Posted by Dr. Bombay on August 12, 2011, 12:38 am Resident Bewitched Historian
...tonight ABC re-aired Episode #218, "The House Uncle Arthur Built" which originally aired on February 11, 1971.
As Samantha is straightening up the house, when she goes to fluff the couch pillows, she hears someone yelp and when she pulls it away, she finds her Uncle Arthur standing behind it. He zaps himself big so he can literally joust with Durwood, who isn’t pleased to see him as they are going to have a dinner party with the Rockfields and Larry. As Durwood leaves, he asks Samantha to get rid of him.
Arthur, who is dressed resplendent in a tuxedo and cape, says his new style is due to the new witch in his life, Aretha, who is soon to become Mrs. Uncle Arthur! He calls out for his love, who pops in like a Greek Goddess. She is quite snooty and it seems awfully odd that Arthur would be interested in her when suddenly he requests to speak to Sammy in the kitchen. When she arrives, he has a vase of flowers for her and when she smells them, she gets squirted in the face. Arthur admits that Aretha is not a fan of his practical joking and that he is having a hard time not pulling any pranks. Sammy tells him he can’t go on pretending he is something he is not, but he insists he is in love with her and that he’ll do anything for her. When they return to the living room, Aretha suggests they discuss where they will honeymoon and Arthur offers to fly her to the moon on gossamer wings and zaps some up. This irritates Aretha, who tells him to quit clowning around, so he zaps them away only to tell her that she might be happier if she would start clowning around and he zaps her into a clown costume! Furious, Aretha demands he change her back and he does after he and Sammy have had a good laugh. Aretha tells him the wedding is off and she disappears. Arthur is crushed and begins to mope.
Meanwhile, Larry is frantic to impress Mr. Rockfield of Rockfield Furniture by filling Durwood’s office with some of the merchandise. However, Mr. Rockfield says he won’t fall for it and that they will discuss it later at dinner. Back at 1164, Arthur cannot get over Aretha’s rejection, and after singing a little of “Laugh, Clown, Laugh” while dressed as a sad clown, he realizes that maybe he should simply get rid of his jokes all together! When Samantha goes to check on dinner, he casts a spell that his practical jokes will leave him and lodge in the walls of Sammy’s house. And with that, he leaves. Coming back into the living room, Sammy finds her uncle is gone and when she calls for him, she hears her own voice echo back and when she goes back into the kitchen to look for him, she finds a dancing skeleton in the closet. She realizes that Arthur must’ve left his jokes, especially when Durwood comes home and is immediately doused by water from a floating bucket of water. She promises to get Uncle Arthur to come back before dinner however her efforts are fruitless.
Soon, Larry and the Rockfields arrive and Mrs. Rockfield’s dress is immediately blown up by a burst of air. As the night progresses, more jokes happen, including Larry being punched out by a boxing glove. The Rockfields aren’t the least impressed and say that it feels like they are in a fun house. Durwood nervously laughs it off and says that their home is more fun than a barrel of monkeys, which literally pops in. The mortals are definitely shocked and furious, and Durwood runs into the kitchen to find out where Arthur is. He soon pops in with Aretha and when he sees the monkeys, he can’t stop laughing causing Aretha to leave once more, with no chance of returning. Arthur calls for his jokes to come back to him and the monkeys disappear to the bewilderment of the mortals. Durwood and Samantha join them again and say that it was all for a new campaign that would feature the Coney Island Fun House with the slogan “Put some fun into your decorating with Rockfield Furniture.” Larry isn’t impressed but Mr. Rockfield is, and that’s all that matters.
This would be Uncle Arthur’s last episode, and his only appearance in the Seventh Season.
I would give this two and a half stars. The funny thing about this episode (aside from Uncle Arthur) is that I always view it as though they were trying to actually out Uncle Arthur via Paul Lynde! And it all starts when he tells Sammy that Aretha is going to be Mrs. Uncle Arthur. The look on Sammy's face is priceless, as though she's thinking, "Yeah right!" And then later on, in the kitchen, she asks him how long he's going to carry on this masquerade and then even later, when she says, "Aretha is a phony and so are you for pretending to be something you're not."
Sam's hair is HORRID at the beginning, but I do like that dress! Her legs looked awesome! I remember the first time I ever saw this episode, it scared the crap out of me when Mrs. Rockfield's dress flew up! Very shocking! I wish Endora would've been in this episode. The Uncle Arthur episodes always seemed better with her in them, but that hasn't happened since Halloween Season Three.
I didn't understand why he'd want to lodge his jokes within 1164. I would figure he'd just get rid of them all together, but I guess it was all for the mild humor that happened later.
Aretha's voice IS irritating! And didn't you think she looks a lot like Marcia Cross from Desperate Housewives? Her dress always reminded me of what a Greek goddess would wear. I really liked the spell that Arthur used to call her: "Aretha, my love, I worship at your feet. Fly to my side and make it tout suite!" She later appeared in the original pilot for Tabitha.
What's weird is I always remembered the gossamer wings looking real, but those are almost worse than Mary's wings!
Herbie J. wrote in his book that Dick Sargent and Liz were scared of the chimps, because they were old and known to get a little crazy.
I thought the slogan that Sam or Digby came up with was dumb. "Put some fun in your house with Rockfield Furnishings." And even more cheesy, was when Rockfield says, "Stephens, you've got a good head on your shoulders!" and Sammy lays her head on his shoulders and Digby says, "Yes, I do!" BLEH!
I noticed a lot of inconsistencies though. First, Arthur, when he is standing on the couch, it's really quick, but when Samantha pulls away the pillow it's actually behind him. Also, his head doesn't even come to the top of the couch, but in the long shot he's about a head taller than the back of the couch. Then, when Arthur has lodged his jokes in the house, he has nothing in his hands, there is a very quick shot of Sammy in the kitchen, and back to Arthur who suddenly has his cape and cane in his hands, which I suppose he could've magicked there but they were just sitting on the couch right next to him. It also seems like there is a brief scene missing after Digby comes home and gets doused and Sammy says, "There's nothing I can do." It quickly cuts to her looking like she's dodging a possibly attack from Digby, who in my opinion, got WAY too angry with Sammy for something she didn't do.
Did you notice that the skeleton in the closet (yet another jab at Arthur's light-in-the-loafers-ness) was dancing to the instrumental version of "Last Train to Clarksville" which was written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart!
My favorite part of the whole episode is the "Laugh, Clown, Laugh" scene! He's so over the top and dramatic! It's hysterical!
Fave lines: Sam: “Oh well, in a few thousand years you will have forgotten all about her!” Uncle Arthur: “I know, but what am I gonna do tonight?”
Digby: "Goodbye. And the next time you drop in, don't!" (I know it's been used before, but it's more potent here considering that Arthur doesn't).
Arthur: "Mmmm! Finger-lickin' good!"
Sammy (in response to where the future Mr. and Mrs. Uncle Arthur can honeymoon): "I know where you can go!" Arthur: "That's all right. We're still thinking of places."
Mr. Rockfield: "I don't fall for that kind of bait, Tate!" I also liked the quick banter between Larry and Rockfield when Larry was telling him their ideas.
The day before, construction began on the Louisiana Super Dome in New Orleans.
"I never did dig what Sammy dug about that dodo." ~ Serena
Re: 40 Years Ago...
Posted by Octolad on August 13, 2011, 10:06 pm, in reply to "40 Years Ago..."
Thanks for another great summary, Doc!
Barbara Rhoades, who plays Aretha in this episode, would be featured again with Paul Lynde in an episode of "The Paul Lynde Show"; and would tread once again into Bewitched territory as Dinah, the romantic rival of Tabatha [sic], in the original pilot "Tabatha". "Sterbo... Vectra... Rangay... Zeem. You're about to have a dream. And, in the words of a wise philosopher, it's going to be a BEAUT!"
Re: 40 Years Ago...
Posted by maurine on August 15, 2011, 2:44 pm, in reply to "Re: 40 Years Ago..."
That's so weird that she was on "Tabitha." Must go back and check that out.
And Doc, thanks for pointing out the bloopers! I actually like the "funhouse" slogan, but I agree, the "good head on your shoulders" line is, to quote Serena, "so corny I could DIE!" Good job, Doc! "Witches are good! Witches are dear!"