Episode titles

[Bill S.]

I've noticed that a number of episode titles are puns on (or references to) the titles of different works of art from that time period. Here's a few that I came up with on my own...feel free to add on:

"TV Or Not TV": "To be, or not to be," the famous line from Shakespeare's Hamlet.
"Twas The Night Before Christmas": Clement Clarke Moore's famous Christmas poem of the same name.
"Mama Loves Mambo": Perry Como's popular 1954 song, "Papa Loves Mambo."
"Dial J For Janitor": Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film, Dial M For Murder.
"Better Living Through TV": Likely a play on DuPont's former advertising slogan, "Better Things for Better Living...Through Chemistry."
"My Fair Landlord": The famous 1956 Broadway musical, My Fair Lady.

[W.B.]

A few others:
- "The Mod Couple" - A play on the title of former Gleason writer Neil Simon's Broadway play (later made into a movie, and even later adapted as a TV show) The Odd Couple
- "You're in the Picture" - Mr. Gleason's 1961 flop (one episode only) TV game show
- "Petticoat Jungle" - A play on the title of the 1963-70 series Petticoat Junction - interestingly, in 1966, the same year Sheila MacRae became Alice, her daughter Meredith MacRae took the part of Billie Jo Bradley on the rural comedy; the episode of which this was a remake likewise had a basis . . .
- "I Remember Mau Au" - . . . on I Remember Mama
- "Run, Santa, Run" - Very likely based on the title of the short-lived 1966-67 CBS sitcom Run, Buddy, Run
- "We Spy" - A play on the title of the 1965-68 international intrigue series I Spy, which starred Robert Culp and Bill Cosby
- "Life Upon the Wicked Stage" - This 1967 remake of "Songs and Witty Sayings" had its title from a song (written by Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern) that came from the musical Show Boat
- "Confusion Italian Style" and "Rififi - Brooklyn Style" - These titles were based on a series of films of the 1960's including Marriage - Italian Style (which also, in turn, was the basis for the title of the 1969-74 sitcom anthology series Love - American Style)
- "Poor People in Paris" - Based on the title of Les Baxter & His Orchestra's 1956 hit "The Poor People of Paris"
- "Two for the Money" - The title of a 1950's game show, hosted mostly by Herb Shriner, but by the time of the end of its run in 1957 by Sam Levenson
- "Hawaii, Oh, Oh!" - Apparently a play on the title of the 1968-80 cop series Hawaii Five-O
- "The Sun and Raccoon Capital" - Based on the "Sun-and-Fun Capital" phrase popularized by the opening words of The Jackie Gleason Show
- "The Match Game" - The title of a 1960's game show, later revived in a "wild and crazy" version in the 1970's

[Bill S.]

Originally Posted by W.B.

"The Mod Couple" - A play on the title of former Gleason writer Neil Simon's Broadway play (later made into a movie, and even later adapted as a TV show) The Odd Couple

What's especially interesting about this one is that Art Carney actually played Felix Ungar in the original Broadway version of The Odd Couple (1965-1967). I didn't know Neil Simon used to write for Gleason though, when was that?

[W.B.]

Originally Posted by Bill S.

What's especially interesting about this one is that Art Carney actually played Felix Ungar in the original Broadway version of The Odd Couple (1965-1967). I didn't know Neil Simon used to write for Gleason though, when was that?

Around the time of his short-lived 1958 half-hour comedy/variety show, from what I recall. Either that, or the 1956-57 season, one or the other. It was before he made it big as a writer of Broadway plays and movies, indeed preceded his first big hit Come Blow Your Horn. Apparently, from what Mr. Simon said in William Henry's Gleason bio, writing for The Great One was his vision of H***. That plus never meeting him in person.

[Bill S.]

Originally Posted by W.B.

Around the time of his short-lived 1958 half-hour comedy/variety show, from what I recall. Either that, or the 1956-57 season, one or the other. It was before he made it big as a writer of Broadway plays and movies, indeed preceded his first big hit Come Blow Your Horn. Apparently, from what Mr. Simon said in William Henry's Gleason bio, writing for The Great One was his vision of H***. That plus never meeting him in person.

I'm wondering if he might've written any of those later Honeymooners sketches (1956-1957 season). I don't recall seeing his name in any of the credits, but then again, a lot of guests weren't credited either. Also, it seems pretty strange that Neil and Jackie never met, I always thought Jackie was pretty involved with his writers.