The songs Kitty sings were written and composed by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, who would later win a Best Song Oscar for “Que Sera, Sera” in The Man Who Knew Too Much.
Truly, they showed us the Kiss Way to the Promised Land.
6 Likes
Hamburger Sandwich.
4 Likes
Servo Goes Nude.
4 Likes
My favorite episode. The running duck gag cracks me up every time. It’s so simple, but so funny; and it kind of sits there like a time bomb because the first couple of times you hear the quack, you’re not sure why they’re doing it. But my favorite riff is when our hero doesn’t have the money to cover the meal at that weird hoe-down restaurant, Charles Blake gives him his checkbook. As Jimmy writes the check, Blake says, “I see you use the same bank I do.” An exasperated Joel says, “Oh well they’re your checks.”
10 Likes
Perhaps you’ve considered instructing some half-wit kid who believes that foodstuffs are magically conjured onto store shelves about the nature of logistics and supply chains. In that case, The Truck Farmer might not be the best tool for this. As well as being over sixty years out of date, the narrative structure is a bit random (though still not as bad as Barbers and Beauticians).
Speaking of stupid kids, our main feature’s protagonist Jimmy Wilson is one of less astute lead characters we’ve encountered in these movies, and that’s saying something. The riffing focuses primarily on his gullibility. Certainly, you can shake your head in disbelief at how he doesn’t suspect that being paid large amounts of cash to deliver packages in the small hours might be a little sketchy. But there’s also his inability to learn from his mistakes. Consider the whole essay contest fiasco, where he pretended to have ideal parents when they’re really a couple of Lockhorn-style drunkards. You’d think the derisive laughter of his classmates when his mom shows up at the graduation planning meeting absolutely plastered would shame him into keeping his yap shut on the subject in the future. But on meeting curvy blonde nightclub singer Kitty Reed, he’s back to spouting the same falsehoods. Sad, really.
Of course, he topped all this by claiming that at the root of all his misfortune was the shoddy job his parents did in raising him. Now granted Ma and Pa Wilson weren’t exactly setting a good example. Still, other than his chronic lying, he appears to have a basic grasp of right and wrong. His primary failing is that he’s a spineless nitwit, and that’s all on him. So it doesn’t really hold water, though the film would have you think otherwise.
10 Likes
One of my top 5 MST3K episodes, easily. The running “Liar! Liar!” riff throughout the movie still cracks me the F up.
10 Likes
It would hold water with better writing. He says that he was basically a latchkey kid from a very young age. So you have this idea that he was always a miniature adult, which is common for the children of people with substance abuse issues. But he’s still so unworldly that he can’t tell he’s gone to work for a gangster? It just doesn’t make a lot of sense.
8 Likes
What does Jimmy’s father do for a living anyway? He’s there when Jimmy gets home from school and he parties all night.
6 Likes
Your second sentence may have answered the question at the start of your post.
6 Likes
Yeah, but where does all the money come from? They’re clearly wealthy. Are they just idle rich who inherited it?
4 Likes
He for sure doesn’t own a shoe store. Poor Jimmy
5 Likes
“Son, it’s been a month. [Crow: You haven’t touched your hamburger.]”
5 Likes
Essay contest prizes.
7 Likes
Believe it or not, I’ve never seen this one! I didn’t find the single disk release under Rhino and just haven’t got around to ordering the reissue from Shout! It looks like fun and this will serve as a reminder that I need to order this one!
6 Likes
“Don’t forget, he might be kinda stupid.”
7 Likes
Problem with Mob.
On lam.
Accusingly Yours,
Jimmy
9 Likes
I don’t know if you’ve gotten around to this one in the interim, but I hope that this episode rocks out for ya! It really is a special installment of this series.
7 Likes
Does anyone have the lyrics to “Are you Happy with your work” in “I Accuse My parents” including that reenactment scene?
1 Like
This episode is one of the gold standards for running gags. Jimmy’s essay. Jimmy’s birthday. Jimmy’s lies. The mysterious young drop-in woman. Happy Chef. The duck picture at Kitty’s place. The mysterious underworld mob ties between shoe salesman and drugs. The perpetual drunkenness of the folks. It all comes together so hilariously. 
9 Likes