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The Jetsons: Millionaire Astro (1963)
Rich roruddy ran rery!
That's Astro attempting to sing along with the Jetsons, For He's A Jolly Good Fellow! Millionaire Astro, written by Tony Benedict, is one of my favorite episodes of The Jetsons. It's hilarious and also a little tear-jerking. Voices include George O'Hanlon as George, Penny Singleton as Jane, Janet Waldo as Judy, Daws Butler as Elroy (he also plays Astro's original owner here) and Don Messick plays Rastro, I mean Astro and the narrator.
Plot synopsis: George comes home with Astro enthusiastically ready to greet him. George appreciates the affection but wishes Astro would tone it down. Along comes Astro's original owner who claims Astro (whose real name is Tralfaz). Tralfaz is a name Astro hates and so Tralfaz refuses to go with him and the Jayson family refuse to give him up. So he comes back again and this time, Astro is disguised as a human. But the owner isn't buying it and finds ways to prove the Jetsons' "uncle" is really a dog. The tail is the giveaway and the owner gives Astro a summons to appear in court the next morning. The Jetson family come along to court and Elroy gives his testimony on how he met Astro in the park. But it's not enough. The original owner works for Gotrockets, a wealthy company. And so Astro is given back to his original owner, with the Jetson family tearfully saying goodbye to their former dog. Astro is treated well as he has his own treadmill and all the food he can eat but he's still miserable and lonely. However, he enjoys the dog walks as he's able to take a bite in the owners' pants. Most of all, he's always happy to see the Jetsons in visitation hour! Just as the family tearfully say goodbye to Astro, the owner allows the Jetsons to keep him. The family and especially Astro are ecstatic! So they take Astro home and sing For He's A Jolly Good Fellow with Astro finishing it off "Rich roruddy ran rery-ee!"
Trivia: When the Jetson family visits their favorite dog, they're in the same position as in the picture he's looking at!
What I liked: I liked the music as performed by Hoyt Curtin. They play sad accordion music as they're all saying goodbye to Astro. The music when you see Astro's new home is also interesting. Anyone who's tried to adopt a pet or child can relate to this episode. Ten pairs of pants out of ten!
The Flintstones: Little Bamm-Bamm (1963)
"Henceforth, Exhibit A shall be known as Bamm Bamm!"
A wise decision, your honor!
This is not the 1st episode produced either featuring or mentioning Bamm Bamm, written by Warren Fister. Fortunately, for the sake of continuity, Hanna Barbera featured this episode before the others. Yes, there were dark moments here but they don't take away from the enjoyment of this episode. Don Messick loaned his voice for the pint sized Arnold Schwartzstone and in every episode except Season 6's Circus Days. Hal Smith plays Barney's lawyer, Bronto Burger.
Plot synopsis: Like most of Season 4, there's an introduction which is not later featured in the rest of the episode. Dino has trouble getting his big bone out the door. Instead of helping, Fred has a good laugh at the dinosaur's expense. Later that evening, the Rubbles are due to come over, as they have every night. Fred mocks Barney's entertaining Pebbles, scaring her in the process. Finally, they come over and Fred is both annoyed and jealous at the attention Pebbles gives Barney and Betty. Finally, Fred screams at them "Go get your own child!" and cruelly throws them out. Wilma is furious at Fred, who feels bad right away. Wilma assures Fred he's not a heel, even though he's jealous and thoughtless and reminds him she loves him. So Fred goes over to rhe Rubbles and sincerely apologizes. Barney and Betty, though upset, forgive Fred. After he leaves, Barney and Betty wish they could have a child of their own. Suddenly, a star falls from the sky. Barney and Betty make a wish on the falling star. They agree not to tell each other what they've wished for, then Barney addresses the audience "But I'll bet you've all guessed what we wished for." The next morning, a basket is left on the Rubbles' doorstep. To Barney's surprise, there's a baby boy inside and a note saying his name is Bamm Bamm. Barney tries to tickle Bamm Bamm but the baby grabs the finger and body slams Barney, shouting "Bamm! Bamm! Bamm!" Barney tells Betty the good news, who doesn't believe him but when she sees Bamm Bamm, she drops the big breakfast egg all over Barney! Barney tells Fred and Wilma, who introduce Bamm Bamm to Pebbles. The two babies hit it off immediately, especially after Bamm Bamm rescues Pebbles from a saber tooth cat! Fred and Wilma suggest they take Bamm Bamm to the adoption agency. So Barney and Betty drive there very carefully, even letting a turtle out-speed them! One person doubts there's anything unique about Bamm Bamm. Barney watches on as Bamm Bamm proves that man wrong! To show they're good citizens, Barney hires an old lady to help cross the street, back and forth all day! However, Betty gets a call from the adoption agency saying they're giving Bamm Bamm to another family. Betty, once again, is broken hearted and sobs "I don't want falling stars. I want Bamm Bamm!"The next day, the Rubbles demand Bamm Bamm back and the lady says he's going to a wealthy family, the Stonefellers. So in the court, the judge is Mr. Stonefeller's brother. Fortunately, they don't get along. Unfortunately however, Mr. Stonefeller's lawyer is Perry Masonary, who's never lost a case! Attorney Perry accuses Barney of letting Bamm Bamm starve. The judge decides in honor of the Stonefellers. Barney tearfully says goodbye to Bamm Bamm and walks out of the courthouse. Suddenly, Mr. Stone teller gets a call from his wife. She tells him she's expecting and he unanimously decides to give Bamm Bamm to the Rubbles. Since Barney hasn't gotten the good news yet, he ties a rock around him. Just before he throws the rock, Fred tells Barney he'll be getting Bamm Bamm after all. So Barney unties the rock which Fred happens to be holding. Barney throws the rock, throwing Fred in instead of Barney. Fred survives- albeit a little wet and annoyed!
Trivia: The falling star scene was featured in a 1980's movie Better Off Dead. Barney talks to character Lane (played by John Cusak) and asks permission to take out his ex-girlfriend Beth! I doubt Betty would approve! Also, the court scene is very similar to Millionaire Astro which appeared a year later on The Jetsons.
Definitions- Haneceforth means from now on. Also, Fred suggests a baby shower, a party where the new parents get new gifts for their babies. Barney misunderstands and thinks Bamm Bamm is too young to take a shower! "He'll be taking baths until he's older!"
What I liked: I liked that Fred had the courage to apologize for losing his temper at the Rubbles. The references to the Rockefellers and Perry Mason were also pretty funny. With Barney almost taking his life, I'm glad Fred gave him the good news. The new addition wouldn't be complete without the new father! Nine falling stars out of 10!
The Monkees: The Christmas Show (1967)
Isn't it the height of conformity...?
It's ironic Butch Patrick's character Melvin asks Mike Nesmithand Peter Tork this question, considering they were the two Monkees who fought against conformity. The Christmas Show was aired on Christmas Day of 1967. By now, there was no laugh track telling you when to laugh. But that doesn't mean there aren't any "roll over the floor laughing" moments, as I'll discuss later in this review. The Monkees include Mike, Peter, Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz. Guests include Mr. Patrick (known as Eddie Munster on the Munsters), Burt Mustin (known as Gus the Fireman and also a guest on The Twilight Zone and The Brady Bunch) and many others. Music is by Stu Philips.
The Monkees need some money for the Christmas season. They are offered $100 each to babysit a rich family's young child named Melvin. The only problem is Melvin is a cynical know-it-all and not very friendly. The Monkees agree. Davy, Micky and Mike recall what Peter gave them last Christmas. Davy gets a jacket which is too big, Micky gets a chemistry set and turns into a werewolf biting the head off poor ol' Mr. Schneider (their managing). Mike gets skis which he doesn't open until the Winter is over. When Melvin comes over, he's less than thrilled or impressed with the Monkees. They take him to a store and Peter rides a toy bike which makes a mess of the store and crashes! The doctor charges them most of their earnings. They try to get Melvin to smile, to no avail. Then they take him to a forest to buy a Christmas tree. One woman attacks Mike for the tree. He's a gentleman and lets her go with it. So they cut their own and save money. Micky thinks he's found mistletoe but instead he's found poison ivy. The doctor leaves with the rest of the Monkees' hard earned babysitting money. Davy gets on a ladder and tries to show Melvin how to put the star on the top of the tree. Unfortunately, the ladder falls and the doctor comes again. Since the Monkees have no more money, the doctor waits until later to bill them. Disgusted, Melvin leaves. Davy wonders why. And Mike suggests they should've shown Marvin some love. At the house, Melvin is lonely, miserable and starts to cry. He imagines how much more fun he would've had with the Monkees if his attitude were better. The Monkees surprise Melvin with a visit but that's not the only surprise. His aunt and uncle come home from the cruise, admitting they missed him. He admits he missed them, too. Micky (as Santa) and Davy (as an elf) come down the chimney and crash! Melvin laughs for the 1st time. They all sing an off-key rendition of Deck The Halls. The Monkees song for the episode is Riu Chiu, an old Spanish Christmas carol. Instead of the conventional end credits, the Monkees wish the audience a merry Christmas, introduce us to the production crew and have a little party as the credits roll.
Trivia: Despite his more reserved alter ego Melvin, Butch Patrick was very excited about his acting gig on The Monkees. Also, there's a nice melody of Christmas carols.wirh a Madrigal style chorus.
Definitions: Conformity- to go along with the crowd, go with the flow. Mike Nesmith, in particular, was not a conformist!
What I liked: I really liked Butch Patrick's performance here. Melvin goes from a cool and calm kid to someone who gets sad and happy. You see a lot of anger at the beginning, which he hides behind with his cynicism but eventually, you see sadness and pain behind the facade and eventually he admits he likes the Monkees. He appreciates them coming to his house and has grown to appreciate their hospitality. Also, the Monkees look like they're enjoying themselves in this episode. In a few Season 2 episodes, they act as if they wish they weren't there. Here, they seem comfortable and look like they're enjoying the episode. And of.course, the classic Christmas carol Riu Chiu is a poignant performance. It was the 1st time I had ever heard it. 9 stockings out of 10!
Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (1975)
Is kindness something you can make retroactive?
Happy Valentine's Day! I remember when this 1st came out in 1975. My mother told me about it and was I ever excited! This review is dedicated to my buddies Kenny Austin and Dave "Zeke" Greene, who turned 7 the day this officially aired on January 31, 1975! It features music by Vince Guaraldi and John Scott Trotter. It was produced by Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelson, directed by Phil Ramone and written by Peanuts creator Charles Schulz. Voices include Duncan Watson as Charlie Brown, Stephen Shea as Linus Melanie Kohn as Lucy, Greg Felton as Schroeder, Lynn Mortensen as Sally, Linda Encroli as Violet and Frieda and Bill Melendez as Snoopy and Woodstock.
Plot synopsis: Lucy sees Charlie Brown waiting by his mailbox for valentines. "Good luck," she tells him and then adds "You'll need it!" Snoopy tries playing Cupid with Charlie Brown with his suction cup arrows. None if them stick so Snoopy just puts the arrow atop his master's head. Meanwhile at school, Linus is asked to pound the erasers by Miss Othmar whom he has a crush on. He pounds the erasers and starts coughing. "I could die from such honor!" At Schroeder's house, Lucy gives a little history lesson on the origins of the 1st Valentine. When Schroeder ignores her, she asks if he realizes he could lose her and destroys his piano! Later, she goes to see a meladrama presented by Snoopy who acts it out with puppets on his paws! Linus goes out to buy Miss Othmar a big box of candy. Violet asks about a bottle of heart-shaped shaving lotion as her teacher is a man. Sally sees the big box of candy and thinks it's for her. She goes home to make her own valentine but has trouble with the shape. Big brother Charlie Brown helps her and makes a simple one. Snoopy makes an extravagant one complete with a musical box! That's something Charlie Brown can't do!
The next day is Valentine's Day and Charlie Brown comes to school with a briefcase to put all the Valentines he hopes to get. Sally gives Linus a homemade valentine which as he gets it, he sighs "Gee, thanks," unimpressed. Schroeder is put in charge of passing out the Valentines. Five passes out candy with messages. Frieda's candy reads Sweet Baby and Sally's candy includes Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poen How Do I Love Thee? Charlie Brown's candy just reads Forget It, Kid! Meanwhile, all the Valentines have been distributed and there's not one for Charlie Brown. Linus waits for his chance to give his candy to Miss Othmar. Sally still thinks the candy is for her. Unfortunately, his beloved teacher leaves and Sally wonders why he's running after her "with my box of candy!" He runs to the car but it's too late. Miss Othmar has just left with her boyfriend! Furious, Linus tosses the candy our of the box one by one. Unbeknownst, Snoopy and Woodstock catch the candy into their mouths. Charlie Brown goes home, throws his empty briefcase on top of the mailbox and opens it. It too is empty. So he kicks it!
The next day, Charlie Brown holds out hope that maybe the Little Red Haired Girl left him a valentine. Unfortunately, all that's in the mailbox is Snoopy who gives him a kiss! Than Violet comes offering Charlie Brown one of her valentines. Schroeder comes to Charlie Brown's defense and scolds Violet for her insincere gesture after it's too late. But Charlie Brown is too happy to care and accepts it anyways. He hopes next year will be an even better Valentine's Day. Linus interrupts and wishes him a happy Valentine's Day!
Definitions: Retroactive- to take effect at a later date. Violet tried to reverse her lack of thoughtfulness to Charlie Brown. It's unlikely Lucy would've, considering she said "Who'd waste a Valentine on stupid ol' Charlie Brown?!"
Unsolved mysteries: Did the Peanuts gang have more than one teacher? They're all together in the same classroom. And how did Violet forget her male teacher had a beard? Finally, how did Snoopy sneak in? No worries, he acts out Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem perfectly!
Trivia: After this special was aired, several viewers sent Charlie Brown lots of Valentines!
What I liked: I liked Snoopy's "paw-pet" show and how he handles the refreshments. I also liked how Snoopy and Woodstock presented Valentine's to one another- each one right on the nose! Most of all, I liked how easy this special is easy to relate to. If you've ever had a Valentine's Day with nobody special to share it with, you'll be sure to relate to it! And you gotta admit- Schroeder proved to be a loyal friend to Charlie Brown by sticking up for him! Ten bottles of heart-shaped shaving lotion out of 10!
The Twilight Zone: The Night of the Meek (1960)
We're dealing with a most unusual bag!
That's an understatement, Corwin!
This review is dedicated to my friend Frederick Simmons, who just reviewed this episode hinself. It's The Night Of The Meek, the 11th episode of Season 2 of The Twilight Zone. It was written by Rod Serling, the creator and directed by Jack Smight. Though there's no music credit, the carols Jingle Bells, O Come All Ye Faithful, Joy To The World and The First Noel are featured. Art Carney plays the lovable Corwin, John Fiedler plays Mr. Dundee, the volatile store manager, Val Avery plays Bruce the petulant bartender, Meg Wylie plays Sr. Florence, the hostess at the Mission, Burt Mustin plays Burt, a cheerful old man and Andrea Margolis plays the elf. Trains were provided by theclassic Lionel model train company and the reindeer was provided by Santa's Village in Skyforest, CA.
Plot synopsis: It's Christmas Eve at 6:30 pm and children and their mothers are waiting for Santa Claus. Meanwhile, at a bar, Corwin who plays Santa is getting plastered. Bruce tells him it's time to go and throws him out when Corwin tries to help himself to the shots for free. 2 children ask Santa for gifts and "a job for my Daddy." When Santa arrives, Dundee is incensed that Corwin is late and drunk and orders him to get to work as Santa. Corwin deals with a smart allecky kid and falls down in front of everyone. "Look, Mom, Santa's loaded!" The mother scolds Santa and calls Dundee who fires Corwin as Santa and tells him to leave the store. Corwin apologizes for his drinking and explains he lives in a run-down tenement wish poor people. He says "I drink because I weep" and shares "Just one Christmas, I'd like the meek to inherit the Earth." Corwin tries visiting the bar again but Bruce won't let him in. He comes across an old burlap bag with junk and a few alley cats. Suddenly, the bag is filled with gifts. Corwin passes our presents to kids on the street. At a mission, Burt, a local, announces Santa is giving out gifts. He gives Burt a new pipe and a smoking jacket and a man a new cane. He tries giving Sr. Florence a dress. She refuses and calls Officer Flaherty. The policeman ask for receipts for the gifts. Corwin has none. So Flaherty confiscates all the gifts and takes him to the police station. There, he's met with Mr. Dundee who suspects Corwin has shoplifted from his store. Officer Flaherty asks Corwin to open the bag. All that comes out is junk. Officer Flaherty tells Corwin to clean it up and leave. Dundee scolds Officer Flaherty for not busting Corwin and sarcastically asks for a bottle of vintage cherry brandy. To his surprise, he's given just that! Officer Flaherty suggests Dundee have a glass! On the streets, Burt thanks Corwin for his gifts and asks "Nothing for you?"Corwin says "If I had my wish, I'd do this every year!" Then Corwin drops his old bag and comes across a sleigh and a reminder. Out of nowhere appears a female elf who says "Come on, Santa Claus. We've been waiting for you.... We have a lot of work to do for next Christmas!" So Corwin/Santa and the elf fly up in the air. Meanwhile, Mr. Dundee and Officer Flaherty watch them and can't believe their eyes! "You should come home with me," Mr. Dundee suggests. "We'll pour this brandy in coffee and thank God for miracles!'
Definitions: Loaded, as.many of you know, is slang for drunk. A lush is an alcoholic.
Trivia: Art Carney is best known as Ed Norton, Ralph Kramden's buddy on The Honeymooners. Burt Mustin was Gus the Fireman on Leave It To Beaver. This is one of 6 episodes produced on video tape.
What I liked: First if all, yes, Dundee has an attitude but it's hard not to sympathize with him. If you've ever worked in retail, you'd know why his patience is low! But when he gets his wish, he's appreciative and sentimental! You also sympathize with Bruce. He could've gotten in trouble with his boss if he let Corwin serve himself from the bottle! Officer Flaherty is the voice of reason. And Corwin undergoes a great transformation when he discovers that bag. "Of course, I'm drunk! I'm intoxicated with the Spirit of Christmas!" He's no longer a "loser" but a winner. I also liked Rod Serling's narration. And how can you not love the rendition of The First Noel, played in a glockenspiel, whenever anything mysterious or magical happens? 9 bags out of 10! Merry Christmas, everyone!
The Twilight Zone: Time Enough at Last (1959)
Murdstone-isn't that a villainous name?
I wish all of you going back to school (whether students or teachers) a happy school season. This review is for the 8th episode of season 1's The Twilight Zone, entitled Time Enough At Last. It was based on a short story by Lynn Venable and the screenplay was by creator Rod Serling. This was one of Rod's favorite Twilight Zone episodes and is also a favorite of Shelley McKay Young, whom this review is dedicated to. It features Burgess Meredith as the friendly Bank Teller (with a passion for reading) Henry Bemis, Vaughn Taylor as Henry's disgruntled and pompous boss Mr. Carsville, Jacquelin deWit as Helen, Henry's mean-spirited wife and Lela Bliss as Mts. Chester, a frustrated customer. Cyril Delevante and Robert Haines also play bank customers waiting in line. Music is by Leith Stevens.
Plot summary: Book-toting bank teller Henry Bemis is helping customer Mrs. Chester while reading David Copperfield at the same time. She snaps he short-changed her and owes her one dollar. Then Henry is caught red-handed reading instead of working by Mr. Carsville, who calls Henry into his office. Mr. Carsville demands Henry stop reading on the job "or you'll be reading want ads- for want of a job!" When Henry comes home, he tries reading a newspaper which is quickly snatched by his wife Helen. Helen orders Henry to get ready for a bridge night with friends. Henry tries sneaking a book in his pocket with him. Helen knows and demands he show her what's in the pocket. It's his book of poems and she asks him to read him some. He delightfully obliges and sees all the pages are crossed out so he can't read from it. Helen tears up the book of "doggerel!" The next day, Henry takes his lunch inside a bank vault and enjoys a little reading. He reads in the newspaper about an "H-bomb Capable of Total Destruction." Seconds later, his book opens to a page and his watch breaks. Then an explosion shakes the vault. Mr. Bemis is unconscious. After he wakes up, he opens the vault to find a world of rubble. A nuclear war has wiped out everyone except him. His car is unable to start and he finds himself at a grocery store with enough food to last him a lifetime. He almost commits suicide with a revolver he's found in a sporting goods store. Then he suddenly sees the public library up ahead with lots of books for him to read. He gathers the books on the steps leading to the library and makes stacks of books he can read. For now, he finally has time to read. However, his eyeglasses slip off his face and the lenses break. So Henry is left almost blind, unable to read the books he just found- and as Henry sobbingly cries out, "That's not fair!"
Trivia: Burgess Meredith was in 3 other Twilight Zone episodes and also played George in Of Mice And Men, Micky in Rocky and the Penguin in Batman. Vaughn Taylor was in 3 other Twilight Zone episodes and the original Psycho and Robert Montgomery Presents. Jacqueline deWit played Bud Abbott's wife in Little Giant and other movies. Leith Stevens also worked on many radio scores such as Abbott And Costello, Burns And Allen, Lights Out and The James Dean Story. The staircase at the end of this episode was also used in A Nice Place To Visit. Finally, doggerel means poetry that's irregular rhyme or rhythm, often used for comic or burlesque effect, like children's songs or nursery rhymes.
What I liked: I liked Burgess Meredith's acting. He portrays Henry as a likable and sympathetic book-toting everyman. His wife and boss are expertly played by Jacqueline deWit and Vaughn Taylor. You don't even feel sorry for them as they're wiped out in the nuclear bombing. I liked Lynn Venable's musical score as it sounds like music for work scene and captures the loneliness of Henry Bemis. Finally, I liked Rod Sterling's writing for the story and his narration as you get some in the middle of the story- "Seconds, minutes, hours- they crawl on their hands and knees for Mr. Henry Bemis." 10 books out of 10!
The Flintstones: The Long, Long, Long Weekend (1966)
This kid is 14- full fair!
I'm glad they haven't yet resorted to lie detectors. I'm sure many of us had parents who pulled the same thing. "Remember- you're not 12, you're 10!" Anyways, this review is for The Long, Long, Long Weekend from Season 6 (not to be confused with The Long, Long Weekend from Season 1). It was written by Herbert Finn and Alan Dinhart. Guest voices include Don Messick, John Stephenson, Harvey Korman and Janet Waldo, who plays Mrs. Slaghoopple.
Plot summary: Fred borrows $4 from his boss Mr. Slate and is looking forward to his extra long weekend, "a long, long, long weekend" as Barney calls it on their commute home. Fred and Barney enjoy a nice game of crochet with Barney's pet Hoppy juggling the balls, much to Fred's annoyance. Mrs. Slaghoopple lovingly babysits Pebbles and Bamm Bamm. So after a nice barbecue, the Flintstones and Rubbles decide to take a ride. Fred claims the highways will be empty because everyone is our of town. Betty sarcastically quips "Every car is out of town!" Gazoo shows up and offers to take the 4 of them for a ride into the 21st century. So the Flintmobile, now a spaceship, takes them to Bedrock. They learn they don't need cash- they sign for everything and will pay later- "much later," as the front doorman tells them. They eat at a restaurant and are served capsules! Wilma and Betty go shopping and need to borrow their husbands' pens! Fred and Barney get a haircut which is a machine that throws them our before they have a chance to tip the barber! Wilma and Betty suggest they take a rocket ship trip to Mars. They arrive and are creeped out by all the flying objects. Most frightening is a three-headed monster. They catch the next spaceship and head back home to Earth. They stop by Fred's office in the future. Mr. Slate's great, great, great x 800 grandson (who looks like his ancestor) assists them and looks up information about Fred, "one of the founder's most valued employees." The records show Fred borrowed $4 from Mr. Slate without paying him back, which added up to an astronomical amount of interest. Fred runs away as he's afraid he'll be spotted as a relative of the "dead beat!" Finally, they come home to the stone age and Gazoo previously predicted, Wilma and Betty have no memory of their trip. Fred vows to pay back the $4 he borrowed from Mr. Slate. Gazoo can't decide whether Fred is not ready for the future or the future is not ready for Flintstone!
Trivia: There's plenty of backgrounds and animation originally from the show The Jetsons, as well as music from that show and Johnny Quest. Mrs. Slaghoopple is actually pretty nice as she has no mean-spirited or smart-allecky comments for his son in law Fred! Peyrock Place is a pun on Peyton Place, a soap opera from the 1970's.
What I liked: I liked the lie detector which exposed the youngster's true age. The characters from Mars were pretty funny and I remember as a kid the 3-headed monster scared me as a kid! 9 spaceships out of 10!
It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown (1976)
Beethoven never had a tree planted on his piano!
While I have no proof on that, I would say the odds would be against it. This review is dedicated to my friend Mike Iwanowicz and is for the TV special It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown, 1st aired on March 16, 1976. It was directed by Phil Roman. Vince Guaraldi provided the music. Actors included Dylan Beach as Charlie Brown, Gail M Davis as Sally, Liam Martin as Linus, Sarah Beach as Lucy, Stuart Brotman as Peppermint Patty, Greg Felton as Schroeder, Michelle Miller as Frieda, Vinnie Dow as Rerun and Pig Pen and Bill Melendez as Snoopy and Woodstock. You can hear Peter Robbins cry "Auggh!" in several parts.
Plot Synopsis: Linus helps his baby brother Rerun into the bicycle seat for a bicycle ride with their mother across the town. "Considering I don't do much, I lead an active life," Rerun wryly reflects. Meanwhile at school, Sally is asked what Arbor Day is all about. She guesses "It's the day all the ships come sailing into the Arbor" and gets laughed at by the class. So Miss Othmar assigns Sally a report in Arbor Day. She asks Linus for help. Linus tries his best to help Sally But she's too busy flirting with (and embarrassing) Linus she doesn't have time to listen. Snoopy and Woodstock goof off in the library and make a lot of noise and get thrown out. Peppermint Patty asks "Chuck" to explain love but Charlie Brown can't give a satisfying answer. So she suggests they get together and play her team against Chuck's. Lucy offers to clean up Charlie Brown's baseball field. In honor of Arbor Day, she turns the field into a garden with vines that terrorize Snoopy, baseball bats used for stakes and a tree on Charlie Brown's pitching mound. Woodstock eats some of the seeds Snoopy plants and gets watered on by Snoopy! The gang calls the field Charlie Brown Field and tells Charlie Brown not to worry and they'll take care of it all. So Charlie Brown plans a team strategy. Finally, when they show Charlie Brown what they've done with Charlie Brown Field, he faints when he sees it! Then Peppermint Patty and her team arrive. Peppermint Patty is naturally frustrated by the setup. Snoopy gets out by the traveling vibes which once again attack him! Linus gets tangled in his blanket and is out. Then it's Lucy's turn at bat. She asks Schroeder to kiss her if she hits a home run. Schroeder cynically agrees, knowing a home run is unlikely. However, Lucy gets her 2nd wind at the "incentive" and hits the ball hard. So Schroeder, true to his word (albiet making his discomfort perfectly clear), meets her at home plate. When Lucy sees how reluctant Schroeder is, she changes her mind about the kiss! Peppermint Patty gets out since she cannot find the bases. Rerun somehow catches one of the fly balls, much to the impressment of Charlie Brown! However, just as Charlie Brown's team is winning by one point, the rain comes. Both teams go home but Charlie Brown stands firm to his mound, refusing to call the game. Sally's only comfort to her big brother is "At least it's good for the crops!" The next day in school, Sally gives a spirited report even quoting it's founder J Sterling Morton. Peppermint Patty also reminds Charlie Brown "At least you got a field named after you, Chuck. Happy Arbor Day, Charlie Brown!"
Definitions: Charles Schulz always enjoyed using big words in the cartoon strip Peanuts. Peppermint Patty vows to annihilate Chuck's team. Annihilate means to completely destroy. Lucy claims "Henceforth, this field shall be known as Charlie Brown Field." Henceforth means from this (or that) time on. Lucy shouts "Incentive!" after Schroeder promises a kiss on the condition Lucy hits a home run. Incentive means something to motivate or encourage one to do something. Lucy also uses a French term au contraire, which means on the contrary.
Trivia: This special was Rerun's animation debut. Also, this was Vince Guaraldi's final musical score as he would pass away just hours after he completed it. Also, the scene where Lucy and Frieda are speaking gibberish is really backwards dialogue. Lucy says "A promise is a promise" and Frieda says "If I could get off this bus....," a line from the then-upcoming movie Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown.
What I liked: Rerun's observations while riding with his mother are cute. Sally's wild guess at what Arbor Day is always has me laughing! Snoopy and Woodstock goofing off in the library is also funny, as well as Woodstock standing on the sprinkler and getting sprayed! I liked that tone in Charlie Brown's voice implying both annoyance and fear as he sees his new field. "What... have you done... to my field?! And what's that tree... doing on my... pitcher's mound?!" Schroeder tries to encourage him "Don't worry, Beethoven never gave up." Charlie Brown sardonically replies "Beethoven never had a tree planted on his pitcher's mound!" I'm glad this special added lots of humor while trying to add a little education in. I give it 10 ships sailing into the arbor out of 10!
The Twilight Zone: Nothing in the Dark (1962)
There was an old woman who lived in a room.
I hope all of my American friends had a happy Independence Day, my Canadian friends had a happy Canada Day and all of my English friends had a happy Treason Day! LOL My next Twilight Zone review will be for Season 3's Nothing In The Dark, directed by Lamont Johnson and written by George Clayton Johnson who would later work on Logan's Run. It starts Gladys Cooper, as Wanda Dunn, a suspicious and lonely old woman, Robert Redford (The Great Gatsby, The Sting) as Officer Harold Beldon and R. G. Armstrong as a building contractor.
Plot summary: Wanda Dunn has stayed in her basement apartment in an abandoned tenement for a long time. She hears a shot from her door. A young handsome officer named Harold Beldon has just been shot and begs her to open the door to let him in. Reluctantly, since she doesn't want to be responsible for him dying, she lets him in. Fortunately, she doesn't die when she touches him, so she stabilizes his condition. She explains to Officer Beldon why she wasn't willing to let him in. She has previously seen Death disguised as a man taking an old woman's life with a touch of the hand. She has seen Death disguised as other "people." And that's why she's stayed in her apartment for.many years. The door knocks again and Harold suggests Wanda answer it. The man forces the door open and Wanda collapses. He apologizes when she's conscious again and explains he's a building contractor and must tear down the building. He explains he needs to demolish the building to make room for a new one, since the current one is no longer fit for living. Then he tells her he will call the police I'd she doesn't leave the presmises peacefully. Wanda asks Harold for help, whom the contactor doesn't see. She then realizes Harold is Mr. Death. Harold politely explains he planned this to get her confidence and means no harm. Wanda still refuses to come so he gently offers his hand. "What you feared was the end," Harold tells her, "is really the beginning." As they walk out, Wanda notices her body "resting" on the bed.
Trivia: Gladys Cooper, who played Wanda Dunn, was also in Season 4's Passage On The Lady Anne and Night Call. Nothing In The Dark was produced for Season 2 but for some reason, was held back until Season 3.
Unsolved mysteries: I sure hope the Contractor wasn't too freaked out when he saw Wanda already dead.
What I liked: All of the actors are sympathetic and likable. Gladys Cooper plays Wanda Dunn with shrewdness and compassion as she lets the officer in. Robert Redford as "Mr. Death" is friendly, gentle and positive, a better diplomat, than the Grim Reaper in Season 1's One For The Angels. The Contractor is sympathetic but matter of fact. I also liked the music used from episodes like The Hitchhiker. 9 contractors out of 10!
The Twilight Zone: The Invaders (1961)
"This is one of the out of the way places... Bleak, wasted, dying..."
This is the 1st episode of The Twilight Zone I will review, Season 2's The Invaders. It's a classic and supposedly Rod Serling's favorite Twilight Zone episode he didn't write himself. It was written by Richard Matheson, who apparently wasn't a fan of the finished product. It starred Agnes Moorehead, who played Endora on Bewitched, a hapless victim in radio's Sorry Wrong Number and was also in Citizen Kane. Director Douglas Hayes has a "behind the scenes" acting part, which I'll touch upon later here. Music was composed by Jerry Goldsmith, known for his soundtracks with the Star Trek movies, the Rambo series, Stagecoach, Chinatown, Alien and many others.
Plot: Rod introduces.the place which looks like it could be anywhere in either the Midwest or the desert in his opening narration. There's an old lady in an old farmhouse with no electricity. Suddenly, she hears some noises from above which seem to disturb and irritate her. So.she climbs on the roof and discovers a spaceship with 2 miniature aliens. The aliens are hostile and leave radiation burns on her skin and chase her around..As she tries to hide for shelter, one of the aliens tries to open the door with a saw, leaving a cut on her hand. So the lady grabs the little man, wraps him in a blanket which gets holes in it from the alien's "saw." She finally gets control of the alien and throws him in the fire. Then she climbs back to the roof and with a hatchet, destroys the round spaceship. From the spaceship, there's a human voice (Douglas Heyes) speaking coherent English, speaking on a radio he has lost his partner in space and announces his doom. On the spaceship, it reads US Air Force!
Trivia: The aliens were put into motion by Douglas Heyes. Ms. Moorehead asked, when she got the script, why she got no dialogue (though she screams, gasps, grunts and groans in terror). Richard Matheson didn't like the small "aliens" as he described them "as frightening as Peter Rabbit coming after you." He also wondered why it took so long for the old lady to climb up to the roof to see what was going on. I guess it's hard to blame the old lady for being frightened, as they seem to cause her pain, though she is 10 times their size and eventually overpowers them.
What I liked: I think the fact that Miss Moorehead has no dialogue adds to the intrigue. This episode plays with your mind as you think the Earthling is the old lady when it's really the 2 "aliens," really men in spacesuits. You wonder if they've landed on Venus or Mars or another planet. Most of all, I liked Jerry Goldsmith's suspenseful soundtrack. It's creepy and unsettling, much like the episode itself. On a humorous note, I was commenting on this with a friend on a podcast he hosted and my spell check spelled Miss Moorehead's name Agnes Motorhead!
I give this episode 8 spacemen our of 10!
The Flintstones: The Treasure of Sierra Madrock (1966)
Is there a law you can't have more than 2 villains?
If there is, then Hanna and Barbera are in trouble!
This review is for The Treasure Of Sierra Madrock, from the 6th season of The Flintstones.. it was written by Joanna Lee, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Guest voices include Don Messick and Henry Corden. This review is dedicated to my friend Tony Jefferson.
On the way back from Rock Vegas, the Flintstones and Rubbles see phony detour signs and wind up in Rocky Gulch. They stop at a store run by 2 con men Zeke and Zack. Zeke and Zack sell them a load of equipment to help them "find gold." They plant a bunch of rocks painted gold and Fred and Barney get to work panning. Wilma and. Betty suspect their husbands have been had, especially after some the "gold samples" fall to the ground and lose their shine. It runs out, however, there is real gold in the gulch and heisters Evil Eye and Snake Legs watch Fred and Barney. Zeke and Zack enquire about the actual gold they sold Fred and Barney and offer $700 for it back. Fred and Barney decline. So they try shooting them while they're not looking but change their minds when they realize the law would be after them. Instead, they take the 2 on a "tour" of Rocky Gulch and lead them to a cave and cause an avalanche inside. Fred and Barney suspect one another as Zeke and Zack lead them to a pier by a waterfall, cur the pier, causing Fred and Barney to almost drown in the rapids. Wilma and Betty save Fred and Barney by hooks. Then Fred and Barney know they were fooled by Zeke and Zack. Suddenly, Evil Eye and Snake Legs make themselves know and demand the deed. Fred decides to save his own life and says he'll "quit while he's ahead" leaving the 4 villains to fight over the deed. So the 4 head home and present Pebbles and Bamm Bamm with the stones. Bamm Bamm breaks his and inside and gold is apparent! Wilma and Betty tell them "No more get rich schemes" and remind Fred of his own advice to "quit while he's ahead!"
Trivia: This is a parody of the movie The Treasure Of Sierra Madre. This episode later became a video game based on it in the 1990's.
What I liked: One thing I liked best was the musical score from Hoyt Curtin. Although portions of it were used in the Ricochet Rabbit cartoons and the Johnny Quest show, the dramatic music sounds perfect in the avalanche and rapids scenes. I also liked the scene where Evil Eye and Snake Legs make themselves known, Barney says "I thought they were the villains." And they ask in reply "Is there a law you can't have more than 2 villains?!"
8 pieces of gold out of 10.
The Flintstones: The Gambler (1962)
Fred Flintstone, you give Barney his TV back!
This is a classic with a moral- don't get hooked on betting. Fred learns the hard way in this episode, The Gambler, written by Warren Foster. Additional voices include John Stephenson and Don Messick as Arnold the Paper Boy
Plot synopsis: Betty comes over to the Flintstones. Wilma shows Betty some old pictures of Fred as a baby, and he.and Wilma during their Honeymoon. Wilma explains how Fred gambled throughout and wound up losing lots of money. Then she tells Betty how she talked Fred into seeing a doctor (she made a bet with him- and won!). Fred tells the doctor how he hears bells and whistles every time the word "bet" is mentioned and starts chanting "BET! Bet, bet, bet, bet, BET!" The Doctor makes Feed promise not to bet again so Fred agrees. However, he comes home grumpy, orders Betty to leave when she mentions the baby picture and gets mad at Paperboy Arnold for not delivering his newspaper. Fred looks for Arnold and finds him playing marbles! Arnold points out Fred owes $22.12 for.not paying for his newspaper- "Put it on my bill?" was Fred's alibi. Fred mentions he was a cjampion marble player as a boy. Arnold challenges Fred to a game for a bet and "bettin' Freddie is back again!" Fred makes his bill double or nothing and loses. So Fred offers double or nothing and winds up owing Arnold $88! Arnold reminds him to keep good on his betting debts. Fred looks inside his bowling for his personal stash. Wilma claims she was "dusting and found the money" in order to pay off the TV set so it wasn't repossessed. So Fred gives Arnold the TV set for collateral until he gets the money. Arnold uses the TV set for his Boys' Club. Wilma tries.watching TV and notices it's gone. Fred says he gave it to Arnold for his Boys' Club. Wilma is suspicious and Betty agree to have Barney play marbles with Fred. Barney suggests he and Fred bet and Fred hears the bells and whistles and cackles ,"Bet!" all over again! Barney loses and winds up loaning his TV set. Wilma demands Fred return the set to Barney. Then she has Fred get their TV set from Arnold. Fred visits Arnold at the Boys' Club and Arnold asks for the password. Fred demands he open the door without it. Arnold opens the door on Fred's face! Then Fred makes his bet double or nothing and, of course, loses! Fred offers Arnold his house's furniture. When Wilma sees the furniture gone, she knows Fred's been gambling again. Wilma and Betty drive to the Club House. Arnold is reluctant to open up to a woman "They're the worst kind!" Wilma and Betty see all the family furniture and Wilma remarks "It looks better in their house than ours!" The Boys' Club considers Fred a hero for donating the TV and furniture. With that, Wilma hasn't the heart to demand the furniture back. So Betty generously loans Wilma money to replace the furniture and TV (via Barney's bowling ball!). Fred hides in a trashcan and Barney offers to help pay off his debts and discovers Betty has already taken the money once stashed in the bowling ball. Fred lets Barney know much he appreciates his offer and goes home to confess everything. To his surprise, there's nee furniture and a new TV. Fred decides to give up gambling and pick up dusting!
Trivia: This is the only other episode besides The Sweepstakes Ticket where Wilma and Betty shout "Charge it!"
What I liked: Arnold is a sharp and friendly boy, gently reminding Fred not to welch on his bets. Barney is a good friend to Fred offering to help Fred pay his debts and Betty is a good.friend to Wilma loaning the money to restore the Flintstones' house. Wilma also proved to have a good heart. The world would be a better place is everyone had friends like the Rubbles.
9.marbles our of 10!
The Flintstones: The Big Bank Robbery (1961)
That's right, Fred. Return it!
What would you do with $86,000? It might get you a used car or be used for a down payment for a house, I'd you're lucky. This Seaaon 1 episode, The Big Bank Robbery, was written by Mike Maltese, Warren Foster and Arthur Phillips. In Addison to the regular cast, John Stephenson does a few voices, including Fingers, the villain.
Plot synopsis: Fingers and his henchman Louie are being chased by the police for robbing a bank. To get the policemen off their backs, they throw the bag of stolen money in the backyard of Barney Rubble. Fred is taking on Barney's hammock and telling Barney about a dream he had being rich. All of the sudden the bag of loot falls on Fred's head. He panics at 1st. Then Barney tells him it was money. Fred.rhinks the money should be his but Barney wants some of it. So the 2 of them argue and are holding onto the bag. Wilma and Betty break up the scuffle. Betty reminds Barney he is not entitled to any of it. Wilma tells Fred he needs to return it. So. Fred and Barney plan to give the money back to the bank. However, Fred's car runs our of gas. There's news of the holdup on the radio at the gas station. The gas attendant unintentionally lifts the hood and sees the bag of money. He tells Fred the gas is "on the house" and calls the police. So now, the cops are after Fred and Barney and chase them everywhere. Fred and Barney lose them by barely making the red light. When they get home, they tell Wilma and Betty the cops are after them. They hide out and Fred camouflages his car with some branches. Barney climbs a mountain, reaches for a rock which he removes. Then he falls in a birds' nest and the mother bird thinks he's one of her babies. One by one, she takes each baby bird and Barbey out of the nest to get them to fly. Barney falls right on Fred's back. They climb up into a tree and hide out for the night. Meanwhile, Wilma and Betty come up with a plan to find the bank robbers. They visit every shady bar in Bedrock until they come to The Poiple Dinosaur. They act like 2 tough girls and tell the story of how their husbands robbed a bank that day. So they leave, and announce "Back to 345 Stonecave Road." Fingers and Louie overhear and make their way to their house. Barney goes back to the house and Wilma and Betty thinks it's the crooks and break a vase over his head. After Wilma and Betty have called the cops, the crooks really do appear. They tie up Wilma, Betty and Barney and try to leave with the money. Fred shows up, opens the door in the crooks as they try to get away. So Fred tells the reporters a whopper of a story. Meanwhile, Wilma wants a word with Fred in private. She orders a sewing machine, lots of dresses and some stuff for Betty and Barney. Then she tells Fred if he doesn't share the reward money, they'll tell. Then she tells the department store "Give the bill to Mr. Flintstone!"
Trivia: This is the only episode the Flintmobile had a trunk. Fingers and Louie would make another appearance as the villains in The Soft Touchables. Alan Reed didn't do too many voices besides the voice of Fred but here he plays Fingers' partner in crime Louie and the tough bartender.
Unsolved mysteries: How do Wilma, Betty and Barney know if all the stuff they ordered will cover Fred's reward money? Or do they?
What I liked: The line at the beginning is pretty funny. "You can take your mask off now, Louie." Louie replies "Why can't I keep it on? It makes me feel like a for-real bank robber!" The cops chasing them are also funny, with the siren coming from the mouth of the cop. It's also funny when the cops are after Fred and Barney and they follow them into the lake! I also like the tough girl voices Wilma and Betty use in the bar Finally, a great score by Hoyt Curtin, particularly the chase scene music and the panic-stricken theme as Fred comes home. 9 poiple dinosaurs out of 10!
The Flintstones: Mother-In-Law's Visit (1963)
I love my mother-in-law!
This is the 2nd episode of The Flintstones dealing with Wilma expecting (back then, you didn't dare use the word "pregnant" on TV). The 1st was The Surprise which announced their being soon to become parents. Mother In Law's Visit was written by Warren Foster and featured the voices of Howard Morris who did several voices and Verna Felton, who played Mrs. Slaghoople, Fred's disagreeable "battle-axe" mother-in-law.
Plot synopsis: Fred comes home from work with a new present for their child- a baseball bat. Wilma prophetically asks "Supposing Junior turns out to be a little girl?" Fred has to think for a minute and with newfound hope, he replies "Great! She might make the big league!" Then their phone rings. It's Wilma's mother, much to Fred's chagrin (who beaks the bat in 2) and shouts "Tell her stay home!" After her mother announces she'll be coming to visit, Wilma begs Fred to make an effort to get along. So he reluctantly agrees, even saying to himself "I love my mother-in-law" over and over again. He picks her up at the airport and even tries to kiss her. Mrs. Slaghoople won't have any of that and slaps him with her purse! On the way home, Mrs. Slaghoople nags Fred about his driving and thinks he's "full of cactus juice." Then, a traffic cop stops them and asks if they're expecting a baby. Fred says yes and the officer leads them to the Bedrock Maternity Hospital. Fred leaves his mother-in-law there and comes home alone. Just minutes later, a furious Mrs. Slaghoople also arrives, ready to kill Fred! So Fred explains and apologizes. They shake hands and Wilma's mother crushes Fred's hand! Fred offers her his chair and the bigger steak. Just when Fred and Wilma think things are better between the 2, Fred trips over his mother-in-law's "big foot." She snaps "Why don't you watch where you're walking, you clumsy ox?!" The next day, Barney tells Fred about a great fight on TV. Fred says he missed it. "Wilma's mother doesn't like to watch other people fighting!" But that's not Fred's only concern. He wonders how they're going to afford a new crib for their baby. Since both Wilma and his boss don't want him to take 2 jobs, Fred rents a taxi cab and puts on a disguise with a mustache, a black vest and a nasally voice. Fred announces he's going out to "cruise around." Wilma's mother wants to know what he's doing and goes out looking for her "no good son-in-law." At that point, the taxi driver (really Fred) offers her a ride. He takes her on several bumpy roads to the Water Buffalo lodge, the pool hall (where she bets double or nothing on the parking meter he can't beat her at pool, and loses!) and the bowling alley (where she bets double or nothing he can't beat her at bowling, and again loses!). Finally, the "cab driver" takes her to the library. She bets double or nothing she won't find Fred there. So Fred removes his disguise and "reads" a parenting book. Mrs. Slaghoople is quite surprised and pays the "cab driver" the large amount. Since it's just enough for the crib, Fred retires the cab and the disguise and tells Barney, he "caught a nice fat pigeon!" The next day, Fred and his mother-in-law bury the hatchet, at least temporarily. When she sees Barney wearing Fred's "cab driver" disguise, she knows Fred was the cab driver and attacks him with a broom!
Trivia: Wilma has a new set of maternity clothes in this episode. Also, Verna Felton played the Queen Of Hearts in Alice In Wonderland, the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella and a few feisty characters on I Love Lucy.
What I liked: I liked the plane announcer's voice (by Howard Morris)- it's deep and flamboyant on the intercom and gentle and nasally off the intercom! The cab fair meter has sand passing like an hour glass. And how can you help but love Fred's nasally voice as the cab driver? Also, Wilma was hilarious asking "You can hear Old Loud Who, Mother?... Oh, Old Loud Mouth!"
Unsolved mysteries: Wilma probably wonders what caused the feud between her mother and Fred to errupt again. Will she make Fred return the money? In this case, she would probably make Fred pay her back when they could afford to.
Final comments: This one is a classic, based on how Ralph Kramden got along with Alice's mother on The Honeymooners (that "blabbermouth!"). Oh yeah, try your best to get along with your in-laws, at least for your spouse's sake. 10 fat pigeons out of 10!
The Flintstones: Sleep On, Sweet Fred (1963)
Gasp! They put an X on the Night Watchman!
When Fred and Barney resort to drastic measures like that, you know it's serious! Actually, this is the 1st review I've written in a year and it's dedicated to my friend, Lance Smith, who creates Flintstone figurines based on different episodes. Sleep On Sweet Fred was the 10th episode of the 4th season of The Flintstones. It was written by Joanna Lee and in addition to the voices of the Flintstones and Rubbles, Howard Morris and John Stephenson loan out voices in this episode.
Fred and Barney enjoy a game of bowling. As they arrive home, Wilma and Betty are watching a TV talkshow with a hypnotist who tells them how hypnotism can get husbands to do things for their wives- even wipe their feet. Just then, Fred walks in with muddy feet leaving tracks all over the cave! So Wilma tries convincing Fred to ask Mr. Slate for a raise while sleeping and and of course, to wipe his feet! She tells him to act like a tiger. So when Fred wakes up, he has the courage of a tiger! He demands the raise from Mr. Skate, who's both intimidated by his courage and amazed! Fred gets his raise and pounces like a tiger back to work! Wilma and Betty see an advertisement for a Kirsten Flagstone concert. The only problem is Fred and Barney have a poker night. It's not easy getting Fred to agree as he says in his sleep "I don't wanna play concert! I wanna go to the poker!" However, Wilma's plan works and Fred willingly agrees to take her to the concert. But Fred and Barney overhear Wilma and Betty discuss the sleep hypnotism and their plans to get them to agree to get mink coats. So they let Wilma and Betty think they've made a plan to break into the department store at night. They make a poster of their plans with circles and arrows and of course, the night watchman is crossed out! That night, Fred and Barney drive to the department store after it's closed and Wilma and Betty follow them. They overhear the whole "heist" is really an act and confess everything. However, Pebbles grabs the brick they pretended to use to break into the store and breaks the window. All of the sudden, they're surrounded by cops. Fortunately, the judge's only sentence is to serve their husbands breakfast in bed for 30 days. That night, Fred tries to convince Wilma in her sleep to save more money. But Wilma is wide awake and says she'd rather a mink coat!
Trivia: The use of cigarettes was more commonplace back in 1963 and the guest is covered in the host's smoke! This is also one of the 1st times Wilma and Fred sleep in the same bed, something that was very rare.
Things I liked: The friendship of Fred and Barney as well as that of Wilma and Betty's is very evident here. You get a taste as Fred and Barney agree to fight back with their wives (psychologically, not physically) as they shake hands in agreement. And as a kid, I used to laugh like crazy when Fred came home with muddy feet making a mess on the Flintstones' floor!
9 mink coats out of 10!
The Flintstones: Christmas Flintstone (1964)
Frohe Weihnachten! Vrolijk Kerstfeest! God Yul! Buon Natale! Joyeaux Noël!
Merry Christmas, everyone! These are the 5 languages Fred wishes Merry Christmas in! This is probably the most heartwarming episode of The Flintstones, entitled Christmas Flintstone and aired on Christmas Day of 1964! It was written by Warren Foster and featured 2 new songs sung by Alan Reed (as Fred, of course)- Christmas Is My Favorite Time Of Year and Dino The Dinosaur. Hoyt Curtin does an excellent job on the music using old Christmas standards as well as the original songs mentioned. Mel Blanc plays Mr. Macyrock. Hal Smith plays Santa Claus, a streetcrosser and a dinosaur. Don Messick plays a TV reporter, a little boy and Blinky the elf. Dick Beals plays the little boy and Twinky the elf. Gerry Johnson plays a little girl and the Gift Wrapping Lady. Jean Vander Pyl plays a customer.
Plot summary: Fred gets a little impatient when a customer walks by his car and says something rude. Barney reminds him to stay in the Christmas spirit. So Fred wishes him a merry Christmas and the customer calls him "Frog mouth!" He decides to get a 2nd job at Macyrock's in order to pay for Christmas gifts for the family. When he tells Wilma, she's concerned he can't handle 2 jobs but Fred says it's only for 2 weeks. Fred goes to work at Macyrock's and is put in charge of gift wrap. He has a little trouble wrapping an umbrella for one customer but is quickly forgiven when it opens up and looks like a bouquet! Mr. Macyrock puts Fred in charge of the stock. He gets sidetracked in the toy department and Mr. Macyrock catches him red-handed playing with the toys instead of moving stock! Fred is told to take the stock to the basement so he tries using the elevator which is out of order. Mr. Macyrock almost fires him, until he gets a call that the person playing Santa Claus called out sick. So Fred is re-hired as Santa Claus, as he sings the kids songs, reads them stories and takes their Christmas wish requests on his lap. When Barney and Betty see Fred dressed as Santa, they tell him what they want for Christmas. Betty asks for a mink coat and 3 new dresses! When Barney finds out it's Fred, he teases him much to Fred's chagrin. The next day, Fred appears on TV as Santa and wishes everyone a merry Christmas! He takes a nap in the break room after his work is over and is visited by 2 elves named Blinky and Twinky. Fred thinks they're 2 kids, though Blinky claims to be 400+ years old and Twinky claims to be 300+ years old. They take him in their sleigh with flying dinosaurs up the the North Pole. There, Fred meets Santa who has a cold. Santa asks Fred to take his place for the night. So Fred distributes gifts all over the world, including China, Egypt, what looks like the Philippines, Germany, the Netherlands, Scandanavia and France. Then Twinky and Blinky take Fred home and leave without dropping off Fred's gifts which are still on the sled. Little does Fred know the real Santa Claus has just stopped by with all the presents and Wilma, Barney and Betty all thought it was Fred! So the Flintstones and Rubbles which everybody in TV land a merry Christmas!
Trivia: Mr. Macyrock's hair is originally black and in another scene, it's grey. I'll bet Fred's goofing off on the job helped cause that! Christmas carols used were Jolly Old St. Nicholas, It Came Upon A Midnight Clear and Jingle Bells. Betty is wearing garland in her hair instead of her blue ribbon. Dick Beals also played Davey Hansen in the religious series Davey And Goliath.
What I liked: Since it wasn't on TV every Christmas, I appreciated the times it was on. Alan Reed probably enjoyed playing Santa as well as Fred and wishing merry Christmas in German, Dutch, Swedish, Italian and French. It's nice to see the presents land to houses all over the world. It was one of the rare moments when you saw snow in Bedrock I also liked how Santa took care of Fred at the end! 9 flying dinosaurs out of 10!
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown!
Merry Christmas, everyone! This Emmy and Peabody award winning TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, was originally aired on December 9, 1965 (55 years to this writing). It was written by Charles M Schulz, creator of the Peanuts cartoon strip, directed by Bill Melendez, of Disney and Warner Bros fame and produced by Melendez and Lee Mendelson. Vince Guaraldi composed the music, a simple jazz trio. Voices include Peter Robbins as Charlie Brown, Chris Shea as Linus, Anne Altieri as Frieda, Chris Doran as Schroeder and Shermy, Tracy Stratford as Lucy, Cathy Steinberg as Sally, Geoffrey Orstein as Pig Pen, Sally Dryer as Violet, Karen Mendelson as Patty, Bill Melendez as Snoopy and the choir from St. Paul's Episcopal Church in San Rafael, CA.
It begins with rhe gang skating and Charlie Brown and Linus joining them later. Charlie wonders aloud why he's not happy like he should be. Linus says "You're the only person I know who can turn s wonderful season like Christmas into a problem.... Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you're the Charlie Brown-iest!" Meanwhile, Snoopy tries to steal Linus's blanket and Charlie Brown crashes into a tree. The next day, Charlie looks in the mailbox and sees no Christmas cards for him. He sarcastically thanks Violet for one. She proudly says "I never sent you a card!" So Charlie sits down at Lucy's psychiatric help booth. Schroeder tells Lucy "I think you have a customer." So Lucy collects her nickel and tries to pinpoint Charlie's phobia. He tells her he's depressed during the Christmas season. So Lucy suggests he be the director of a Christmas play at school. She adds "I know how you feel. I never get what I really want for Christmas." Charlie asks "What is it you want?" "Real estate," she replies. Meanwhile,Snoopy decorates his doghouse in hopes of winning a prize! Then Sally asks her big brother to write a letter to Santa. "If this is too much, just send money. How about 10's and 20's?" That's the last straw, as both Charlie Brown's dog and sister have gone commercial! So Charlie Brown goes to the school and is greeted by cheers, except by Snoopy. He appoints parts to everyone. Pig Pen is the inkeeper and Frieda is his wife. Shermy is a shepherd (like last year!). Linus is also a shepherd and Sally is his wife. Snoopy plays all the animals and Lucy is the "Christmas Queen." Schroeder is in charge of the music and he plays the Linus And Lucy theme, not exactly the mood Charlie Brown had in mind! And the kids just want to get up and dance instead of taking orders! Charlie Brown says the mood is all wrong. Lucy suggests Charlie Brown get a tree. Patty echoes "Yeah, do something right for a change, Charlie Brown!" So Charlie Brown and Linus go shopping for a tree. Charlie Brown sees a small tree with only a few branches. Linus says he doesn't think it's what Lucy meant by a tree. Charlie Brown gets it anyways. Back at the school, Schroeder plans to play Beethoven in the Christmas pageant. Lucy is unimpressed, since Beethoven "never got his picture on a bubble gum card." Snoopy tries dancing on Schroeder's piano until he and Lucy give that crazy beagle the scowl to get off the piano! So Lucy suggests he play Jingle Bells- 3 times! Then Charlie Brown and Linus come back with the tree. The girls all critique the tree and Charlie Brown- then the whole gang runs out laughing! Charlie Brown asks "Does anybody know what Christmas is all about?!" Linus goes to the auditorium and reads the Gospel of Luke. When he's done, he tells Charlie Brown "That's what Christmas is all about!" So Charlie Brown takes the tree home, determined not to let all the commercialism spoil his Christmas. He takes an ornament from Snoopy's branch and the tree says. He's dad and walks away. So Linus loans the tree his blanket, the gang makes the tree look more lively. "Charlie Brown is a blockhead," says Lucy "but he did get a nice tree!" Then Charlie Brown wonders aloud what's going on and to his surprise, the tree looks beautiful! So the gang wishes him a merry Christmas and they all sing Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.
Trivia: A laugh track and adult voices were planned for the special but Charles Schulz vetoed them and insisted they quote from St. Luke's gospel. Melendez and Mendelson weren't sure about using religion but Schulz said "If we don't do it, who will?"
What I liked: Snoopy was hilarious imitating Lucy and eating dog bones like potato chips. I liked Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack with Christmastime Is Here, Linus And Lucy, Fur Elise and Christmas Is Coming. I also liked that it focused on the true meaning of Christmas. 10 trees out of 10!
The Flintstones: The Mailman Cometh (1962)
Trouble, Freddy, king-sized or rather cop-sized!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I guess all of us have reason to be thankful. Fred Flintstone had reason to be thankful in Season 2's The Mailman Cometh, written by Warren Foster, Michael Maltese and Arthur Phillips. John Stephenson plays the 2 mailmen and the Police Chief. Mel Blanc plays the airmail bird and Bea Benederet plays Mr. Slate's secretary Alice. Herb Vigran. plays the tough cop who's keeping his eye out on Fred and Barney!
Plot synopsis: Fred is anxiously awaiting a letter from his boss, Mr. Slate, notifying him of his raise. The mail comes and there's no letter from Mr. Slate. Fred is furious and Wilma, Barney And Betty deal with his wrath! He draws a likeness of Mr. Slate on a tree and throws darts at his likeness. Then he decides to write a nasty letter to Mr. Slate, calling him a "cheapskate" and threatening to quit. Fred drops the letter in a local mailbox. Meanwhile, Mr. Slate comes to the Flintstones and apologizes for the bookkeeping error and lets Wilma know Fred will indeed get his raise! Wilma shares the good news and Fred runs to the mailbox to try and get his letter. Along comes a cop who tells Fred to get his hand out of the mailbox! Fred throws Barney in the mailbox and he can't see anything in the dark. So Fred gives Barney a light and smoke exits out of the mailbox. The cop returns and sees the smoke and throws a bucket of water in the mailbox. Barney sneezes and so the cop gets the Police Chief. Meanwhile, the mailman comes to collect the mail and sees Barney in there. "I know, you forgot to let go of the letter. It happens all the time!" The mailman picks up the offending letter and the cop returns with the Police Chief. They find nobody inside and the Chief harshly reprimands the cop. The next morning, Fred claims "sickness" and the mailman retuned the letter for insufficient postage. Fred is ecstatic and is dancing on the bed with Barney! He stops dancing and claims sickness again when he realizes Barney had paid the 2 cents postage! Wilma demands to know what it's all about. So Fred explains and Wilma races to Fred's office. She offers to clean Mr. Slate's eyeglasses and "accidentally" breaks them! So Wilma reads the letter "And may I thank you for acting as a shepherd." Fred tries to stop Wilma but she's already "read" the letter. However, Mr. Slate tells them he'd like to frame the letter written on a stonr. Wilma "accidentally" breaks it! "Just call me Butterfingers, you know!" Thanks to Mrs. Butterfingers, Fred's job is safe!
What I liked: There's not much I'd change about it. It's actually based on an old Honeymooners episode. Fred shows remorse for what he did and you kind of feel sorry for him as a result. This is the 1st time Fred says "Racka fracka" to describe his boss (probably not something you'd let your kids say!). The cop was also funny, both suspicious and a little gullible. md Fred has reason to be thankful to have an understanding wife like Wilma! She sums up Fred "You're the same stubborn fool I love and married!" This is why we love Wilma, too!10 letters out of 10!
Roamin' Holiday (1937)
This ain't what I call "living like a king!"
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I'd like to review the most Thanksgiving-esque Our Gang episode Roamin' Holiday, released in June 1937. It was written by Jack Jevne and directed by Gordon Douglas, with music by Marvin Hayley. Cast includes George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, Eugene "Porky" Lee, Darla Hood, Otis Harlan as Constable Hiram Jinks and May Wallace as "Ma" Jinks, who played the Store owner.
It's the weekend and Spanky and Alfalfa complain about having to babysit for their baby brothers. Alfalfa has twin brothers (Joe and Tom White), complete with cowlicks and freckles. The final straw occurs when Darla tells Spanky that he and Alfalfa have just been signed up for dance lessons! So with Buckwheat, Porky and their pup Pete, they run away. Tired and hungry, they come to a small town called Jenksville. They see a dog getting cookies. They ask for some by Ma Jenks who runs the bakery with her husband. Though she's out of cookies, she gives them a bag of treats for Pete- dog biscuits! So Buckwheat and Porky grab the Constable's dog to get some more time. Cynically, Spanky yells them they're wasting their time. "Oh no, we's not," replies Buckwheat. So they ask for cake, 4 cream puffs and an apple pie for their "found" dog. The Constable knows they're putting him on but gives them all the treats anyways. He watches them eat the food up and overhears they've run away from home. Then he interrupts their feast and demands they pay up. Since none of them has any money, he "arrests" them for "dog napping" and "holding up a bakery." He dresses them in prisoner's uniforms and has them chip rocks on a rock pile. Spanky scolds Buckwheat and Porky for using the Constable's dog. "I'm torry, Panky" apologizes Buckwheat. So the kids run away when the Constable walks off. He chases them with an unloaded gun. They hide and Alfalfa's cowlick sticks out. Along comes a rooster, who tears it out of his head with his beak! "He's got it- my personality!," complains Alfalfa. They run away disguised under a box. With the box over their heads, they don't see they've run into a bees' nest. The angry bees chase them all the way home!
Trivia: May Wallace had been in other Our Gang episodes and this was her last. Otis Harland played Happy in Disney's Snow White And The Seven Dwarves which came out the same year. Darla only appears at the beginning of the episode. The original ending showed the boys' faces swollen from many bee stings was cut out, thankfully.
Unsolved mysteries: How did the parents react when they saw their kids come home dressed in the striped prisoner's uniforms?
What I liked: I liked the fact this episode teaches a lesson without preaching. Otis plays the Constable quite well. He's kind but wise and not somebody to mess with. He's hilarious letting them think he's shooting at them with his car! I also liked Spanky's plan before they get busted "We'll live like kings- pies for breakfast, cream puffs for lunch, cakes for supper!" Marvin Hayley's soundtrack is also great, with the dramatic chase scene music and playing There's No Place Like Home while the bees are chasing the Gang. 9 cream puffs out.of 10!
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)
Where's the pumpkin pie?!
Happy upcoming Thanksgiving, everyone! I dedicate this review to my friends Santos V Lozano, III and Gary Fortin. This is probably my favorite Charlie Brown special of the 1970's. It has one of Vince Guaraldi's greatest musical scores and features Todd Barbee as Charlie Brown, Robin Kohn as Lucy, Stephen Shea as Linus (younger brother of Chris Shea, the original voice of Linus), Hillary Momberger as Sally, Chris DeFaria as Peppermint Patty (younger brother of Gai DeFaria, original voice for Peppermint Patty), Jimmy Ahrens as Marcie, Robin Reed as Franklin and Bill Melendez as Snoopy and Woodstock. It was written by Peanuts creator Charles Schulz and directed by Bill Melendez and Phil Roman and produced by Lee Mendelson and Melendez.
Plot summary: Lucy asks Charlie Brown to kick the football once again, tricking hub into thinking it'd be an honor to be part of the tradition. Charlie Brown reluctantly agrees and sure enough, Lucy pulls the football away! Later, Sally complains she has to write a report on Thanksgiving for school and she hasn't even finished Halloween candy! When they get home, Peppermint Patty calls "Chuck" to tell him she can spend Thanksgiving with him. Unfortunately, Charlie Brown will be at his grandmother's house that day. He tries to tell her but doesn't get a word in. She calls back and tells him Marcie and Franklin will also be coming. Sally offers no sympathy for her big brother since he's "wishy washy." However, Linus suggests he host a dinner at home and later go to his grandmother's. So on Thanksgivings day, they make plenty of toast and popcorn for their guests. Snoopy sets up a table and has a fight with one of the chairs! Later, he and Woodstock dress up as pilgrims, much to the chagrin of Charlie Brown. Then the guests arrive and Charlie Brown and Linus sit them down outside. Linus shares about the original Thanksgiving and says a prayer. Then Snoopy serves the food. Peppermint Patty is enraged that it's not more traditional! "Where's the turkey, Chuck?! Where's the pumpkin pie?!" An embarrassed and hurt "Chuck" excuses himself. Marcie points our to Peppermint Patty she should be more appreciative, especially since she had an idea Peppermint Patty invited herself and the 2 of them. So Marcie apologizes to "Charles" on behalf of Peppermint Patty and Peppermint Patty herself apologizes. Then Charlie Brown calls his grandmother to let her know the family will be late and that they have some guests over. So his grandmother generously invites them all for Thanksgiving dinner! Then the Peanuts gang gathers in the car and Snoopy and Woodstock have a Thanksgiving dinner of their own!
Trivia: The voice cast is the same as in Snoopy Come Home, You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown and There's No Time For Love, Charlie Brown. Vince Guaraldi sings Little Birdie. The scream from Charlie Brown after he unsuccessfully tries to kick the football was that of Peter Robbins from a previous special.
What I liked: I liked the music, especially the opening theme and Little Birdie. I liked the lesson learned to be appreciative of friends and that Charlie Brown's grandmother invited Linus, Peppermint Patty, Marcie and Franklin. The whole gang sings Over The River And Through The Woods in the car, though Charlie Brown shares she lives in a condominium! It's also fun to watch Snoopy clown around while setting up and the Thanksgiving dinner he and Woodstock enjoy, complete with a wishbone challenge, which Woodstock wins triumphantly! 10 pumpkin pies out of 10!
The Flintstones: The Buffalo Convention (1962)
Squawk! Frantic City, Frantic City, squawk! Whistle!
Happy upcoming Veterans Day, everyone. I think a more suitable episode would be The Astra Nuts, which is on my bucket list. But this episode The Buffalo Convention, written by Warren Foster and Arthur Pierson, is the latest one I've watched so enjoy it.
Plot summary: It's Wilma's birthday and she's just gotten a card. Fred goes looking for a suitable present but all he's got is 5 bucks. A rather shady guy offers him a dodo bird which can talk. Fred takes him after he hears Doozie (appropriately named) say "Squawk! Fred and Barney!" Barney is less sure of the purchase but supports Fred. Wilma is not so appreciative and bangs the cage over his head. She cheers up when Doozie bites Fred's finger! He doesn't have much to say at the moment, so Wilma doesn't believe Fred when he says the bird can talk. Later in the evening, it's the Water Buffalo lodge meeting and Dino attacks both Fred and Barney when he sees the Water Buffalo hats. The Grand Poobah announces a weekend convention in Frantic City (a pun on Atlantic City). Fred and Barney know Wilma and Betty wouldn't allow it. The Poobah says the Doctor would prescribe a weekend away to each Water Buffalo. The next evening, the "Doctor" (who's really a plumber) comes and checks Fred and Barney. Fred and Barney are alarmed when Doozie learns enough phrases to spill the beans so they feed Doozie plenty of crackers to keep him quiet. The "Doctor" tells the wives they've caught "dippy doodle-itus" and prescribes a weekend away. Wilma and Betty are naturally suspicious but go along with it. Meanwhile, Doozie has eaten all the crackers. Fred and Barney drive 100 miles and Fred shoves the bird in a cave. The next day, Fred and Barney drive off, still "moaning and groaning" from the symptoms of "dippy doodle-itus." Then Wilma and Betty witness an exhausted Doozie coming home. They feed him water and he speaks his 1st words "Squawk, Frantic City!" Then he pipes up "Convention, 3 days, Doctor's a plumber! Squawk!" That's enough to give away their husbands' secret! So Wilma calls the wives of the other Water Buffalos. The angry wives catch the next bus, with Doozie in tow, to Frantic City to surprise their naughty husbands in the act! Fred tells Barney about the cake cutting ceremony and tells him it's filled with bathing beauties waving flags! Wilma and Betty come to where the convention is, barge in (even though the guard says "No women allowed!") and attack the bathing beauties. Meanwhile, it's time to remove the cake and the Grand Poobah picks Fred and Barney as volunteers. Naturally, they're shocked to find instead of the bathing beauties smiling and waving flags, inside the cake are many of their scowling wives! So Fred and Barney run for it with Doozie giving away where they are. Fred and Barney jump in the water at the beach with Wilma and Betty ready to clobber them as soon as they come out! Unsolved mystery: How did Doozie find his way home? He must've had a keen sense of direction!
What I liked: 1st of all, the introduction is quite peaceful, albiet the most peaceful you'll get in this episode! Doozie (voiced by Mel Blanc) is hilarious as a one-shot-wonder. I'm sure he wore out his welcome when spilling the beans with Wilma and Betty plan a shopping trip later! The monkey who burns his finger at the traffic light and the sneezing elephant vacuum (both also voiced by Blanc) are also hilarious! John Stephenson is the cheerful Mailman, the goofy Grand Poobah, the deadpan "Doc" Sam Slagheap and the bus driver. Hal Smith is the shady peddler, the emcee and the Guard. Bea Benederet is the militant Mrs. Stonewall and she and Jean Vander Pyl play some of the girls expected in the cake. The surprise inside the cake is the icing as the girls show up inside! 10 dodo birds out of 10! Just make sure you take your spouse on a trip like that and make sure the entertainment is family friendly!
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
Let's face it, Santa Claus has more publicity
Happy Halloween, everyone! Here's my review of the 3rd Charlie Brown special, It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. Peter Robins plays Charlie Brown, Chris Shea plays Linus, Bill Melendez plays Snoopy, Sally Dryer plays Lucy, Cathy Steinberg plays Sally, Lisa DeFaria plays Patty, Gai DeFaria plays Pig Pen, Glenn Mendelson plays Schroeder, and Ann Altieri plays Violet and Frieda. The music was composed by Vince Guaraldi and features Graveyard Theme (played during the opening credits), the Great Pumpkin Waltz and Red Baron.
Plot synopsis: Linus and Lucy go to the pumpkin patch to pick out a pumpkin. Lucy picks out a big heavy one and makes Linus bring it home (though it more or less brings him home). When Lucy opens it up, Linus says "You didn't tell me you were gonna kill it!" The next day, Charlie Brown and Snoopy collect leaves and Linus jumps in the leaf pile! Then Lucy asks Charlie Brown to kick the football for him. Charlie Brown refuses, until Lucy hands him a signed document. So he tries and of course, winds up flat on his back. Lucy notes the document was "never notarized!" Charlie Brown gets an invitation to Violet's Halloween party and Lucy breaks the news that it was probably a mistake. Linus starts writing his letter to the Great Pumpkin. Charlie Brown asks "When will you stop believing in something that isn't true?" Linus answers "When you stop believing in the man in the red suit and white beard... And goes 'Ho! Ho! Ho!'" Charlie Brown chalks it up to "denominational differences." Snoopy laughs like crazy but Lucy (who's not laughing) demands he stop making her a laughing stock. Linus says "3 things you should never discuss with people- religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin!" Sally, on the other hand, will believe anything Linus says. She's torn between trick-or-treating or sitting in the Pumpkin Patch with Linus. At the last minute, Sally joins Linus but warns him not to try to hold her hand! While trick or treating, Lucy (disguised as a witch) asks for an extra treat for Linus. Charlie Brown (as the "peeled potato" ghost) gets nothing but rocks! Snoopy (disguised as a World War I Flying Ace) flies away on his Sopwith Camel (really his doghouse) to fight the Red Baron! His plane is grounded and he must make his way through No Man's Land. He finds himself in the middle of Violet's Halloween party. Lucy bobs for apples and catches one Snoopy has also caught! Charlie Brown is asked to model his head as a pumpkin! Schroeder plays a medley of World War I songs and Snoopy dances when they're happy (Long Way To Tipperary and Pack Up Your Troubles) and cries when they're sad (There's A Long, Long Trail A'winding & Roses Of Picardy). Meanwhile, at the pumpkin patch, Sally is starting to feel disappointed. Linus hears something going on and thinks the Great Pumpkin is about to appear- but it's only Snoopy! The others check in on them and Sally runs away with them after telling Linus "You owe me restitution!" "If the Great Pumpkin comes,I'll put im a good word for you!," Linus yells out! "I mean when! I'm doomed! One little slip like that can cause the Great Pumpkin to pass by." Just before sunrise, Lucy checks to see if Linus came home. So she sees him still in the Pumpkin Patch freezing, takes him home and puts him to bed. The next morning, Charlie Brown asks if the Great Pumpkin ever showed up. Linus says "Nope!" Charlie Brown says "Don't worry, I've done lots of stupid things, too!' Linus gets mad and says "Wait until next year!... The Great Pumpkin will come!"
Trivia: Lots of candy got mailed to poor ol' Charlie Brown after this special was aired. I sure hope he shared it with Sally! Also, this is the 1st time in animation Charlie Brown tried kicking that football!
What I liked: This is another favorite Charlie Brown special (& it's a shame it won't be on regular TV this year). I liked how Lucy, though crabby as ever, really cares about her brother Linus. Sally is pretty sharp though a little gullible "Welcome to the 20th century!" Lucy says she likes a costume that's in direct contrast to her personality (she'll have to try harder!). Most of all, I liked the scene where Snoopy is fighting the Red Baron! 10 Sopwith Camels out of 10!
The Flintstones: A Haunted House Is Not a Home (1964)
Would you care for a piece of bread?
Happy Halloween, everyone! This episode, A Haunted House Is Not A Home from Season 5, written by Herbert Finn and Alan Dinehart, was actually broadcast around Halloween in 1964. There's lots of grim humor and a few truly creepy moments. Don Messick plays a cuckoo, a bird, the sneaky lawyer Blackstone and Wormstone the creepy gardner whose snippers are sharp! Hal Smith plays Uncle Giggles with the high-pitched cackle that drives Fred and Barney crazy all night long and the tall creepy butler Creepers with a large dagger. Mel Blanc plays the short, creepy baker Potrock carrying an axe 3 times his size!
Plot synopsis: Fred comes home and lands in a hole Dino made in the front yard to bury his bones! Wilma tells Fred about a telegram and Fred has just inherited an estate from his eccentric (if not kooky) Uncle J. Giggles Flintstone. He tells the Rubbles the good news and invites them and Wilma to the hearing of the will. J. Giggles' house is a spooky mansion in the shape of a skull. The lawyer reads the will and tells Fred the condition for the inheritance is he must spend one night in the mansion. "If anything happens to Mr. Flintstone, my estate shall be handed to my servants, Creepers, Potrock and Wormstone." The servants introduce themselves one by one and are handy with their prospective weapons! Wilma and Betty run for it and Fred captures Barney for company. They're served alphabet soup which spells out "Beware!" Just as Fred reads the message, Potrock scares Fred with an axe even bigger than he and uses it to cut a piece of bread for Fred. Fred politely declines. So Fred and Barney decide to go to bed for the night. Fred insists Barney spend the night in the same room. Barney reluctantly agrees. Barney gargles his water as he's brushing his teeth. At 1st, Fred thinks it's the ghost of J. Giggles! When he finds out it's Barney, he bonks him on the head. Barney asks "So what's wrong with a little gargling?" Barney complains about sleeping in a king-size bed. "I'm used to a twin bed." So Potrock splits the bed in two and they have twin beds! When Barney realizes the menacing servants are after them, they go up and down the stairs to be tormented by them and J. Giggles' creepy cackle which makes both their hair stand up! The next morning, Wilma and Betty come for their husbands. They find Fred hiding as a mounted head and Barney inside a cuckoo clock. Fred and Barney tell their wives about how dreadful their night was. "But worst of all was that awful laugh," says Fred. "I wish I could describe it!" And once again, they hear the laugh, which seems to have come from a picture of J. Giggles' picture. Fred throws a vase at it and out of the picture pops Uncle J. Giggles! He reveals the whole death of him was a farce to see if Fred was worthy of his estate. Fred is so mad he chases after J. Giggles and his 3 servants with the hatchet he has somehow acquired by Potrock!
What I liked: I guess I liked best the element of suspense and surprise throughout this episode. Fred responds when he falls in Dino's bone holes when asked by Wilma what he's doing. "Wilma, I always come home with a bone in my mouth!" It's funny to see Barney's eyes change as he's clobbered ny Fred for gargling too loud. The mysterious moving knight seems to have been inspired by a Bug's Bunny cartoon entitled Hair Raising Hare. The knight later.shooota.an arrow.at Fred's backside as his back is turned. The eyes on the J. Giggles picture move and watch the arrow! J. Giggles is a hoot with that menacing cackle heard throughout the episode and Creepers, Potrock and Wormstone are creepily hilarious! I would've loved to have seen them in another episode but at least you get to see the creepy mansion again in the episode Dripper. And as always, Hoyt Curtin's musical scores are perfect here, some taken from Jonny Quest and some from Season 1 of The Flintstones. 10 bowls of alphabet soup out of 10!
Birthday Blues (1932)
How long do I gotta sit on this stove?!
If you're an Our Gang fan, there's no better way to celebrate your birthday than with this classic Birthday Blues from 1932. It features Dickie Moore, Matthew "Stymie" Beard, George "Spanky" McFarland, Dorothy DeBora, Kenneth "Brisbane" McComas and Jackie Lyn Dufton (both their last episode), Bobbi "Cotton" Beard and Pete the Pup. It also includes Hooper Atchley and Lillian Rich, as Dickie and Soanky's parents, alumnae Donald Haines, Mildred Kornman and Edith Fellows, Carlena Beard, Marcia Mar Jones Harry Bernard as the Store manager and a cameo from Gordon Douglas as the Delivery boy.
Plot summary: Dickie, Spanky and their parents sit down for breakfast. Spanky is forced to eat mush, which he hates. His father snaps "You'll eat it and like it!" "Well, maybe I'll eat it," Spanky retorts, "but I won't like it!" Dickie feeds Pete some of his sausage. Spanky pretends to be Pete and when Dickie catches on, he adds tobasco sauce to spice them up. Spanky runs to the water cooler! Meanwhile, their parents have an argument. It's their mother Lillian's birthday and John, their father, has forgotten again. When a delivery boy tries delivering a dress she ordered, John refuses it, reducing Lillian to tears. Dickie promises to get Lillian a dress and she kisses him. Later, Dickie and Spanky go to the store and select a 1922 model dress. Unfortunately, they don't have $1.98 to pay for it. Stymie suggests they bake a cake with hidden surprises and sell each piece for 10 cents. So Stymie and Dickie try baking a cake and add objects to the cake like a hairbrush, a whistle and a pipe. Spanky and Jackie add some more objects like bubbles, powder, a snake, a long string and a mouse trap. The cake nearly explodes leaving a mess and makes some crazy noises! So the kids come and pay for the cake. When Dickie has enough collected, he runs to the store and picks up the dress. When he returns, he witnesses some of the kids are angry with some of the prizes and a cake fight erupts! John comes home and witnesses the fight and enraged, immediately throws all the kids out. Then he questions Dickie about inviting the kids and harshly spanks him. Lillian asks why he let all the kids in the house, he confesses he did it so he could afford a dress for her. John and Lillian hug Dickie. The next morning, John apologizes to Dickie and he forgives his Pop. Lillian has decided to wear her new dress to church. She has trouble walking in her new shoes to church, which Dickie says the store owner threw in for free!
What I liked: I liked the sound effects of the cake, like "Wawawawa!" and "Weeee-woooowww!"(supposedly the actor who played Soanky's Uncle George in The Kid From Borneo supplied them). I liked Lillian's performance as their mother. She's sweet, cheerful and sensitive. I also liked the transformation of Dickie's father John from a grumpy skinflint to a more loving man. Jackie was cute with her expressions and her accent "Aww doe tow!" Spanky was great with his smart allecky remarks "All I got was a belly ache!" Stymie was great with his suggestions and misinterpreting the baking instructions "Set on stove" and he sits on the stove! Finally, Dickie steals the show as the generous son who wants to please his mother. 9 pieces of cake out of 10!
Teacher's Pet (1930)
That's the Pip who gave me the ride!
First of all, I hope all of you, regardless of age, had a great Summer and for those of you going back to school (either to study or to teach), good luck! My next Our Gang review will be Teacher's Pet, co-written, directed and produced by Robert McGowan (with Hal Roach as co-producer and H.M. Walker as co-writer). It was released in October, 1930 (almost 90 years ago) and featured Jackie Cooper, Bobby "Wheezer" Hutchins, Allen "Farina" Huskins, Matthew "Hercules" Beard (later known as Stymie), Norman "Chubby" Chaney, Dorothy "the Echo" DeBorba, Mary Ann Jackson and Buddy McDonald. It marked the debut of June Marlowe as Miss Crabtree and also a new theme by Leroy Shield, The Good Ol' Days, which would be used for 8 years. Instead of a title card with credits, 2 female twins would verbally read you the credits and close with "We thank you!"
Plot synopsis: On the 1st day of school, the Gang mourns their former beloved teacher Miss McGillicuddy (who's just gotten married and retired from teaching). The name Crabtree doesn't sound all that attractive and Mary Ann does a comedy impression of her. Jackie, Chubby and Farina coach their younger siblings as to what to say. Wheezer is supposed to wait for Jackie to blow his nose and say "Jackie's gotta come home. She's gonna shoot Papa!" "Nah, that's too strong," Jackie says "Tell them it's important business!" So Wheezer repeats "portin bizness." Chubby tells Dorothy to say "Mama cut off her finger." "Hey, wait a minute," Chubby corrects her "Only cut off one finger!" And Dorothy repeats it 3 times, much to Chubby's exasperation. Farina has an excuse for little brother Hercules to give. Meanwhile, Miss Crabtree orders cake and ice cream for her students as she wants to make a good impression. She sees Jackie on the road walking to school who smiles bashfully at her and offers him a ride. Jackie shares they have a new teacher and she's probably a "mean battle-axe and I ain't gonna like her." He shares Buddy is going to give her a white rat, Farina is going to give her sneezing powder and Chubby is going to give her a bottle of ants. "Then we're all going swimming!" Before driving off, Jackie admits the lady is pretty and he wishes she was her teacher "all except in her nose." "Even with my nose?," she asks knowingly. Jackie bashfully admits "You ain't got such a bad nose!" He waves goodbye and little does he know it, but Wheezer has been riding in the spare tire! As Jackie joins his buddies at school, he tells her about the pretty woman he got a ride from. Chubby doesn't believe she's a match for Miss McGillicuddy. "She's what my Dad calls a pip!" And the school bell rings and the words Crab Tree, previously written in the dirt, are crossed out. When Jackie realizes the pip who gave him the ride and Miss Crabtree are one and the same, he feels embarrassed. Farina asks "What's the matter, belly ache?" "No, that's the Pip who gave me the ride! And did I tell her everything, oh boy!" She calls him to the front and he wears a mask. She shows him and the class a picture Jackie drew "of the new teacher." Then she asks him to collect all the "presents" from Chubby, Farina and Buddy. The sneezing powder makes the whole class sneeze and the ants bite both Chubby and Miss Crabtree, who throws the bottle of ants our the window! Then she announces she has ice cream and cake for the class and it'll be like a holiday. Then the younger siblings come in and share their excuses why Jackie, Chubby and Farina must be excused. So she excuses all 3 including Buddy, who've changed their minds and want to stay for her party. "My pal!," shouts Farina. "Yeah, what a tattletale he turned he out to be!" Jackie says in his defense if he knew that was Miss Crabtree, he wouldn't have told her his plan. So Farina, Chubby and Buddy go back and apologize so they can "get in on that ice cream!" Jackie stays outside, ashamed, and starts to cry. Miss Crabtree sneaks outside, knowing her little friend is still out there, and offers him some ice cream and cake!
Trivia: June Marlowe was really a brunette but had to wear a blonde wig in order to match Jackie Cooper's blond hair. Also, in order to make Jackie's crying at the end more authentic, the director threatened to shoot his dog!
What I liked: I liked the way the Gang is, with something up each of their sleeves! Their younger siblings seem happy to "help out." You can see Jackie is smitten by Miss Crabtree, understandably so. Even the caterer admits "I wish I could go to school again!" Also, the rural scenes are fun to watch. If you've ever lived in the country or near there, you can appreciate them. Also, Jackie proves to be a good actor, as he shows happiness with the "Pip who gave me the ride," anger with his kid brother Wheezer for spilling the beans and sadness at the end for doing something like that to a person he liked. Finally, Miss Crabtree is sweet and forgiving, the kind of teacher we all wish we had! 10 helpings of ice cream and cake out of 10!