Reuben Kincaid Lives

"Reuben Kincaid Lives" has the group's beleaguered manager more down than usual, so Shirley advises her kids to start appreciating him more by being nice to him. This only leads him to believe that his last medical checkup was a terminal diagnosis, and the surprise arrival of his notoriously frugal mother Clara (Margaret Hamilton), who lives 1500 miles away, convinces him even more that he's off to 'cash in his chips' at 'the big casino.' As expected, Margaret Hamilton, the Wicked Witch from "The Wizard of Oz," is a total delight in one of her last roles, revealing that her stubborn Reuby's middle name is 'Clarence.' Elaine Giftos makes her third of four appearances as Reuben's stewardess girlfriend Bonnie Kleinschmidt, on the wrong end of several talks about how many children she plans to have with him! The featured song is most appropriate, "I Wouldn't Put Nothin' Over On You," composed by Johnny Cymbal and Peggy Klinger, from eighth LP BULLETIN BOARD (later heard in "Miss Partridge, Teacher").

The Partridge Family may have lasted longer if the annoying little kid wasn't there in every episode babbling a song at the end. This was a decent episode until the closing scene and there he was babbling a song.