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Blu-ray Review The Honeymooners: Classic 39 Episodes Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

Matt Hough

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The Honeymooners: Classic 39 Episodes Blu-ray Review

Ralph Kramden: the lovable, rotund bus driver from Brooklyn with his unfettered pride, hair-trigger temper, and eternal dreams of making it big was an on and off fixture on television for more than two decades. First seen in a series of sketches on Cavalcade of Stars and through various incarnations of The Jackie Gleason Show, the loud but deep down gentle giant and his TV family found immortality in thirty-nine classic episodes of the situation comedy known as The Honeymooners which ran from October 1955 through September 1956. The standalone series was originally to be the first of two thirty-nine episode seasons (with options for a third), but star Jackie Gleason pulled the plug after the first group and went back to the variety show format with “The Honeymooners” as merely sketches contained within it. Thus, this tri-baker’s dozen of episodes which were filmed in the Adelphi Theater in New York are the best record we have of the brilliance of this one-of-a-kind ensemble and their hilarious, unpredictable antics.



Studio: Paramount

Distributed By: N/A

Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Audio: English PCM 2.0

Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Rating: Not Rated

Run Time: 16 Hr. 57 Min.

Package Includes: Blu-ray

keep case with leaves in a slipcover

Disc Type: BD50 (dual layer)

Region: All

Release Date: 05/06/2014

MSRP: $129.99




The Production Rating: 4.5/5

Most of the episodes of The Honeymooners revolve around two distinct concepts: Ralph (Jackie Gleason) trying to gain wealth in any number of ways (a TV quiz show, a kitchen gadget, a new appetizer, becoming the house janitor, inheriting a fortune, finding money he doesn’t know is counterfeit in a suitcase on his bus) in order to provide his wife Alice (Audrey Meadows) with more than a cold water flat in a walk-up in Brooklyn or Ralph getting himself into hot water because of his all-consuming pride and ego or, as he always admits, his “BIG MOUTH.” In all of his endeavors he’s joshed along, supported or sometimes thwarted or sabotaged by his well-meaning best friend sewer worker Ed Norton (Art Carney). Ralph, Alice, and Norton (with an occasional assist from Norton’s wife Trixie played by Joyce Randolph) tease, taunt, cajole, nag, brag, love, and forgive one another in a series of hilarious and easily identifiable situations that these wonderful actors play with obvious relish. As with most sitcoms which catch the public’s fancy, The Honeymooners accumulated a series of catch phrases and situational set-ups that audiences looked forward to show after show. If Ralph wasn’t busy threatening to send Alice “to the moon,” he was ordering Norton out of the apartment or nudging him forcefully to have him hurry along with some activity Ed was taking overtly elaborate preparations to attempt. “Bang – Zoom!” “Baby, you’re the greatest!” and “Put ‘er there, pal” entered the American lexicon and stayed there through several generations.

Because the show was filmed in a theater with the audience sitting in seats rather than on a soundstage with the audience in bleachers, there is a far more theatrical feel to The Honeymooners than, say, I Love Lucy, one of its contemporaries of the 1955-56 season. With most (but not all especially the early ones) of the episodes, there is entrance applause for the stars, and obvious mistakes like forgotten lines or actors stepping on one another’s lines did not stop the filming giving each episode the appearance of a play that simply goes on despite any mishaps. Also, there seems to be a tendency for the actors to milk the expected bits of business that worked for them (Carney won an Emmy this season for his performance; Gleason and Meadows were nominated), and improvisation within limits seems to have been encouraged. (Years later, Gleason revealed the handcuff scene in “Unconventional Behavior” was completely improvised.) While none of the shows would come anywhere near dud status, some of the episodes are true classics of the genre: “The Golfer,” “A Matter of Life and Death,” “Better Living Through TV,” “A Matter of Record,” “The $99,000 Answer,” “Dial J for Janitor,” along with the aforementioned “Unconventional Behavior.” And Gleason’s little stock company including George Petrie and Frank Marth along with a couple of hilarious turns by Ethel Owen as Alice’s mother who finds Ralph obnoxious in the extreme can always be counted on for solid support.

Here are the thirty-nine episodes contained on five Blu-ray discs in this Blu-ray set. Those episodes marked with an asterisk (*) are shows which have two versions available: the familiar syndicated versions or the ones with original sponsor material contained in the original opening credits and in Gleason’s closing plugs for Buick cars.

1 – TV or Not TV
2 – Funny Money
*3 – The Golfer
4 – A Woman’s Work Is Never Done
5 – A Matter of Life and Death
6 – The Sleepwalker
7 – Better Living Through TV
8 – Pal o’ Mine
9 – Brother Ralph
*10 – Hello, Mom
11 – The Deciding Vote
12 – Something Fishy
13 – “Twas the Night Before Christmas
14 – The Man from Space
15 – A Matter of Record
16 – Oh My Aching Back
17 – The Baby Sitter
*18 – The $99,000 Answer
19 – Ralph Kramden, Inc.
20 – Young at Heart
*21 – A Dog’s Life
*22 – Here Comes the Bride
23 – Mama Loves Mambo
*24 – Please Leave the Premises
*25 – Pardon My Glove
*26 – Young Man with a Horn
27 – Head of the House
28 – The Worry Wart
*29 – Trapped
30 – The Loudspeaker
*31 – On Stage
*32 – Opportunity Knocks But
33 – Unconventional Behavior
34 – The Safety Award
35 – Mind Your Own Business
36 – Alice and the Blonde
*37 – The Bensonhurst Bomber
38 – Dial J for Janitor
*39 – A Man’s Pride



Video Rating: 4/5  3D Rating: NA

The episodes are presented in their original 4:3 broadcast ratio and are offered in 1080p using the AVC codec. In general, the images are sharp and clear with above average grayscale boasting fine black levels and clean whites. But there are some scratches to be seen occasionally and dust specks on a fair number of episodes. Of course, some of the sponsor materials have been taken from much lower level quality elements occasionally even approaching kinescope level quality. Each episode has been divided into 5 chapters.



Audio Rating: 4/5

The PCM 2.0 (1.5 Mbps) mono sound mix has been nicely cleaned up but is otherwise very representative of the period. Because the show was produced in a legitimate theater, there’s a little built-in echo in the theater’s acoustics which the microphones naturally pick up adding another layer of theatricality to the presentation. Dialogue is always cleanly presented and the music and natural sound effects never interfere with the listener’s understanding the funny lines which pass by.



Special Features Rating: 3/5

Promos (1:07, HD): two promos for the show presented in montage

Best Buick Yet (20:53, HD): a dealer slide show of the new 1956 Buick models with Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, and Audrey Meadows offering commentary on the new features for that year’s models.

60 Minutes Interview (15:15, HD) Morley Safer interviews Jackie Gleason in a 1984 piece on the venerable news magazine show.

60 Minutes Outtakes (22:35, HD): in many ways even more fascinating than the interview are the segments left out of the piece including Gleason’s views on Chaplin’s likely inability to handle TV’s hectic pace and stories about his work other than The Honeymooners.

American Scene Magazine (52:38, SD): the 1966 episode of Gleason’s variety show featuring “The Adoption,” a musical Honeymooners episode that showed all three stars in a funny and touching story of the Kramden’s adopting a child and showing off Audrey Meadows’ surprisingly impressive singing voice.

35th Anniversary Special (21:35, SD): hosted by Audrey Meadows with clips and reminiscences.

50th Anniversary Special (42:00, SD): hosted by Kevin James and with vintage interviews with Gleason and (then) current comments from Carney and Randolph and stars Tom Hanks, Carol Burnett, Dennis Franz, and John Ritter adding their own congratulations.

Person to Person (10:39, SD): a 1956 segment of the show with Jackie Gleason not the subject of the interview but the interviewer talking with a real Brooklyn bus driver and his family.



Overall Rating: 4/5

The classic thirty-nine episodes of The Honeymooners have never looked or sounded as good as they do in this new Blu-ray set. That the set doesn’t celebrate more strongly the achievements of the cast, the director Frank Satenstein, and the three sets of writer-duos who scripted the shows seems like a missed opportunity. Only fans can decide if the upgrade in picture and sound with these included bonus features alone justify the price CBS/Paramount is asking for the set. Recommended but with reservations.


Reviewed By: Matt Hough


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Steve...O

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Thanks, Matt. Of the three series that CBS/P are releasing on BD this was my most anticipated because (1) it had th most to gain from the DVD counterpart and (2) it is essentially a complete series release. From your review this sounds like a solid effort that will leave consumers wanting more. As with the Lucy release, I can wait for a better price. Granted it was at blowout pricing, but I just picked up the entire run of Dick Van Dyke on Amazon in BD for $17 less than what this release is going for.

Joyce Randolph is still very much alive and in good health at last report. I'd be curious to find out if she was approached to participate in this.
 

Matt Hough

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Well, there really aren't any up-to-date bonus features with the set. That 50th Anniversary special was done in 2005, I believe. That was my biggest problem with this set. A current specialist on the show along with Joyce and maybe other experts and vintage interviews could have been combined to make some audio commentaries for the set, and there just aren't any.
 

Steve...O

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Agreed, Matt. For something of this level of historical importance some newly produced material would have been appropriate. CBS has got to have tons of material in its vaults on the 4 stars and surely a Rudy Behlmer type historian on this show would have been available.

By the way, you've got to be bleary eyed after watching 39 episodes of this and 36 episodes of ILL - please know that I appreciate your work to educate us all about these sets very much!
 

Matt Hough

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Thanks, Steve. My preference would have been for the sets to be spaced at monthly intervals instead of all on the same date, but studios don't tend to work that way. On to Andy Griffith and Little House on the Prairie!
 

mrz7

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Definitely going to get this Blu-Ray. Thank you Matt for the review. Like Steve O, I am probably going to hold off on "I Love Lucy" for awhile.....just because I can't justify the cost for one season. I bought the complete series (all 5 seasons) of "Dick Van Dyke Show" for $110.00 back at Christmas time. Here I thought I had a deal, but apparently Steve O got an even better (Good for you Steve!!!).

But since "The Honeymooners: Classic 39" set is a complete series, I might go for it when it gets to the price that Steve bought for the "Dick Van Dyke Show"....LOL......but I am definitely getting this one.

Thanks again Matt Hough for your very helpful review!!!
 

Josh Steinberg

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Will definitely be getting this! I wish they had come up with some more bonus features for it, but the episodes themselves are definitely worth the price of admission for me. I've treasured the DVD set since it came out.

It was going to be a day one purchase for me, except that I've gotten a few hints that I might be getting it as a gift for an upcoming anniversary. My girlfriend will likely be receiving season one of a certain redhead's show in return :)
 
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Has anybody here seen an uncut Honeymooners episode as originally broadcast? I wonder if the syndicated versions merely replaced the sponsor openings/closings and left the episode content alone or if little edits were made to the episodes like I Love Lucy?
 

Josh Steinberg

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Amazon has this dropped to $65 today if anyone is interested (it's been hovering at $75 for the recent past).
 

mrz7

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I am a huge "Honeymooners" fan and I finally bought "The Honeymooners: Classic 39" on Blu-ray! (Amazon seller sold it for little less than $50.00.....I probably could have waited longer for price to go down, but I really wanted this set.....still holding off on "I Love Lucy" Blu-ray though because it's not a complete series like "Honeymooners"). Anyway, so far I have only gone thru the first disc, and I was sadly dissappointed that it didn't have a "Play All" feature?!!!? CBS/Paramount also did not have a "Play All" feature on the retail DVD release of "The Honeymooners: Classic 39". I would have thought for sure it would have been on the Blu-ray set (but it's not). Thankfully, I kept the Columbia House DVD Release of "The Honeymooners: Classic 39"......that release has a "Play All" feature.

Other than the Blu-ray set not having a "Play All" feature, the picture is better (still can see the hints of film dust specks and scratches (more clearly), but overall cleaner than the DVD Release). And I thought the sound quality was a huge difference as well.

If your a "Honeymooners" fan, this is probably the best set to get (in terms of picture and sound). Highly recommend. But if you want a "Play All" feature....you are out of luck!!!
 

rjd0309

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One of these days, Alice...


to-the-moon-alice_zpsjbtgqa3b.jpg
 

Garysb

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Robert Crawford said:
It's 29.99 now.
I Love Lucy Season 1 is also $29.99. Unfortunately Andy Griffith Season 1 is 49.99. All were released on the same day. It would have been nice if all were reduced to the same price.
 

Tony Bensley

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Thanks to affordable pricing at import cds (Total: $38.10 CDN), I was able to order THE HONEYMOONERS "CLASSIC 39 EPISODES" Blu-ray set! :)

Had I ordered directly via Amazon Canada, it would have cost $64.53 PLUS tax! Considering this same set is currently available on U.S. Amazon for $24.42 (Albeit in USD), I find that aspect rather annoying, but so it goes!

I'm looking forward to finally having the Classic 39 Episodes, especially since I never did get the previous DVD release, which is apparently STILL in print some 13 years after it's initial 2003 release! In fact, I almost ordered this set until a fellow HTF member set me straight about there being a Blu-ray set available! Considering what I would have also paid for shipping and taxes for the $24.97 (Literally 3 cents below our $25 free shipping cutoff! Yes, Amazon Canada does have SOME advantages!) DVD set, I'm really glad for that most helpful input in getting the best possible presentation!

As for the Lost Episodes DVD set, while these would be nice to have, it's the 39 Episodes that I really want to have at present! Perhaps, if I can get a deep discount for the latter, I may bite then? :blink:

CHEERS! :)
 
Last edited:

Josh Steinberg

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The Blu-ray is fantastic, especially if you don't already have the DVDs. You won't be disappointed.

I have the "Lost Episodes" set, the version that has like 14 discs. It was a gift and was well worth it. I'm still working my way through the set. One of the things I didn't expect was how many times they do the same sketch. It made sense when I thought about it. Those shows were all live and they didn't really do reruns, so if a sketch went well and was popular, you absolutely could get away with doing it again a year later. So the set is an extra treat because you get to see some early versions of the famous 39.
 

Tony Bensley

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The Blu-ray is fantastic, especially if you don't already have the DVDs. You won't be disappointed.

I have the "Lost Episodes" set, the version that has like 14 discs. It was a gift and was well worth it. I'm still working my way through the set. One of the things I didn't expect was how many times they do the same sketch. It made sense when I thought about it. Those shows were all live and they didn't really do reruns, so if a sketch went well and was popular, you absolutely could get away with doing it again a year later. So the set is an extra treat because you get to see some early versions of the famous 39.
It was a toss up between this and THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES Season 1 DVD set.

There were a number of factors that put THE HONEYMOONERS Blu-ray set over the top for me, but first, that it IS on Blu-ray! :)

In addition, the Bonus Features really impressed me! Not only the '60s Color Specials (I believe I may have seen the Christmas one, although it was in the early '80s?), but also Jackie Gleason's 60 MINUTES mid 80s Guest Spots (For me, that was a real "Are you kidding me that these are actually included?" in a very nice way!), with the latter in HD yet! I actually remember viewing the one from 1984, so that'll be "sweet" to see again after all these years!

CHEERS! :)
 

Josh Steinberg

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To be clear, the Blu-ray set only includes one special, and I believe it is in B&W.

There is also only one 60 Minutes appearance on the disc. What is cool is that the disc also includes outtakes from the interview that run about as long as the actual aired piece.
 

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