Wow, Vincent Price looking, well, middle-aged.

Red retells a joke that he told last week because people wrote in and were confused. So he retold it the same way. Alien lands in Beverly Hills and goes, “You’ve got change for a ‘herne’?”

Political humor again, just before the 1960 election. Red’s daughter was mad after the famous 1960 debate.

“‘Who you mad at? Nixon? Kennedy?’ She says, ‘Both of them. I missed, “Huckleberry Hound.’”

“You’ve got change for a ‘herne’?” - Running Joke time…

Pantomime of a little old man having a testimonial dinner. The storyteller is keeping Red on the edge of his seat.

Dancers having a fight in a saloon. That glass bottle trick never seems to get old.

Deadeye and the Magician Act I

At Cactus Kate’s Saloons. The lady dancers are still dancing. There’s Cactus Kate (Windsor). She introduces Maxwell the Magician (Price). Deadeye stops the show, coming in wearing a saddle.

“Sorry I was late, it was my horse’s day to ride. Rather embarrassing, too. He was riding side-saddle.”

Deadeye is getting hypnotized. He’s crazy. There he goes. NIIICE, lol. Vincent Price doesn’t break character.

The magician pulls out a wallet and goes to pay Deadeye the $5.

“Do you have change for a ‘herne’?”

Deadeye brings in the magician. Deputy uses gunpoint.

They take the magician to jail. The magician uses magic to open the bars to let himself in. Then gets Deadeye to hypnotize himself…here comes the melee.

 
Deadeye and the Magician Act II

Deadeye brings the rest of the loot in town. “Here’s the rest of the ‘herne.’”

Here comes the Marshall, there goes the magician out the window. Sound effects are slow on the take. J

Red’s taking a minute to get the sheriff’s to crack-up. Nice. Good impromptu. Whoa, Deadeye has picked up a trick or two. He can open the bars with magic.

The magician is heading the hanging party. Deadeye comes in wearing the magician’s cloak and goes to pull something out of the cloak but a prop fell on the floor. Nice catch.

More running jokes.

Final thoughts on Deadeye and the Magician

These are the kind of humorous shokes I like the most. The ones where everything under the sun gets tied in together. The jokes went running on this episode. He works really well with Vincent Price. I love how that even though the prop fell out of the magician’s cloak, Vincent Price never broke character when Red lost it.

“Do you have change for a ‘herne’?”

Tonight’s show theme:  Music and Singing.

“We have great news for music lovers:  Elvis Presley has a year to go.” Elvis-in-the-army jokes aplenty.

“Do you realize is the first time in the history of the United States Army that a soldier was in charge of Naval maneuvers.”

Oh dear, Gogan the singing parrot: “I’m warning you. You step on one punchline and 7 days from today you’ll’ve been dead 1 week.”

Wow. Impromptu screams from the crowd when he threatened to let it go. This show is awful lively. I couldn’t imagine Carson or Leno doing this without a trainer.

He can’t get the bird to sing. Niiiice, Red Skelton brought out the words for the parrot.

They close the curtain and you hear a shotgun sound.

Singing n Dancing time in a record store. I love how they sing about how many kinds of songs you can purchase - another retail products.

Freddie the Singer Act I

Freddie’s chillin’ in the street sweeper’s trash can. Mugsy (Frank McHugh) is another bum. Mugsy wants to take him to go listen to music. The catch:  pretend to music store patrons and sample the sounds.

Mugsy and Freddie find a new invention:  A Tape Recorder. Freddie’s singing and Hugh is playing the nice-looking guitar. Red almost knows how to sing. Frank McHugh is playing some classic chord structures. He’s picking too. I’ve played enough guitar to know Frank knows how to play the song…”Cause you marry 10 pretty girls.”

The manager kicks them out before they can listen to it. Here comes the playback.

The song becomes a top hit. Mugsy n Freddie aren’t aware. Tired of poker swindling each other, they turn on the radio and hear their song, agin. They don’t know who’s song it is.

Mugsy just realized it is their song.

Freddie the Singer Act II

Freddie has a bunch of gold records and a butler in his shack. Freddie’s business manager says he has to live this way because this is what his fans expect.

Here comes Mugsy, dressed to the hill in a tuxedo.

“It seems like only 6 months ago I was on a garbage dump and now I’m on top of the heap.”

The record company is selling Freddie the Freeloader suits.

Mugsy gets a luxury bedroom sitting off of Freddie’s shack. Nice.

Fans have come wearing Mugsy tuxedos. They want to interview Freddie for a school paper.

Freddie is coming out a new album about his New York vacation, “Sing Sing Freddie.”

Freddie will be the guest to their high school play tonight.

Uh-oh, the PTA has come to protest.

Jokes are flying in this episode. You can tell Red Skelton loves the Freddie the Freeloader character.

Freddie’s now depressed because of the image he’s setting for Freddie.

Mugsy can’t go back to being a bum. Or maybe he can.

Final Thoughts on Freddie the Singer

This is one of those episodes that came out firing. I enjoyed the zingers. What they don’t say is what happened to the money Freddie already made. What gives? It does come up with a nice stereotype of hour the retail music industry works.

Red n Freddie are good friends

Aww, Red started off by thanking everyone for an award he just one. A “Who’s Who…,” and showed the plaque.

“I don’t like anybody saying you’re the best at anything. I’m just part of a wonderful, great industry and I’m grateful that you folks like it. That’s about all I can say. Really.” - Red Skelton

Pantomime sketch about people on those “new” jets. Good stuff. I flew next to the scared guy a couple months ago…I almost forgot you could smoke on planes for awhile. Even cigars…wow.

Now I remember why that made air sickness bag

Time for the dancers. Theme:  landing on the moon, “We beat the Russians in coming here / the consequences may be severe.” Who knew the writers of The Red Skelton Show could accurately predict the lunar landing nearly a decade in advance…isn’t it always about real estate in the end? The advantages of living on the moon? No Smog.

Appleby the Weatherman Act I

It starts off with the US launching a super rocket. Why is the flight delayed? Appleby’s weather prediction.

“Whoever heard of snow in Florida?”…”Appleby’s right again.” Wow, George can call it down to the second. Man, now he’s getting all the elements.

“It’s raining cats and dogs. You can step into a poodle in a minute.”

Appleby can predict the weather to a second but can’t server his wife’s (Mc Cambridge)dinner properly. The gig is up!

“Your predictions? If it weren’t for my lumbago and my rheumatism you couldn’t predict a thing.”

“Yes. God bless your little aches n pains.”

Classic physical comedy going on.

Appleby’s  telling Canaveral they can launch based on how his wife’s stomach felt today.

Oh no. Yugabanian mobsters (Peter Lorre) are kidnapping George and making him the official weatherman of Yugabania

Appleby the Weatherman Act II

“The weather? It’s getting warmer too.”

George confesses to the Yugabanains that he gets his predictions from his wife’s aches and pains.

The other terrorist is Jamie Farr. NIIICE. I just noticed.

“You cost me a lot of money…I could have brought you both over, flown over on a family plan.”

Both captured, the Yugabanians tell them they have to predict the weather or die. George remove’s his wife’s gag, “I hate to get rid of this. That’s the best gag we’ve had so far.”

His wife isn’t feeling any pain because of the Yugabanian pain. George steps on her toe. She hits him with a beaker.

George has her feet in ice water with an electric fan blowing on her. Now George is going to have her sit on a block of ice. It’s a real block of ice and it’s messing George up.

George n his wife give them false predictions and try to sneak out. Come to find out the rocket is right outside the door…

Red’s doing the final bit of the show with the ice in his hand. It’s fun watching him try to hold on to it while he calls the guests out. He gives the ice to Peter Lorre n walks off stage. Nice

Final thoughts on Appleby the Weatherman

It was a nice episode. Not as aggressive or spontaneous. For a moment, Red’s joke about the gag summed up the episode. I think that’s where he got his inspiration. Ehh, whatareyagonnado? Not every one’s a winner.

And remember to check out http://www.TheRedSkeltonShow.com

Wow…Red used the same Texas couple joke as he used in The Many Skeltons in Las Vegas.

“I’m dying for a new fur coat.”
“You want a new fur coat? Don’t shave for about a month. See what develops.”
Like the joke about, “Shootin 5,000.”

Pantomime skit about a little old man passing an orphanage during the bombing of a city. Narrated by Art Gilmore. Aww, it was a heartwarming skit. Waited for the joke that never came. Well done, well done.

Dancing number time. Riverboat themed…

San Fernando Loses the Dixie Queen Act I (Mississippi River 1870)

San Fernando is the captain of the Dixie Queen. Known to be dishonest.

“He remembers when the Mississippi used to be a dew drop.” - San says of a co-worker on the take.

Classic poker-cheating humor - 5 aces at the table. In comes San’s daughter - easy on the eyes.

Uh-oh, here comes Clayton (Romero). He’s trying to pick up the daughter. I wish I had the courage to just give a girl a kiss.

“I gotta work fast, honey. I’m a wanted man.”

“By whom are you wanted?”

“Practically gal I know.”

Clayton’s gonna try to hustle San Fernando. The poker cheating jokes are just beginning.

The gig is up.

“Honest man? Sir, that’s an insult!!,” - San.

Clayton wants to start a partnership with San.

Clayton finds San’s daughter, Mary Lou, out along the railing of the Dixie Queen…

“For 30 years I’ve been sailing up this river. This is the first time I’ve ever been up the creek.”

San Fernando Loses the Dixie Queen Act II

San’s gonna work to win his boat back…wow a long, rambling speech about the South Rising…

“What’s that got to do with this boat?”

“Nothing.”

Clayton makes San a partner so San doesn’t turn him into the cops, then knocks him out and steals his clothes.

Clayton is dressed as San n tricks the cops.

Clayton’s trying to prove to Mary Lou that he’s innocent.

Clayton n San run into each other - mirror joke coming.

Uh, oh, the Sherriff sees 2 San Fernando Red’s.

San Fernando Red takes the fall for at his daughter’s request n walks the sheriff off the gang plank. Of course, there’s no gang plank.

Final Thoughts on San Fernando Red Loses the Dixie Queen

A classic Red Skelton Show episode. Poker jokes seem to never get old. Old vaudeville-styled skit with more physical comedy than zingers that seems to be timeless. Red puts just enough of a twist to them that he’ll still catch you off guard even when you know what’s coming.

The Red Skelton Show from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Nice, all four Red Skelton characters are getting off the plane in Vegas at different times. And, of course, Freddie came out through the luggage compartment.

Oooh, at the Sands. And the dancers are starting, but of course the regular dancers are only singing off screen while Vegas show girls promenade. Aww, go fig, the guy dancers come out to sing with the show girls. Classic Vegas sound. A lot of smoke in the spotlights. Times a’changed.

Now I’m confused. Maybe it was the blonde wigs - if they’re wigs…. Not sure if the girls are the regulars…oh well.

The song is parodied from -”Grey skies are gonna clear up /put on a happy face…”

“It got so cold here last night that the girls had to put on their long beads,” I miss the temperature spikes and dips of the Las Vegas Valley. Classic Vegas jokes including pantomime skits…

“I made $20 last night; I rented my room.”

Classic Red Skelton joke. I’ve seen others use this joke:

“We’ve got a nudger down here. You know what a nudger is? I tell a joke, she explains it to him and he goes, ‘yeaaaaaah!!’.”

George Appleby’s turn in the casino.

Freddie the Freeloader’s turn

Here comes Freddie, sneaking in on the back of a golf cart.

Going in mime.

Ahh, 3 card monty Here comes the law.

Whoa, how’d he do the horizontal dance over the water?

Clem’s Turn as a busboy.

“About the mess at your table? She’s not bad. Not good, but not bad.”

Only Clem could make it so entertaining.

Whoa, Willie Lump Lump showed up in the back during Red’s act.

Willie n Red are going back n forth. Willie paid for a seat up front but can’t stay on his feat…there he goes. Classic drunk humor… (the laugh track is disproportionate the audience’s reaction, oh well).

Red’s got nothing after Willie’s appearance, “Good night.”

Red Skelton thanks the crowd for real this time. That smoke is thick in the crowd. And I’ll make sure I watch Dennis the Menace Sunday night, Red.

Final Thoughts on The Many Skeltons in Las Vegas

This episode is truly entertaining. I especially enjoyed the interaction between Willie n Red at the end. It was kind of unique to see Red play the straight man to himself. And, having worked in the gaming industry a few years, Red’s jokes brought back many personal memories for me.

In the first few episodes I saw how Red kept everyone laughing:  crowd, cast, crew, himself… Lately, I’m starting to see how he kept the shows fresh. Sometimes the jokes are based on one-liners, zingers and the like. Other times, like in The Many Skeltons in Las Vegas, Red uses visual, physical comedy to stir laughs. By appealing to the different senses, he keeps his entertainment fresh. No one got burned out hearing him too much because he could be physically funny, but then no one got tired of the slapstick because of the one-liners and classic humor.

Still looking forward to the next show.

“I was standing here applauding for myself. I thought we had another guest star,” I haven’t even watched the episode yet and I know this one is going to be a doozy already just because Red is loopy from rehearsals.

“I had to say ‘little button’ that way because they wouldn’t let me say, ‘belly button.’” I think I’ve heard the belly button joke from him before. Nope…this was as far as I got when I tried to watch this earlier. This is gonna be a doozy.

The theme of the monologue is doctors, medications, and pills. He’s pantomime someone taking medication. The sounds are silly - right up Red’s alley. Swallowing pills can be difficult. Aww, poor Red.

I wonder if Dean Martin zingers were as much a standard as the sketches?

Tilt! Tilt! Tilt!

Dancers time, at the local drug store pulling pills from the water cool. I didn’t realize they’re that old. Pills! Pills! Pills! For all of life’s problems. Nice satire.

Ahhh….I guess San Fernandocal found a magic brew. This ought to be entertaining

San Fernandocal Act I:

WOW! Zingers we couldn’t use today, “I’m sure glad Alaska’s become a state so we can use all this blubber now.”

“I say ‘loosely’ because that’s the way you’re built.”

And the laugh tracks are filling in the gaps. Niiiice, that’ll layering up Mary Bath Hughes - San’s assistant - layering up in winter coats. Looks like a scam is coming.

“What do you suggest?” asks the victim. Red breaks character for a second, “Ohhh, they’d just cut it out anyhow.” - Sensors are awesome.

Oh my goodness. Wow, I wouldn’t feel right quoting some of these other zingers. I remember this is 48 years old. Sometimes we forget how audacious “ma & pa” shows can be. This usually means a moral is coming.

First victim, patient, “Pullin’ your leg? I couldn’t lift it…” and the thunder keeps coming.

Ahhh, San Fernandocal is the super diet pill, “San Fernandocal is guaranteed. If you don’t loose the weight you get double your chins back.”

Here comes the scam. She doesn’t even drink the water the big cheater. She lost 55 lbs. in 20 seconds. The ladies are impressed.

Wow, $100 dollars a quart, “Well, it a lot less than it cost you to put on all that flab on you there.”

Red fills up the quart in the sink. Nice.

End of act 1.

San Fernandocal Act II:

Production is going crazy.

Uh, oh, the Food n Drug commission showed up. They discovered it is water.

Wait, is there a crime against selling water?

Crime syndicate gets wind of San Fernandocal and wants the action. Uh oh.

Oh, NO, don’t grab the moustache. A man can only stand so much torture.

Oh, NO, not the chest hair. Wait, what is that?

Oh, San gives up.

San told the mobsters the secret ingredient and they don’t believe him.

The mobster is gonna give it the 30 day test himself.

The mobsters are skinny, but so weak they can’t shoot San. San takes the bullets out for them.

“Just drink some more San Fernandocal. That’ll get the lead out.”

The Food n Drug found San n saved him.

San signs the deed n gives San Fernandocal over to the mobsters just in time.

Wow did Red botch the last line

Final Thoughts on San Fernandocal:

Red Skelton really went to town early on with the weight jokes. I was a tad bit surprised. You really can’t get away with it now. I guess that’s why he always pushed the envelope. Classic humor to boot. Now I know where these liquid diets got their ideas.

He also didn’t have to worry about cracking up the cast. They were already loopy, which is what made it so fun.

Oooh, Vincent Price. Even 45 years ago Vincent looked scary.

“I came from a very tough neighborhood: anytime I showed my face all the kids would run…but they never caught me.”

He’s got zingers aplenty in this monologue.

OOOH, bringing back the pantomime about a prizefighter - the last-minute replacement fighters in prize fights. He’s conducting with grace. Doin’ all the characters…

And the starting bell. Ouch, I’d get a headache jerkin’ my head that much.. You’ll have to buy the collection to see it :-). It might be worth it just to see him fall.

Here come the performers singin’ n dancin’. “We love psychiatry…” a lot of Freudian based jokes about psychoanalysis and depression…Hypnosis is such a cool trick. I know that song they’re parodying. It’s gonna make me mad I can’t recall it …”some-thing to HOL-Ly-wood…” [As I was getting ready to publish it, the song came to me. No joke. It's Hooray for Hollywood - "Hooray for Hollywood / that screwy, ballyhooey Hollywood." - from the classic movie Hollywood Hotel.]

Cauliflower Loses His Birds Act I

Cauliflower sees birds everywhere. The shrink prepares for Cauliflower. Cauliflower comes in with a big container of birdseed, spreading it everywhere in the shrink’s office to feed the birds he sees.

“Give me your full name please?”
“Cauliflower B. McPugg,”
“What’s the ‘B stand for.”
“Broccoli.” Red’s answer brings about sardonic cheers from the crowd to which Red raises his hands in victory, “Believe it or not all day long and 2 days rehearsal and that’s the first time I got it right!”

It’s gonna be one of those shows. Cauliflower has been seein’ birds since his first professional fight - in 1947.

The shrink thinks the case is going to be tough. He leaves the room. Enter: Vincent Price in a safari outfit, carrying a net, and feedin’ birds. Him ‘n Cauliflower are looking at the birds together.

“You must come home and see my wife.”
“Oh, does she see birds?” - ask Cauliflower
“No, no, but it’s only fair. After all, I don’t see her crocodiles.”

Cut to a spooky house.
“Boy, I thought I’d never find this place. All these crack houses look alike.” - Cauliflower

Scary noises and loud howls echo through the home, “Well, if you like Pasadena you’ve got to get used to this stuff.” - Ziiing!!

Cauliflower sets on the throne n waits for Vincent. The arm of the chair picks up a goblet and hands Cauliflower a breath mint. Cauliflower tries to take another and the arm of the thrown hits him, “Well, I guess you’re right. It is kind of fattening.” Now the Throne is scratching Cauliflower. He’s in heaven.

Cauliflower is spooked. He runs for the door, opens it and runs into a brick wall. The throne gives him the ten count

Cauliflower Loses His Birds Act II

Red’s answer brings about sardonic cheers from the crowd.incent tries to tell him that the chair doesn’t move. The chair doesn’t move. Cauliflower tries to show Vincent that the door has a brick wall in it. He opens the door and the wall is gone.

Spooky Vincent Price mysteries…definitely worth watching. Vincent’s world and Red’s world plays well together.

Vincent Price doing the twist: timeless. “I told you how the body can carry on after the mind is completely gone.” Nice, Vincent and his wife broke character. Classic Red Skelton Show moment.

Cauliflower is meeting their lovely daughter Elizabeth - apparently Cauliflower can’t see invisible people.

Cauliflower went dancing with Elizabeth until Vincent told him he wasn’t dancing with Elizabeth. I think Elizabeth is leading.

Now Vincent is setting him up. Cauliflower n his wife ducked from the birds. Cauliflower doesn’t see birds. A celebration ensuces. Cauliflower’s doc n girl come out from hiding to celebrate.

“And you, not that I’m perfectly normal now I can get married.”
“Oh, isn’t that marvelous, Cauliflower?” asks his girl.
“Yes, yes. You can be my best man. C’mon, Elizabeth,” as he escorts Elizabeth through the door. Elizabeth walks through the brick wall and knocks out her silhouette.

This is the last show that goes 1/2 hour. They start to go a full hour.

Final Thoughts on Cauliflower Loses His Birds:

Red was in rare form, zinging left and right. It’s amazing how well Red’s zaniness and Price’s spookiness fit like hand n glove. A great classic episode.

My first foray with Freddie the Freeloader. Ought to be interesting…

Red improved a Liz Taylor joke. Historical reference I don’t think I’m aware of.

“When I travel I go anywhere…I got by boat – well that’s if I’m on the ocean…” the downside of improvisation, “Well there’s a brilliant line there, idn’t it?”

I guess he finally did away with the pantomimes

The dancers are in flapper dresses – just the girls. They’re all girls. Singing about how a guy with money is where it’s at - “cash n carry / that’s the way to marry.” Nothin’ like an ironic intro to Freddie the Freeloader.

Best Man’s Blues Act 1

In a highrise. Not very Freeloader. Highrise uptown superficial women with luxurious accents. The groom-to-be’s best man is going to be…yeah. You guess’d-er.

“Do you have change for a hundred?” “Oh yes,” “Then you won’t need this nickel I was gonna give you.”

“My train’s a-comin’. I’ve got 2 minutes to get under it…”

Freddie at a fancy hotel for the wedding. Playin’ ’round with the bellboy and. Classic…

The millionaire, Freddie’s buddy, fired the bellboy for looking unkept – thanks to Freddie’s dirt.

Freddie’s unkept presence is makin’ everybody faint. Freddie’s having a field day with the props for it.

“I just said that I was Freddie the Freeloader the best man and everybody conked out.”

Even the millionaire conked out.

Niiice, even the statue faded.

“I don’t know what I got but if we can bottle it, ‘Goodnight, Khrushchev.’”

Commercial Break

Best Man’s Blues Act II

Sobbing bride. Bitter bridesmaid, “With principles like that I don’t know how you ever became a millionaire.”

Millionaire bends to bride’s will.

The air freshener is crazy.

The things Freddie can do with a fork.

Wow, it took forever for Red to crack someone. He got the bridesmaid by makin’ fun of her legs while picking up a pimento off the ground. Nice.

Of course, Freddie dropped the ring, now the cigar. That punch is no good.

“Don’t touch me doctor, I’m sterile.”

Is that why suit coats have tails…

Red can’t cut as fast as in rehearsals, “Run a commercial…”

Wow, that’s a lot of punch drinking. I couldn’t do that in my prime. Ahh, the glasses were filled…

“You have my finger in your glass.”
“How observant. You should have no trouble getting a driver’s license.”

He got the bride to crack again. Of course, she swallowed the ring.

She’s calling off the wedding if Freddie is the best man. And the gifts went off with her. Freeloaders!

Freddie’s allowed to live in the penthouse with the millionaire. He considers it until he hears about the bath…

Final thoughts on Best Man Blues.

Once again, I enjoyed it but I expect more aggressiveness. The first few I saw had a lot more banter amongst the actors. These last couple have been more polished. Still enjoyed it. Maybe I’m just sad that he never got Dick Foran to break character.

More tomorrow!

Show theme:  fake Indian Shieks - (maybe the Beatles should have seen this episode) - and their power of concentrations on things like dieting…

The monologue is diet themed. Hard to quote a pantomime, but it was fun watching him making fun of the diet scene at West Palm Beach.

The cast is singing about ’signs, signs, everywhere signs’ (but not that song). It’s this kind of choreography that makes me wonder if Danny Kaye ever guest starred on the Red Skelton Show and if he did, then whether or not he danced with the cast. That’d be worth the price of admission.

Ahh…song leads into the skit with the “Room for Rent” sign. And Appleby’s Bearded Boarder begins…

Red runs through the laundry list of items he picked up at the store for his wife and became dumbfounded at the cue card, “Cooking Vodka?” as if it was supposed to be cooking, “Sherry.” I don’t think Red had the heart to make an alcoholic joke out of the line.

“Now gimmie the rest of your paycheck.”

“Well how you have it? Heads or tails?”

Marie Windsor doesn’t break character despite Red’s attempts to crack her up. She plays a great bitter wife. She just rolls her eyes at him as she stays in character about how they need more income. Perfect domestic housewife stereotype (my apologies).

Her practicality has her decide that they should rent out the back bedroom. Red still can’t crack her. She’s good.

After the commercial break the scene cuts to the couple in the bed room.

“Ohh, I’m kinda sorry we’re shooting this show. The rehearsals were so much better.” - and with that Red line, he finally got Marie to crack. She was a tough nut to crack. There must be an inside joke I’m not privileged to.

Now he has fun with the censors, “This is what is known as the CBS honor system. Of course with that big Eye lookin’ at you, what can you do?”

“Oh, well. On to the funny stuff…”

Once the scene starts you see that the shot was zoomed in way to close for the snoring gags.

Persistent door ringer at 3am.

“Time is a fraud perpetrated on the human race by the manufacturers of wrist watches,” Yeah, George and the boarder will get along in that ying & sardine sort of way.

‘Towelhead’ jokes aplenty. Phrases you couldn’t say in today’s world.

“I couldn’t let him see me like this.”
“Well, I wish you would show me the same courtesy.” - wife and husband banter aplenty.

The boarder, of course, hasn’t paid and needs sundries every 5 minutes. Now he’s making phone calls to Calcutta.

The boarder has got the wife doing workouts. ‘Old hindu exercises.’

“That’s the first time I’ve seen him go out of character,” Red says of Carradine as Carradine struggles to get up from the exercise.

Now the wife is quoting the boarder.

Now, after a hard day’s work, his dinner consists of a lima bean.

Uh, oh, the boarder is a con man and is on the front page of the paper.

Nice, the producers start the end music and cut the scene short. The downside of waiting for the laugh. That steak must have been tough.

Red uses the con man’s getup and gets his dream…the episode was shot on the 50th Anniversary of the Girl Scouts.

Final Thoughts on Appleby’s Bearded Boarder:

Enjoyable. It wasn’t as aggressive as some of the other episodes I’ve seen. But in the same breath, I don’t know if they could use the them in today’s world. Not as many zingers either. And the sharp zingers are not PC by today’s times. But I enjoyed it.

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!