Search - The Honeymooners - The Lost Episodes, Boxed Set 1 on DVD

No Honeymoon

William Smith | Fontana, CA United States | 04/03/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not buying these and judging by reviews, you aren't either. Firstly, I have these on a very capable VHS set by MPI, and judging by screenshots, the quality isn't any better on the dvd's. Also, they seem outragously high in price for something I already have on VHS. They do not seem to be in any order and the packaging is totally unattractive. Hey MPI, condense the discs, put these all in a reasonably priced massive set, remaster them, perhaps include extras, and we will buy it. As it stands now, I've been in a holding pattern for over a year."

STOP YOUR WHINING!

Lawrence Rapchak | Whiting, IN United States | 06/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The legion of true "Honeymooners" fans has NO room for snobs. I'm amazed by the number of people who have no interest in the Lost Episodes due to the "I only love the Classic 39" syndrome ---- indicating that they regard the LOST as somehow inferior, often without having even SEEN them! (Odd that Jackie Gleason actually regarded the LOST as generally FUNNIER than the 39).



The "LOST" cover 4 seasons before and after the "39"; they are absolutely of the same vintage AND inspiration, using the same CAST, WRITERS, DIRECTOR, SETS, etc. as the "39". The only difference is their LENGTH---all are significantly longer or shorter---but the basic material and Comedic Level are the SAME!



True, occasionally the longer shows are padded a bit--but SO WHAT?--it's GLEASON/CARNEY/MEADOWS in their PRIME!! How can you not TREASURE it!? And let's be honest---the quality of the "39" varies quite a bit; "Please Leave the Premises" and "Unconventional Behavior", for instance, leap to mind as pretty sub-par shows.



And since when does the saga of an "Everyman" Bus Driver struggling to eke out an existence in a New York tenement in the 1950's require PRISTINE video quality in order to appreciate it?

C'MON! Just be thankful that these shows were preserved in ANY format!



A few real "LOST" Highlights---Buy with Full Confidence!



VOL 1 --"Letter to the Boss" is beautifully scripted and executed (plus you get to see the great character actor Robert Middleton as Mr. Marshall).



Vol 8--While 4 of the shows on this dvd are only average, "Ralph's Sweet Tooth" (a full 36 minutes) is a good as anything they ever did. The scene with Ralph and Ed rehearsing the TV script must be among the funniest scenes in comedy history.



VOL 12-- At 13 minutes, "Double Anniversary Party" is a perfect microcosm of the relationship between Ralph and Alice. It's very funny AND wonderfully touching; a real gem.



VOL 18---"Stand-In for Murder" -- A Tour-de-Force for Gleason, playing Kramden AND a dapper doppelganger Gangland Boss---often within the SAME scene! The intricate timing is simply amazing, with Carney, George Petrie, Les Damon and John Marley all performing like the true pros they were under the pressure of Live TV. Unfortunately, the end gets lopped off, since the show ran overtime!





VOL 21---"Stars Over Flatbush" Norton + Astrology = Hilarity!



VOL 22---If you only buy one dvd, this should be it.



"Catch a Star"-- See Gleason, Carney and Meadows play their onscreen characters AND themselves in real life--all filmed LIVE!





"Battle of the Sexes"---the final 5 seconds of this show contains, in my opinion, the SINGLE FUNNIEST MOMENT in Ralph's comedic output. It's not a BIG moment--it's very subtle and realistic.



"SONGWRITERS"----This episode should have been held back and broadcast as the VERY LAST show of the entire series--it would have made a fitting conclusion to the Honeymooner's saga, with one of Ralph and Ed's crazy schemes FINALLY paying off!! It's so sweet, so funny, so profoundly REAL. The interaction between the 4 principles during the final 2 minutes represents humanity at its finest. (Plus the show contains a catchy novelty tune that you'll be humming after a single viewing!)



So don't whine and moan; GET the "LOST" Epsiodes and help preserve the greatest comedic legacy of all time---ALL of it!"

It's still "The Honeymooners"

Eddie Konczal | 02/27/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"OK: the bad news first. This is a fairly uneven collection of "Lost Honeymooners" episodes. The transfers are of wildly varying quality; some are quite watchable, while others are extremely grainy or not taken from the proverbial "best available sources." The 4-disc set comes in a clunky box which easily could have been half the size. The extras are OK; some are actual episodes, while others are compilations of scenes (some taken from shows elsewhere in this set) that merely serve to pad the running time.But when all is said and done, it's still "The Honeymooners" - which means it's very funny indeed. The classic cast is here (Gleason, Carney, Meadows, Randolph) and for the most part in top form, although some of the episodes are not as well rehearsed as others. The highlight of the set is the "New Year's Eve" episode, a 40-minute extravaganza featuring cameos by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. Another treat is the Christmas show, although it's a bit disconcerting to see Jackie Gleason playing his other characters (including Reginald Van Gleason and Fenwick Babbitt) in a "Honeymooners" episode.If you're looking to start your "Honeymooners" DVD collection, the now-available "Classic 39" set is obviously the place to start. But if you're a huge Honeymooners fan (as I am) and can't get enough of their good, clean, raucous brand of humour, you will definitely want to own this collection as well."

Not at this price

KC | USA | 09/08/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The Honeymooners is a classic and the programs deserve 5 stars. No doubt about it. The pricing of the lost episodes sets gets zero stars from me. The 39 episode box set costs less than these sets and these sets have a fraction of the material on them. The studio is getting very greedy and trying to milk us for every dollar they can. I'll continue to enjoy the orginal 39 episodes and wait for the price to come down on the lost episodes."