Frank Gannucci
08-31-2018, 07:39 AM
Honeymooners Episode Reviews "Nephew of The Bride" & "Out of Sight, Out of Mind":
Episode #194 (Syndicated episode #23)
TV: One hour (edited.)
DVD: Attached to "Out of Sight, Out of Mind", "Two Faces of Ralph Kramden" & "The Main Event."
Color Episode Title: "Nephew of The Bride."
Lost Episode Title: "Goodbye Aunt Ethel."
Air Date: 10/21/67
"Nephew of The Bride":
It is raining in Brooklyn. Inside the basement of the Chauncey Street building, the June Taylor Dancers are all dressed, playing and acting like little kids. They all sing: “In The Basement On A Rainy Day.” After that, they leave. Ed accompanies Trixie to the basement of the Chauncey Street building. We finally get to see what the basement looked like (the part that didn't have those big pipes in which Ralph got stuck between in "Dial J For Janitor.") Ed is carrying a mannequin for Trixie. Ed says that Trixie used to be the same size as the mannequin. Trixie says that she still is. Trixie got his as a wedding present. She was lucky. She got two dummies in the same day. Ha! Ed: "Are you insinuating that I am the other dummy?" Trixie: "Yes dear." Ed: "Good because I wanted to make sure you weren't fooling around with another guy." Ed is about to take the thing upstairs when Alice comes down. Alice says for Ralph's two week vacation, they are staying home. They can't afford to go anywhere for two weeks. They will have to make day trips. Ed says that isn't bad. They did day trips for their honeymoon. Ralph comes home with great news. Ralph: "I'm going to make you the world's happiest woman." Ed: "You are going to have a baby." He just booked a vacation for him and Alice. They are going by bus to Miami Beach. Alice says that they can't afford it since those luxury hotels charge $4 to $5 a day. The audience even laughs with that line. I find it funny too considering the high prices that hotels charge today. Ralph says that they will spend the vacation with Alice's Uncle Charlie & Aunt Mabel considering that they have a spare room. Alice is even happier. The girls leave. Ralph reveals that he used his brain to get the vacation. That spare room is normally used by Alice's Aunt Ethel (the world's worst pain in the neck according to Ralph.) So he called Alice's family members down there before Aunt Ethel did. According to Ralph, she never married. Ralph & Ed sing: "Of All The Woman I Fear, Aunt Ethel Is The Worst of Them All." Alice comes down. She asks Ed to leave. He does. Alice is upset. She found out what Ralph did. Uncle Charlie liked what Ralph did for him so much that he rented the room for the whole season. (In other words, he hated Ralph so much for doing what he did; he is punishing him & Alice by not even allowing them to come down.) Because of that, Aunt Ethel is staying with them. D'oh! Definitely not something that Ralph wants to hear.
The next scene opens with Alice coming into the kitchen. Ralph is sleeping in the kitchen on a cot. Ralph is very angry that Alice's Aunt Ethel is staying over. Alice is making a lot of noise cooking breakfast. Aunt Ethel screams for the morning paper. The kettle is blowing steam and that upsets Ralph. Aunt Ethel comes out and the crowd applauds. Alice's Aunt Ethel asks for some orange juice. Ethel: "Maybe Ralph can get some from the store when he wakes up." Ralph: "Why don't you get a job as a lemon picker in Orlando?" Ralph orders Alice to order Ethel out. Ralph: "Tell Dracula's daughter to go back to Transylvania" Ralph says that she has been here for two and a half weeks. Alice reminds that because of Ralph's deed, Ethel could have been in Miami Beach. Ralph: "keep it up and the two of you will be on the moon." Alice (in a very childish and/or mocking voice): "You are such a strong man. Are you going to send both of us to the moon?" Ralph: "Ethel won't go there unless she has a relative to visit." Alice goes to Trixie's to get some orange juice for Ethel. Ralph tries to go back to sleep. Ethel asks for Alice. Ralph: "She went to get your citrus" Ethel asks for some milk. Ralph: "Maybe Alice hid it in the ice box." The milk is revealed to be on the fire escape. Ethel tries to get the milk that is on the fire escape. He offers to get the milk. Ralph tries to get the milk, but the window is stuck. He says if he lifts up the window any higher, he will lift the building off the ground. Ha! He tries to get the milk, but accidentally knocks the milk off the escape. Ralph says that Aunt Ethel should go down there and catch the milk before the cats get it. Ethel says that now she will have to drink her coffee black and that makes her get nervous. She gets the shingles. Ralph: "If you get the shingles, build yourself a house." Ethel goes into the bedroom to finish reading the paper. Ethel: "I am working on my horoscope. I'm a moon child." Ralph: "She will see her mother before she knows it." Ralph devises a plan to get rid of her. He will fake a back injury. Aunt Ethel comes in and hears the fact that Ralph has back pain. Ethel says that she will make the sacrifice She gives Ralph a back brace. Ralph is so upset.
The next scene opens with a bunch of kids playing in the street. They see Ralph and leave. Ralph meets up with Ed to talk about how he can get rid of Aunt Ethel, on the way to get Aunt Ethel some ice cream. Ed comes up with a plan to throw her out. Ed: "Why don't you yell out the window in the middle of the night: 'Fire!'" Ralph: "Suppose other people hear it. They will think that it's a real fire." Ed: "Then you yell: 'Fire, Aunt Ethel.'" Ralph thinks that Ed is crazy. Ed talks about how a woman who came to his house before he met Ralph. She gets married to his uncle. Ralph hatches a scheme, he will get her married. But who? Ralph says that her favorite romantic movie idol is Terry Savalas. Ed says that that description fits everybody in the neighborhood including some of the girls. Ed thinks of some men but they are either too young or too old. Ed: "How old is Aunt Ethel?" Ralph: "About 112." Ed: "Timmy is definitely too young. He's 14." Ralph is upset at Ed. Ed: "I happen to know that Timmy wants to get married. He hates math." Ralph says that now he wants to get away from Ed. Ed got just the guy: Krausmeyer the butcher. Ralph agrees. Ralph says that he Freitag's Meat Market is chosen as the pigeon and invited over for dinner. The plan is set. Ralph & Ed sing: "The Joys of Marriage." Ralph goes out to get the ice cream for Aunt Ethel.
Everyone at home gets informed of the date. Aunt Ethel gets ready. Ralph and Ed come in with a love seat Ralph is going all out to make sure the evening is a success. He sprays the room with perfume. They also brought in a love seat. He also borrowed a record player. Herman Krausmeyer, the butcher comes by with Chicken Livers. The crowd applauds. He says that single life is murder. He says he has to go to wonderful places alone. Ralph wonders why he stayed single. Ed after hearing all the places that Krausmeyer goes to over the week wonders why he and Ralph got married. Aunt Ethel meets Krausmeyer. It is revealed that Herman gets his sausages from the Steinhardt Packing Company and Ethel used to work there stuffing sausages. Herman: "I probably got one of your sausages." They all sit down. One problem. Ed sits in the love seat with Ethel. Ralph tries to kick him out of the seat. Ed leaves. Ralph says that they should play some games with Ralph and Alice being partners and the other two being partners. The game is called: "The Apple Game." The Krausmeyer/Ethel team goes first. The game? Ethel hides an apple behind her back and if Krausmeyer doesn't get the apple in 10 seconds, she gives him a kiss. The same thing presumably goes the same for Ralph and Alice and if the person gets the apple, they eat it. Gee, doesn't it sound like Ralph is making the rules up as he goes? And doesn't it seem that he really wants Ethel and Krausmeyer to be a couple? Yes. When Krausmeyer tries to get the apple, he tells Ethel to look behind her. She does by turning her whole body. He gets the apple and Ralph sees it as cheating. Yeah, he is making up the rules. Ralph plays the game with Ethel but doesn't get the apple. So he has to get kissed by Ethel. Ralph yells that the game is over. It is also revealed that Herman and Ethel hate Kabasi. Ralph: "You got a lot in common." Ralph and Alice go into the bedroom to sort out the laundry. Ralph needs a chair, so he gets it. He is hoping that the two share a love seat. Herman tries to talk to Ethel. Ralph comes back with two more chairs. He turns on the record player. Herman sits on the love seat with Ethel. Herman: "are you planning to go back to Dayton (her home town) real soon?" Ethel: "Maybe next spring unless something big happened." Ralph would certainly LOVE it if he had to put up with Ethel until the spring. They go out to get an ice cream soda. They try to inform the Kramdens and when they open the door, Ralph runs out and asks them to go right ahead. Basically, he indicated that he heard the whole thing.
A month later, Aunt Ethel and Krausmeyer are still going out and Ethel is still staying with Alice and Ralph. Some short visit, huh? Alice is getting worried. It is 2am and she isn't home yet. Ralph: "She better get home if she wants to wake me up at 6am." Alice is worried that Krausmeyer tried to get fresh with her. Ralph says that she shouldn't be worried. Aunt Ethel comes home and says that she and Krausmeyer are married. Ralph is ecstatic Ralph: "I will kiss the bride, the groom and the truck." Ralph gets her things out. Not so fast. Krausmeyer lives at the local YMCA (apparently they don't allow couples to live there and/or his place there is too small), so she asks Alice if they can stay until they find a place. Alice doesn't say a word. Ralph leaves to go to the YMCA.
During the curtain call, Jackie just says "Goodnight!" According to the old honeymooners.net site, Alice's Aunt Ethel was played by Doro Merande and Herman was played by David Burns.
Honeymooners Episode Reviews: "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" & "Two Faces of Ralph Kramden" (rare versions of each):
Episode #195 (Syndicated episode #24)
TV: Hour (edited).
DVD: Attached to "Nephew of The Bride" & "Two For The Money."
Color version: "Out of Sight, Out of Mind."
Lost version: "A Little Man Who Wasn't There"
Air Date: 11/4/67
"Out of Sight, Out of Mind":
In the late 1980s, in one of the Honeymooners comics they printed a B&W comic of the lost episode version with some dialogue cut out.
(This version was either taped from CBS or a 16mm print.)
MPI Video says that the lost episode version of this episode goes down as one of the funniest Honeymooners episodes ever made. I disagree with that because although this episode is funny, it isn't one that will make you laugh until your eyes water (because of laughter.)
I have either a rare 16mm print of this episode or the CBS version of this episode that I think was recorded in the late 60s. The reason? One of the sponsors is Marlboro (the other one is Bulova.) This version of this episode I don't think was reran in the 70s in this form because by that time, the cigarette ad ban went into effect. I remember watching the last episode of Monday Night Football on ABC in 2005 and when they showed the beginning of the first episode shown on ABC in 1970, the commentator made reference to the cigarette sponsor and said that this episode (meaning the MNF episode obviously) was shown just a short time before the ban was made. If you get this episode on MPI, unlike the other episodes, you will not get the sponsor plugs.
The June Taylor Dancers come out. They put their clothes out to dry and wash and sing “Weekly Wash.” They dance too. After that, they leave. The Nortons come up to hang up their clothes on the clothesline. Ed is afraid that he has to hang up clothes with his wife because he thinks that his friends will think he is henpecked. Ed asked his wife to hang up Ed's unmentionables (his pajamas I think.) His pajamas are loud. Trixie leaves. Ed puts on a pair of funny looking glasses to disguise himself and it works because when Ralph comes up, he can't recognize him. Ed says that it's him and explains why is wearing the mask. Ralph comes home all steamed up. Some passengers on Ralph's bus who have been offended by him have complained to the bus company, so Ralph's boss orders him to see the company psychiatrist. Ralph thinks that the boss thinks he's crazy. Ralph: "My boss is the one that's crazy. I'm just as sane as he is." Ralph is worried that if the psychiatrist sends in a bad report, Ralph will lose his job. Ed says that there is nothing to worry about. Ed decides to give Ralph a knee test (i.e. letting one person hitting your knee to see if it will go up.) Ed hits Ralph in the knee with a small hammer but his knee didn't go up. Both Ed and Ralph say that it should and that Ed should hit it harder. He is going to do it again by counting so Ralph says to do it unexpectedly. Ed sings: "The foot bone is connected to the ankle bone..." Ed starts to dance as Ralph starts to dance too and he snaps his fingers. Eventually, Ralph has had enough and yells at Ed. Ed (sings): "And the shoe bone is connected to the knee." Ralph groans in pain and walks around in pain. Ed: "Your knee didn't go up. Do you want me to hit the other knee?" Ralph says no. Ralph says that he is nervous. Ed: "Today, you think you are nervous. Tomorrow, you will think that you are Napoleon" Ed hangs up more clothes. Alice comes up to hang clothes and greets Ralph and Ed. Ed asks Alice to hang up his laundry. Ed leaves. Ralph tries to explain to Alice his situation. Ralph: "Alice, my leg won't go up. I hit it with a hammer, but it won't go up." Alice (with a look that looks like she is trying her best not to laugh): "You keep talking like that, and they will come with a net and take you away." Ralph explains what happened to him today and that Alice says that Ralph isn't crazy just because he is going to see a psychiatrist. The reason could be that the boss thinks that Ralph may be stressed out about a problem and he doesn't know what it is Ralph calms down. Ralph says that he feels better. Ralph & Alice sing: "It's The Little Things That Make You What You Are." After that, they go downstairs.
Ralph takes Norton with him to the psychiatrist's office. Ed is wearing a very loud jacket. Ed says Ralph not to worry about being put in a straitjacket because there isn't one big enough. Ralph says he brought Ed won because he doesn't want to be alone with that psychiatrist Ed says that Ralph is a big bundle of nerves. Ralph disagrees. Ed puts him to the test by saying: "The ceiling is falling down." Ralph is so scared. When he realizes that Ed was joking, he asks Ed to put 'em up. Ed hops on the desk. When the psychiatrist comes, he sees Ed on the desk and thinks that it's Mr. Kramden. Ralph says that that's his friend Ed Norton and he's Ralph. Ed: "See doc? Nothing wrong with me." The doctor sits down and Ralph says that he's no crackpot. Doctor: "We call them patients, not crackpots." The intercom rings. Doctor (into intercom): "Don't bother me Ms. Wilson. I'm in here with a patient." Ralph is now more worried. The doctor says he's going to give Mr. Kramden a word association test. Ralph: "Aren't you going to give me the knee test? I've been practicing all night with a hammer." Yeah, the doctor isn't going to think he's crazy at all. He gives him the word association test. Doctor: "Man." Ralph: "Woman." Doctor: "House." Ralph: "Furniture." Doctor: "Dog." Ralph: "Cat." Doctor: "Bus." Ralph: "Those dirty rotten passengers." The doctor is puzzled. Ralph: "That wasn't the first thing that popped into my head. My first thought was: 'Gee, I would love to drive my bus.'" The doctor says Ralph did fine on the test. The doctor brings out the coordination test for Ralph. He has to put shapes into their appropriate holes on a board. Ed: "Can three people play?" Ralph tries to force one object into a hole, so the doctor says that isn't needed. Ed: "A five-year-old can do this." Ralph: "Don't worry. I'll do it." Ed also says: "You can't put a square block into a round hole?" Ralph: "No? Then how did you get your head in your hat?" Ralph is getting frustrated with the game and when Ed leaves the room (after saying that Ralph is a sick boy), Ralph is able to concentrate. Ralph says that he has known Ed for a long time. The doctor says that Ed is his problem and that if he hung around him any loner, he would get a nervous breakdown. Ralph sings a very emotional song called: "How Do You Say Goodbye To A Buddy?" Ralph leaves the place (without telling Ed what the doctor told him.)
At home, Ralph is thinking about how he should get rid of Ed. Writing a letter is his only good option. Ralph (writing letter): "Dear Norton: Friend, chum, life-long buddy. Don't ever come near me again." Ralph changes what he wrote and says in his letter that he would have to put an end to it (their friendship that is). When Ralph is in the other room, Ed comes in with a friend to pick him up to go bowling. Ed sees the letter and thinks that Ralph will commit suicide. He decides to stick to Ralph like glue, to prevent him from killing himself. The friend (Cassidy) leaves, saying that he can't bowl at a time like this, so he will go to a movie. Ralph tries building a model airplane together Ralph tries to get him mad so their friendship would be dissolved but to no avail. So when Ed annoys Ralph more (by eating celery loudly), Ralph kicks him out. Ed leaves. Ralph is even more upset. A knock on the door is heard and Ed comes in with those funny-looking glasses he had on in the first scene. Ed: "Pardon me stranger. I am running for Congress..." Ralph (yells): "WILL YOU GET OUT OF HERE!"
At a pool hall, the next day, Ralph is talking to a friend named Joe and explains that even though he wanted to break up his friendship with Ed. Ralph: "Nobody told me to do this, like a psychiatrist or anything. But even since I have broken up my friendship with him, I haven't been seeing him but I have been seeing him. I know it isn't him because he is at work." Ralph doesn't even know if he IS SEEING him. The friend explains something similar that happened to a friend of his named Shorty and his dog when the dog got sick. He kept on seeing the dog, even though he was at home, so the friend ended up being put away. Ralph tries to play pool and when he sees Ed in the telephone booth, he is convinced (or so he thinks) that he is crazy. Ralph leaves. Ed sings: “Ralph, You Are A Fortunate Man” in which another story about how Ed & Ralph met is told. According to the song, Ed met Ralph when Ralph fell down the stairs in their apartment building.
Ralph comes home and says to Alice that he isn't nervous, jumpy and upset anymore. He is completely nuts. He explains the whole situation of him seeing Ed but he knows that he is at work. Alice is convinced that Ralph needs medicine to calm him down and when Ed comes in, Ralph thinks it is her. Ed leaves. Alice comes in and Ralph said that she looked like Norton. Ralph takes some nerve tonic and drinks it from the bottle. Alice tells Ralph to get a hold of himself. The doctor is coming and Alice wants Ralph to tell him the whole situation. Ralph doesn't want to. Ralph: "They will put me in the funny farm and throw the key away." The doctor comes in and gets told of the whole situation, so he thinks that Ralph is crazy. Ed comes in. Alice: "You are fine Ralph. You are perfect. I want you to turn around and greet Ed." Ralph sees Ed and says that Alice and the doctor are against Ralph. He also says that he doesn't see Norton. The doctor says that Ed is there. Ralph: "Sure he is. Julius Cesar is over there and Cleopatra is taking a bath in the sink." Ed: "Va-va-voom Ralph! Where?" Ralph finally realizes that Ed is there. Ed says to Ralph not to take a long walk again. Ed explains that he has stuck to Ralph like glue because he didn't want to commit suicide like he said in the letter. Ralph explains that the letter was to tell him not to see him (Ralph) again because the doctor said that was made him (Ralph) crazy. After hearing this, the doctor says that Ralph and Ed need to remain friends so that Ralph can keep an eye on Ed at all times. The doctor leaves and Alice lies down. Ralph & Ed sing "Take A Look At Mr. Lucky."
At the curtain call, Jackie says: "How Sweet It Is" and praises the Miami Beach audience. Jackie introduces the cast (including Johnny Morgan (who played many character roles on the show), Joey Faye and Howard St. John) and says goodnight to everybody.
Credit I think goes to (the original) Bill's 'Mooners Archives, eBay.com, tv.com, Honeymooners Lost Episodes Book, tvguide.com, honeymooners.net, Honeymooners Box Set booklet Honeymooners Lost Episodes DVD booklet, Wikipedia.org, Yahoo Group You're A Riot! & Amazon.com.
Episode #194 (Syndicated episode #23)
TV: One hour (edited.)
DVD: Attached to "Out of Sight, Out of Mind", "Two Faces of Ralph Kramden" & "The Main Event."
Color Episode Title: "Nephew of The Bride."
Lost Episode Title: "Goodbye Aunt Ethel."
Air Date: 10/21/67
"Nephew of The Bride":
It is raining in Brooklyn. Inside the basement of the Chauncey Street building, the June Taylor Dancers are all dressed, playing and acting like little kids. They all sing: “In The Basement On A Rainy Day.” After that, they leave. Ed accompanies Trixie to the basement of the Chauncey Street building. We finally get to see what the basement looked like (the part that didn't have those big pipes in which Ralph got stuck between in "Dial J For Janitor.") Ed is carrying a mannequin for Trixie. Ed says that Trixie used to be the same size as the mannequin. Trixie says that she still is. Trixie got his as a wedding present. She was lucky. She got two dummies in the same day. Ha! Ed: "Are you insinuating that I am the other dummy?" Trixie: "Yes dear." Ed: "Good because I wanted to make sure you weren't fooling around with another guy." Ed is about to take the thing upstairs when Alice comes down. Alice says for Ralph's two week vacation, they are staying home. They can't afford to go anywhere for two weeks. They will have to make day trips. Ed says that isn't bad. They did day trips for their honeymoon. Ralph comes home with great news. Ralph: "I'm going to make you the world's happiest woman." Ed: "You are going to have a baby." He just booked a vacation for him and Alice. They are going by bus to Miami Beach. Alice says that they can't afford it since those luxury hotels charge $4 to $5 a day. The audience even laughs with that line. I find it funny too considering the high prices that hotels charge today. Ralph says that they will spend the vacation with Alice's Uncle Charlie & Aunt Mabel considering that they have a spare room. Alice is even happier. The girls leave. Ralph reveals that he used his brain to get the vacation. That spare room is normally used by Alice's Aunt Ethel (the world's worst pain in the neck according to Ralph.) So he called Alice's family members down there before Aunt Ethel did. According to Ralph, she never married. Ralph & Ed sing: "Of All The Woman I Fear, Aunt Ethel Is The Worst of Them All." Alice comes down. She asks Ed to leave. He does. Alice is upset. She found out what Ralph did. Uncle Charlie liked what Ralph did for him so much that he rented the room for the whole season. (In other words, he hated Ralph so much for doing what he did; he is punishing him & Alice by not even allowing them to come down.) Because of that, Aunt Ethel is staying with them. D'oh! Definitely not something that Ralph wants to hear.
The next scene opens with Alice coming into the kitchen. Ralph is sleeping in the kitchen on a cot. Ralph is very angry that Alice's Aunt Ethel is staying over. Alice is making a lot of noise cooking breakfast. Aunt Ethel screams for the morning paper. The kettle is blowing steam and that upsets Ralph. Aunt Ethel comes out and the crowd applauds. Alice's Aunt Ethel asks for some orange juice. Ethel: "Maybe Ralph can get some from the store when he wakes up." Ralph: "Why don't you get a job as a lemon picker in Orlando?" Ralph orders Alice to order Ethel out. Ralph: "Tell Dracula's daughter to go back to Transylvania" Ralph says that she has been here for two and a half weeks. Alice reminds that because of Ralph's deed, Ethel could have been in Miami Beach. Ralph: "keep it up and the two of you will be on the moon." Alice (in a very childish and/or mocking voice): "You are such a strong man. Are you going to send both of us to the moon?" Ralph: "Ethel won't go there unless she has a relative to visit." Alice goes to Trixie's to get some orange juice for Ethel. Ralph tries to go back to sleep. Ethel asks for Alice. Ralph: "She went to get your citrus" Ethel asks for some milk. Ralph: "Maybe Alice hid it in the ice box." The milk is revealed to be on the fire escape. Ethel tries to get the milk that is on the fire escape. He offers to get the milk. Ralph tries to get the milk, but the window is stuck. He says if he lifts up the window any higher, he will lift the building off the ground. Ha! He tries to get the milk, but accidentally knocks the milk off the escape. Ralph says that Aunt Ethel should go down there and catch the milk before the cats get it. Ethel says that now she will have to drink her coffee black and that makes her get nervous. She gets the shingles. Ralph: "If you get the shingles, build yourself a house." Ethel goes into the bedroom to finish reading the paper. Ethel: "I am working on my horoscope. I'm a moon child." Ralph: "She will see her mother before she knows it." Ralph devises a plan to get rid of her. He will fake a back injury. Aunt Ethel comes in and hears the fact that Ralph has back pain. Ethel says that she will make the sacrifice She gives Ralph a back brace. Ralph is so upset.
The next scene opens with a bunch of kids playing in the street. They see Ralph and leave. Ralph meets up with Ed to talk about how he can get rid of Aunt Ethel, on the way to get Aunt Ethel some ice cream. Ed comes up with a plan to throw her out. Ed: "Why don't you yell out the window in the middle of the night: 'Fire!'" Ralph: "Suppose other people hear it. They will think that it's a real fire." Ed: "Then you yell: 'Fire, Aunt Ethel.'" Ralph thinks that Ed is crazy. Ed talks about how a woman who came to his house before he met Ralph. She gets married to his uncle. Ralph hatches a scheme, he will get her married. But who? Ralph says that her favorite romantic movie idol is Terry Savalas. Ed says that that description fits everybody in the neighborhood including some of the girls. Ed thinks of some men but they are either too young or too old. Ed: "How old is Aunt Ethel?" Ralph: "About 112." Ed: "Timmy is definitely too young. He's 14." Ralph is upset at Ed. Ed: "I happen to know that Timmy wants to get married. He hates math." Ralph says that now he wants to get away from Ed. Ed got just the guy: Krausmeyer the butcher. Ralph agrees. Ralph says that he Freitag's Meat Market is chosen as the pigeon and invited over for dinner. The plan is set. Ralph & Ed sing: "The Joys of Marriage." Ralph goes out to get the ice cream for Aunt Ethel.
Everyone at home gets informed of the date. Aunt Ethel gets ready. Ralph and Ed come in with a love seat Ralph is going all out to make sure the evening is a success. He sprays the room with perfume. They also brought in a love seat. He also borrowed a record player. Herman Krausmeyer, the butcher comes by with Chicken Livers. The crowd applauds. He says that single life is murder. He says he has to go to wonderful places alone. Ralph wonders why he stayed single. Ed after hearing all the places that Krausmeyer goes to over the week wonders why he and Ralph got married. Aunt Ethel meets Krausmeyer. It is revealed that Herman gets his sausages from the Steinhardt Packing Company and Ethel used to work there stuffing sausages. Herman: "I probably got one of your sausages." They all sit down. One problem. Ed sits in the love seat with Ethel. Ralph tries to kick him out of the seat. Ed leaves. Ralph says that they should play some games with Ralph and Alice being partners and the other two being partners. The game is called: "The Apple Game." The Krausmeyer/Ethel team goes first. The game? Ethel hides an apple behind her back and if Krausmeyer doesn't get the apple in 10 seconds, she gives him a kiss. The same thing presumably goes the same for Ralph and Alice and if the person gets the apple, they eat it. Gee, doesn't it sound like Ralph is making the rules up as he goes? And doesn't it seem that he really wants Ethel and Krausmeyer to be a couple? Yes. When Krausmeyer tries to get the apple, he tells Ethel to look behind her. She does by turning her whole body. He gets the apple and Ralph sees it as cheating. Yeah, he is making up the rules. Ralph plays the game with Ethel but doesn't get the apple. So he has to get kissed by Ethel. Ralph yells that the game is over. It is also revealed that Herman and Ethel hate Kabasi. Ralph: "You got a lot in common." Ralph and Alice go into the bedroom to sort out the laundry. Ralph needs a chair, so he gets it. He is hoping that the two share a love seat. Herman tries to talk to Ethel. Ralph comes back with two more chairs. He turns on the record player. Herman sits on the love seat with Ethel. Herman: "are you planning to go back to Dayton (her home town) real soon?" Ethel: "Maybe next spring unless something big happened." Ralph would certainly LOVE it if he had to put up with Ethel until the spring. They go out to get an ice cream soda. They try to inform the Kramdens and when they open the door, Ralph runs out and asks them to go right ahead. Basically, he indicated that he heard the whole thing.
A month later, Aunt Ethel and Krausmeyer are still going out and Ethel is still staying with Alice and Ralph. Some short visit, huh? Alice is getting worried. It is 2am and she isn't home yet. Ralph: "She better get home if she wants to wake me up at 6am." Alice is worried that Krausmeyer tried to get fresh with her. Ralph says that she shouldn't be worried. Aunt Ethel comes home and says that she and Krausmeyer are married. Ralph is ecstatic Ralph: "I will kiss the bride, the groom and the truck." Ralph gets her things out. Not so fast. Krausmeyer lives at the local YMCA (apparently they don't allow couples to live there and/or his place there is too small), so she asks Alice if they can stay until they find a place. Alice doesn't say a word. Ralph leaves to go to the YMCA.
During the curtain call, Jackie just says "Goodnight!" According to the old honeymooners.net site, Alice's Aunt Ethel was played by Doro Merande and Herman was played by David Burns.
Honeymooners Episode Reviews: "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" & "Two Faces of Ralph Kramden" (rare versions of each):
Episode #195 (Syndicated episode #24)
TV: Hour (edited).
DVD: Attached to "Nephew of The Bride" & "Two For The Money."
Color version: "Out of Sight, Out of Mind."
Lost version: "A Little Man Who Wasn't There"
Air Date: 11/4/67
"Out of Sight, Out of Mind":
In the late 1980s, in one of the Honeymooners comics they printed a B&W comic of the lost episode version with some dialogue cut out.
(This version was either taped from CBS or a 16mm print.)
MPI Video says that the lost episode version of this episode goes down as one of the funniest Honeymooners episodes ever made. I disagree with that because although this episode is funny, it isn't one that will make you laugh until your eyes water (because of laughter.)
I have either a rare 16mm print of this episode or the CBS version of this episode that I think was recorded in the late 60s. The reason? One of the sponsors is Marlboro (the other one is Bulova.) This version of this episode I don't think was reran in the 70s in this form because by that time, the cigarette ad ban went into effect. I remember watching the last episode of Monday Night Football on ABC in 2005 and when they showed the beginning of the first episode shown on ABC in 1970, the commentator made reference to the cigarette sponsor and said that this episode (meaning the MNF episode obviously) was shown just a short time before the ban was made. If you get this episode on MPI, unlike the other episodes, you will not get the sponsor plugs.
The June Taylor Dancers come out. They put their clothes out to dry and wash and sing “Weekly Wash.” They dance too. After that, they leave. The Nortons come up to hang up their clothes on the clothesline. Ed is afraid that he has to hang up clothes with his wife because he thinks that his friends will think he is henpecked. Ed asked his wife to hang up Ed's unmentionables (his pajamas I think.) His pajamas are loud. Trixie leaves. Ed puts on a pair of funny looking glasses to disguise himself and it works because when Ralph comes up, he can't recognize him. Ed says that it's him and explains why is wearing the mask. Ralph comes home all steamed up. Some passengers on Ralph's bus who have been offended by him have complained to the bus company, so Ralph's boss orders him to see the company psychiatrist. Ralph thinks that the boss thinks he's crazy. Ralph: "My boss is the one that's crazy. I'm just as sane as he is." Ralph is worried that if the psychiatrist sends in a bad report, Ralph will lose his job. Ed says that there is nothing to worry about. Ed decides to give Ralph a knee test (i.e. letting one person hitting your knee to see if it will go up.) Ed hits Ralph in the knee with a small hammer but his knee didn't go up. Both Ed and Ralph say that it should and that Ed should hit it harder. He is going to do it again by counting so Ralph says to do it unexpectedly. Ed sings: "The foot bone is connected to the ankle bone..." Ed starts to dance as Ralph starts to dance too and he snaps his fingers. Eventually, Ralph has had enough and yells at Ed. Ed (sings): "And the shoe bone is connected to the knee." Ralph groans in pain and walks around in pain. Ed: "Your knee didn't go up. Do you want me to hit the other knee?" Ralph says no. Ralph says that he is nervous. Ed: "Today, you think you are nervous. Tomorrow, you will think that you are Napoleon" Ed hangs up more clothes. Alice comes up to hang clothes and greets Ralph and Ed. Ed asks Alice to hang up his laundry. Ed leaves. Ralph tries to explain to Alice his situation. Ralph: "Alice, my leg won't go up. I hit it with a hammer, but it won't go up." Alice (with a look that looks like she is trying her best not to laugh): "You keep talking like that, and they will come with a net and take you away." Ralph explains what happened to him today and that Alice says that Ralph isn't crazy just because he is going to see a psychiatrist. The reason could be that the boss thinks that Ralph may be stressed out about a problem and he doesn't know what it is Ralph calms down. Ralph says that he feels better. Ralph & Alice sing: "It's The Little Things That Make You What You Are." After that, they go downstairs.
Ralph takes Norton with him to the psychiatrist's office. Ed is wearing a very loud jacket. Ed says Ralph not to worry about being put in a straitjacket because there isn't one big enough. Ralph says he brought Ed won because he doesn't want to be alone with that psychiatrist Ed says that Ralph is a big bundle of nerves. Ralph disagrees. Ed puts him to the test by saying: "The ceiling is falling down." Ralph is so scared. When he realizes that Ed was joking, he asks Ed to put 'em up. Ed hops on the desk. When the psychiatrist comes, he sees Ed on the desk and thinks that it's Mr. Kramden. Ralph says that that's his friend Ed Norton and he's Ralph. Ed: "See doc? Nothing wrong with me." The doctor sits down and Ralph says that he's no crackpot. Doctor: "We call them patients, not crackpots." The intercom rings. Doctor (into intercom): "Don't bother me Ms. Wilson. I'm in here with a patient." Ralph is now more worried. The doctor says he's going to give Mr. Kramden a word association test. Ralph: "Aren't you going to give me the knee test? I've been practicing all night with a hammer." Yeah, the doctor isn't going to think he's crazy at all. He gives him the word association test. Doctor: "Man." Ralph: "Woman." Doctor: "House." Ralph: "Furniture." Doctor: "Dog." Ralph: "Cat." Doctor: "Bus." Ralph: "Those dirty rotten passengers." The doctor is puzzled. Ralph: "That wasn't the first thing that popped into my head. My first thought was: 'Gee, I would love to drive my bus.'" The doctor says Ralph did fine on the test. The doctor brings out the coordination test for Ralph. He has to put shapes into their appropriate holes on a board. Ed: "Can three people play?" Ralph tries to force one object into a hole, so the doctor says that isn't needed. Ed: "A five-year-old can do this." Ralph: "Don't worry. I'll do it." Ed also says: "You can't put a square block into a round hole?" Ralph: "No? Then how did you get your head in your hat?" Ralph is getting frustrated with the game and when Ed leaves the room (after saying that Ralph is a sick boy), Ralph is able to concentrate. Ralph says that he has known Ed for a long time. The doctor says that Ed is his problem and that if he hung around him any loner, he would get a nervous breakdown. Ralph sings a very emotional song called: "How Do You Say Goodbye To A Buddy?" Ralph leaves the place (without telling Ed what the doctor told him.)
At home, Ralph is thinking about how he should get rid of Ed. Writing a letter is his only good option. Ralph (writing letter): "Dear Norton: Friend, chum, life-long buddy. Don't ever come near me again." Ralph changes what he wrote and says in his letter that he would have to put an end to it (their friendship that is). When Ralph is in the other room, Ed comes in with a friend to pick him up to go bowling. Ed sees the letter and thinks that Ralph will commit suicide. He decides to stick to Ralph like glue, to prevent him from killing himself. The friend (Cassidy) leaves, saying that he can't bowl at a time like this, so he will go to a movie. Ralph tries building a model airplane together Ralph tries to get him mad so their friendship would be dissolved but to no avail. So when Ed annoys Ralph more (by eating celery loudly), Ralph kicks him out. Ed leaves. Ralph is even more upset. A knock on the door is heard and Ed comes in with those funny-looking glasses he had on in the first scene. Ed: "Pardon me stranger. I am running for Congress..." Ralph (yells): "WILL YOU GET OUT OF HERE!"
At a pool hall, the next day, Ralph is talking to a friend named Joe and explains that even though he wanted to break up his friendship with Ed. Ralph: "Nobody told me to do this, like a psychiatrist or anything. But even since I have broken up my friendship with him, I haven't been seeing him but I have been seeing him. I know it isn't him because he is at work." Ralph doesn't even know if he IS SEEING him. The friend explains something similar that happened to a friend of his named Shorty and his dog when the dog got sick. He kept on seeing the dog, even though he was at home, so the friend ended up being put away. Ralph tries to play pool and when he sees Ed in the telephone booth, he is convinced (or so he thinks) that he is crazy. Ralph leaves. Ed sings: “Ralph, You Are A Fortunate Man” in which another story about how Ed & Ralph met is told. According to the song, Ed met Ralph when Ralph fell down the stairs in their apartment building.
Ralph comes home and says to Alice that he isn't nervous, jumpy and upset anymore. He is completely nuts. He explains the whole situation of him seeing Ed but he knows that he is at work. Alice is convinced that Ralph needs medicine to calm him down and when Ed comes in, Ralph thinks it is her. Ed leaves. Alice comes in and Ralph said that she looked like Norton. Ralph takes some nerve tonic and drinks it from the bottle. Alice tells Ralph to get a hold of himself. The doctor is coming and Alice wants Ralph to tell him the whole situation. Ralph doesn't want to. Ralph: "They will put me in the funny farm and throw the key away." The doctor comes in and gets told of the whole situation, so he thinks that Ralph is crazy. Ed comes in. Alice: "You are fine Ralph. You are perfect. I want you to turn around and greet Ed." Ralph sees Ed and says that Alice and the doctor are against Ralph. He also says that he doesn't see Norton. The doctor says that Ed is there. Ralph: "Sure he is. Julius Cesar is over there and Cleopatra is taking a bath in the sink." Ed: "Va-va-voom Ralph! Where?" Ralph finally realizes that Ed is there. Ed says to Ralph not to take a long walk again. Ed explains that he has stuck to Ralph like glue because he didn't want to commit suicide like he said in the letter. Ralph explains that the letter was to tell him not to see him (Ralph) again because the doctor said that was made him (Ralph) crazy. After hearing this, the doctor says that Ralph and Ed need to remain friends so that Ralph can keep an eye on Ed at all times. The doctor leaves and Alice lies down. Ralph & Ed sing "Take A Look At Mr. Lucky."
At the curtain call, Jackie says: "How Sweet It Is" and praises the Miami Beach audience. Jackie introduces the cast (including Johnny Morgan (who played many character roles on the show), Joey Faye and Howard St. John) and says goodnight to everybody.
Credit I think goes to (the original) Bill's 'Mooners Archives, eBay.com, tv.com, Honeymooners Lost Episodes Book, tvguide.com, honeymooners.net, Honeymooners Box Set booklet Honeymooners Lost Episodes DVD booklet, Wikipedia.org, Yahoo Group You're A Riot! & Amazon.com.