OMG! Last week, I managed to catch the most controversial 2 episodes I had wanted to see. This shows us a different side of Edith, uncalm, frightened, like a deer. It also has much more drama then any episode I've ever seen.

I loved it when she put that cake in the rapist's face. The audience loved it too.

Is "Edith's 50th Birthday" avaliable uncut on VHS as a part of the series? (I don't have a DVD player) There is a line early on in part I, where her attacker compliments her scent and Edith says, "That's Lemon Pledge." (This is cut on Nick at Nite and TV Land) But, this Episode would become one of the most powerful and controversal in AITF's history, if not TV history. I remember that director Paul Bogart, and Jean Stapleton both got special Emmy's for that episode.

I would like to know the board's feelings about this episode? This episode, and "The Draft Dodger" are both very moving and powerful. If you like Edith's 50th Birthday, why? If you don't like it, why not?

Jack

Originally posted by Jack1000
Is "Edith's 50th Birthday" avaliable uncut on VHS as a part of the series? (I don't have a DVD player) There is a line early on in part I, where her attacker compliments her scent and Edith says, "That's Lemon Pledge." (This is cut on Nick at Nite and TV Land) But, this Episode would become one of the most powerful and controversal in AITF's history, if not TV history. I remember that director Paul Bogart, and Jean Stapleton both got special Emmy's for that episode.

I would like to know the board's feelings about this episode? This episode, and "The Draft Dodger" are both very moving and powerful. If you like Edith's 50th Birthday, why? If you don't like it, why not?

Jack

I like the episode. You know, AITF did two attack episodes and I'm sure people that were actually attacked look towards the Edith episode for inspiration.

With the Gloria episode, Gloria was going to file charges but Michael and Archie decided for her that she wasn't going to press charges. Gloria's episode stands up pretty good on its own, but it didn't hold much for those that actually went through an attack.

Edith's episode showed true courage to report an attacker. Edith didn't want to report the attacker, but Gloria gave her the tough love and Edith changed her mind and decided to report the attack. I'm sure several people changed their minds about their own attack (if they had just gotten attacked recently) and I bet that episode showed them the courage to go out and do like Edith did and report it instead of letting their attacker roam free on the streets.

I have Edith's 50th Birthday (with the "Lemon Pledge" line in there too). It was the scariest AITF episode I ever saw. I had a phone call from a friend when I first saw it on N@N and I couldn't even talk to her, I had to call her back. The episode was that intense. I hated when they cut to the commercials. When Archie came to the house, I was hoping he was going to beat up the guy or something, I wanted to say, "Archie! There's a man in the closet!" Of course, I didn't. I was surprised at how graphic it was for the 1970s (i.e. they showed the rapist force kissing Edith and later on, unzipping her dress). You could tell the audience really loved Edith by the way they cheered as she threw the cake in his face. I cheered too. I thought about that episode for days afterward, it had that effect on me. I read that the guy who played the rapist even got death threats after this episode aired. Wow...what a fantastic show. I'm glad Jean got an award for her acting in this episode, she surely deserved it. The episode was so real....that's how good of a job everyone did on it.
-Kristi

he got more than death threats for that.he did an interview ten years after doing these episodes and he said even then that people would still stop him on the street and call him out for trying to hurt edith.
also, on the filming of the show, they brought in extra security.those security guards had to block the stage to keep the studio audience from rushing up there to save edith.they did actually have to restrain several people who did try.they added the security on a hunch and it turned out that they really did need it.

That's amazing that they actually had security guards to hold back audience members. They were *that* affected by it. Now that is great acting! But that's what it was--acting. But it hit them (and me) in the right spot, it was supposed to make you angry and want to hurt/kill that guy. I'm just wondering, where did you hear/read about the security guards and people running up to the stage to help Edith? I only remember hearing about the death threats on the E! True Hollywood Story. Was it in a book or something? Thanks. That is very interesting. The audience really loved her that much and didn't want to see her hurt...could you say that about a person on a show today? I don't think so...
-Kristi

it was in a book i read about all in the family.off the top of my head i am thinking it was a book by david marsh, but let me check in my books and see, and i will post it to you when i find it.:)

Okay, Thanks! :)
-Kristi

The exact original airdate of this episode was October 16 1977.But it looked more like a summer evening the way Archie went in and out of the house in just his trade mark t shirt.
Of course in real life everyone was indoors inside a studio.Plus the studio itself was in Southern California,where it's still warm as summer even in October,unlike in the northern states,including New York.