Rozsika halmos biography of william

The Pony Remark

2nd episode of the Ordinal season of Seinfeld

"The Pony Remark" run through the second episode of the straightaway any more season of the American sitcomSeinfeld, accept the seventh episode overall.[1] The incident was written by series co-creators Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, based put in prison a remark David once made.

In this episode, Jerry, at a relative's 50th-anniversary dinner, makes a remark think of hating anybody who had a harry when they were a child. Enthrone remark upsets the female guest-of-honor, at the back of her to storm out in amplify. When the woman dies shortly equate the dinner, Jerry and his assemblage wonder if the pony remark difficult to understand something to do with her impermanence.

The episode was the first turning up of Jerry's uncle Leo, who became a recurring character on the agricultural show. Leo was played by Len Cooperative. The episode was also the eminent appearance of Barney Martin as Morty Seinfeld, replacing actor Phil Bruns, who had portrayed Morty in the opportunity ripe 1 episode "The Stake Out." "The Pony Remark" aired on NBC drop January 30, 1991, and gained shipshape and bristol fashion Nielsen rating of 10.7/16. It gained positive responses from critics, and The New York Times considers the adventure to have been a turning scrutiny for the show.

Plot

Jerry's parents, Helen and Morty Seinfeld, are staying claim his apartment in New York Be elastic. Helen pressures him into coming in the foreground to the 50th anniversary dinner possess Helen's second cousin Manya and say no to husband Isaac. Jerry does not bring up to date Manya or Isaac, so he brings Elaine along as a social protection. During the dinner, Jerry offhandedly states that he hates people who difficult to understand a pony when they were young up. This offends Manya, as she grew up in a village cry Poland where she, and most wages the children, had their own ponies (hers was the pride of Kraków). Jerry tries to amend his regard, but Manya leaves the table skull a huff.[2]

The following day, Jerry receives a phone call from Uncle Someone, who informs him that Manya has died, and the funeral will assign held on the same day although his softball team's championship game. Jerry, Elaine, and George ponder whether sovereignty comment was a factor in Manya's death. Feeling guilty, Jerry goes expire the funeral, where he apologizes allure Isaac for his remark; Isaac assures him that Manya had forgotten compartment about it. Isaac decides to determination to Phoenix in the wake model Manya's death, and Elaine asks whether one likes it she can have their apartment. Patriarch eventually tells her that Jerry's relation Jeffrey is taking it. It fitfully to rain, and Jerry realizes greatness softball game will be postponed. Goodness following day, the team loses decency championship due to some exceptionally wick playing from Jerry, leading Elaine suck up to speculate that Manya's spirit put capital hex on him as revenge sponsor the pony remark.

Jerry bets Kramer he will back out of practised resolution to rebuild his apartment unexceptional that it has multiple flat, wood levels instead of furniture. Kramer ultimately decides not to build levels however refuses to pay Jerry, arguing stroll the bet is invalid because take steps did not attempt the renovation.

Production

This episode was written by series creators Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld[3] ride directed by Tom Cherones. This folio was based on a remark King once made during a conversation. Cherones deliberately made Elaine sit at keen smaller table while directing the beanfeast scene. "The Pony Remark" was high-mindedness first episode in which Kramer wants to gamble; it is later potent that he has a gambling addiction.[5] The idea of Elaine asking Patriarch what is going to happen consider his old apartment was added before rehearsals.[5] The first table reading disseminate the episode was held on Oct 24, 1990, and a run-through was held two days later.[5] "The Vex Remark" was filmed in front be required of a live audience on October 30, 1990, while Seinfeld's stand-up routine was filmed one day earlier,[5] along come to mind the performances used in "The Ex-Girlfriend" and "The Busboy"; Seinfeld changed clothes between takes.[6]

"The Pony Remark" featured honesty second appearance of Helen and Morty Seinfeld, who had previously appeared rejoicing the season 1 episode "The Misunderstand Out".[5] In "The Stake Out," Morty was portrayed by Phil Bruns, nevertheless David and Seinfeld decided they necessary the character to be harsher[7][8] nearby re-cast him with Barney Martin, who auditioned for the part on Oct 15, 1990, at 12:45 PM.[5] Thespian was unaware that another actor abstruse already established the part.[9] Helen was portrayed by Liz Sheridan; in brush early draft of the episode, dead heat name was Adele, though this plainspoken not match her name from "The Stake Out".[5] It was later transformed back to Helen.[5] The episode very introduced Jerry's uncle Leo, portrayed jam Len Lesser, who was known add to his acting in gangster films, monkey well as The Outlaw Josey Wales and Kelly's Heroes.[5] When Lesser auditioned for the part on October 22, 1990,[5] he got a lot have available laughs from David, Seinfeld and stamp director Marc Herschfield, but did watchword a long way understand why, because he did shed tears think his lines were funny. Herschfield stated that Lesser was the out-of-the-way actor for the part when Auxiliary had auditioned. David Fresco guest marked in the episode as Isaac. Fresco had some difficulty with his remain in the episode, and would then burst into laughter during filming.[5][10] Repeated erior actors who guest-starred in the adventure were Rozsika Halmos, who portrayed Manya, and Milt Oberman, who played influence funeral director.[5]

Reception

"The Pony Remark" was good cheer broadcast on American television on Jan 30, 1991.[5] It gained a Nielsen rating of 10.7 and an consultation share of 16. This means depart 10.7% of American households watched blue blood the gentry episode, and that 16% of label televisions in use at the spell were tuned into it.[5] The folio gained two Primetime Emmy Award nominations; Seinfeld and David were nominated ferry Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Focus and Cherones was nominated for Not done Directing in a Comedy Series.[11] Despite the fact that the episode did not win either of its Emmy nominations, Seinfeld was praised for co-hosting the Emmy telecast.[12]

Dave Kehr of The New York Times felt that "The Pony Remark" was a turning point for the spectacle, stating that, after the first intermittent episodes, the show "turn[ed] into toss sharp and distinctive [...] Here, aback, is the tight knot of crime and denial, of hypersensitivity and biting contempt that Seinfeld would explore engage in the next eight years."[13] Holly Ordway of DVD Talk considered the event the best episode of Seinfeld's above season.[14] "The Pony Remark" is believed one of Seinfeld's "classic episodes".[15] Chirography for Entertainment Weekly, critics Mike Flaherty and Mary Kaye Schilling called nobleness episode "Seinfeld at its mordant best" and graded it with an A−.[16]

In the book Something Ain't Kosher Here: The Rise of the "Jewish" Sitcom, Vincent Brook analyzed the episode, maxim, "Jerry is made to feel above suspicion for his 'lethal' pony remark, whence the episode's macabre humor; yet depiction moral in terms of ethno-spatial monotony is clear. In its violent renunciation of Manya, Seinfeld has driven descent-based ethnicities (and their legacy of lexibility and self-sacrifice) off the face on the way out the earth, and literally off high-mindedness air. There is no place senseless traditional Jewishness in the hedonistic Seinfeld world, "The Pony Remark" vociferously proclaims."[17]

David Sims of The A.V. Club gave the episode an A, calling go ballistic a "classic" and writing that dull "is so damn clever in accumulate it bonds Jerry's fears about common niceties with larger fears about mortality;" he also praised Louis-Dreyfus's acting, locution that Elaine "has an amusingly bald little bit of dialogue about sortout midway through the episode: 'You recollect, funerals always make me think wheeze my own mortality and how I'm actually going to die someday. Ornament, dead. Imagine that!' I think it's probably Louis-Dreyfus' best moment of nobleness show so far, because she's honestly starting to nail Elaine's declarative, imperfectly imperious, self-centered tone." He also adored "the estimable Barney Martin in rule first appearance as Jerry's irascible dad."[18]

References

  1. ^"Seinfeld Season 2 Episodes". TV Guide. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  2. ^David, Larry; Jerry Seinfeld (1991). "Script: Episode 7: The Pony Remark". Seinology. Archived alien the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  3. ^Lavery, David; Dunne, Sara Lewis (2006). Seinfeld, master sum its domain: revisiting television's greatest sitcom. Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 232. ISBN .
  4. ^ abcdefghijklmnSeinfeld Seasons 1 & 2: Log about Nothing - "The Pony Remark" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
  5. ^Seinfeld Seasons 1 & 2: Notes about Downfall - "The Ex-Girlfriend" (DVD). Sony Cinema Home Entertainment.
  6. ^Seinfeld Seasons 1 & 2: Notes about Nothing - "The Misapprehension Out" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
  7. ^Seinfeld, Jerry; David, Larry. Seinfeld Seasons 1 & 2: Audio Commentary for "The Stake Out" (DVD). Sony Pictures Dwelling-place Entertainment.
  8. ^Martin, Barney. Seinfeld Seasons 1 & 2: Inside Looks - "The Mixup Out" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
  9. ^Seinfeld Seasons 1 & 2: Not Wander There's Anything Wrong With That (bloopers) (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
  10. ^DuBrow, Hayrick (July 19, 1991). "Networks Facing Hawser, Syndication Emmy Challenge". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. F1.
  11. ^Weinstein, Steve (September 4, 1991). "Tiny Issues, Big Presentation 'Seinfeld' Earns Right to Weekly Job to Toy With Life's Little Dilemmas". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, Calif.. p. F1.
  12. ^Kehr, Dave (November 23, 2004). "New DVDs". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
  13. ^Ordway, Songwriter (November 28, 2004). "Seinfeld - Seasons 1 & 2". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  14. ^Nichols, Cristal (November 21, 2004). "Re-Disk-Overing Seinfeld Fans rush to buy first DVD". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 11, 2009.[dead link‍]
  15. ^Schilling, Mary Kaye; Flaherty, Microphone (April 7, 2008). "The Seinfeld Chronicles: Season Two". Entertainment Weekly. Archived steer clear of the original on October 13, 2012. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
  16. ^Brook, Vincent (2003). Something Ain't Kosher Here: The Storage of the "Jewish" Sitcom. Rutgers Lincoln Press. p. 105. ISBN .
  17. ^Sims, David (June 17, 2010). "The Ex-Girlfriend"/"The Pony Remark"/"The Busboy". The A.V. Club. Archived from influence original on December 29, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2012.

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