MPI Home Video is my favorite company where DVDs are concerned. They get that designation by default for releasing not one, not two, but three different Perry Como television shows. (I’d hope for more but that seems piggish, considering that I can’t imagine a combined sales figure of more than 27 copies for the three.) I am a classic television obsessive, and MPI brings out stuff I’ve never seen…which, not to overstate the obvious, but I’ve seen a LOT of old television.
One of the content owners MPI has worked with most frequently in the last few years is the Jackie Gleason Estate. They released the 1950’s Honeymooners “Lost Episodes” (actually sketches from Gleason’s CBS variety series); 1960’s Honeymooners “Trip To Europe” episodes; and the 1970’s Honeymooners “reunion specials”.
And now…for Gleason fans, something very unexpected and very special.
2022 marks the 70th anniversary of “The Jackie Gleason Show”, which was a Saturday night fixture for most of the decade. For Fall 1955 Gleason remade his hour into two separate elements: a “Stage Show” music series with The Dorsey Brothers, and a filmed sitcom version of “The Honeymooners”, one of Gleason’s variety show sketches. Gleason stopped the filmed “Honeymooners” after one season. As he told Johnny Carson:
MPI’s 70th anniversary Jackie Gleason box set begins with an incredible rarity: a full-length episode (including the commercials!) of “The Jackie Gleason Show” from January of 1953. The studio audience already registers excitement at the mention of Gleason’s recurring characters. In addition to Ralph, Gleason portrayed spoiled millionaire Reggie Van Gleason III. Reggie spoke with a voice that was, oh let’s say “borrowed”, by Johnny Carson for his Art Fern character, Jon Stewart used the voice on “The Daily Show” once in a while to punch up a joke. And I’ve used it on my morning show, intoning “Mmmmmmmmmmm….that’s good cocoa!”
It should be noted that Art Carney and Audrey Meadows were used throughout the variety show, not just in the Honeymooners sketches. They played regular roles (Carney as Reggie’s crusty father) and whatever parts needed to be filled, much like the cast of the later “Carol Burnett Show”.
In 1953, the vast majority of television was live, and when things went south you just sort of stood there with egg on your face. There’s one of those moments in this episode when Gleason is introducing a June Taylor Dancers production number and his eyes dart to the side…he asks the orchestra to stop playing and begins an impromptu appreciation of composer Leroy Anderson until, getting the OK sign from the stage manager, he brings on the dance number.
The 70th anniversary box set features a variety of sketches from Gleason’s 1962-1666 “American Scene Magazine”. WIth Art Carney on Broadway and making movies, The Honeymooners appeared very rarely on this iteration of the variety show, for the simple reason that Gleason wouldn’t do the sketch without Carney. The two of them were one of the great American comedy teams, on par with the best duos of vaudeville, silent movies, radio or any other medium.
Another great duo, in a very different kind of sketch, was Joe the Bartender and Crazy Guggenheim. Joe the Bartender was a regular character in the 50s but generally playing solo, doing an extended monologue to an unseen customer, Mr. Dennehy. In the 60s Joe chats to Mr. Dennehy (a loyal customer if ever there was one) but eventually calls out Crazy Guggenheim. From his speech and manner, Crazy has obviously rung up quite a tab. Crazy and Joe would trade jokes on a given subject, then Crazy would, somehow, find an ounce of sobriety and sing a song in a beautiful voice. (Crazy appears to have graduated from the Jim Nabors School of Musically Focused Character Duality.)
Crazy Guggenheim was played by comic actor Frank Fontaine. Fontaine played a similar character on radio and television episodes of “The Jack Benny Program.” On a Jack Benny Facebook group I’m in (yes, I’m just that damn hip) younger folks just hearing or seeing this character believe it to be an offensive portrayal based on those with certain disabilities. I’m not sure I buy that; he’s a guy who spends way too much time in a bar, and is generally a stock drunk character. It’s harder for young audiences to believe that because comedy has evolved. People being drunk is still fodder for comedy, but it’s generally a more realistic portrayal than the broad schtick of a Foster Brooks. And variety shows don’t exist to give that type of broad character a regular weekly spot.
Another true gem of this 70th anniversary Gleason DVD box set is the complete, uncut presentation of a “Jackie Gleason American Scene Magazine” episode that reunites Gleason, Carney and Meadows in a musical version of the Honeymooners sketch “The Adoption”. Ralph and Alice have been trying to adopt a baby. Planning for an at-home inspection, they borrow possessions from neighbors and friends to make their shabby little apartment look like a suitable home. But their plans appear to be foiled when the ice man comes in with a huge cake of ice for their icebox (which has been replaced with a fancy Frigidaire). The adoption agency official reassures the Kramdens that a beautiful home is not as important as two people who will love and care for a child.
In case you’ve not seen it, I won’t spoil the ending. But it’s a wonderful show with great songs.
In the Fall of 1966 Art Carney once again became a regular on the Gleason variety series. This was primarily for the “Trip To Europe” series, but along the way several old Honeymooners sketches were exhumed and performed again–as with all the 1966-1970 episodes, Sheila MacRae played Alice and Jane Kean played Trixie. The Gleason production team thought nothing of re-performing old sketches; the original Honeymooners sketches had only been seen once on television–no repeats, no home videos, no streaming. So odds are most viewers didn’t even realize they were seeing old material.
The DVD set also includes “Jackie Gleason: Genius At Work”, a documentary chronicling Gleason’s television years.
This whole 2-DVD set is spectacular. As was Jackie Gleason. An incredible physical comedian at home with everything from the bombast of Ralph Kramden to the delicate pantomime of The Poor Soul. That he went on to become an Oscar-nominated actor in serious films like “The Hustler” and “Nothing In Common” should not have surprised anyone.