The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (TV Series) Christmas with Mamie Kelly (1951) User Reviews

Yogi before Yogi

[schappe1 · 7/10 · 9 February 2008]

Gracie Allen was Yogi Berra before there was a Yogi Berra, (except Gracie performed it and Yogi lived it). She was the all-time master of the comic malapropism and this show was built around her, with George as a sort of one-man Greek chorus, commenting on the action. As with Yogi, the charm comes from the naturalness of the act. Everything makes perfect sense to Gracie. She's the only one who isn't confused by what she says. Fred Clark, master of the aggravated take, is ideal as the next door neighbor, Harry Morton. Both families must endure the visit of cousin Mamie, (Sara Selby) and her children, (one of whom is played by an (11 year old Jill St. John.), for Christmas.

The best line: Gracie is holding a box containing a Christmas present for George. Harry asks "What is it?" Gracie asks him to guess. Harry: "It could be anything." Gracie: "That's what it is. He's always wanted one."

From Contented Cows

[richard.fuller1 · 9/10 · 18 December 2008]

Christmas episode. Okay.

Mamie and her three young daughters are visiting. Okay.

What makes this episode so amusing is the insight into early advertising.

The ones I either recall or have seen would be the Tonight Show, Captain Kangaroo and Willard Scott on the Today show. They would do the sponsor product within the context of the show.

Now apparently we also had Lucy and Ricky Ricardo selling Phillip Morris cigarettes during I Love Lucy, but it seems these ads were shown separately from the show.

Fred and Barney likewise would sneak a smoke, but again, separate from the show.

Other shows, it seems, like My Three sons, would show cars at the end of the episodes.

Betty White's Date With the Angels also does this.

But the vast majority, Leave It To Beaver, Gilligan's Island, Star Trek, Bewitched. None of them see to do advertising within the show.

Then I get this episode of Burns and Allen on a Christmas DVD collection.

Yes, so we got the Mamie plot, right? Toward the end of the episode, Harry Von Zell reminesces about when he first saw his new love. She was secretary at Carnation Condensed MIlk, INc, it seems.

He recalls the commercial she was typing up, then he begins to recite it.

Then Mamie enters with the three girls' dinner and there is a can of Carnation Milk.

I was just talking about Carnation, Harry says.

Now Mamie goes on about it.

I always serve Carnation to my kids. I have thousands of recipes.

Mamie comes across like a Betty Furness-Bea Benaderet person. She could hock anything, and here she is, doing it for Carnation.

Thankfully, the selling of products within the show would stop, but needless to say, it was fun to watch.

You go, Mamie.