The Long, Long Weekend

The Long, Long Weekend
Details
Show	The Flintstones
Season	1
Episode number	24
Production number	P-24
Original airdate	March 10, 1961 (ABC)
Recording Date	October 24, 1960
Crew
Animated by	Kenneth Muse
Written by	Warren Foster
Chronology
Previous	"The Astra' Nuts"
Next	"In the Dough"

"The Long, Long Weekend" is the twenty-fourth episode of the first season of the original series, The Flintstones. It aired on March 10, 1961.

Synopsis

Fred thinks his old buddy, Gus Gravel, has invited him for a relaxing weekend at his hotel, but it's really a ploy to get him, his wife, and friends to work, as his old staff have quit.

Plot

Fred discovers in his mail an advertisement personally addressed to him by seaside hotel owner Gus Gravel, "old Smoo", a buddy from his teenage years. Fred telephones Gravel to ask if Flintstones and Rubbles could stay for a leisurely three-day weekend at Gravel Hotel at a discount price. What Gus declines to mention is that he has gambled and lost the payroll for his hotel staff, and is therefore unable to remunerate his bellhop, chef, and maids, who quit their jobs, leaving Gravel desperate for help in accommodating a 200-person Water Buffalo convention due to patronize his hotel on the same three-day weekend.

Gravel regards Fred's request for lodging on that weekend as fortuitous in that he will oblige Fred, for friendship's sake, along with Wilma and the Rubbles, to assist him. Willfully neglecting to mention the circumstances to Fred, Gravel replies that he would be delighted to inexpensively host Fred and company, who come to Gravel Hotel and are greeted with compliments and grace by "Ol' Smoo".

After Fred and Barney indulge in swimming (complicated by Fred's premature dive - into beach mud), fishing (thwarted by a most unexpected sea monster and the panicky Fred and Barney careening from atop the monster in their airborne boat to a crash into one of the Gravel Hotel's occupied rooms), and snorkeling (foiled breathlessly by a pesky bird alternately sitting atop their air tubes), Gravel expresses his no-employee problem to Fred, and Flintstones and Rubbles offer obligatory aid, thinking that Smoo will decline their offer.

But accept it he does, and Fred is appointed chef, Barney is the bellhop, and Wilma and Betty are the maids. Gravel still does not refer to the convention, which arrives minutes later, and Flintstones and Rubbles refuse to serve the 200 guests and prepare to depart Gravel Hotel in haste. Sam Slagheap, the Grand Poobah of the Water Buffalos tries to command the accompanying wives of his members to do the work of chef and maids. The women rise up in a violent revolt at this imposition which will ruin the vacation they'd been expecting, forcing Slagheap to flee for his life and appoint Fred in his place.

Regardless of this promotion, Fred, Wilma, Barney, and Betty flee the ensuing riot at the hotel. As Fred and Barney wonder what they should do next, Wilma dons the Grand Poobah hat and demands they travel to a real operating hotel for a decent vacation. At that, their husbands playfully comply.

Characters

• Dino
• Wilma Flintstone
• Betty Rubble
• Fred Flintstone
• Edna Flintstone (first mentioned)
• Gus Gravel (only appearance)
• Harvey (only appearance)
• Maid (only appearance; no lines)
• Chef (only appearance; no lines)
• Barney Rubble
• Sea serpent (only appearance; no lines)
• Sam Slagheap (first appearance)

Locations

Bedrock

• Flintstone home
• Gravel Hotel (only appearance)

Objects

• Broom
• Rock Bell Phone
• Weight-Driven Double Door Cuckoo Clock

Food

• Dodo Egg
• Bronto-Burgers (mentioned)
• Dodo Egg Sandwiches (only mentioned)
• Cheese Omelets (only mentioned)
• Fried Chicken Livers (only mentioned)
• Tunas on Rye (only mentioned)

Animals

• Snorkasaurus
• Sea Serpent
• Brontosaurus (as Bronto-Burgers, mentioned)
• Turtlesaurus (as a trash can)
• Crabasaurus (as a lawn mower)
• Dodo Bird (as a dodo egg and dodo egg sandwiches)
• Chickenasaurus (as fried chicken livers)
• Tunasaurus (as Tunas on Rye)

Vehicles

• Flintmobile
• Convention Center Buses (only appearance)

Cast

Alan Reed	Fred Flintstone Voice
Jean Vander Pyl	Wilma Flintstone
Mel Blanc	Barney Rubble Dino Harvey Sam Slagheap
Bea Benaderet	Betty Rubble Maid
Willard Waterman	Gus Gravel

Notes/Trivia

• Edna Flintstone, Fred's mother was first mentioned in this episode before the Saturday morning series, The Flintstone Kids.
• This episode introduced the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes, which would later replace the precursor known as the Loyal Order of Dinosaurs from three episodes, "Hot Lips Hannigan", "The Golf Champion" and later, "Rooms for Rent".
  • It's in this episode that Fred and Barney get inducted to the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes, however reluctantly.
  • This is the only appearance of the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes Women's Auxiliary in this episode.
• Dino is red this time, and has a tuft of hair.
• This episode marks a turning point in the series. The colors in this episode are unusually brilliant, compared to the earlier episodes. Perhaps the producers switched inks or artists. The brighter colors will continue throughout the series.

Errors

• The Grand Poohbah, Sam Slagheap mentions how Fred can be a member of the Loyal Order of the Water Buffaloes, when he's later retconned to be a member anyway. Also, The Flintstone Kids retconned the Water Buffaloes as having always existed with the Junior Water Buffaloes.
• When 'Smoothie' gets a complaint over the 'phone, he speaks in Mel Blanc's voice.
• Boomerang mistakes season 6's "The Long, Long, Long Weekend" as this episode by rerunning this episode in its place instead.