The Engagement Ring, Tuesday Flashback Featue, The Flintsones

This is part of my Tuesday Flashback Feature. We reminisce about classic TV shows usually from the 1950s-1970s where gemstones or pieces of jewelry featured prominently in the storylines.

The Flintstones

The Engagement Ring
November 25, 1960

Barney buys an engagement ring for Betty. It seems that he never got her one, and she's been hinting throughout their marriage that she'd like to have one. He's gotten it on credit but it's worth it.

He asks Fred to hide it at his house. He decides to hide the ring from Wilma assuming that she'd tell Betty about it before Barney had a chance to give it to her. 

First he puts it in the flour container, since Wilma hasn't baked a cake in a long time. Of course, Wilma bakes a cake and Fred has to find a way to rescue the ring once it's in the cake! He ends up stealing trash from the Bedrock garbage man.

Once he has the ring back, he hides it in one of the finger holes of his bowling ball. The ball falls off the shelf and as Wilma is putting it away, and the ring falls out. Whoops! Wilma assumes that the ring is for her, as she's been wanting an engagement ring, too. She shows the ring to Betty, and Fred can't bring himself to tell her the truth about whose ring it is.

Fred wants to buy a second ring, but doesn't have the cash or the credit to get one. He cons Barney into going several rounds with a boxing champ in order to win a $500 prize. Eventually they manage to get the money together, thanks to Wilma actually, and a second identical ring is bought for Betty.

Each Tuesday, we'll feature a different show, often a US sitcom. Information, including spoiler plot outlines come from various sources.

Particularly when the episode hasn't been recently viewed personally, information will be as accurate as possible. When available, a show photo will be included.

In an earlier Tuesday Flashback Feature, Ann Marie, That Girl, also worried about having baked an engagement ring in a cake.  TV plots where wives find gifts that their husbands are hiding for their friends to give their wives have been made before and after The Flintstones.

In an episode of The George Burns & Gracie Allen Show, which aired in the 1950s, George agrees to care for a mink stole for his neighbor. Uh-oh.

Have you thought about going incognito some evening?  You could try the Adult Wilma Flintstone Costume. Maybe no one will know who you really are, and you'll be able to giggle just like Wilma and Betty do? Wilma and Betty, like some other cartoon ladies, were tinier than tiny and not quite realistic. Also available is Rubies' women's Wilma Flinstone, Adult Plus Size Costume And Wig.

The Flintstones movie with John Goodman and Halle Berry has a Collectors Edition available on Amazon.

A Barbie Collectors set, The Flintstones: Wilma and Betty at the Cactus Room is just right for reminding you of who the real stone-age fashion-plates really were.

Wilma also can be found as a little Barbie The Flintstones Kelly Doll.

The Engagement Ring was part of The Flintstones: The Complete First Season of the show.

I'm always interested to hear your memories. In the interest of supporting fellow artists, I feature a few shops where the pieces tie into the general theme of the story.

Wilma Flintstone was known for her glamorous necklace of large rocks. I'm not sure if there was ever an episode that explained where the necklace came from. Many Wilma costumes have been made that included that trademark necklace.

Wilma is one of the characters on a set of character glasses. The Flintstones Kids Wilma Vintage Drinking Glass is from Pizza Hut in 1986.

Betty shouldn't mind if you get these Vintage 70s Flintstones Barney Rubble Clothing Hangers.

They say that The Flintstones was an animated take-off of the show, The Honeymooners, which aired 1955-1956. The Honeymooners: Classic 39 Episodes are favorites.

Happy New Year!
May you have far too much Yabba in your Dabba-Doo
than you know what to do with in the new year!

Some images (c) Hanna-Barbera

See the previous Tuesday Flashback Features

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