Episode: Appleby’s Office Party
Original Air Date: 1961/12/26
Guest Star:  Marilyn Maxwell

Once again, I had to see who the guest star was…Ohh, dear. After getting a glimpse of Marilyn Maxwell and having seen the teaser clip, I have a good idea where this skit is going.

Wow, David Rose got to stand out for a moment and get a shot.

The theme of Appleby’s Office Party will be the office New Year’s Party.

“It’s also the time of year to find out you’ve been giving the wrong dictations to your secretary.” - Red holds his laughter in a second to make sure people got the joke.

“One department store I went to last year was so crowded that the lady in the back of me crashed my back and the lady in the front of me said, ‘thank you.’…and the lady on the floor said, ‘You’re welcome.’”

The dancers are doing a quasi-50’s new years eve ball dance. Still very much in Kennedy’s 1960s - the last remnants of the 1950s.

No pantomime skit. Just down to business..

George Appleby (Red) is trying to work during the office New Years Party. Uh, oh, threatening to report the drinking in the office.

Ouch, feedback on the ringing sound…

“I’m sorry, you’ll have to talk louder. They’re not making any noise in here,” Red laughs as he waits for the rest of the office to catch up to their missed cue.

First call to the wife (Marilyn Maxwell) - George makes it sound to his wife like girls are everywhere.

The staff wants get George, “high as a kite.” They’re gonna use hypnosis to make George think he’s drunk. Now every time George gets tapped, he thinks he’s drunk. He gets tapped again or hears, “wife,” he sobers up. And the fun is beginning…

Second call from wife - The hypnotist touches taps him again time to sober him up:

Red’s just going to town with the drunkeness. The office enjoys it at poor George Appleby’s expense.

Back from what would be the commercial break - George’s wife is home and madder than the devil. George stumbles home, still hypnotized n ‘drunk.’ Red is blending his skills of pantomime, physical comedy and magic beautifully.

“I’m wearing somebody else’s feet.”

A neighbor shakes his hand and snaps him out of it.

Wife goes to town on George - with iron bookends. Somehow George didn’t get drunk again (the bookends must have canceled each other out since she hit him with both of them at the same time). He’s cracking up the mad wife and she’s having trouble staying “mad” at him.

She lost it and starts laughing while trying to hide - “I’m proud of that one,” claims Red. “Of course, if anything happens before now and the first of the year we can edit.”

She pats him on the shoulder before she goes and gets ready for their dinner with the boss. Of course, now he’s drunk. Poor furniture props.

And, of course, he’s ‘drunk’ when his boss comes by. The boss says “wife,” and George sobers up. Red’s switching up the script to crack up the boss.

The boss gives George a cigar. George enjoys the scent, “M’mmm. They must have caught Castro.”

Final Thoughts on Appleby’s Office Party -

Red Skelton’s skill set reminds me a little of John Belushi. Joh was such a great conductor of a skit and could keep orchestrating the elements of the scene under most any situation. Both Red and John’s ability to keep in character while ad-libbing lines in attempts to get the co-stars laugh is the my favorite reason to watch these shows. The Red Skelton Show is getting addicting.

More to come next week!