Honeymooners Episode Reviews: "Expectant Dad ('Alice Knitting Sweater For Dog')" & "L

[Frank Gannucci]

Honeymooners Episode Reviews: "Expectant Dad ('Alice Knitting Sweater For Dog')" & "Lost Baby":

Episode #21
TV: Hasn’t been seen on TV since its original airdate.
DVD: Hasn’t been released.
Air Date: Sat. ???

"Expectant Dad ('Alice Knitting Sweater For Dog')":

Note: I don't have “Expectant Dad” (“Alice Knitting Sweater For Dog”), but I do have the lost episode version called “Expectant Father.” The script can be viewed at the UCLA Special Collections Library Box 109, Folder 22.

Nobody knows for sure if this episode ever aired on TV or not. In the early 2010s, it was revealed that this as long as some other sketches were rumored to have been shown on TV. I am going to assume that the script for this one is right. If it did, it was called “The Expectant Dad” (aka “Alice Knitting Sweater For A Dog.”)

Alice is busy knitting a sweater for a dog. Alice says to Trixie that she can't talk about her new job to Ralph because Ralph will say to quit the job. This discussion is almost the same as in "Santa & The Bookies" & “Run, Santa, Run.” Ed comes down. Ed: "Alice, where's your better one and a half?" Alice says that Ralph isn't home. He sees Alice trying to take laundry upstairs and says that she shouldn't carry that big of an item, so he volunteer’s Trixie's services, much to Trixie's chagrin. They leave.

Ralph comes home and sees the sweater. Ralph thinks that he will become a father. He mentions that when his son is born, he will name him "Ralph." Ed says that that might cause confusion. Ralph: "I was named after my father. They used to call us 'Big' & 'Little' Ralph." Ed: "Who was your father, 'Little' Ralph?" Ha!

The girls come back and Ralph acts all nice when Alice arrives. Trixie: "What's going on here?" Ralph mentions to Alice that he knows what she knows but the way he explains it far too confusing. Alice: "You are nuts." Ralph offers everyone some unique food, which Ed says that he will take it. Ralph (yells): "OH WHY DON'T YOU SHUT UP!" Ralph tries to kick Ed out but it doesn't work. Ralph talks some more about what he thinks that Alice might have. Alice thinks that Ralph found out that her mother is coming. Ralph (yells to Alice): "SHE IS NOT SETTING FOOT IN THIS HOUSE!" (Normally to Alice): "I'm sorry. She and your dad can come and stay until New Year's if she likes but if it isn't you, out they go."

Ralph & Alice have some time alone. Ralph continues to talk about what he thinks that Alice might have and he is happy about it. Alice says that if she does this every year, she might have to join a union. Ralph: "I didn't know that you had to join a union to have a baby." Alice then knows what Ralph has been talking about and says that the sweater is for a dog. Ralph is disappointed but says when they have a baby; he would rather have a girl just like Alice. They hug and kiss.

Episode #29
TV: It was shown in reruns for the first time on the Honeymooners 35th Anniversary Special in 1990 on CBS. (The same special is shown on the Classic 39 DVD box Set with the lost episode clips edited out because Paramount didn't [and doesn't] have the home video rights to the lost episodes.) In 2019, Decades started showing this episode with it being attached to "The Turkey."
VCR: Attached to "One Big Happy Family"
DVD: Attached to "A Weighty Problem", "Lunch Box" & "The Man In The Blue Suit." On the Lost Episodes DVD Box Set, it is attached to “Bread”, “Razor Blades”, “New TV Set”, “Ralph Threatens To Leave”, “Alice & Ralph Get Dressed For A Date Last Night” (aka “The Dance”), “The Ring Salesman” (’51 version), “Quiz Show” (’51 version), “Xmas Party” (’51 version), “The New Bowling Ball”, “The Turkey” “Quiz Show” (’52 version), “Halloween Party” (’52 version), “Cold”, “Pickles”, “Jellybeans” & “Six Months To Live” (’51 version).
Air Date: Sat. 10/11/52

When MPI released this episode on VHS, at the time it was the oldest surviving lost episode. They even put that in the description of the episode. After this episode was released, the Really Lost Debut Episodes were finally shown. Well, in 2002, MPI released this episode on DVD with the exact description that the VHS copy had even though by that time, it wasn't the oldest surviving lost episode.

This episode, much like "Quiz Show" (2nd version), is not exactly in 100% condition. Look at the left while this episode is playing and you'll notice that the left side is blurry.

Ralph comes home with a baby boy that he found on the bus along with food. He was lying on the back seat of the bus. Alice: "How did it get on the bus?" Ralph: "You don't expect him to walk do you?" Ralph brought him home rather bring him to the Foundlin home because it was getting pretty late when his day was done. He didn't want to be late for dinner and he looked to be hungry so he thought he would bring him home and him, the baby and Alice would have dinner. Alice says that they don't have anything to feed a baby. Ralph says he got some hamburger for the baby. Alice says he is too young to eat hamburger because of the meat. Ralph: "I got the hamburger from Krauss. There is very little meat in it."

Alice says she is going outside to get some pablum for the baby. As she goes into the bedroom to get her coat, she has trouble opening the door. Ralph says that everyone pampers babies now. He is implying that babies are now being spoiled. Ralph talks about how tough it was for him to be a baby. When he was a baby, his parents didn't put him over his shoulder to burp him. They gave him bruma seltzer. Ha! Alice leaves.

The baby cries. As Ralph puts him on the table, I think you can tell that the baby isn't real. Ralph tries to make the baby laugh. He tries to get Norton. As he yells out the window for him, Ed comes in. After Ralph tells him to come down, he notices that Ed is in the room with him. Ralph tells Ed where he got the kid. Ed searches for the baby's name. He looks on the baby's jacket and reads "John Wanamaker." He assumes that that's the baby's name. Ha! Ralph tells that is where the baby got his jacket made. The baby cries and Ed assumes that the baby is crying because it's a Republican baby. I assume a Democrat was president when this episode was made. Ralph says: "Why should he cry if he's a Republican baby." Ed: "He's hollering for a change." Ralph's response to that remark is his "Pow! Right in the kisser" routine.

Ed suggests that since the baby is crying, Ralph should give him some milk. Ed pours the milk into a glove since the glove will be used for a nipple. Ed: "We should patent this idea. It's a great idea for mothers with quintuplets. As Ralph puts the glove right-side up with the bottle being closed by Ralph's hand, Ed gets a pair of scissors to cut one of the fingers. Can you sense that they are going to do something stupid? I can. Sure enough, when Ed cuts one of the fingers, Ralph and Ed get a face-full of milk. They would later do the same thing in the episode titled: "The Adoption." Ralph of course blames Ed for the mishap in this episode. Ed leaves but as he leaves he says that the baby's name is John Wanamaker's baby. Ralph says that the baby couldn't be him since John is a millionaire. So Ed says that if it was John's baby, he would leave him in a taxi. Ed leaves.

Alice comes home with the food and sees that the baby is going to sleep. Alice: "Isn't he darling? He is going to sleep." Ralph disagrees with what Alice says because when he becomes 40, his wife will say: "Turn over Herman, you're snoring." Ralph says that we are going to keep him. Ralph will say that he will work night and day and forget about sleeping.

The police come looking for the kid. Alice and the kid go into the bedroom. Detective Brady of the police comes in and says that he is looking for the kid. He demands to know where the kid is. He called the Foundlin home and he wasn't there. Ralph assumes that he must have stepped out. Ha! The Detective says that the kid's mother is frantic and the reason why she left the kid on the bus alone because she thought she was doing the best thing for the kid and the reason why she wants him back is because she can't get along with the kid. Ralph turns the kid over. The detective and the kid leave with the baby's food.

Ralph says that when the kid left, the baby looked at Ralph as if he was saying: "Let me stay here." Ralph says he didn't mean what he said when he said that baby makes noise. Ralph: "I love kids. I want to have 20 of them." They wound up having nowhere near twenty kids during the whole series. As they hug and kiss, Ralph nice fully says: "One of these days, one of these days."

Ralph may have mentioned in the episode entitled: "Quiz Show" that Ralph probably drove a cab in the beginning of the series. In this episode, he drove a bus. So Ralph probably drove a cab, then quit to drive a bus, then quit to drive a cab, then joined the bus company again or when he says: 'I have to face the people down at the garage." in "Quiz Show", he may have referred to the garage at the bus company.

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.