Frank Gannucci
05-14-2021, 07:42 AM
Honeymooners Episode Reviews: "Six Months To Live" ('52) & "Honeymooners Christmas Party" (52):
Episode #37
TV: Shown on a Best of Gleason I
DVD: Attached to "Boys & Girls Together", "Anniversary Gift", & "This Is Your Life." On the Lost Episodes Restored Box Set, it is attached to “The New Bowling Ball”, “Lost Baby”, “Quiz Show”, “Halloween Party” (’52 version), “Cold”, “Jellybeans”, “The Turkey” & “Pickles”
Color & Lost Episode Title: "Six Months To Live."
Classic 39 Episode Title: "A Matter of Life & Death."
Air Date: Sat. 12/13/52
This was shown on FOX as part of their Best of Gleason Specials in 1989 and 1990. Alice is home with an eye patch on her eye. In real life, Audrey had an eye infection or something. Trixie visits. Alice explains the patch is because Ralph accidentally hit her with a sock. She was supposed to catch it. Alice is talking about her mother's dog being sick and having to be taken to the doctor. It costs Alice $10. It was more expensive to have the doctor give the dog a check-up then it did Ralph when he recently visited the doctor.
Ralph and Ed come in. Ed wants a kiss from Trixie. But she says no. One of the reasons is that he worked in the sewer all day. Trixie goes upstairs. Ralph tells a story that while he was on the bus today, he met a man who said that he was George Washington. The man annoyed Ralph and the customers for a while so Ralph got him off the bus by stopping sand saying: ‘This Is Valley Forge.’” Alice leaves to go get the wash. Ed asks Ralph if he wants to go see a movie tonight. Ralph says no. He thinks that there is something wrong with him since he went to the doctor. The telegram is sent in. Ralph gets the telegram from the delivery man and when the man holds out his hand expecting a tip, Ralph says: "Your hand is very dirty." Ralph: “I hope there is something wrong with me. That way, I can go down to Paul’s Landing and do some fishing.” Doesn’t Ralph know that when you are sick and have to stay at home from your job, you shouldn’t go on vacation? Ralph reads the telegram aloud to Ed. Ralph: “A severe case of manochromia exists. This is the type of disease that normally affects Boxers. The signs are: blue tongue, hair falling out and irritability. Keep him away from your mother as people will become vulnerable to the disease he is carrying." He continues reading the telegram. Ralph thinks that the letter is about him and he is dying. Ed: "Doctors can be wrong to you know. Take a friend of mine, the doctor gave him six months to live. He lived for almost eight months." Ralph blames the disease on his job. Ralph: “I am headed up to that big bus depot in the sky.” Ralph thought he would never go out this way. It’s been a real struggle ever since he was born according to him. He can’t believe the way he is going out. Ed leave, but not after asking Ralph what size bowling shoes he wears.
Alice comes down. She sings: “I am walking alone.” Ralph (yells): “WILL YOU STOP SINGING THAT SONG?” Alice doesn’t comply and if she wanted to, she will sing it for the next six months. Ralph looks at his tongue in the mirror to see if it is blue. Ralph: “I just want to look at my tongue.” Alice: “Why don’t you go down to the butcher’s? They have a lot of them.” After that, he asks for a saucer of warm milk and he wants it in his bedroom. Alice: “One of these days, they are going to take you away.” Ralph: “That is right.” Ralph wants Alice to sit down. Ralph wants to talk to her. Ralph: “I want a man-to-man conversation with you. He talks about would she marry another guy if Ralph died. Alice: “No, unless the right guy came along and I was lonely.” Ralph can’t blame her because she is in the prime of life and he is going to die soon. He then talks about what it would be like if she met another guy after Ralph died. Ralph: “When I die, bury me in my overcoat.” Alice: “Don’t worry. You are strong as a horse.” Ralph: “I suppose you never saw a dead horse.” Alice: “Now that you mentioned it, there is a resemblance.” Ralph: “You try to steam me. YOU GOT ME STEAMED. I tried to save you some aggravation. Read that (the telegram.)” She does. She laughs uncontrollably while Ralph thinks that she has no heart. Alice tells him that he is not dying and this telegram is for mom's dog. She explains the significance of the telegram. Ralph is happy that he is not dying after all. He and Alice laugh together. Ralph: “You are married to the World’s No. 1 Maniac.” Alice: “I love my maniac.” They hug and kiss.
Episode #38
TV: Not seen since its original airdate.
DVD: The 1952 version on the Lost Episodes DVD Box Set is attached to “Glow Worm Cleaning Powder”, “Alice Plays Cupid”, “Suspense”, “Lost Job”, “Anniversary Gift”, “Income Tax”,” “Alice’s Aunt Ethel”, “What’s Her Name”, “Lunch Box”, “Hot Tips”, “Norton Moves In”, “Ralph’s Diet”, “Dinner Guest”, “Manager of The Baseball Team” (’53 version) & “Dorsey Brothers Show.”
Air Date: Sat. 12/20/52
MPI says that the picture to the original film of the sketch is missing for the first few seconds so still frame images have been utilized. The episode opens up with Alice getting ready for Christmas. 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'. He slams the door and the set shakes.
Trixie comes in and she 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 and within a second she knows his name: Fenwick Babbit. Either Trixie saw him before or he gave her his name very softly and quickly. Fenwick is played by Jackie Gleason. After pacing his beer barrel in the apartment, he begins to cut the ice. He hits his finger and yells in Ralph Kramden fashion. Now I wonder why Alice and Trixie don't come up with the thought that Ralph and he look alike. When Trixie goes upstairs to get something for Fenwick, Fenwick asks: "Does she live nearby?" The crowd laughs. When Trixie comes back, Fenwick realizes that he is in the wrong apartment and then Alice treats him rudely and asks him to leave. He leaves WITHOUT the ice but not before he says to Trixie: "You are a nice lady."
Ed comes in and says that he has come with, Patricia Morrison. The crowd applauds for the guest star. She sings "All I Want Is You" and "Wunderbar" for Alice, Ed, and Trixie, and dances with Ed. She almost kisses Ed. Trixie intervenes much to Ed’s chagrin. Joe The Bartender comes in (also played by Gleason). Of course after hearing Joe speak, Alice, Ed and Trixie don't come up with the thought that he and Ralph look alike. Joe The Bartender reveals something that just happened some time ago at Krauss'. 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 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 that unbeknownst to the poor soul, he tore off his wife’s shirt. 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 and Patricia leave.
The poor soul comes up (played by Jackie Gleason in pantomime) comes up and Alice gives him a real present which is a very loud tie. Once again, Alice and Trixie don't even think that he and Ralph look alike. He gives her the "diamond" and leaves. Ed leaves.
You will notice that the Kramdens have a TV. Gee, in "TV or Not TV", Alice says that the Kramdens never got a TV. Rudy the Repairman comes by (making a lot of noise in the process) 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 he 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: 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 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 says that his dad invented the first TV set in 1972 (better known according to Rudy as 1784. What?). According to Rudy, it didn’t work because there was no electricity. Looks like he was kidding. Rudy makes a pass at Alice and Trixie & sees the set destroyed. He said that a pair of shorts caused the problem and he and Whitey depart with the shorts. Alice tells Trixie that it doesn't really matter, since she just had the set on trial.
Ed Norton comes in with a young Frankie Avalon that is going to sing at Krauss'. Frank plays a song on the trumpet that I can’t identify. He also taps dance. It's interesting that Jackie allowed this kid to sing on his show when you think about the fact that he didn't want kids to appear on his show because he thought that kids may not be able to act on cue. Both Ed & Frank leave. Alice says that Ed is always looking to help someone. Trixie begins to tell Alice of Ed’s get-rick-quick scheme that he had years ago when Ed comes back in and Reginald Van Gleason comes in (played by Jackie Gleason). He brings in gifts for Ed, Trixie, and Alice. He also brings in his band (Phil Napoleon and his Memphis 5) and June Taylor Dancers with Alice's permission. 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 kicked so hard on his door that he knocked out the window and got in trouble with the police. Alice laughs and apologizes probably for putting Ralph through so much trouble. Anyway, Alice and Ralph exchange gifts. Ralph opens his gift first and finds out that Alice gave him rubber-lined gloves. Alice gets an orange juice squeezer from Ralph. The same gift that Ralph will giver again in "'Twas The Night Before Christmas." Ralph says that this is their 13th Christmas together. 24 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.) The 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.
Credit I think goes to (the original) Bill's 'Mooners Archives, eBay.com, the now defunct tv.com, Honeymooners Lost Episodes Book, tvguide.com, honeymooners.net, Honeymooners Lost Episodes DVD booklet, Wikipedia.org, the now defunct Yahoo Groups You're A Riot! & Amazon.com.
Episode #37
TV: Shown on a Best of Gleason I
DVD: Attached to "Boys & Girls Together", "Anniversary Gift", & "This Is Your Life." On the Lost Episodes Restored Box Set, it is attached to “The New Bowling Ball”, “Lost Baby”, “Quiz Show”, “Halloween Party” (’52 version), “Cold”, “Jellybeans”, “The Turkey” & “Pickles”
Color & Lost Episode Title: "Six Months To Live."
Classic 39 Episode Title: "A Matter of Life & Death."
Air Date: Sat. 12/13/52
This was shown on FOX as part of their Best of Gleason Specials in 1989 and 1990. Alice is home with an eye patch on her eye. In real life, Audrey had an eye infection or something. Trixie visits. Alice explains the patch is because Ralph accidentally hit her with a sock. She was supposed to catch it. Alice is talking about her mother's dog being sick and having to be taken to the doctor. It costs Alice $10. It was more expensive to have the doctor give the dog a check-up then it did Ralph when he recently visited the doctor.
Ralph and Ed come in. Ed wants a kiss from Trixie. But she says no. One of the reasons is that he worked in the sewer all day. Trixie goes upstairs. Ralph tells a story that while he was on the bus today, he met a man who said that he was George Washington. The man annoyed Ralph and the customers for a while so Ralph got him off the bus by stopping sand saying: ‘This Is Valley Forge.’” Alice leaves to go get the wash. Ed asks Ralph if he wants to go see a movie tonight. Ralph says no. He thinks that there is something wrong with him since he went to the doctor. The telegram is sent in. Ralph gets the telegram from the delivery man and when the man holds out his hand expecting a tip, Ralph says: "Your hand is very dirty." Ralph: “I hope there is something wrong with me. That way, I can go down to Paul’s Landing and do some fishing.” Doesn’t Ralph know that when you are sick and have to stay at home from your job, you shouldn’t go on vacation? Ralph reads the telegram aloud to Ed. Ralph: “A severe case of manochromia exists. This is the type of disease that normally affects Boxers. The signs are: blue tongue, hair falling out and irritability. Keep him away from your mother as people will become vulnerable to the disease he is carrying." He continues reading the telegram. Ralph thinks that the letter is about him and he is dying. Ed: "Doctors can be wrong to you know. Take a friend of mine, the doctor gave him six months to live. He lived for almost eight months." Ralph blames the disease on his job. Ralph: “I am headed up to that big bus depot in the sky.” Ralph thought he would never go out this way. It’s been a real struggle ever since he was born according to him. He can’t believe the way he is going out. Ed leave, but not after asking Ralph what size bowling shoes he wears.
Alice comes down. She sings: “I am walking alone.” Ralph (yells): “WILL YOU STOP SINGING THAT SONG?” Alice doesn’t comply and if she wanted to, she will sing it for the next six months. Ralph looks at his tongue in the mirror to see if it is blue. Ralph: “I just want to look at my tongue.” Alice: “Why don’t you go down to the butcher’s? They have a lot of them.” After that, he asks for a saucer of warm milk and he wants it in his bedroom. Alice: “One of these days, they are going to take you away.” Ralph: “That is right.” Ralph wants Alice to sit down. Ralph wants to talk to her. Ralph: “I want a man-to-man conversation with you. He talks about would she marry another guy if Ralph died. Alice: “No, unless the right guy came along and I was lonely.” Ralph can’t blame her because she is in the prime of life and he is going to die soon. He then talks about what it would be like if she met another guy after Ralph died. Ralph: “When I die, bury me in my overcoat.” Alice: “Don’t worry. You are strong as a horse.” Ralph: “I suppose you never saw a dead horse.” Alice: “Now that you mentioned it, there is a resemblance.” Ralph: “You try to steam me. YOU GOT ME STEAMED. I tried to save you some aggravation. Read that (the telegram.)” She does. She laughs uncontrollably while Ralph thinks that she has no heart. Alice tells him that he is not dying and this telegram is for mom's dog. She explains the significance of the telegram. Ralph is happy that he is not dying after all. He and Alice laugh together. Ralph: “You are married to the World’s No. 1 Maniac.” Alice: “I love my maniac.” They hug and kiss.
Episode #38
TV: Not seen since its original airdate.
DVD: The 1952 version on the Lost Episodes DVD Box Set is attached to “Glow Worm Cleaning Powder”, “Alice Plays Cupid”, “Suspense”, “Lost Job”, “Anniversary Gift”, “Income Tax”,” “Alice’s Aunt Ethel”, “What’s Her Name”, “Lunch Box”, “Hot Tips”, “Norton Moves In”, “Ralph’s Diet”, “Dinner Guest”, “Manager of The Baseball Team” (’53 version) & “Dorsey Brothers Show.”
Air Date: Sat. 12/20/52
MPI says that the picture to the original film of the sketch is missing for the first few seconds so still frame images have been utilized. The episode opens up with Alice getting ready for Christmas. 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'. He slams the door and the set shakes.
Trixie comes in and she 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 and within a second she knows his name: Fenwick Babbit. Either Trixie saw him before or he gave her his name very softly and quickly. Fenwick is played by Jackie Gleason. After pacing his beer barrel in the apartment, he begins to cut the ice. He hits his finger and yells in Ralph Kramden fashion. Now I wonder why Alice and Trixie don't come up with the thought that Ralph and he look alike. When Trixie goes upstairs to get something for Fenwick, Fenwick asks: "Does she live nearby?" The crowd laughs. When Trixie comes back, Fenwick realizes that he is in the wrong apartment and then Alice treats him rudely and asks him to leave. He leaves WITHOUT the ice but not before he says to Trixie: "You are a nice lady."
Ed comes in and says that he has come with, Patricia Morrison. The crowd applauds for the guest star. She sings "All I Want Is You" and "Wunderbar" for Alice, Ed, and Trixie, and dances with Ed. She almost kisses Ed. Trixie intervenes much to Ed’s chagrin. Joe The Bartender comes in (also played by Gleason). Of course after hearing Joe speak, Alice, Ed and Trixie don't come up with the thought that he and Ralph look alike. Joe The Bartender reveals something that just happened some time ago at Krauss'. 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 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 that unbeknownst to the poor soul, he tore off his wife’s shirt. 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 and Patricia leave.
The poor soul comes up (played by Jackie Gleason in pantomime) comes up and Alice gives him a real present which is a very loud tie. Once again, Alice and Trixie don't even think that he and Ralph look alike. He gives her the "diamond" and leaves. Ed leaves.
You will notice that the Kramdens have a TV. Gee, in "TV or Not TV", Alice says that the Kramdens never got a TV. Rudy the Repairman comes by (making a lot of noise in the process) 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 he 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: 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 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 says that his dad invented the first TV set in 1972 (better known according to Rudy as 1784. What?). According to Rudy, it didn’t work because there was no electricity. Looks like he was kidding. Rudy makes a pass at Alice and Trixie & sees the set destroyed. He said that a pair of shorts caused the problem and he and Whitey depart with the shorts. Alice tells Trixie that it doesn't really matter, since she just had the set on trial.
Ed Norton comes in with a young Frankie Avalon that is going to sing at Krauss'. Frank plays a song on the trumpet that I can’t identify. He also taps dance. It's interesting that Jackie allowed this kid to sing on his show when you think about the fact that he didn't want kids to appear on his show because he thought that kids may not be able to act on cue. Both Ed & Frank leave. Alice says that Ed is always looking to help someone. Trixie begins to tell Alice of Ed’s get-rick-quick scheme that he had years ago when Ed comes back in and Reginald Van Gleason comes in (played by Jackie Gleason). He brings in gifts for Ed, Trixie, and Alice. He also brings in his band (Phil Napoleon and his Memphis 5) and June Taylor Dancers with Alice's permission. 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 kicked so hard on his door that he knocked out the window and got in trouble with the police. Alice laughs and apologizes probably for putting Ralph through so much trouble. Anyway, Alice and Ralph exchange gifts. Ralph opens his gift first and finds out that Alice gave him rubber-lined gloves. Alice gets an orange juice squeezer from Ralph. The same gift that Ralph will giver again in "'Twas The Night Before Christmas." Ralph says that this is their 13th Christmas together. 24 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.) The 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.
Credit I think goes to (the original) Bill's 'Mooners Archives, eBay.com, the now defunct tv.com, Honeymooners Lost Episodes Book, tvguide.com, honeymooners.net, Honeymooners Lost Episodes DVD booklet, Wikipedia.org, the now defunct Yahoo Groups You're A Riot! & Amazon.com.