[fatnotlazy]

The earliest editions were done on some kind of wire -- not film, which kind of gives those episodes an overexposed look. A number of years ago, I know there were some "experts" trying to figure out how to restore the wire versions...don't know if they ever found a way, but I think you may be able to find some tape or dvd copies.

What I remember about the color versions were that they were part of Gleason's variety show. I remember Gleason would introduce the cast at the very end of his show...and Carney always got the biggest applause.

Carney was probably the best, or certainly one of the best, second bananas ever. His comedic timing and mannerisms were just impeccable. One of my favorite running bits was his Ed Norton character about to, say, sign something or play the piano...he would go through this elaborate preparation -- cracking his knuckles and the like -- till the very impatient Ralph Cramden would just explode. Funny every time.

Or my other favorite -- the time Ralph and Ed were going to learn how to play golf. The instruction book says, "address the ball." So Ed gets on his hands and knees up to the ball and says, "Hello ball!"

Doesn't sound so funny in print, but to see it on the screen, it's a hoot.

And Alice -- some femnists complained that she was abused by her husband. But if you watch these shows, you know this woman always in some way got the best of him. And despite all of Ralph's bluster, he loved his wife deeply.

One of the all time classics. No remake will ever come close.

[Nowhere Man]

The earliest editions were done on some kind of wire -- not film, which kind of gives those episodes an overexposed look. A number of years ago, I know there were some "experts" trying to figure out how to restore the wire versions...don't know if they ever found a way, but I think you may be able to find some tape or dvd copies.

Actually, they were filmed using the kinescope process, basically taking a film camera and using it to film the show from one of the TV monitor screens as the show was being made. A lot of times, there were shows done live but the films were used to re-run the shows for the folks in the Mountain and Pacfic time zones. When videotape was first used in 1956, they slowely went to using tape instead. When CBS and the other networks ran their news, they taped it and re-ran it for the West Coast unless things were happening so quic, then they went live on the West Coast feeds too.

Come to think of it, one of our local Pittsburgh talkshow hosts, Doug Hoerth, was talking about TV technology when we had the 40th Anniversary for the assassination of JFK and he remembers seeing Jack Ruby kill Lee Harvey Oswald live on TV and they ran the recording on slow motion over and over again. In addition to the tapes, they also had a disc version of the videotape that held about 30 seconds of video that was used for instant reply at sporting events. Hoerth remembers when they ran the disc, it was very eerie hearing the grown Oswald made while he was shot in super slow motion.

[Bernard]

"To such a man, and only such a man, would I entrust my Fortune..."

"Hey, Ralphie boy, you ready to join us denizens of the deep?"

"I am ready, Oh Captain Video!"

Ralph: "When you were in the hospital because you got hit in the head with a baseball bat at the picnic game, who brought you candy? Who read you comic books? Who came to see you every night?"

Norton: "Who hit me in the head with the baseball bat?"

[Inspectorette]

Remember the time when Norton was reading a book, and he turned the page and said, "Paganini". Ralph did a double take, and said "What"? Norton: "Paganini". Ralph grabbed the book, and screamed, "Page Nine!!!!!"