5.0 out of 5 stars
Exceptionally fine, long sketches, June 24, 2010
This review is from: Honeymooners 38: Kramden Vs Norton / Peacemaker [VHS] (VHS Tape)
The "live" Honeymooners will always be compared to the Classic 39 filmed shows - until 1984 fans wondered if there were "more shows" stashed away...and if they were just as good.
Here's a recommended volume of "pre-39" shows, actually sketches from a Variety Show format.
"Kramden versus Norton" may not be as great as any in the more familiar series, but it is very funny - by 1955 the characters were solidified, and here they have a strong script with one of the funniest scenes in televisison history - Ralph and Norton have a more extended than usual falling out, which dictates that Ralph must take *Alice* to the poolroom. The cameramen expertly capture all the antics...and the ad-libs.
"Peacemaker" is a bit less burlesque but it features one of the greatest performances by The Great One. Also, this 1955 episode is noteworthy as it gives Joyce Randolph a chance to really show off her acting chops. By 1955-57, it was Gleason and Carney's forum. Norton and Trixie have their own "falling out" and this means Ralph, in need of sleep, must play "Peacemaker" throughout the evening and morning hours. There's a touch of Billy Gilbert in his work here, as he really engages his, shall we say, Type A plus personality, in wild scenarios at 328 Chauncey Street and at the Ice-Cream Shoppe.
What these sketches lack in fine tuning they make up for in a kind of nervous energy which draws in the viewer. Maybe the scripts were just a draft away from perfection, but they should be appreciated right alongside those shows repeated and repeated from 1958 to 1984.
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