Honeymooners Episode Reviews: "Norton Movies In" (Color) & "The New Manager":

[Frank Gannucci]

Honeymooners Episode Reviews: "Norton Movies In" (Color) & "The New Manager":

Episode #206
DVD: In 2022, this was released by MPI onto DVD. It’s on Jackie Gleason’s Timeless Treasures and it is attached to “The Big Sell”, “Two Below (aka “Retreat To The Basement”), “TV Game of The Week”, “The Adoption” (‘66 version), Opening/June Taylor Dancers/Monologue from the 11/23/68 episode of the Jackie Gleason Show, “Alice’s Birthday” (Color version), “Lawsuit” (Color version), “The New Bowling Ball” (Color version), “Hot Tip” (Color version), “The New Manager”, Jackie saying Goodnight from the 4/19/69 episode of the Jackie Gleason show episode, Ed Norton presents award to Jackie Gleason (2/25/67), a clip of the Great Gleason Express from the 9/20/65 episode of the Steve Lawrence Show & the 2006 documentary Jackie Gleason: Genius At Work. On the Jackie Gleason Show in Color DVD Box Set, it is attached to "The New Manager" & other variety show sketches.
Color & Lost Episode Title: "Norton Moves In":
Air Date: Sat. 4/5/69

"Norton Moves In" (Color):

I got the audio of this episode from atvaudio.com.

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. Alice reveals that they are going to have their apartment painted. The painter left the paint on the sink. 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 its 3am. Ralph: "Why did you wake me up for?" Alice: "The Nortons had their apartment painted today." Ralph: "Did the news flash come across the radio?" Alice explains the paint smells awful in their house. Ralph: "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 the kitchen with Ed. Ralph and Alice said the exact things to each other in this argument in other episodes like "King of The Castle” & “Battle of The Sexes.” Alice says that the Nortons would do the same exact thing for them.

Ed Norton comes down with the folding cot and a lot of their valuables like the clock that they gave Ed when he found Zsa Zsa Gabor's earring in the sewer. Ed: "We can't take chances." Trixie: "I hope we diidn't bother you." Ralph: "No, you didn't disturb my sleep. I get up every morning at 3am to get the soccor scores from Australia." Trixie claims that this if the first time that they are apart so to speak. What about in the episodes like "King of The Castle", "Battle of The Sexes" and the previous version of "Norton Moves In"? Ed (to Trixie): "Always feel free to call." Ralph (yells): "COME ON BONNIE AND CLYDE."

Alice & Trixie go into the bedroom. Ralph calls Ed Romeo. Ha! Ed sets up the cot. Ed knocks down his turkey timer that he brought. Ed: "I hope I didn't break it." Ralph: "I will break it." Gee, how nice. NOT! Ed starts playing with the musical instruments that he brought despite the fact that it's 3a. Ralph gets upset. So does some of the neighbors (one of which is Garrity who sounds much different than he did in earlier episodes and future episodes). Alice comes out due to the noise. Ed says that his accordion is a constantina and not an accordion because it does not have 17 black keys, 24 white keys and 120 stocks. that he claims that he put up and took down 100 times. Alice admonishes Ed. Ed puts the sheet on the cot. Ed says to Ralph that the bed is ready. Ralph lies down while Ed bothers Ralph by combing his hair 50 times loudly. Ralph says for him to shut up. I think Ralph & Ed lie down. Ed than blares music from a teddy bear radio in the bed.Ralph is upset of course. He yells for Ed to shut it off. Alice and Garrity complain. Ralph (yells): "GARRITY, YOU HAVEN'T SLEPT SINCE RUTH HIT 60 HOME RUNS."

Ed says good night to Ralph. Ed now wears something to block out the light which scares Ralph. Ralph says for Ed to put the light out. Ed turns on the radio. Ralph has had enough. A policeman knocks on the door and calls Ralph & Ed Lone Ranger & Tonto. Ralph tries to explain but the policeman asks to get the band out of here. Ralph (who now has the teddy bear radio) says that it's Ed but he doesn't want him to play with it. The cop asks: "You two live here alone?" Ralph: "We are married. Our wives are in the bedroom. The wiife and he can't stand the smell of paint." Cop: "Is his wife an Indian?" The cop warns that iiif he hears anymore music, they will go to jail and be in separate cells and he (the cop) will get the teddy bear. The cop leaves.

Alice comes out. Ralph & Alice argue about the Nortons. Garritty yells that he is going to call that cop again. Ralph yells to Garrity that he will send the cop to him. Alice says that Trix is allergic to paint because it makes her skin itch. How come she didn't ask Alice earlier if they can stay the night? Ralph splatters paint all over the place. A cop comes in and gets paint splattered on him too. That is the end of the sketch.

During the curtain call, Jackie praises the Miami Beach audience.

"The New Manager":

Episode #207
DVD: In 2022, this was released by MPI onto DVD. It’s on Jackie Gleason’s Timeless Treasures and it is attached to “The Big Sell”, “Two Below (aka “Retreat To The Basement”), “TV Game of The Week”, “The Adoption” (‘66 version), Opening/June Taylor Dancers/Monologue from the 11/23/68 episode of the Jackie Gleason Show, “Alice’s Birthday” (Color version), “Lawsuit” (Color version), “The New Bowling Ball” (Color version), “Hot Tip” (Color version), “Norton Moves In” (Color version), Jackie saying Goodnight from the 4/19/69 episode of the Jackie Gleason show episode, Ed Norton presents award to Jackie Gleason (2/25/67), a clip of the Great Gleason Express from the 9/20/65 episode of the Steve Lawrence Show & the 2006 documentary Jackie Gleason: Genius At Work. On the Jackie Gleason Show in Color DVD Box Set, it is attached to "Norton Moved In” (Color version) & other variety show sketches.
Color Episode Title: “The New Manager.”
Lost Episode Title: “Manager of The Baseball Team”
Air Date: Sat. 4/19/69

I got the audio of this episode from atvaudio.com.

Before I start this review, let me say this. MPI has received a lot of complaints about accidentally attaching the 1953 version to "Hero" (where on the box, it advertises the 1957 version). They also have gotten a lot of complaints when they accidentally attached the 1953 episode to the DVD release that has "Teamwork Beats The Clock", "Quiz Show" & "The Wit & Wisdom of Ed Norton" (where once again on the box, it advertises the 1957 version.) MPI probably did it by mistake since the both versions of this episode are very much alike. In 2002, I managed to get the MPI cassette Vol. 28 that has the 1957 version of this episode (even though some versions of Vol. 28 have the '53 version on it.) There are very few differences between the '57 version and the '53 version.

The opening theme music sounds a little different but other than that, it is the same. Also, Johnny Olsen plugs the sponsor. Johnny: "Brought to you by the Greyhound Corporation. 'We got more going for you than buses.'"

The episode opens up with Alice worrying about where Ralph is. Trixie comes down. Alice says that she is worried about Ralph. He was supposed to come home a while ago. Ed comes down. So, Trixie asks Ed to go outside and come back when he comes home. Ed says no because what's going to happen if he is in the hospital, he would have stayed out for nothing. Ed also says that because Ralph is married, he probably ran away. Ha! That's a very nice thing to say. Ed brings up a story about what happened to a person he knew. That person ran away and when the cops asked him questions, he didn't know anything. He was 3 years old. Ha! Ed than apologizes for being so insensitive to Alice but than suggests that all of them go to the movies. Oh boy!

Ralph comes home and has champagne for everyone. In fact, in the 1953 version of this episode, Ralph tries to open the bottle, but has a hard time doing so. That wasn't supposed to happen, so to cover it up, he says: "We will be drinking champagne if I can ever get this bottle open." He does. Since they only have three wine glasses, he will drink from a coffee cup. Ralph: "That guy who is on TV every Saturday night drinks it from a coffee cup." Ed: "Art Carney?" Ralph: "No, the funny one." Ralph says that he is now the new manager of the Gotham Bus Depot. When Alice asks Ralph, how he found out, Ralph says he heard it while walking by the president of the bus company's office. He later hears that a telegram will come tonight to confirm the whole thing. Alice says that since they can afford it, they can go on a second honeymoon. Ralph says that the Nortons can come and they will go to a classy oceanside resort like Keansburg, NJ. Ralph mentions that with him becoming the manager, he might even become the president. When he does become president, he's going to make some changes like having pretty stewardess on each bus and to make sure that those people who happened to miss the bus by one minute; he's going to make sure every bus starts a minute late. Question: Wouldn't that rule make some people a little angry that they might be one minute late to go to whatever they are going to? Just a thought. Ralph will go get some cold cuts and beer and they will separate.

After Ralph leaves, the telegram arrives saying that Ralph has become the manager all right. The manager of the Gotham City Baseball Team. Alice, Ed, and Trixie are all upset thinking that Ralph was becoming manager of the company and that all the plans that Ralph had for becoming president were not going to come to fruition for a while.

Ralph comes home and mentions about the respect Alice will get when she goes down to the store Ralph was just at. Ralph also says that now that he's in the money, should he and Alice move out of this joint. He later says no. That place has been awful lucky to them. Yeah, sure it has. The Nortons want to leave. Ralph asks Ed for a beer. Ed: "I'm not thirsty. I think I will go upstairs and have a beer." They leave. Alice presents Ralph with the telegram and when Ralph reads it. Ralph: "You have become the new manager of the GOSAM Bus Company Baseball Team." Sounds like Jackie flubbed his line. Ralph is disappointed and apologizes to Alice. Alice says that Ralph is the most important thing in her life. They hug and kiss.

During the curtain call, Jackie praises the crowd and says "Goodnight." Johnny Olsen plugs the sponsor of the show, the Greyhound Corporation.

On my piece of audio, there is an ad for the CBS TV special "Spoon River."

When I rented the video entitled: "'Cupid'/'Manager of The Baseball Team' (1953 version)" in 1996, I originally thought I was going to get a thirty-minute episode of Ralph being the baseball manager. (Imagine how funny that would be.) You can imagine my disappointment when I found out that the episode was less than fifteen minutes long.

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

[Frank Gannucci]

Bump

[Frank Gannucci]

Bump