The Elopement

The kids mistakenly think Alice is going to elope with Sam.

A fair episode for Alice, not one of the best. Marcia and Jan overhear a phone conversation that Alice has with Sam in which they are talking about an elopement of Sam's cousin. This leads to a typical episode of misunderstandings.Funniest scene has Carol talking to a possible replacement housekeeper. She is played by Bella Bruck who had been on memorable episodes of "The Odd Couple" and "Maude".

Veteran Harry Winkler wrote this fun "Alice and Sam" episode. To his credit, he wrote 4 episodes for the series, but is best known for writing lots of goofy stories the ADDAMS FAMILY.

One of those familiar "lost in the translation" episodes... Marcia and Jan hear Alice making a date with Sam for their regular bowling team match, also talking about his cousin's elopement. So they think they're planning to ELOPE. You have to admit, Alice and Sam had one long courtship.

In the meantime, everybody gets ready for a big surprise party for the blissful couple, who have also been asked to join the elopement party as best man and maid of honor. Get it?

Again, without fail, shades of LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE at work here, and a plot for all of us romantics at heart, especially Marsha and Jan.

There's a terrific party at the end, with all the balloons, noisemakers and confetti... and will Sam finally POP the question? Stay tuned.

We all love Allen Melvin, who plays Sam. He was also appearing on ALL IN THE FAMILY at the time. Look for popular sitcom actress Bella Bruck playing a maid, interviewing for Alice's job. Carol (awkwardly) tries to make it look like she's a family friend. A great scene. Yes, she often appeared on the ODD COUPLE and MAUDE.

From SEASON 5 EPISODE 12 remastered Paramount dvd box set. There are only 22 episodes in this set, because the series ended early. 4 dvd set. Released 2006. Classic box cover photo, the best.

In this particular episode, Jan and Marcia overhear a phone conversation with Alice and Sam, the plot is, Sam and Alice were asked to be best man and maid of honor, but in the meantime, Alice and Sam also have a bowling date planned one day before the wedding, and in one particular scene slightly after Jan and Marcia were told it was wrong to eavesdrop on the conversation and how wrong they could possibly be on the situation, Carol makes it a point to let the girls know that it is not any of their business what Alice and Sam are doing or possibly have planned. In the scene following the slight scolding the girls get, Carol is in the kitchen with the wedding album of hers and Mike's, and pointing out pictures of their honeymoon, but as any true Brady Bunch fan knows, all six children, Alice herself were on the honeymoon in the pilot episode. Sure, it is a simple sitcom, and it would have been a better episode had someone not goofed the writing on something that every fan of The Brady Bunch knows.