "Ralph" looked like before and is puzzled by the fact that "Ralph's" face didn't decrease in size due to the decrease in his weight so "Ed" covers it buy saying that "Ralph" ate the food very fast. He believes him. The whole idea works until Mrs. Manicotti foils it. When the Slim-O man questions her, she tells him that Ralph is Kramden. Ralph is also fat, so he doesn't get to go to Europe. No one gets to go to Europe.
This episode marked the first episode I saw a two-part episode on TV. I saw the first part of this episode on WPIX in 1996 and up until that time, I didn't know that any Honeymooners episode had been split in two parts.
Episode #80 (syndicated episode #77)
TV: In two parts.
VCR: Attached to "Checkup."
DVD: Attached to "Checkup," "Hot Tip" & "A Promotion." On the Remastered Lost Episodes DVD Box Set, it is attached to “Hair-Raising Tale”, “Box Top Kid”, “Good Buy Aunt Ethel”, “Box Top Kid” & “Vacation At Fred’s Landing” (’54 version).
Lost Episode Title: “Two Men On A Horse.”
Color Episode Title: “Two For The Money.”
Air Date: Sat. 5/29/54
After I have seen this episode in 1997, I made two attempts to record it only to have the tape run out. I managed to tape it a third time with no problem. This is one of my favorites.
Ralph, Ed and Brother Garvin come to the Kramden apartment at 1am with a lot of fanfare. Ralph: "Gentlemen, I like to make toast to a former brother. He was a good friend, a good man, good family man, but what's most important, a good Raccoon. Gentlemen, a toast to Brother Garrity who is no longer with us." Ed: "Yes, too bad he got kicked out of the lodge for not paying his dues." Gee, Ralph thinks that being a good Raccoon is better than being a good family man? Wow! They also break out into a song. They sing: "Were poor little Raccoons who have gone astray. Bah! Bah! Bah!" After hearing them, you can tell they are singing off-key, especially when Ralph feels it is necessary to sing in a high-pitched voice. This is funny. Alice orders them to shut up. Ralph: "Alice, you are the first person in history to interrupt the Raccoon song." Alice: "Well scotty watty do dah day." Ralph: "Just for that remark, you will never be in the Ladies Auxiliary." Alice: "From this blow, I may never recover." In "On Stage", it is revealed that Alice joined the Ladies Auxiliary. Brother Garvin leaves. Alice complains about Ralph coming home at 1am singing at the top of his lungs. Ralph says that this is his night to howl because tonight he was elected Treasurer of The Raccoons. He was up against Sullivan. Sullivan said that if he was elected, he will use the money to build a home of aged Raccoons amongst other good things. Ralph won with the promise of beer and hot dogs after each meeting. Even Sullivan voted for him. Some organization with some members, huh? Ed leaves.
Ralph reveals that he had to come home with the $200 the lodge had collected. Alice is concerned that Ralph did that being with all the holdups there have been. In six of them, Ralph was on the bus when the hold up took place. Only one of those times where the holdup took place on Ralph's bus, they took $45 and took the bus. Ralph: "I have been working at the bus company for 15 years and because I lose one bus, you got to hold it over my head." Ralph notices that the money is gone. Oh boy! He remembers all the bars he went to after the meeting. He didn't drink all night. He goes outside to retract his steps, but not before he falls downstairs because he can't see.
In Jerry's lunchroom, which is presumably barley occupied 100% of the time, Ralph and Ed have lunch. Jerry (played by George Petrie) is upset at Ed. Ed: "Don't get mad at me. I was the one responsible for bringing the gang from the sewer here." Jerry: "Yeah and look what it did to my business." Ralph and Ed order lunch as Ralph and Ed think of some ways to get $200. Ed's suggestion involves going to the bank and getting a loan. Ralph says that won't work. They get their lunch as Ed spots a guy using an old-fashioned pinball machine (these were the ones that unfortunately don't have the buttons where you can spring the ball back into the game if you know what I mean). Ed says that Ralph can double the $8 that Ralph got for hocking Alice's wedding ring and make it $16. Ed says that Ralph is the greatest pinball player in New York and is surprised he hasn't made it his professional occupation. Something about that last sentence does not seem right to me. Ralph makes a bet with the guy that whoever gets the highest score with three balls, wins $8. Ralph plays the first ball and as the ball is going up and down in the machine, Ralph does some funny dance movements. When MSNBC did a special on Jackie Gleason (I think it was Headliners & Legends), they used the dancing part of this scene. After 3 balls, Ed is sure that Ralph's score will go in the Pinball Hall of Fame. Sure it will. The other guy plays and scores a bigger score on his first ball and says should he shoot another one. They say no and the guy wins $8 and some points. Question: Why didn't Ralph and Ed say yes? This way if he got a tilt in the game, he would lose. Ralph has now lost $208. They leave when the phone rings. It's for Jerry. It's a person who has a hot tip on Cigar Box at a race. The odds are 20-1 that Cigar Box will win. Jerry now closes his restaurant for what he claims is the last time since now he thinks he is going to be rich. Sure, he will. That gives Ralph an idea. Him and Ed will go to the track and bet on Cigar Box and if he wins, Ralph wins $200. Ralph leaves. Ed leaves, but not before deciding to play with the pinball machine which somehow causes it to go on fire. How could that happen?
At the race, Ralph and Ed notice that the odds for Cigar Box are still 20-1. Ralph says he will not place his bet until the last minute. If the odds get lower, the prize for him will get lower too. The odds do get lower, so Ralph and Ed scheme to get the odds in their favor. When the odds on Cigar Box start dropping, Ralph goes around dissuading people from betting on the horse. He and Norton split up, and Norton tells one man who's going to bet Cigar Box that he's the horse's owner, and that the horse can't win. Norton tells him to bet Happy Feet instead. Ralph bumps into the same man, who tells Ralph Cigar Box won't win because his owner just told him the horse is in the race only for a workout. Ed also says that his friend Ralph used to be a jockey and that he quit when he outweighed the horse. Ha! Ralph bets Happy Feet instead, and then finds out Cigar Box's "owner" is Norton. Oh, Ralph isn’t going to like that. Ralph rips up his ticket in despair, just when Happy Feet looks like he is going to lose. But Happy Feet comes back and win forcing Ralph and Ed to look on the ground and scramble up the ticket. I wonder if they would have won the prize if they presented the ripped up ticket to the person who they had to present it to if they won.
Credit I think goes to (the original) Bill's 'Mooners Archives, eBay.com, tv.com, Honeymooners Lost Episodes Book, tvguide.com, honeymooners.net, Honeymooners Lost Episodes DVD booklet, Wikipedia.org, Yahoo Groups You're A Riot! & Amazon.com.