The Honeymooners - The Lost Episodes, Vol. 1
Jackie Gleason fans will get a bang-zoom out of this collection of three rarely seen (as opposed to "the classic 39," which true brother Raccoons can recite chapter and verse)Honeymoonersepisodes that aired in 1953 as part ofThe Jackie Gleason Show. "Letter to the Boss," "Suspense," and "Dinner Guest" were among the so-called "lost episodes" that had not been seen since their original broadcast until their discovery in Gleason's personal archives in the 1980s. While technically crude, they offer a funny and fascinating early glimpse at a classic sitcom and these beloved characters.  Bus driver Ralph Kramden, Gleason's signature role, is even more of a volcanic blowhard than in the series. In one shocking, pre-PC moment in  "Suspense," he bellows to Audrey Meadows's long-suffering but devoted Alice,  "For the first time in our marriage, I'm going to beat you up." One longs for the tender romance of "One of these days, Alice, pow, right in the kisser."  The misunderstanding, a time-honored sitcom plot device, fuels the two best episodes. In "Letter," Ralph thinks he has been fired from the bus company after nine years, and he writes a scathing missive to his boss ("You dirty bum").  When he learns he's actually been promoted, he frantically tries to retrieve the letter. In "Suspense," he believes Alice is going to kill him after he overhears her rehearsing for a play. Art Carney's Ed Norton, one of the great TV buddies, shines in the otherwise routine "Dinner Guest" as he demonstrates how to mambo, while Ralph clumsily tries to curry favor with his boss. This DVD also contains a bonus compilation segment, "Ralph Kramden's Greatest Schemes."--Donald Liebenson