Funny Money (The Honeymooners)

Infobox Television episode
Title =Funny Money
Series =The Honeymooners


Caption =Ralph is confronted by a pair of counterfeiters.
Season =1
Episode =2
Airdate =October 8, 1955
Production =n/a
Writer =Marvin Marx and Walter Stone
Director =Frank Satenstein
Guests =
Episode list =
Prev =TV or Not TV
Next =The Golfer

Funny Money is the second episode of the TV series the Honeymooners. Ralph finds a suitcase full of money.

Plot

The episode starts with a shot of a group of counterfeiters. One of them by the name of Ziggy comes in to tell the rest that a bag of fake money ($50,000) was left on the bus when a cop started to shadow him. Obviously, he can't go to the bus department to claim the money, so he waits for bus driver who found it to take it home, which he is entitled to do if nobody claims it for a month or more. The counterfeiters will then follow him home and take it.

The bus driver who finds it none other than Ralph. Initially he doesn't express much interest, saying that if it contained anything of value, it already would have been claimed. At Norton's urging, however he opens up the suitcase, sees the money, and goes wild. Instead of wondering why no one claimed it, he starts spending it all. He buys suits, a telephone in every room, a car, new furniture, gives money to his mother-in-law and to a cop collecting money for orphans, and makes Norton his chauffeur. On top of all that, he calls up his boss and quits in a huff, calling him a bum. All the while, Alice has her doubts about the money. Not until a neighbor is arrested for using some of Ralph's money does Ralph realize that the money isn't real. But before Ralph can do anything the conterfeiters come to his apartment. Ralph, thinking it was the police coming to arrest him, hides the cash in the stove. The crooks come at Ralph but luckily the real police come to the door and take all of them down to the station.

After being cleared of all charges, Ralph comes home, before he's forced to return all the new appliances and clothing. Justifying himself to Alice, he tries to argue that ultimately no harm was done, since he wasn't charged and returned everything. And besides, for at least two days, he had been a millionaire--"that's more than anyone else in this dump can say!" In the episode's closing line, Alice retorts, "What about quitting your job, Ralph?"

Facts

*Original airdate: October 8, 1955
*Themes: Conclusion jumping, Mother-in-law, Ralph vs. Alice, Ralph vs. the world, Poverty