Episode:  Freddie the Singer
Original Air Date:  1959/06/02
Guest Star:  Frank McHugh

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

Episode: Best Man Blues
Original Air Date: 1962/05/22
Gust Stars: Dick Foran & Maria Palmer

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!