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JACKIE GLEASON SHOW, THE {GLEASON RECONSTRUCTION}
{HOUR 2D; REELS 94-416; ITEM 2198} (TV)

Summary

00:00:01 Voice over black screen saying "Direct from the Palm Beach Biltmore Hotel..."

00:00:06 Image of curtains appears as announcer's voice continues. Filigreed title card appears bearing the words "Jackie Gleason" and a sketch of Gleason. The camera draws close to this card until it fills the screen. The announcer says Jayne Mansfield will be Gleason's guest.

00:00:22 Cross-fade to stage containing two mismatched chairs bracketed by small end tables as announcer's voice continues, introducing Gleason, who enters wearing a dark-toned suit with a light-toned satiny tie with a single, vertical strand of polka-dots (maybe hearts) widely spaced down the center. He has a white speckled handkerchief in his jacket pocket and a white lapel flower. Gleason takes a seat and complains about the arrangement of tables and chairs. Gleason begins talking about Mansfield, and is cut off by a blackout at 00:01:31.

00:01:32 Abrupt edit to a seated man and woman as a voice says: "Here are scenes from this week's adventure on 'Checkmate.'" The title "Checkmate" appears in white stencil at the bottom of the screen. The scenes are: Bethel Leslie (I think) telling Anthony George she needs a psychiatrist; Robert Lansing (I think) shooting at birds with Anthony George, as the word "Saturday" appears at bottom of the screen; and Leslie being menaced by Sebastian Cabot in an alley as "Checkmate" again appears at bottom of the screen. The announcer exhorts the audience to watch "Checkmate" as promo fades into a blackout.

00:02:32 Abrupt edit back to seated Gleason in the same suit and set as he tells about last week's forty-fifth birthday party and the difficulties of being that age. Gleason talks about taking his college-age daughters for pizza, where he orders soft-boiled eggs. Gleason talks about aliens on Venus being disturbed by Russia's space exploration. Gleason delivers a commercial for L&M cigarettes, holding one up as he praises its flavor.

00:12:15 Cut to burning cigarette in ashtray, flanked by two boxes of L&M cigarettes as music plays and the audience applauds.

00:12:22 Smooth cut back to Gleason smoking as the music and applause continues. Gleason introduces Jayne Mansfield, who enters wearing a dark, velvety dress with a fur collar. Mansfield talks about travel difficulties incurred due to a transit strike. Gleason walks to stage wings, where he gets a violin. He gives it to Mansfield, who badly plays a selection from Vivaldi. She stops in embarrassment and tries again. Mansfield asks Gleason to sing a duet with her. Mansfield sings as Gleason makes comical interjections. Gleason announces that next week's show will feature athletes Floyd Patterson and Ingemar Johannsen. Gleason thanks Mansfield and says "Goodnight everybody" as credits are superimposed over him and Mansfield, appearing as follows:

Directed by Seymour Robbie Associate Producer Ronald Wayne Special Material by Sydney Zelinka and James Shelton Original Music by Jackie Gleason Musical Director Norman Leyden Lighting Director Stanley Alper Graphic Arts Gustav Meidel Assistants to the Producer Anne Pacurar and Terry Laughlin A Production of Solar Enterprises Inc. - Idees Grandes Inc. in association with the CBS Television Network

The announcer's voice repeats "This is Don Franklin saying goodnight, this program was pre-recorded" twice, followed by another voice again repeating "the preceding program was pre-recorded." Rod Serling's voice identifies itself and delivers a promo for "The Twilight Zone."

00:28:19 Cut to animated commercial featuring interviewer Harvey Broom, who interviews a Red Cross poster hanger. The commercial ends after a dog severs Broom's microphone cord. (PICTURE SHAKES A LITTLE IN FRAME).

00:29:19 Cut to CBS eye logo with words "The Preceding Program Was Pre-Recorded."

00:29:25 (1952/09/20, Show1, Spot7, Spot8) Abrupt edit to a bowing Eileen Barton in vertical-striped dress with music and applause that immediately cross-fades to Paul Luther in a medium-dark-toned suit and tie with narrow, alternating dark and light stripes. Luther introduces the Honeymooners. Lights down as music comes up.

00:30:07 (1952/09/20, Show1, Spot8) Lights up with same music on Honeymooners' set. Alice (Audrey Meadows) enters in a rush with groceries, takes off her coat and hat and fusses with dishes. Trixie (Joyce Randolph) enters in dark short-sleeved dress with patterned apron. Ralph (Gleason) and Norton (Art Carney) enter, and Ralph rhapsodizes over his new bowling ball. Norton and Trixie exit, as everyone is in a hurry for the bowling tournament. Ralph complains about his frozen food. Ralph injures his thumb trying to open a can, and it becomes stuck in the bowling ball. Norton manages to get the ball off, but Ralph stays sulking at home with his sore thumb. Alice points out that it's his left thumb and wishes him luck. Ralph is contrite and they make up. (Actor credits as per show spot order.) Lights down as music plays and audience applauds over blackout.

00:39:05 (1952/09/20, Show1, Spot9) Lights up on curtains to same music and applause. Gleason enters still in Kramden costume and introduces Bill "Zimmo" Nimmo (as per show spot order).

00:39:32 (1952/09/20, Show1, Spot9) Smooth cut with music and light applause to Nimmo in medium-toned suit and black bow tie with white stripes. Nimmo introduces Professor Allegro Mann.

00:40:00 (1952/09/20, Show1, Spot9) Mann delivers lecture on the history of shaving, with cuts to caveman shaving with flint and modern man shaving with a blade. Mann says we should use Schick electric razors, despite the protestations of a teenage boy in a string tie and plaid jacket.

00:41:25 (1952/09/20, Show1, Spot9) Cut to filmed portion of commercial showing a man shaving with an electric razor. (CUTS TO AND AWAY FROM THIS PORTION ARE ROUGH AND JARRING.)

00:41:41 (1952/09/20, Show1, Spot9) Cut back to Mann, who introduces Nimmo as a Schick user. Nimmo enters in an eerie bearded mask, removing it to reveal a close shave. Nimmo demonstrates the technical features of the razor as the words "self-sharpening for closer shaves" appear. (WORDS CUT OFF AT LEFT MARGIN.) Mann makes comments about coeds.

00:42:45 (1952/09/20, Show1, Spot9) Cut to Nimmo in front of Schick 20 sign, followed by shots of the razor and a cartoon of a shaving man with the words "10 day trial" (again cut off at left margin). Camera zooms in on Schick logo as music begins and audience applauds, lights down.

00:43:33 (1952/09/20, Show1, Spot10) Lights up with the same applause and music. Gleason is on stage in a checkered, light-toned robe with a black tie and light shirt. He introduces Louis Armstrong, who comes out in a medium-toned suit with a black bow tie and a light shirt. He has a white handkerchief in his breast pocket. Gleason walks him to the band (Cozy Cole - drums, Trummy Young - trombone, there are also a bass player, clarinetist, and pianist). Armstrong and the band perform "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" and "That's a Plenty" (as per show spot order 1952/09/20). Towards the end of "That's a Plenty" Gleason comes on stage wearing a non-quilted robe with a dark ascot and dark pants and black shoes. He has his trumpet and he joins in the performance.

00:51:33 (1952/09/20, Show1, Spot11) Cross-fade to Paul Luther in a dark-toned double-breasted suit and a tie with alternating diagonal stripes. Luther introduces a Reggie Van Gleason sketch in which Reggie has become a women's shoes salesman. Blackout to music.

00:52:24 (1952/09/20, Show1, Spot11) Lights up with the same music on a seated matron (Zamah Cunningham, as per show spot order) being waited on by Art Carney as the store manager. Reggie enters and begins drinking from a shoe. Reggie waits on the woman, insulting her and dancing about. The woman is dissatisfied with everything Reggie shows her. He douses her with powder while trying to squeeze a small shoe onto her foot. Reggie is fired (PICTURE QUALITY IS BAD: VERTICAL STREAKS AND LINES, DANCING SPLOTCHES). Blackout as music plays.

00:59:21 (1952/09/20, Show1, Spot12) Lights up with same music and applause as Gleason emerges on stage still dressed as Reggie, but without the mustache. He is about to speak when picture cuts off.

00:59:32 Abrupt edit to animated CBS eye logo with camera in the pupil. An announcer is in the middle of saying: "Returns Monday night "Studio One" on CBS Television Network. Screen goes blank at 00:59:36.

Details

  • NETWORK: CBS
  • DATE: November 30, 1999
  • RUNNING TIME: 0:59:36
  • COLOR/B&W: N/A
  • CATALOG ID: B:49216
  • GENRE: N/A
  • SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
  • SERIES RUN: N/A
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

  • Louis Armstrong
  • Eileen Barton
  • Broom, Harvey (cartoon)
  • Sebastian Cabot
  • Art Carney
  • Cozy Cole
  • Zamah Cunningham
  • Franklin, Don (voice-over only)
  • Anthony George
  • Jackie Gleason
  • Robert Lansing
  • Bethel Leslie
  • Paul Luther
  • Allegro Mann
  • Jayne Mansfield
  • Bill Nimmo
  • Joyce Randolph
  • Serling, Rod (voice-over only)
  • Trummy Young