Episode Review: "The Kramdens Get Ready For A Dance Last Night" (aka: "The Dance.")

[Frank Gannucci]

Skit on the E.S. Show:
DVD: Attached to "Bread", "Razor Blades", "New TV Set", "Ralph Threatens To Leave", "Ring Salesman" (both JGS and ESS versions), "Quiz Show" (both versions), "XMas Party" ('51 version), "Cold", "New Bowling Ball", "The Turkey", "Lost Baby", "Halloween Party", "Pickels", "Jellybeans" & "Six Months To Live."

Note: I am sorry for not including this in my cycle of episode reviews. I forgot about it. The reason being is that it is from the Ed Sullivan Show and when I looked into John K's Book "To The Moon", I understandably didn't see it and forgot about it.

Alice has a gown on and is calling for Ralph to get ready. Ralph is in the bedroom getting ready. Alice doesn’t want to be late for the dance. Ralph comes out with a long white shirt on and boxers on. He can’t wear his collar. It is too stiff. Alice can’t wetten it and iron it because her nails are wet after the second coat. Ralph says that they are late. Alice will now iron and wetten it. Ralph tries to plug it in but he somehow hurts his foot when the iron lands on it. With the way he is hollering in pain, you think something big landed on him. Ralph (yells): “WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU? CAN’T YOU PLUG IT IN?” Alice (yells): “THAT IS IT! I AM NOT GOING!” Ralph: “Don’t go.” Alice: “I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction.” Alice begrudgingly starts to iron Ralph’s collar.

Ralph wants to know where his socks are. Alice: “You got some nerve asking me that.” Ralph: “Is that a crime to ask that question?” Alice: “Where would your socks be?” Ralph: “In the drawer. That is why I asked you.” Ralph can’t get the drawer out. Ralph (yells): “ARE YOU GOING TO GET THE DRAWER FIXED?” Ralph puts on a sock that has a big hole in it. Ralph: “I have a hole in my sock.” Alice: “Certainly. How else are you going to get your foot in it?” Ralph goes into the bedroom as Alice is putting on her makeup. Ralph comes out and asks where the tuxedo he rented. Alice says that she put it in the closet. The Nortons are going to come down to pick them up at 8pm. Ed told Ralph that yesterday. It is 8pm now. Ralph then helps Alice out by trying to get the powder can open for her because it is stuck. Ralph uses hot water to loosen it. When he opens it again, the powder goes all over his pants. Ha! Ralph: “I can’t go. I look like Halloween.” Alice: “Just go and brush it off.” Alice asks Ralph if he saw her other fake eyelash. He saw it and threw it out because he thought it was a cockroach. Alice: “How am I going to look with one fake eyelash?” Ralph is upset even more. Ralph goes to get his coat. Alice now won’t go. Ralph: “Do whatever you want.”

Alice then mentions on how Ralph was a disgrace last year. One of the things he did was drinking. Ralph comes out with a tuxedo coat that is too small. The powder on Ralph’s pants now looks even more obvious maybe due to brushing. Ralph calls Ed down. Ed comes down in his typical Ed Norton attire except he is wearing a flannel shirt. Ralph asks Trixie to without them to the dance. Ed says that the dance was last night and they went down to pick them up and since the Kramdens weren’t home and Ed thought that they changed their mind about going and they left without them. Ed leaves. Ralph apologizes. Ralph: “I haven’t done one thing right since we were married.” Alice: “Ralph, I pressed your blue suit.” They will go out anyway. They hug and kiss.