Hippie Days Are Here Again, The Red Skelton Hour, guest starring Tim Conway, Jackie Coogan, Nancy Ames season 17, originally aired October 31, 1967
In Hippie Days are Here Again, Freddie the Freeloader stumbles into a Love-In, where he is accepted as an equal by hippies Cherub Sweetface (Tim Conway) and Handsoff Hanna (Nancy Ames). Jackie Coogan plays the policeman.
Monologue
Halloween
- We’re getting ready for Halloween around here, you know. And I just heard of a new game Frank Sinatra is going to play this Halloween. He gets a great big tub and he fills it full of water, and he bobs for his teeth!
- Can you imagine what a Halloween it’s going to be this year with all these witches wearing mini skirts? It’ll be the first time in the history there’ll be more “peeks” than “boos”.
- You know, Halloween is fun, but for the elderly folks it’s not very nice. Like last year, every two minutes that somebody knocked on the door and I get up and answer, and I felt sorry. Not for myself, but for couple next door. They weren’t elderly, they were newlyweds!
- I love little kids that knock on your door. One little kid knocked on my door last year and he said, “Yeah.” I said, “Who are you?” He said, “I’m one of the Secret Six.” I said, “The Secret Six? Where are the other five?” He said, “That’s the secret.”
Hippies
- And another embarrassing moment that happened, there was one guy came to my door and he was real weird. He had a beard down to here, painted toenails and flowers in his hair, and I said, “Halloween – where’s the Trick or Treat?” He says, “No, hippie, where’s Sunset Street?”
- Hey, have you seen any of those hippies out here? I’ll tell you, some of them they’ve got long hair like Tarzan, then they look like Jane, and they smell like Cheetah!
Martians
- That’s the night when things can really happen. I would like a guy in a flying saucer, one of those Martians landed, see, and he walked up to this guy on the street, and he says, “Take me to your leader.” And the guy says, “I’m a Republican – which one?”
- And he walked over to another guy and he says, “Take me to your leader”. The guy says, “I’m a Democrat – we don’t have any.”
Gertrude and Heathcliffe, the two seagulls
- He says, “Gertrude, did you head about Willie the skunk marrying Polly the parrot?” She says, “Willie the skunk married Polly the parrot?” He says, “Yeah, now that’s the only kid in the world, that skunk can say – “Sorry about that”.
Red ends with a pantomime of a little boy trying on two Halloween costumes – a devil and an angel – and gets into character as each!
Hippie Days are Here Again – Act I
The reluctant cop (Jackie Coogan) has to chase Freddie the Freeloader & his pal Mugsy from the park. The hippies are having a love-in, with police protection. Soon, the hippies come in, with their leader — Tim Conway! And they bring in a table of balloon “heads” to represent the things the hippies hate. Hard work, clean underwear ….
And they don’t get any further, since Freddie’s hiding from Jackie Coogan, and nearly gets his head popped! After several blows on the head from the officer’s billy club, Freddie decides to join the hippies. After all, it has to hurt less — doesn’t it?
Hippie Days are Here Again – Act II
Freddie is about to be initiated into the hippies. “You know, I’ve never been part of an organized group before. I’m a democrat.” He’s to be initiated by “the high priestess of purity” – Hands Off Hannah (Nancy Ames).
Hannah: “Freddie, are you ready to renounce civilization?”
Freddie: “You mean live in Pasadena?”
Tim Conway: “No, no, it’s not that drastic.”
The hippies destroy his prized possession — the park bench he sleeps on! They throw it off stage — where it hits Jackie Coogan! Sadly, news from headquarters is the hippies are out, and normal kids are back in!
Songs
- Nancy Ames sings, ‘I Feel Fine‘ and ‘Meditation.’
- The Singing and Dancing Ensemble perform ‘Up, Up and Away.’
On Stage
Nancy and Red “help” Tim Conway with his baldness. It’s a hilariously funny sketch, with Red and Tim alternately breaking each other up. And poor Nancy Ames can nearly keep a straight face. A “hair transplant” that beings with a mud pack, and ends with radishes!
The Silent Spot – The Poor Old Man
Red portrays his elderly character, Pops. Here, Pops has no job and no money. After some shenanigans with breaking/sawing his cane, Pops proves that he’s not above a little larceny. He tries to steal a bellboy’s cap, so he can get some tip money. All to get a meal at the restaurant when a meal from a voracious diner (Jackie Coogan) is eating. But, the bellhop soon takes his cap back — and takes the tip that Pops has earned as well! A Brinks-style truck is delivering money to the bank — and drops a large bag of cash!
After a moment’s hesitation, Pops returns the money to the bank. He gets fanfare, handshakes — and no reward for his good deed. But, after an accidental tip, Pops has the money to eat! But then he sees an underprivileged child …. She stares at him, just as he was staring at Jackie Coogan. And, after a moment, the soft-hearted Pops gives her his meal.
Cast
- Red Skelton … Self, Freddie the Freeloader
- The Alan Copeland Singers … Themselves
- Nancy Ames … Nancy Ames, Hands Off Hannah
- Tim Conway (McHale’s Navy, The Carol Burnett Show) … Tim Conway, hippie Cherub Sweetface
- Jackie Coogan (The Kid, The Addams Family) … Jackie Coogan, police officer
- David Rose and His Orchestra … Themselves
- Robert Easton … Hippie
- Bess Flowers (We Faw Down) … Hotel Guest
- Art Gilmore … Announcer
- Richard Karie … Hippie
- Buddy Lewis (Chicago Confidential) … Muggsy
- Linda Sue Risk … Homeless Child
- Tom Hansen Dancers … Themselves