I am 70 and could not agree more. When entertainment was clean, original and family fare. I miss Jackie Gleason, Red Skelton, The Ed Sullivan Show among others. Very little on TV now that actually interests me or that I find entertaining. Then again, we aren't in the target demographics now are we? lol
I always loved the Jackie Gleason show. Used to run home from sandlot baseball or tag to watch the show and laugh with my dad. Always felt cozy when Frank Fontaine sang a song. Frank Fontaine's son seemed to have a ball playing "Crazy Guggenheim Jr!"
Actually [and I used to think this was just a mispronunciation by announcer Johnny Olson], Crazy's last name was "Guggenham". The character was named after an actual person who lived in Jackie Gleason's Brooklyn neighborhood when he was a youth.
@@tonypanzarella9387 I've often wondered if Joe the Bartender was based on someone Gleason actually knew. Before there was Frank Fontaine, Joe was solo and told stories about his gang, including Crazy, and somewhere on RU-vid there is a Joe the Bartender sketch from (I think) 1952, in which Joe pronounces the name "Guggenham."
I love this sketch more than ever now. I grew up watching these guys on the Gleason show. I used to imitate Frankie when I was a young boy. I loved Gleason's silent characters, the poor soul and the drunken, spoiled rich Reginald Von Gleason. He was such a clown, the real deal.
I believe Frankie Fontaine was from BOSTON and originally his character Crazy Guggenheimm was called on stage, John L. C. Sillvoni. Where that name came from, I have no idea. I'll be 90 next year and I've watched T. V. since the first broadcast on W.B.Z. T.V. BOSTON in 1947. Have a good day everyone.
Oh Lord when this was on we would all be around the lil 9" B&W Zenith TV. My Pop loved watching Jackie Gleason and Art Carney, Mom and her Sister loved the wives.... Me I liked Crazy G....and could do an imitation of him when I was like 6 yrs old. Thank you so much for posting and sharing with the world, such wonderful shows. Pax+
I can't believe I came across this. I literally haven't seen Joe the Bartender and Crazy Guggenheim in sixty years. Wow did this take me back. My brother and I used to imitate the sketches. I would be Joe and Gary would be Crazy. He was really good. Thanks for bringing it all back to me. That's entertainment.
Thanks for this. One of my earliest memories as a 5 year old. The old Jackie Gleason show from Miami, I think. It was funny, thanks for the memories. And I distinctly remember, Crazy Guggenheim!
That wasn't Alan Reed as Finnegan, it was Charlie Cantor. Cantor played Socrates Mulligan on the Fred Allen radio show, and Alan Reed played Falstaff Openshaw on the show. On TV Alan Reed played Finnegan, not on radio. You're getting these radio characters a tad mixed up 😁
The Jackie Gleason show with crazy Guggenheim, 4:48 as I recall part of the show and then Jackie dressed as Joe the bartender come out and say Miami Beach audience for the greatest audience in the world back then it probably was New York and that was usually the last scene when Joe the bartender shut the bar down for the night wish we could shut it down about it must be about 1962.
Remember crazy when this first started. ...JG and the RS show....but BURFORD T JUSTICE IS the main thing I'll alwaz Remember... Ralph K was great. But sheriff BTJ.is aother level 😅😂😅😂😅😁😁😘✌️
