Honeymooners Episode Reviews: "Vacation @ Fred's Landing" ('53)/"Sprained Thumb" '53

[Frank Gannucci]

Honeymooners Episode Reviews: "Vacation At Fred's Landing" ('53) & "Sprained Thumb" ('53):

Episode #57
TV: Not seen on TV since its original airdate.
VCR: (1953 version): Attached to "Man In The Blue Suit."
DVD: (1953 version) Attached to: "Goodbye Aunt Ethel", "What's The Name" and "The Best of The Lost Episodes." (Note: Even though on the box it says that this is the 1954 version, it is actually the '53 version. The '54 version is on DVD as well.) On the Lost Episodes DVD Box Set, it is attached to “Prowler”, “Guest Speaker”, “Sprained Thumb” (’53 version), “Lucky Number”, “Hot Dog Stand”, “Two Tickets To The Fight”, “Halloween Party” (’53 version), “Champagne & Caviar” & “Letter To The Boss” (’53 version).
Air Date: Sat. 6/27/53

Alice comes home and Trixie follows her home. Alice says she had a rough day. She couldn't get the key to her apartment so she put down the groceries that she had in her hand and went down to the landlord and landlady. She complained about how her husband doesn't pick up the garbage that she usually puts by her front door. The landlord who just came in says: "What are you talking about? I picked up your garbage (Alice's groceries) right now." Alice had to run down to the garbage truck to get her groceries. What humiliation!

Alice and Trixie talk about the fun time they are going to have in Atlantic City and what things that they are going to do. Ralph comes home with stuff for the trip. Trixie leaves just as Ralph reveals his new fishing attire. Why? Because Ralph reveals that they are going to Fred's Landing. A place that is right near Lake Pookamoonshine (sp?). Alice wants to go to Atlantic City. Ralph: "Atlantic City? What type of place is that for a vacation?" Let's see. Atlantic City is a very popular and great place in southern New Jersey where there are a lot of hotels, casinos and beaches. A place where people can have a whole lot of fun. Fred's Landing is a place where people camp and fish and that's it. If I was a fisherman or not, I would go to Atlantic City not Fred's Landing. Ralph reveals the "great romantic story" that Fred's Landing is attached to. A boy and a woman loved each other but they were on enemy teams. They both got killed and got buried with their arms around each other.

Alice wants to go to Atlantic City. She says she has had enough hard work to do around the house (cooking, cleaning etc.) She needs a vacation. Ralph says he has worked hard in his life too. He drives a bus all day and sees things like Central Park every day. He needs a vacation.

Ed Norton comes down in his sewer attire and says he is ready for the trip. Ralph says that he is ready for wading in the water. Ed says that he does that every day in the sewer so it won't be new to him. He reveals a very funny story about one time when he went fishing but he couldn't catch anything because since it was dark out, he didn't know he was fishing in a place that didn't even have water and fish. Ha! Ed plans on telling Trixie that they are going to Fred's Landing because he will say that Atlantic City is closed for the summer. Oh boy! Can you imagine how much money Atlantic City would lose if they closed for the summer? What a dumb move that would be. Ed leaves. Alice says that she doesn't want to go to Fred's Landing. Ralph: "All right. Stay home." Alice: "I wouldn't give you the satisfaction!"

On Vacation Day 1, Ralph and Ed have to push the car because the car is having engine trouble. The background in this scene is so not real. You can tell it's a fake background. Ralph and Ed try to fix the car by Ed getting behind the driver seat while Ralph fumbles with the engine. This is a funny scene as Ed accidently "electrocutes" Ralph. After a number of mishaps, Ralph starts yelling at Ed. Ralph: "You were just trying to help me? You almost electrocuted me. Why don't you help me out some more? Why don't you run me over with the car?" Ed: "The car won't start." Ha! Everyone thinks that they are lost. Ed says no. Ed: "You see this black dot here? That's New York City. That is where we started from. Then we go through the Lincoln Tunnel. This black dot here is Jersey City. This black dot is Bayonne." Ralph: "Bayonne is moving and that's an ant." Ed: "Well, let's follow the ant. He looks like he knows where he is going." They eventually met a man who helps out by fixing the car. He fixes the engine. Then he leaves. Ralph and Ed go back in the car to start up the engine. The engine isn't fixed at all. Ralph and E wind up having to push the car again as Ed starts to sing: "Give me the road to..." Ralph (yells to Ed): "SHUT UP!"

At Fred's Landing, Trixie and Alice are very tired of having to cook and do all the other things that Ralph and Ed tell them to do while they go out fishing. I would love to see a fishing scene with Ralph and Ed. Ralph and Ed come back with this "big" catch that Ralph had a tug-of-war with. The "big" fish is very small. Ralph: "He lost weight during the fight." Sure Ralph. Ralph and Ed want to get some sleep before dinner. Ralph (to the girls): "You don't know how hard it is to fish. That's work. You two are lucky to have nothing to do around here." Ralph and Ed go into their respective tents which are very small. Alice (to Ralph): "One of these days, pow right in the kisser." Ralph: "What did you say Alice?" Alice: "Nothing." Question: How could Ralph not hear Alice when Alice is a few feet from him? Alice and Trixie cook up a plan to get Ralph and Ed to leave here. Another question: How could Ralph an Ed not hear of Alice and Trixie's plan when they are a few feet from them? Ralph and Ed must go to sleep very fast. Alice blows smoke in Ralph's tent. Ralph wakes up. Alice says to Ralph that she is cooking. Ralph: "Watch out! I'm not on the menu." Alice "falls" over Ralph's feet and in the process pours water over Ralph's legs. That doesn't work. Alice: "Look out Trixie! There's a snake!" Ralph wakes up. Alice: "You must have scared the snake away. They would make another reference to Fred's Landing and a snake being in a tent in "The Worry Wart." Ralph: "First you try to drown me, then cook me, now you want me to go back in there with a snake?" Boy, Ralph is overreacting. Alice: "We are living like the Indians did." Ralph: "Well, if this is how the Indians lived, now wonder they are the vanishing race." Ha!

Alice and Trixie leave as Ralph and Ed say they are miserable here too. Ed: "Let's leave before the girls get back." Ralph & Ed concoct a plan to get them to leave here. There is a bear skin rug in the lodge that Ralph will use to scare the girls into leaving.

A "bear" comes near Ed and Ed thinks that it is Ralph. It is so obvious that the "bear" is not a real one. Ralph is behind Ed and sees the bear. Ralph tells Ed that he is not the bear that is in front of him. Ed (to the bear, yells): "EEE!" The girls see the "bear" and get scared. Ralph says that they are leaving and apologizes to Alice for dragging her here. Alice says: "We still have a lot of time to see Atlantic City!" They hug and kiss.

One minor thing I would like to point out is that on the old Honeymooners.net., the description for this version of this episode when the site went down read: "1953 version of this episode is ONLY available on VHS." Obviously, this was written before MPI made the lost episode DVDs, but sill I can see a casual fan getting confused when they read that description if you know what I mean. Also, considering that Honeymooners.net came back in 2010 and the description didn't get updated and continued that way until the site went down again, I wouldn't look for that description of that episode to change if or when the site pops back up.

Episode #58
TV: This was shown on the “Best of Gleason Special” in 1988. It was shown on FOX. In 2019,the future Catchy Comedy Channel started showing this episode and it is attached to “Halloween Party” (‘52) (aka “Masquerade”).
DVD: On the Lost Episodes DVD Box Set, it is attached to “Prowler”, “Guest Speaker”, “Lucky Number”, “Vacation At Fred’s Landing” (’53 version), “Hot Dog Stand”, “Two Tickets To The Fight”, “Halloween Party” (’53 version), “Champagne & Caviar” & “Letter To The Boss” (’53 version).
Air Date: Sat. 9/19/53

Ralph hurt his thumb in a bus accident. Due to the accident earlier in the day, he sprained his thumb and because of that, she is waiting on Ralph hand & foot. Trixie comes down. Alice explains what happened to Ralph to Trix. Alice is waiting on him because complications may set in. Trixie: “Men are such babies when they are sick. Remember that virus epidemic a couple of years ago? Ed was so scared he would catch it. He stayed in bed for three days and he wanted me to wait on him hand and foot. I even did things like go to the supermarket. He didn’t get the virus. I don’t understand how he didn’t get it because I had it all the time.” Ralph had Alice call the doctor twice and the doctor has yet to come over. The company doctor may have examined him and said that Ralph has a sprained thumb so Ralph doesn’t trust him. Ralph comes out with his bath robe on and asks Alice to change the bandage on his thumb. Wow! Alice: “The doctor said it is nothing. You don’t even need a bandage.” Ralph: “Nothing?” Trixie: “How long did you lay on the street before they had to move you?” Alice said that the thumb will be all right by tomorrow. Ralph doesn’t believe him. Ralph: “Complications may set in.” Ralph says a story on how one of his brothers, Freddie, skinned his knee. The doctor said it was nothing. The doctor put some mercurochrome on it and said he would be back to work tomorrow. 15 years later and Freddie hasn’t been back to work yet.

Alice changes the bandage. She does it with ease. Ralph is concerned about the swelling. He runs the thumb under hot water. He turns on the sink and the “hot water” comes down on his finger. Of course, you can tell that no water dropped from the faucet. Ralph screams in pain due to the hot water. Ralph asks for ice water to help the swelling. Alice gets a jar of ice water. Ralph puts his hand in it. The pain is much better but he can’t get his hand out. Butter on his hand doesn’t work so; he smashes the glass jar that has his hand with the sprained thumb. Parts of the glass fall on the floor and Ralph (who is supposedly barefoot) steps on them and hurts his foot.

Ralph wonders where the doctor is. Alice told the doctor exactly what his condition was. Ralph: “We got rid of that doctor. I remember once when I was deathly sick so I called him. By the time he came by, I was better.” Alice goes upstairs to use Trixie’s phone. Ed comes down. Ralph explains what happened. Ed: “You should drive your bus on the side streets.” Ralph: “The doctor told me that I sprained my thumb. But complications may set in.” Ed agrees. He tells a story about a man he knew that had a car accident 20 years ago and is still suffering. Ed: “He married a nurse.” Ever since that accident this morning, his neck has been a little stiff. Ed tries to help out by straightening Ralph’s head. Supposedly that made Ralph’s neck lean his head to his shoulder. Ralph screams in pain. Ed tries to scare Ralph. It actually works. Alice comes down with the news that the doctor is one his way. Ed leaves.

Alice is very worn out. Ralph says that she has no right to be worn out and he does because he has the sprained thumb. The doctor (played by George Petrie) comes down. He examines Ralph’s thumb and his ribs because Ralph thought he broke some ribs in the accident. The doctor says that all he has is a sprained thumb. He looks at Alice and says that she is run down and almost exhausted. He says that she should go straight to bed and asks Ralph to not let her do anything. Ralph says to the doctor that he will take good care of her. The doctor leaves. Ralph says that he has been complaining all about a sprained thumb all the while Alice is the one who is sick. Ralph apologizes to Alice. They hug and kiss.

Credit I think goes to (the original) Bill's 'Mooners Archives, eBay.com, tv.com, Honeymooners Lost Episodes Book, tvguide.com, honeymooners.net, Honeymooners Lost Episodes DVD booklet, Wikipedia.org, Yahoo Groups You're A Riot! & Amazon.com.

[Frank Gannucci]

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