User Reviews

Poor Alice, she labors all day in that dingy flat, then King Ralph comes home and accuses her of doing nothing. So Alice has had it. She's hiring a maid by going to work somewhere, anywhere. So they go down to hire a maid where Ralph puts on airs of being a rich man, which is a hoot since he can't really bring it off, while Alice enjoys his losing struggle.

Then there's the payoff—the only maid available looks like a retired wrestler and acts like a prison warden. So who's the servant now and who's the boss. And how will Ralph and Norton cope with her stubborn ways.

It's a typically hilarious entry with our three regulars in fine form. And by the way, that's Betty Garde as the fearsome maid, a veteran of such movie classics as Cry Of The City (1948) and Caged (1950). It's annoying that many of these re-runs have erased the voice-over credits for these worthy supporting players. The voice-over originally accompanied the credit roll at the end. But for some reason, the voice-overs have been erased in the versions I've seen. Yet it's often these unsung folks who helped lift the series to classic status. What a shame.

Hilarious stone-face Betty Garde plays Thelma, the maid from you know where! Listen to the laughs, as the audience loves her. It's too bad she did not appear again.

It all begins as Alice gets a side job and needs help around the apartment. In steps way serious Thelma, who is the perfect match for bossy Ralph. All she seems to do is complain and toss wise cracks.

This story may have been inspired by the famous maid episode on I LOVE LUCY, played by equally feisty Verna Felton, who gave Lucy a real deal hard time, and ate up all the food too!

Best line department: Ralph says to Norton, "I'll give her some compliments, and in no time she'll be washing the floor!" Alice's best line: "I got a promotion today. I'm now the jelly doughnut taster!" Many other terrific one liners, especially from Thelma. Betty Garde, who stood almost 6 foot, was very popular in radio dramas and comedies since the 1930s. She was later in movies, usually appearing in prison films as a real tough cookie. What else?

Outrageous stuff, and Jackie Gleason is the best.

SEASON 1 EPISODE 4 remastered dvd box set.

I love the classic 39 Honeymooners episodes. But, this episode isn't up to the standards of the others big laughs wise. Nothing memorable.

Ralph comes home from work, demanding that his meal is on the table because he is going bowling. Then he chastises Alice because she didn't wash his bowling shirt. In modern terms he is downright abusive; however, Alice is his superior in wit and never backs down. So Alice, to show him up, gets a job and they hire a maid. She is a virago. Of course, Ralph starts acting like a king, expecting the maid to be at his beck and call. It ain't gonna happen. He brings Norton into the action and the maid calls them Simpy (Norton) and Blimpy (Ralph). Ralph ends up with a huge helping of crow as we knew would happen.