Episode Reviews: "Hot Tip" & "Norton Moves In":

[Frank Gannucci]

Episode Reviews: "Hot Tip" & "Norton Moves In":

Episode #29
TV: Attached to "Checkup."
VCR: Attached to "A Promotion."
DVD: Attached to "Two Men On A Horse", "A Promotion" & "Checkup."

Alice is doing her makeup. Ralph comes out and complains that he can't find his other black sock. Alice goes into the bedroom while Ralph takes off the balck sock that is on his foot and there's another black sock on it (he put the two black socks on one foot), so he tells Alice about it. Ralph's fly in his pants are open. Ed comes down and is ready to go to the racetrack with Alice and Ralph. He is wearing a loud jacket that he claims is lucky. He won money when he had it on at one time. According to him, the only time it brought him bad luck was the time that he met Trixie. Ralph talks to Ed and walks around the room to hid the fact that he is zippering the zipper in his pants and the studio audience realizes this and laughs loudly. Ralph: "There comes a time in a man's life where he will need a jacket like that." Ralph has picked five sure winners. Ed says that there is no such thing as a sure thing so he tells a story on how one horse couldn't lose and ended up losing because his tail got stuck in the starting gate.

Alice comes out and Ralph argues with her and says: "The next time I take you someplace, I will leave you home." Ha! Ralph asks Ed to give him some money. He has a hot tip on one horse that he thinks is going to win. He is betting $30 on one horse. Ed leaves. Alice wants to know how did Ralph get the $30. He got the money from the rent money. "This is no wild scheme", says Ralph. Ralph knows a bus driver who's got a brother-in-law that knows an uncle and this uncle knows a guy who drives a milk wagon and this milk wagon delivers milk to a barber who cuts the horse's jockey's hair. Alice sarcastically agrees. Ralph syas that this horse is a 90-1 shot and when Ralph multiplies 90 times 30, he can't come up with the answer. Gee, that isn't saying too much about Ralph's IQ. Ralph: "We can move into a penthouse and have a nice view of Central Park if we win." Alice says the opposite will happen if they lose.

When word gets out, a bunch of people ask Ralph to place bets for them. Ed comes up and says that there is a policeman coming up to the apartment (thinking that someone is being a bookie). Ralph and Ed panic so Ralph says to put it under the ice box, but Ed says that that won't work. A policeman knocks on the door. Ed: "Just a minute. We are not ready." Ralph suggests putting the list in the faucet, but Ed says that that won't work since the cop may want a drink. Ralph and Norton panic, and Norton tells Ralph to eat the list that he wrote the bets on. Alice tells the cop that the list will prove Ralph's innocence and Ralph discovers that he didn't eat the list after all. (He actually ate the money.) The cop is convinced and leaves.

All I can say is if Jackie really ate the money, I hope he didn't get sick.

Episode #30
TV: Attached to "Dinner Guest."
VCR: Attached to "Songs & Witty Sayings."
DVD: Attached to "Songs & Witty Sayings" & "Income Tax."

This is one of my favorite 15 minute sketches. If you haven't seen this episode yet, it does look funny on paper, doesn't it?

Trixie comes down to the Kramden apartment at 3am. Trixie reveals that their apartment was painted today, though it was technically yesterday since it is 3am. The paint smells awful. So she wonders is her and Ed could come own and stay for the night. Alice obliges. Ed Norton comes down and says thanks. He and Trixie go to get the cot.

Alice wakes up Ralph. Ralph thinks it's time to go to work, but Alice tells him it's 3am. Ralph: "Why did you get me up at this time for?" Alice: "The Nortons had their apartment painted today." Ralph: "Did the news flash come across the radio?" Alice explains the the paint smells awful in their house. Ralph: "Boy, that's a hot one. Norton works in the sewer all day and he can't stand the smell of paint." Hey everyone has a smell that they can and can't stand. Ralph has to sleep in th kitchen with Ed. Ralph and Alice would wind up saying the exact things to each other in this arguement in "Battle of The Sexes."

Ed Norton comes down with the folding cot. Ed: "I hope I didn't disturb your sleep." Ralph: "No, you didn't disturb my sleep. I get up every morning at 3am to make sure I get a seat on the subway going to work." The same sentences that Ralph and Ed just spoke would be said again in "Battle of The Sexes."

Alice & Trixie go into the bedroom. Ed: "Hey Alice, if Trixie puts her cold feet on your back, va va va voom." Ed sets up the cot that he claims that he put up and took down 100 times. As he is getting it up, you can see two of the front legs are not standing up straight. Gee, I wonder what will happen when both men lie down on the cot? Ralph lies down and because of the two front legs are not straight, the cot collapses. Ralph: "I thought you put this up and took it down 100 times." Ed: "I do and the same thing always happens." Ed lies down without taking his hat off. Gee, I didn't know that sleeping at night with a hat like that was normal.

Ed gets Ralph up to get a cigarette and then a match. Ralph is trying his best to not get angry. When Ed drops the match and Ralph feels it, Ralph yells: "YEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW!" Ralph,
gets up, does everything to make the pain go away. Alice and Trixie come out. Ralph (to Alice): "You satisfied? You satisfied? Turning this joint into a YMCA?" Ralph reveals that Ed Norton used him for an ashtray because Ed wanted to smoke.

Ralph says the smell of paint never bothered him so it shouldn't bother the Nortons. Ralph says to Ed: "Take your Erector set (the cot) and get out of here." Alice says to Ralph that he will wake up the neighbors because of his yelling. Ralph: "I hope they have to have their apartments painted too. We will grab a brush and have a ball." Gee, Ralph is sure being nice. Alice says that the Nortons are going upstairs over her dead body. Ralph: "Don't tempt me." Ralph insults Ed. So Trixie says: "Ed, are you going to stand there an let this meat head talk to you like that." Ed: "Of course not. Ralph, I am mad at you." Ed says that without an angry tone in his voice which makes it funny.

The Nortons leave angry at Ralph. Ralph says that Ed was never a freind to him. Ralph says Ed always imposed on him, but when he realizes that Ralph has always imposed on Ed, Ralph feels remoresfull. Ralph tries to go upstairs to get Ed and apologize. Ed comes in and says: "I forgive you pal." Ralph says that they can spend the night here after all. Ralph and Alice kiss and embrace.