Sneezing Beezers/ The Junior Lunch Club
Sneezing Beezers/ The Junior Lunch Club
This is a Chicago-produced children's afternoon television show from the mid to late 1960's. It stars Uncle Johnny Coons, a portly, balding, middle aged man whose fashion sense dips into the perpetually hopeless: thick and dark rimmed glasses, a bowler hat, a bowtie, and a checker-patterned sport jacket. Wackiness and a general who-cares attitude pervails as Uncle Coons sings, talks, amuses, and eats with the kids on the opposite side of the television screen. This particular episode opens with a brief scene from a silent Pathecomedy/ Mack Sennett comedy he shows later in the program: MS's of the immortal Joe Henke riding recklessly (talentlessly) down a ski slope, eventually crashing into and through the side of a secluded winter woods cabin, the owner of which, wearing a nightcap and gown, leaps from the damaged facade and into the adjacent woods (silly, eh?). FO/FI to title ard bearing the name and likeness of the show and host, cut to JOHNNY COONS (JC) standing a kitchen and talking to the camera. He sings a little ditty about hygiene (brush your teeth, wash your hands and face), proper distance from the TV (6 feet), and drinking milk "with delight". Then he moves offscreen to another room where he welcomes his old pal George, a paper-mache doll standing over 6' tall and dressed as a farmer beneath a regal crown, scepter and robe...? Yes, bizarre, but Uncle Coons tries to make the save by explaining it all away-- this is a kids show, after all. JC promises to keep the prized items safe from the evil hands of the "Revolutionists". George exits, JC tries on the items for good measure. Lo and behold, through the window enters a Revolutionist, some guy dressed in black, looking a cross between a thief and a Spanish priest (the hat); the Revolutionist produces a large U-shaped magnet and steals the items (funny MS of the monarchy items flying through the air, exchanging possessive hands several times). In the end the Revolutionist seals the theft and retreats through the window-- but he left the magnet! JC uses it only to be pelted by a lianty of small items (okay, it's stagehands throwing small bits of trash at JC and onto the set-- very silly). JC goes back to the kitchen. It's lunchtime! Today's menu is the "Cowboy Lunch". He takes a sip of milk, says, "Mmm, mmm, that's good. And good for you, too. You should have a glass with every meal of the day." He places a bowl of soup, a ham and cheese sandwich and a bowl of ice cream with fruit topping before him. 200' JC introduces the day's featured film, a Pathecomedy/ Mack Sennett silent comedy. There is a decent score (produced more than likely by the Chicago producers) as well as unobtrusive commentary by JC. The following are some of the shots within. MS's of a young woman throwing plates at the customers of a tamale truck (funny MS's of the customers, all men, getting smashed by the plates). MS of the King of Anchovia standing on a balcony, proclaiming to his people; some bad guys throw a bomb at him-- an explosion and the king is reduced to a crown and dusty robes, following which a servant picks them up as a whole and dusts them off, bringing them inside. CU of Joe Henke standing by the tamale truck and literally sucking in the smells (reverse motion shot of Joe blowign smoke through his nose). He then steals a bowl of soup, putting in in his pants and walking away. MS of an involved bookworm taking bites from an empty plate. MS of the soup thief getting collared by the law. MS's of old man, his daughter and Joe taking a rough cabride through the countryside (the old man flops helplessly around the cab as Joe and daughter get sweet). CU of Joe's hat getting shot off while sitting in the cab. CU of a bad guy's foot getting rolled over by a car tire. MS's of Joe inflating a flat tire; CU of a rubber bubble expanding, eventually exploding. MS of Joe getting shot at by Anchovia riflemen. MS's of a passenger balloon being inflated, taking off. LS's of a biplane (monoplane?) taking off from a country airfield. Later still, tight LS of the plane landing in a snowfield. Tight LS of a snowman and the attractive daughter; the cutie takes off her coat to reveal she is wearing an "Eskimo Chorus Girl Outfit" (?). CU of the snowman turning his head to get a better look. MS of the snowman melting. Chase through the snow as the bad guys chase the girl and the good guys chase the bad guys. Funny tight LS;s of the old man riding a horse outfitted with snowshoes. Series of comedic tight LS's of pratfalls in the snow during the chase: by snow ski spills, tobagan crashes, dogsled slips, leaps, jumps, etc. The plane takes off with the bad guy and the captured girl while Joe, still on skis, leaps from a lift and catches up (silly, ridiculous). MS of the plane crashing into a snowbank. End, happily ever after. Back to the TV studio as Uncle Johnny gives the kids info on how to join the Junior Lunch Club and all the goodies they'll receive-- cute material, very dated. Ends with MS's of JC chasing a blackbird (a stuffed animal on strings) as it flies around the studio.