Love Letter (October 16, 1954) - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Hazel Anyday · 03-25-2018, 10:29 PM

I've been watching the "Lost Episodes" DVD set every Saturday night and last night I saw Love Letter (October 16, 1954). This was the first time I had seen the unedited version as opposed to the syndicated version from a few years back. There were a lot more little scenes and bits that were edited out of the syndicated TV version in addition the one best scene and the reason I'm writing. At the end of the show, Jackie Gleason comes out from behind the curtain (with the Jackie stick figure on it, just like the '60's shows) and raves about Audrey's first kiss of the season that just happened in the storyline. He really seemed thrilled,

I would be too, Audrey was a beautiful girl back then. He then calls the cast out to take a bow saying they all worked hard with so many lines to learn. Even the lady who in another episode plays Mrs. Manicotti comes out with a smile (though in this episode she plays a hand writing expert). A really great and for me totally unexpected ending. This is what makes this DVD set worth having. This show reminded me most of the '60's color shows I remember watching as a kid, even that same curtain, and Jackie's curtain call made it perfect.

I still haven't gotten the TIME LIFE big release, I'm hoping the price will go down. Usually if you wait for years the price eventually goes down. In the meantime I'm enjoying this Lost set.

stevea · 03-25-2018, 10:45 PM

Thanks for this review. All I have is a VHS copy of the TV Land episode from several years ago. This sounds a lot better.

Those little things like curtain calls make an episode more enjoyable. One of my favorite classic 39 episodes was the Christmas episode with the curtain call at the end (also a very funny episode). I've always wondered if Gleason just added that curtain call, ad-lib.

Hazel Anyday · 03-25-2018, 10:59 PM

I wasn't born till late '57 so I never saw the '50's Jackie shows live. But I do remember watching the '60's Jackie shows live when they were on, even Jackie's early variety show with the many appearances of Frank Fontaine (that was always my favorite part of the show). And later I watched in the mid to late '60's Jackie's color shows (I really wish Time Life's were unedited) anyway the point is, I remember Jackie always coming out both at the very beginning of the show to do a little monologue holding "coffee" in hand with his famous "away we go" as they then began the show. But in all these '60's shows my memory tells me Jackie always came out at the end of the show to do a curtain call, calling out the cast, sometimes when time was short Jackie just closed by saying his line about the "Miami audiences are the best audiences in the world. GOODNIGHT EVERYBODY!" Then he'd blow a kiss and go back behind the curtain again. I still remember these things, this was real entertainment that I'm glad even at my young age I appreciated.

Hazel Anyday · 03-25-2018, 11:04 PM

Oh, believe it or not, I never saw the Classic 39 b/w Honeymooners till the 1970's after Jackie's regular show was no longer on the air. I think I remember it being on in New Jersey when we'd go on vacation but it wasn't on in my area till the 1970's. So those shows were new to me and I remember thinking how odd it was to see Jackie so young. I was used to his middle aged self. Jackie's Ralph and Alice always reminded me of my own mother and father, always arguing and yelling too.

03-25-2018, 10:29 PM	#1
Hazel Anyday Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 12, 2002 Posts: 2,135	Love Letter (October 16, 1954) I've been watching the "Lost Episodes" DVD set every Saturday night and last night I saw Love Letter (October 16, 1954). This was the first time I had seen the unedited version as opposed to the syndicated version from a few years back. There were a lot more little scenes and bits that were edited out of the syndicated TV version in addition the one best scene and the reason I'm writing. At the end of the show, Jackie Gleason comes out from behind the curtain (with the Jackie stick figure on it, just like the '60's shows) and raves about Audrey's first kiss of the season that just happened in the storyline. He really seemed thrilled, I would be too, Audrey was a beautiful girl back then. He then calls the cast out to take a bow saying they all worked hard with so many lines to learn. Even the lady who in another episode plays Mrs. Manicotti comes out with a smile (though in this episode she plays a hand writing expert). A really great and for me totally unexpected ending. This is what makes this DVD set worth having. This show reminded me most of the '60's color shows I remember watching as a kid, even that same curtain, and Jackie's curtain call made it perfect. I still haven't gotten the TIME LIFE big release, I'm hoping the price will go down. Usually if you wait for years the price eventually goes down. In the meantime I'm enjoying this Lost set.
	__________________ Haaazeelll!!

03-25-2018, 10:59 PM	#3
Hazel Anyday Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 12, 2002 Posts: 2,135	Jackie Memories Are Good Ones I wasn't born till late '57 so I never saw the '50's Jackie shows live. But I do remember watching the '60's Jackie shows live when they were on, even Jackie's early variety show with the many appearances of Frank Fontaine (that was always my favorite part of the show). And later I watched in the mid to late '60's Jackie's color shows (I really wish Time Life's were unedited) anyway the point is, I remember Jackie always coming out both at the very beginning of the show to do a little monologue holding "coffee" in hand with his famous "away we go" as they then began the show. But in all these '60's shows my memory tells me Jackie always came out at the end of the show to do a curtain call, calling out the cast, sometimes when time was short Jackie just closed by saying his line about the "Miami audiences are the best audiences in the world. GOODNIGHT EVERYBODY!" Then he'd blow a kiss and go back behind the curtain again. I still remember these things, this was real entertainment that I'm glad even at my young age I appreciated.

03-25-2018, 11:04 PM	#4
Hazel Anyday Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 12, 2002 Posts: 2,135	Wow, Jackie Has a Thick Head of Black Hair Oh, believe it or not, I never saw the Classic 39 b/w Honeymooners till the 1970's after Jackie's regular show was no longer on the air. I think I remember it being on in New Jersey when we'd go on vacation but it wasn't on in my area till the 1970's. So those shows were new to me and I remember thinking how odd it was to see Jackie so young. I was used to his middle aged self. Jackie's Ralph and Alice always reminded me of my own mother and father, always arguing and yelling too.

03-25-2018, 10:45 PM	#2
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 44,768	Thanks for this review. All I have is a VHS copy of the TV Land episode from several years ago. This sounds a lot better. Those little things like curtain calls make an episode more enjoyable. One of my favorite classic 39 episodes was the Christmas episode with the curtain call at the end (also a very funny episode). I've always wondered if Gleason just added that curtain call, ad-lib.