Belated 50th Anniversary Viewing
All in the Family
"Mike and Gloria Mix It Up"
Originally aired January 5, 1974
Wiki said:
Mike and Gloria argue over who should be the aggressor in their marriage.
Archie and Edith are going to a dinner party at her cousin Amelia's, while Mike can't get Gloria to agree to a movie (
American Graffiti is mentioned), and she subsequently turns down a telephone invitation to a party. She's very forward in wanting to take advantage of having the house to themselves--even going into a suggestive song/dance performance of "Makin' Whoopee"--which Michael is suddenly uncomfortable with, trying to steer her toward TV or checkers. (
Use the wig, Gloria!) We learn that he's been avoiding consummation (Do we still call it that after the first time?) for four weeks, because he's uncomfortable with the way she's been taking the sexual initiative. She comes to see this as a women's lib issue, though Michael insists that it's just the natural order of things.
Gloria: Oh yeah? Did you ever hear of a king bee?
Well...
Gloria calls him out for his hypocrisy when it comes to their equality, which was a legitimate issue with counterculture men. Michael inevitably blows his stack and tries to storm out for a walk, but Gloria tricks him into letting her storm out first. Referencing part of their conversation dealing with the habits of the black widow, he calls out to her...
Mike: Spider! Spider woman!
They arrive home separately, and Gloria initially refuses to talk to Mike. When she relents, he demands to know where she's been for hours. When she won't say, he proceeds to tell her a story about having gone to the party and met a beautiful woman who let him make the first move, which he did. The shoe's on the other foot when she counters with a story about a man she met in a coffee shop who listened to her, was considerate of her needs, and had no issue with her making the first move, which she did. Michael characteristically blows up about this, and tells her that he was actually at the movie theater. Gloria knows, because she was sitting four rows behind him, which she reveals by citing the number of times he went to the snack bar. She then manages to reason with him that if they love each other and end up together, it doesn't matter who starts things. Michael finally gets in the mood and they're just starting to get warmed up in the living room when the parents walk in the door and Archie assumes that they've been at it all night.
There's a bit of business here that justifies Archie's criticism of Meathead, where Mike's making a sandwich in the kitchen and throws everything available on it, Dagwood-style.
M*A*S*H
"Henry in Love"
Originally aired January 5, 1974
Wiki said:
Henry endangers his marriage when he returns from Tokyo in love with another woman less than half his age, but when she visits camp she forgets all about Henry and secretly flirts with Hawkeye.
Henry returns from a week in Tokyo two days late, during which time Burns has been in charge. The guys can tell that something happened because Blake's acting giddy, and when asked the colonel drops the bomb that he met a woman named Nancy Sue Parker and is in love. When he shows them her picture, they note that she's just a kid. Henry clarifies that she's almost 21.
Hawkeye: Henry, you've got a corn that's twenty-one!
The guys remind Henry that he's married and try to encourage him to put the girl behind him, but he counters that this is different because he's really in love, and informs them that she'll be visiting the camp on the coming weekend. Henry prepares for this by darkening his hair and exercising.
When Nancy Sue arrives at the camp, she turns out to be a perky, bubbly, cute Kathrine Baumann, and the guys can't help being impressed. Frank and Margaret look on with disapproval as Henry brings her into the now-recurring officers' club. When Henry introduces her, Margaret notes a resemblance to Frank's oldest daughter. A martial number that comes on reminds Nancy of her days as an Ohio State cheerleader, and with Hawkeye's encouragement she does an acrobatic cheer routine there in the club. Then (in a rather contrived moment) Blake and McIntyre are called to the OR, leaving Hawkeye with Nancy. After Hawkeye sees his own date (Sheila Lauritsen) to her tent, he takes Nancy to hers, and she brings him inside and throws herself at him, which he politely fends off.
Hawkeye: One of us loves Henry Blake, and I think it's me!
Hawkeye tells Trapper about this, and Trapper rushes him to Blake's office, as Radar has arranged a call to the colonel's family and Trap's afraid that Henry plans to spill the beans to his wife. When they arrive, they find Henry deeply engaged in sundry family matters like disciplining the kids and promising to balance the checkbook by mail. The call ends with no hint of Nancy, and the guys find that Henry's come back down to reality on his own.
In the coda, Henry sees Nancy off with a promise to keep in touch, though he's actually relieved that she's returning to
Montreal Tokyo.
All in the Family
"Archie Feels Left Out"
Originally aired January 12, 1974
Wiki said:
Archie mopes about his age on his 50th birthday.
Jesus, he's just turning 50? Boy did they age rougher in my own lifetime...and Carroll O'Connor was still actually 49 at this point, mirroring Archie's dilemma in the story.
Edith's arranging a surprise party for Archie, which, the kids learn, she cleared with Archie first. Mrs. J brings over a large present that she's been hiding for Edith.
Mike: It's too big to be a brain transplant.
To Edith's panic, Archie comes home from work early after a power failure. While Archie believes that it qualifies an act of God because He owns Con Ed, when pressed by Mike, Arch opines that the Almighty isn't responsible for the energy crisis.
Archie: Muhammad's been in charge of the Arabs ever since God traded them to Muhammad for a mountain.
When Edith mentions that it's Archie's 50th birthday, he insists that he's still 49. Edith cites the cake in the kitchen as proof of his age.
Archie: Well, I'm telling you that the cake is a liar!
While Gloria runs upstairs for a shoebox that has Archie's birth certificate in it, Edith and Mike argue to Archie that it's important to maintain the surprise element for the sake of the guests. When the doorbell rings, the others rush Archie out the back while putting his coat and hat on him. The guests include Louise, Lionel, Irene, and, not having retired to Canada, Mr. Quigley and Jo. (Gloria has to remind Mike who they are for the audience's benefit.) After Archie's come back in through the front door and not acted the least bit surprised, Mike finds the certificate and declares that Archie's 50, which is punctuated by everyone singing "Happy Birthday" and the cut to Our Sponsor.
Having actually received an unwelcome surprise, Archie cuts out during the break, with the guests wondering what's up. The Bunker-Stivics keep the party going, with Mr. Q leading a singalong of "I'm Henery VIII, I Am". At Archie's usual place for avoiding company, Kelsey doesn't make him feel any better.
Kelsey: Say, how old are you today? 55, 56?
Archie and Kelsey get into a brief discussion about how sex was treated in old movies vs. the (mispronounced) porno-graphy of
Last Tango in Paris. Then Edith, having been tipped off by Kelsey, pops in bearing her present. She tries to convince Arch to come back and he insists that it's not his party because he's 49. Having hit an unexpected milestone, Archie reflects on things he hasn't done, like ridden a horse; and gets embarrassed when Edith compares it to her menopause and goes off on a tangent on the subject. She then has him open the present, which is something he's always wanted--a six-string ukulele. While he initially admires it and sincerely thanks Edith, he comes to a sobering realization.
Archie: Well, what the hell good is it? I can't play.
Archie still refuses to return home with Edith, so Mr. Q drops in at Kelsey's and reveals to Archie over drinks that at midnight, he'll be 83.
Archie: It's your birthday, too?
Welp, there ya gone and done it, Arch!
Archie's inspired to learn that Quigley first rode a horse at 63 and is just now taking up French. Now feeling not so old, Archie agrees to return to the house, only for Quigley to bring in the family and guests, who've been waiting outside with the cake and presents.
In the coda, Archie's picking away at his uke.
I gotta say, Archie's birthday episode was better than the Christmas episode.
M*A*S*H
"For Want of a Boot"
Originally aired January 12, 1974
Frndly said:
Hawkeye's quest for new boots turns into a never-ending game of horse trading.
They're perhaps playing the military bureaucracy / black market card a bit much lately, but this does prove to be an entertaining example. The front is experiencing a harsh spell of winter and Hawkeye can't wait for boots that he ordered months ago to replace a pair that have a large hole in the right sole. They see supply sergeant Zale (Johnny Haymer), who's willing to make it happen if they can get him some bridge work that's overdue. Therefore, they go to the camp dentist, Captain Futterman (Michael Lerner), who can't officially prioritize the procedure because it's cosmetic, but is infatuated with Japan and will do it for a three-day pass. When the guys go to Blake about this, he's preoccupied with Radar-gained intel about a report that Houlihan is preparing to file about him to General Mitchell. Houlihan is willing to kill the report if the guys will arrange a birthday party for Frank with at least twenty guests. Hawkeye--who in an earlier scene had attempted to line his boot with a birthday card from Frank's wife--considers this a step too far until he steps in a mud puddle outside.
The guys, having gotten on the cook's bad side offscreen, go to Radar to provide a cake. Radar's edgy over a thing he's got for a new blonde nurse named Murphy (Suzanne Zenor) who's a couple heads taller than him (but doesn't look tall next to the guys). She agrees on the condition that her blind date comes with a hair dryer. Not knowing who the date is with, she volunteers that she'd even go out with Radar O'Reilly for that. The guys try to barter with Klinger for his (He was just using Houlihan's a few episodes ago.), and what he wants is for four officers to sign a paper that will get him out of the Army. The guys agree and think they can get Burns and Houlihan to sign once they've softened them up by throwing the party.
Frank, who's gotten a riding crop from Margaret, is depressed by the memory of how his mother would have trouble getting a few kids to show up for his parties when she takes him to the mess tent and the very real surprise party is sprung. (Note that here we break the usual trope as the surprisee is very happy to have a party that he genuinely wasn't expecting.) Everything's going swimmingly--though an inebriated Blake has to be taken aside to avoid giving him the opportunity to blow things--and the chain seems to be complete. Then the guys ask Frank to sign Klinger's form, and he and Houlihan strongly object with the corporal present. Klinger goes to take his hair dryer away from Nurse Murphy just as Radar's arriving for his date. Radar goes back and takes the cake; Houlihan declares that the report is on; Blake takes back Futterman's pass; Futterman cancels Zale's under-the-table appointment; and Zale won't be getting Hawkeye's boots. There's a glaringly bad bit of audio-syncing as Hawkeye rants in frustration about everything he's gone through to get them--possibly an issue with dialogue that was re-recorded in post. For a few seconds there he looks like a dubbed Japanese movie.
In the coda, Hawkeye's breaking in a golf bag that he's wearing as a thigh boot.
She should have reminded him of the fate of Bobby Riggs.
Ah, I forgot to note that the Riggs/King match came up in their debate about women in sports.
The Evil Eye! Did he do the Evil Eye hand jive?
Yeah, there was a connected gesture, with the outer fingers and thumb extended, I think.
I'm sure everyone was heartbroken.
They were probably more ready and willing to attend that than Frank's birthday party.
This is why I never found her to be a sympathetic character, except maybe toward the end. Her big crisis all about self pity and she abuses everybody else for it, and in the end she doesn't grow as a character at all. Even Trapper got the orphan kid.
While I'd agree on the point of this being an episodic situation that won't necessarily inform the character's portrayal going forward, I felt that this episode did serve to humanize her, which makes her somewhat sympathetic.
And Frank just goes along with it all like the ferret face he is. I never had any sympathy for him either.
He's just played a little too broadly.
I remember this. Actually, I think Groucho impersonations came up a few times in the show.
Reiner seems to like to break into his imitation.
Yeah, I remember bits and pieces of this episode, but I remember nothing about it being Christmas. Weird, because Christmas would be a gold mine for arguments between Archie and Meathead. Maybe they wanted to lay off people for the holiday.
They had already done at least one other Christmas episode, and while I don't remember the specifics offhand, they probably already played the expected Archie/Mike beats there.
Does the camp have an ophthalmologist? There's something wrong with that guy's eyes.
Given that we're now firmly in the "Star Trek Lives!" period, I have to wonder if a Trekkie writer was slipping in a subtle reference to the show. I just read in a letter column of the "latest" issue of
The Avengers where, when the subject of Vision's similarity to Spock came up, the writer expressed disbelief that the show had been off the air for five years and people were still talking about it.
You'd think Hawkeye would be offended at being offered a reward and go off on a speech about all the other kids who are not sons of generals.
Now that you mention it...
There's only five officers in the camp. Blake and the guys make up a majority.
While they seem to have disappeared by this point, there did used to be more surgeons in the 4077th, like Captain Jones, whose nickname shan't be used here. Also, the nurses seem to all be commissioned officers--Houlihan's a major and the others seem to all be lieutenants, at least according to IMDb billing, which tends to list these background characters by full names and ranks even where they were either uncredited or billed in shorter form in the episodes themselves.
This whole thing strikes me as a manufactured controversy. Did they even ask the general to make it a club for everybody?
The officer/enlisted divide is just an understood and deeply rooted tradition in the military, which they probably did a disservice to here by treating it in such a dismissive, one-sided manner.
Hot enough for ya?
Yesterday was about torrential downpours, flash flood emergencies, mudslides, a route through a nearby town being washed away. Did you get any of that up there? I stayed inside--good day for watching my shows.
Interesting. His stock was higher than I knew.
During Nixon's administration, he served as the US ambassador to the UN and chairman of the Republican National Committee.
So they probably just cannibalized the two F-17s for parts or something.
Both are currently on display in different locations.
Really? That should be good.
That was a "could," and it looks like it's not in the cards. Seems he did appear in a couple of M:I's though.
Now you sound just like the police.
De-do-do-do, de-da-da-da
Is all I want to say to you
Well, it matches the original Superman suit more, but I still like the blue mini.
It seems that how short it was drawn was a matter of artistic license from the beginning, but I don't think minis were a thing yet when the costume first appeared.
Cool. I'm sure you'll be rewatching those.
I had it on in the background some. I was re-impressed how they did
a combined Halloween/election-themed episode for the 1968 election season, in which Ann and her father debated how they chose to approach voting without getting into any party specifics. There was a funny bit of business that I didn't go into detail about in my original review, where they kept opening the door for the same group of trick-or-treaters and, so wrapped up in their debate, closing it without giving the kids candy. The debate continued into the next day, as they were washing soap graffiti off the windows of the Marie home.
In an odd coincidence, it seems that Phil Donahue has died. He was Marlo Thomas's husband of 44 years.
Phil Donahue, whose nationally syndicated daytime talk show revolutionized TV, has died.
www.usatoday.com
; Robert Weaver), who turns out to be General Mitchell's son. In the middle of the operation, the straw couple show up insisting that Burns be let in on the action. Though Frank's turned away, when the general comes to visit his recovering son, the duo hover around the private's bedside, trying to give the impression that Burns was involved. The general is taken to Pierce and McIntyre, to whom he grants three days at a swank hotel in Tokyo. The guys get themselves into all sorts of colorful offscreen trouble during their leave, concerning which Blake receives regular updates. (As Blake later puts it, they "did everything but swim in the emperor's moat.") When the captains return, they find that Burns has arranged with the general to have a new officers' club constructed, with which the guys are initially impressed, but they're dismayed at the titular sign posted above the door. (That's why they call it an officers' club, ya pinkos!)
