Episode Reviews: "Lost Job" & "Anniversary Gift":

[Frank Gannucci]

Episode Reviews: "Lost Job" & "Anniversary Gift":

Episode #41 (Syndicated episode #51)
TV: Attached to "Guest Speaker."
VCR: Attached to "Goodbye Aunt Ethel."
DVD: Attached to "My Fair Landlord", "The Cold", "Halloween Party" & "Ralph's Sweet Tooth." On the Lost Episodes DVD Box Set, it is attached to “Xmas Party” (’52 version), “Alice Plays Cupid”, “Glow Worm Cleaning Powder”, “Suspense”, “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.”

The episode opens up as Ralph Kramden comes home from a day's work. The Kramdens and Nortons are planning to go to the Royal Chinese Gardens for dinner. Ralph mentions something about a guy by the name of Irvine Sharpio. For some reason, the audience laughs when he says that. Was he a guy who worked for The Jackie Gleason Show?

Ralph and Alice notice that Ralph brought home a pink slip. Uh oh! You know what that means, right? Ralph thinks he got fired after 12 years of working for the bus company. Question: In the episode titled "Quiz Show" that aired about several months before this one, didn't Ralph say he worked for a cab company? (Also, notice that in the next season, Ralph said he worked for the bus company for nine years. A season or two after that, he said he has worked for the bus company for 15 years. Wow! Talk about factual errors.) Ed Norton comes down and now Ralph & Alice tell him that they can't afford to go out with him and Trixie. Soon after that, Ed leaves.

A person from the bus company comes up to take Ralph bowling. Ralph doesn't want to go. Ralph explains how he brought home a pink slip. The guy laughs, saying that they never used those pink slips in years and that Ralph brought home the wrong thing so he's not fired. Ralph gets upset at him, then later calms down. Now, Ralph wants to go bowling with him, but the other guy, upset with Ralph, leaves. Ralph: "Sore head." Ralph yells at the Nortons, saying that they can go to dinner now. The Kramdens kiss.

Episode #42 (Syndicated episode #85)
TV: Attached to "Finger Man."
VCR: Attached to "Boys & Girls Together."
DVD: Attached to "Boys and Girls Together," "Pickles" & "This Is Your Life." On the Lost Episodes DVD Box Set, it is attached to “Xmas Party” (’52 version), “Glow Worm Cleaning”, “Alice Plays Cupid”, “Suspense”, “Lost Job”, “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 Bros. Show”

This episode opens up in the Kramden apartment with Ralph & Alice telling the Nortons it is their anniversary. After Alice & Trixie go into the bedroom, Ed tells her a story on how he saw Trixie on the job and he gave her a rose. He had to because it was her costume. Ha!

Ralph shows Ed what he is planning to give to Alice for the anniversary. It is a box of 2000 matchsticks glued together the same gift that Ralph wanted to give to Alice in "'Twas The Night Before Christmas." Ralph says it is an exclusive thing, much like in the Christmas episode. Alice comes out and gives Ralph her present. Ralph opens it up. Ralph: "Gee, just what I always wanted. Money." Now Ralph get can get that suede jacket he wanted.

Trixie gives Alice her gift which is the same gift that Ralph got for Alice. Again, the same thing happens in the Christmas episode. Ed (to Ralph): "Come on. Give her your gift." Ralph lies to Alice, saying that the gift is coming on delivery. The girls go into the bedroom.

Ralph gets mad at Ed for putting him in a bigger spot than he already is in. A delivery person comes with a dress for Mrs. O' Leary but no one is there at her place. So he asks Ralph to hold onto it. Alice sees Mrs. O' Leary's gift and assumes it belongs to her. Alice goes into the bedroom to try on the dress. Ralph gets mad because now he has to get Mrs. O' Leary a dress. He hatches an idea on how to get himself out of this mess without telling Alice that he lied and without telling Mrs. O' Lear what happened to her dress. The plan is so complicated that Ed said by the time Ralph gets finished, it will be anniversary time again.

Alice comes out with Mrs. O' Leary's dress on and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the dress is a little big on Alice. Trixie cuts the dress as Ralph becomes more nervous. Mrs. O' Leary comes to the house and gets mad at what Alice & Trixie are doing to her dress. The person who played Mrs. O' Leary is the same person who played several characters on the show such as Mrs. Manicotti, I think. Ralph confesses to her and gives her the $25 so she can buy a new dress. Alice then confesses the truth to Alice. Alice says she doesn't know why, but she loves him.