Dick's Dream!  

In Season 1, Episode 28, April 4, 1962 of the very popular Dick Van Dyke Show on CBS Television, Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) and Buddy Sorrell (Morey Amsterdam) were in the office lamenting how men were no longer in charge of their households like in the "old days." See my latest posting of TV Trivia, June 18, 2023. Gradually, that day, Rob came around to thinking that he had worked hard at the office all day and maybe he shouldn't then come home and face domestic chores. (Now remember, this episode dates back to the early 1960's.)

That evening, he lay down the law to his wife, Laura. He was done gathering laundry off the clothesline, setting the table for dinner, putting their son to bed, and the like. He told her, he was going to sit down, relax and read the paper. Just leave him alone.

That night, still fretting after climbing into bed, he fell restlessly asleep, dreaming he was the master of his house. He was back to a time, around the turn of the twentieth century, when husbands, in most cases, "ruled the roost." 

In that dream, Rob came home after a hard day at work, tired and grumpy, and made numeous demands of this wife and boy, making them wait on him hand and foot. 

 

After dinner that night, Rob complained that his shirt had not been laundered properly and smelled! And, by the way, his suit needed ironing. He demanded attentiveness! Immediately!

 

 At that point, Laura reached over and grabbed the clothes right off Rob's body, leaving him standing there in his union suit underwear! 

A man couldn't be caught without his hat even when in his long underwear, so reaching for his cigar, he regained his top hat, placing it back on his head.

Properly adorned, Rob could now stand by patiently in his union suit, while his wife hurriedly ironed his clothes.  

 

Laura had rushed to her ironing board...

...and in moments, returned with her husband's clothes, redressing him in his perfecly ironed suit.

There was no mentioned as to the condition of Rob's 

union suit which he had been wearing all day!  

In order to view the satisfying conclusion, watch this and other episodes now streaming on YouTube, DailyMotion, and other services. Thanks to CBS, the incomparable and talented Dick Van Dyke, and the Syndications for this look into Rob's turn of the century behavior and attire right down to his underwear.

TV Trivia

Name this union suit clad actor and the show he starred in for many years: 

                                

Bonus questions: Answers Added June 21, 2023:

     That's the great Dick Van Dyke, star of The Dick Van Dyke Show, posing in his union suit underwear

     Who starred as his spouse?  Mary Tyler Moore

     What was the name of this hilarious episode? The Bad Old Days

     What actor played his little boy? Larry Matthews played Ritchie Petrie

     On what network did the show appear CBS and what was the date of this episode?  April 4, 1962, Season 1, Episode 28

Dick Van Dyke in his
Union Suit Underwear

Good Job so far, guys, a couple of questions left unanswered. Let's hear from some of the rest of you! Thanks for playing.

Added June 26, 2023:

Thanks to all of you who played TV Trivia this month and who commented below and the dozen or so of you who sent in emails with your answers.

And, Macheath48, you da man! You got the most answers correctly. Why am I not surprised! There was another episode of Van Dyke in his underwear, albeit his boxer shorts. Know which one that was?

(By the way, it is reported widely that of all the many episodes of the Dick Van Dyke show, this was Dick's least favorite show as he felt badly about the "abuse" he heaped on his wife and child. But, hey, it was a dream afterall.)

Macheath48 in his
Union Suit Underwear

 Villain Vinney

Back on May 3rd, I promised a sequel to the posting, Warner Bros' Merrie Melodies, "The Girl at the Ironing Board."  When we last checked in at the laundromat, the union suits, socks and other underwear where having a great party after all the humans left for the night.

That was, until Vinney, that conniving villain, dropped off his laundry to be cleaned the next day. Fifty cents a bundle.

Vinney left his union suit to be laundered.

Inside, his long underwear soon took on a human form.

 Opening the door to the wash room, 

that dastardly underwear spied a couple. This could be trouble. 

"Take that, Pajama Man" 

"Shame on you, you cretin!"  

"You're comin' with me, sweetheart"

Vinney's combinations grabbed the sightly girl and the race was on!

Through the Laundry they strove:

What's this? Pajama man had pulled up his pants and was ready to take on Vinney's underwear! May the best man win!  

What a struggle!

Splash!!!

As soon as Vinney's underwear stepped out of the tub, 

Pajama Man was on him, ready to pounce:

"I'll wash you clean!"

"My Hero!"

That buttons up another one. Thanks again to Warner Bros. Pictures for their Union Suit humor.