Honeymooners Episode Reviews: "A Promotion" & "The Hypnotist":

[Frank Gannucci]

Honeymooners Episode Reviews: "A Promotion" & "The Hypnotist":

Episode #94 (Syndicated episode #93)
TV: In two-parts.
VCR: Attached to "Hot Tip."
DVD: Attached to "Two Men on a Horse", "The Check-Up" & "Hot Tip." On the Restored Lost Episodes DVD Box Set, it is attached to “Teamwork Beats The Clock”, “The Brother-In-Law”, “Songwriters”, “Kramden Vs. Norton” & “Santa & The Bookies” (’54).
Air Date: Sat. 1/22/55

"A Promotion":

According to John K’s Book “To The Moon”, this episode is entitled: “The Promotion.”

Inside the 328 Chauncey Street building, it is FREEZING! Alice and Trixie are wondering themselves when they are going get heat in what Trixie calls "this three story igloo." While they are talking, it is revealed that Ed is taking a bath, even though there is no hot water and it's freezing. Trixie leaves. Ralph runs in with some exciting news. Alice asks if Ralph ran up the stairs. He did even though it is not good for him. Alice says that Ralph running up the stairs is not good for the stairs either. Ha! Ralph has been promoted to assistant cashier tot he assistant cashier. Gee, I never heard of being an assistant to an assistant before. Ralph says that it is freezing so he asks why. Alice says the reason is because the heater is broken and the janitor said that there is no way to fix it until the pipes are fixed. Ralph says that in order to get heat in this building, you got to talk to the janitor in a tough fashion. He leaves.

Ed comes in wearing a very big fur coat. He had to chop himself out of the tub when he took a bath in cold water and cold heat. Alice breaks the news that Ralph got a promotion to Ed. Ed leaves soon after. Ralph comes back in. He said that the janitor will get heat in the building as soon as the pipes are fixed. Ralph tells Alice that he wants to be the first person to tell Ed that he got a promotion. Ed comes back in after Ralph goes into the bedroom to wear more warm clothing. Alice tells Ed that when Ralph breaks out the news, act surprised. Ralph comes tells him the news. Ed fails miserably in acting surprised and Ralph notices it too. Alice says that she told Ed about the promotion before Ralph told her to not tell. Trixie comes in and says to Ralph congratulations on getting the promotion. Ralph says: "At least, I was the first person to tell the janitor about my promotion." The janitor comes in and says that since he can't fix the pipes now and because its 5pm, he is leaving. The landlord won't pay him for overtime. Ralph doesn't care. He wants heat. Ralph asks where the landlord is. The janitor says: "Florida. He can't stand this cold weather." The janitor leaves. Ralph and Ed concoct a plan to get heat in at least in the Kramden apartment He will go downstairs and blow heat in the pipe that goes to the Kramden apartment. He leaves. When he finds the pipe and blows the heat, it gets Ralph in the face. Ralph tries to get even by dumping water down the tube, hoping that Ed will get the water in the face. That doesn't work as the water somehow ends up back in Ralph's face. Ed comes back inside. Alice says that since they have no heat, they will move back into their mother's for the time being. Ralph says no because her place isn't big enough even though he lived in there before. Alice: "My mom's place isn’t getting smaller." Ed: "Ralph is getting bigger." Ha! Ralph and Ed concoct a new plan. They will put a lit cigarette in the stove. They do that but when they smell smoke because of their idea, they try to get in fresh air. Ed breaks the kitchen window with a chair, thereby not only letting snow from the outside to come in, but steaming Ralph and costing him a lot of money as well. Regardless, this was a funny moment. This was also one of the few times that real glass was used for the kitchen window in the Kramden apartment. Ralph kicks him out. Ed leaves, but not before saying: "It will be a cold day..." Ralph (yells): "OUT!"

On the first day on the job, Ralph is having trouble counting money because everyone in the office is distracting him. He also has a cold. The bus company has a shortage of money in one of the money packets. He is trying to figure which stacks of $25 don't have $25. Ralph also has a desk that probably isn't even his. One man comes up to Ralph and notices his cold. He says to open a window when he comes home. Ralph: "We all ready got one open." After everyone in the office leaves, the security guard comes in asking if Ed Norton can come in. He also says something like: "After Mr. Boyle, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Murray, Mr. Nolan, Mr. Rogers & Mr. Williams leave, you are the boss." Ralph (acting as if he is a big shot): "Send him in." Ed comes in. He and Ralph talk about his job. Ralph says that if he becomes President, he will be the same good person he always is. Ralph also says that two of the stacks of $25 do not have $25. Ed helps by flipping the money close to his ear. With that, he determines that one stack has $28. Ralph: "When did you learn to do that?" Ed: "I picked that up by working in the sewer. What you got to see, you got to hear. Ed spots a safe that according to him, Fort Knox has nothing on. Ralph says that he is in charge of that safe. Ralph says that he has to put the stacks of $25 in that safe before he leaves. Ralph goes over how good the safe is, like after it is closed because of a time lock, it can't be open until 8am tomorrow. Ralph also says that the door, although it looks big, it can be moved with a touch of a finger. Ralph closes it before putting the money in. D'oh! Not a good move. Ralph realizes it and now is scared that he is fired and finished. He doesn't want to tell Alice about his mistake so he puts the money in a brown paper bag and takes it home. While at home, he puts it in a place where Alice can't find it.

While at home, Ralph is very sick. He insists on not going to bed early and on going to work tomorrow because according to him, the second day on the job is the most important day on the job. Sure! Alice goes over all the excuses Ralph has made for taking the day off from work. One of them is staying home from work for two days because of a hangnail. Gee! Alice leaves. Ed comes in. Ralph says that he put the money in the dresser. He and Ed go over the argument that Ralph and Alice are having, that being Ralph wanting to go to work even though he is very sick. Alice comes back. She got on the phone with a doctor, told him what sickness Ralph has, and tells Ralph that the doctor should go to bed early and stay in there all day tomorrow. Alice goes into the bedroom. Ralph and Ed come up with a solution: Ralph will go to bed early, but leave early tomorrow to deposit the money. Ralph tells that Alice that she won and he is going to bed. He puts the bag of money into the ice box because he is afraid that Alice will spot the money. Ralph gets the blanket and pillows and goes into the bedroom.

Trixie enters with groceries and asks Alice if she can put some in her ice box. Alice takes out the bag of money. Ed looks what is going on and gets Ralph. He and Ralph go through each bag, much to the girls chagrin. Finally, he thinks he got the bag of money and when the Nortons leave, Alice spots the bag of money that was on the kitchen table. Ralph explains to her the whole situation. But instead she is sympathetic. She tells Ralph that maybe it will be better if he called the boss and told him the whole thing, but Ralph says that he will feel better if he woke up early and deposited the money before he officially starts his work day. Ralph: "I have a few things going for me: "I am going to work early, I am going to the office and Norton is not helping me." Gee, that's a nice thing to say about your best friend...NOT!

That night, at the bus company, the safe is blown open by crooks. The next morning, when Ralph arrives at work with the money, he finds a room full of bus-company executives (including his boss) and cops, who are convinced Ralph's the thief. Ralph tells him the whole story and that since the crooks couldn't find the money because it wasn't in there and because he had it, he's a hero. Ed Norton comes in. The cop says that he must be Ralph's "accomplice." Cop: "I saw him trying to escape by going down a sewer." Ed: "I am going to tell you for the tenth time, I work down that sewer." Just as Ralph and Ed are going to be sent to jail, the phone rings. It's a cop saying that the real bad guys in this whole situation have been caught. Ralph's boss apologizes but Ed doesn't think that an apology is good enough. He goes over all the good things that Ralph has done at the bus company and he is appalled that Ralph's boss thought that Ralph would do such a thing. Ed: "If Ralph leaves this company, you are losing a walking suggestion box." He also says that he and Ralph quit. What? Ed doesn't even work for the bus company. He tells Marshall how dedicated Ralph is and enumerates Ralph's ideas for saving the company money. Marshall decides Ralph's too valuable to the company to be sitting at a desk, so he tells Ralph he's going back to driving a bus -- and into training as assistant bus dispatcher. Ralph thanks Norton. Ed: "I may appear to be a scatterbrain, but inside here (his head), the wheels are turning 24 hours a day Ralph."

Episode #95 (Syndicated episode #87)
TV: In two-parts.
VCR: Attached to "Glow Worm Cleaning Powder."
DVD: Attached to "Principle of the Thing", "Alice's Aunt Ethel" & "Glow Worm Cleaning Powder." On the Restored Lost Episodes DVD Box Set, it is attached to “Cupid”, “A Little Man Who Wasn’t There”, “Hero” & “The Great Jewel Robbery.”
Color Episode Title: "Sleepy Time Gal."
Lost Episode Title: "The Hypnotist."
Air Date: Sat. 1/29/55

"The Hypnotist":

Ralph and Ed are at a Raccoon meeting with a couple of guys. Ed suggests that since they are playing cards, they should play Knuckle-Knuckle. After he goes over the game's bizarre rules, he says that all the wet cards are wild. (He usually plays this game down in the sewer.) Ralph says no. This whole scene would be done again in "Catch A Star." Ed says that hey can play "Bunkhouse." Ed: "Everything is wild in that game." Ralph: "Including the players." The meeting is called to order. The president says that they are in for some entertainment. All of the guys are very excited. The president says: "I'm sorry boys. We couldn't get her (probably meaning Marilyn Monroe.)" She is in Union City." Ed: "I make a motion that we have our annual Raccoon convention in Union City." Hey, what a great group of faithful husbands...NOT! The president goes over the Raccoon convention that will be held in Chicago. Ralph gets up and talks about the convention, saying that they are going to be staying at the Sheraton Hotel (same place as last year.) He says he got a letter from the manager of the hotel stating that some Raccoons went into the bar last night after closing hours. Everyone (except Ralph and the president of the Raccoons) say that they went into the bar after closing. Ralph says: "Don't do it again." The president says for their entertainment, he will bring in a Raccoon from Bayonne, the Great Fatchamara -- "the world's greatest hypnotist" His real name is Michael Case (and he is played by George Petrie.)

His first act is bringing Ralph and Ed up and hypnotizing Ed into thinking he is at his job. Ed walks around in the "sewer" and sees Ralph and thinks that it is Moby. That is funny. Ralph: "If he wasn't under a spell, I would fracture his skull." Gee, what a nice thing to do to your pal...NOT! He hypnotizes Ralph (who says that he doesn't believe in that stuff) and Norton and tells Ralph he is Norton, and Norton, Ralph. He tells them they're at a bowling alley, and each acts as if he's the other: "Ralph" is angry because "Norton" wants to bowl first; "Norton" rolls a strike and finishes off his turn with a Nortonesque flourish of the arms. Before Fatchamara brings them out of their trances, he gives them a posthypnotic suggestion: whenever they're seated and hear the name Chicago, they'll think they're sitting on a bed of red-hot coals. After he snaps Ed and Ralph into their usual selves, Ralph says that he can't be hypnotized. When Mike asks everyone where that convention is going to be held, they yell: "CHICAGO!" Ralph and Ed yell because they think that they are sitting on a bed of hot coals.

At home, Ralph tells Ed that he is bringing Ralph's bringing a toy gun, a trick glass, chattering teeth, an electric prod, and paper bags to drop out the hotel window. Ed says that during a Raccoon convention in New York, the police ordered some Raccoons in hotel to stop throwing water bags out the window. Ed didn't obey. He kept on throwing water bags out until he almost drowned (the window was closed.) Ralph: "That figures, with you doing it." Ed told a variation same story in "Unconventional Behavior." A Raccoon convention in New York? Ralph and Ed probably wouldn't have had to travel far for that one considering that they live in BROOKLYN. Ralph says that he has no money and he will get it from Alice. Alice comes out. Ralph tries the flattery routine to coax some money out of Alice, but she's having none of it--she's saving the money for furniture. Ralph says that they got nice furniture. Sure! Alice: "Just because, you are a Raccoon doesn't mean that they have to live in a whole in the ground." Ha! Alice says that the Raccoon conventions are crazy and goes back into the bedroom. Ralph has one of his all-time-great brainstorms: they will get the Great Fatchamara to hypnotize Alice so she'll tell Ralph where she's hidden the money.

The next day Alice is in the candy store, making a telephone call, and in walk Ralph and Norton to call Fatchamara. They don't know its Alice in the telephone booth, and while they're waiting for her to hang up they discuss Ralph's scheme. Ralph says that Mike will comply with Ralph's scheme because they are Raccoons. He also mentions the Raccoon slogan: "E Pluribus Raccoon!" Gee. Ralph: "I'm the one in my family with it up here (pointing to his brain.) Ed: "You got plenty of it down there too." They try to get "the woman" out. Ed concocts a scheme. They will go across the street, call here, and tell this lady that she is wanted home and they will go back here and call Mike. Ralph says that that idea is stupid because this phone would be busy if they did that (this episode was obviously done before call waiting was invented.) Ed says that they will go across the street to call Mike, but they don't have to call here. Ralph thinks that that is a good idea. They leave. Alice calls the library and asks for information on hypnotism.

At home, Alice is with Trixie. The boys (along with Mike Case) arrive. Ed says that Trixie should leave to get some iodine for that black eye that she will get if she doesn't go upstairs. She leaves. Ralph introduces Mike Case. Ed: "Professionally known as the Great Fatchamara." Ralph acts as if Ed almost blew his whole plan. When Fatchamara tries to hypnotize Alice, Alice is ready for him and fakes being hypnotized while the boys accidentally get hypnotized. When Mike sees this, he snaps the boys out. Ralph: "I wish you would hypnotize me. I just want to see how it feels." When Ralph asks Mike to ask Alice where the money is, he says: "You might think that this is a little underhanded, but alls fair in love and war." Ed: "In this family, it's a little bit of both." Under hypnotism, Alice shows Ralph where she's hidden the money. Ed: "Alice is a regular Theda Bara." Who's she? As Alice is trying to show the money, she is showing where certain things are in order for her to get the money. Getting agitated, Ralph says, if there is another key, he is going to belt her if she is in a spell or not. The money is shown but he decides to play it smart and take it just before he's ready to leave for Chicago so Alice won't know it's missing until too late. Ralph asks Mike to ask Alice what she thinks of Ralph. Alice sings: "I don't want him. You can have him. He's too fat for me." Ralph (to Mike, yells): "SHUT HER UP!" Mike snaps Alice out. Alice leaves the room. As Ralph and Ed talk about the convention, Mike says that he can't go because his wife won't let him.

On the train to the convention, the Raccoons are filling the car with belly laughs as Ralph relates the whole story. Ed suggests a toast. He says the founding father of the Raccoons is Toots Mondello (despite the fact that it was Herman Hildenbrand in the episode entitled: "Songwriters.") They toast. What is the toast? "Fingers to fingers, thumbs to thumbs, watch out below, here she comes!" When the black waiter brings the check for the Raccoons' drinks, Ralph offers to pay. Ralph: "That is the only way Alice would want it to be." He opens the money box, but instead of finding the cash he finds some toy snakes and a note -- from Alice. Ed reads it: "Dear Ralph, I may not be a hypnotist like the Great Fatchamara but I have made a monkey out of a Raccoon. Then, to add insult to injury, when the waiter tells Ralph he must pay up before the train reaches "Chicago," Ralph and Ed get "burned" again. This scene had to be one of the rare times people saw a black actor on TV and because this is a lost episode, we may never find out who played him.

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]

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