The Kissing Burglar

The Kissing Burglar
Details
Show	The Flintstones
Season	3
Episode number	76
Production number	P-76
Original airdate	January 4, 1963 (ABC)
Recording Date	July 27 and August 10, 1962
Crew
Animated by	Don Patterson Harry Holt Bob Carr
Layout	Dick Bickenbach Walter Clinton
Background	Richard H. Thomas
Written by	Joanna Lee (teleplay)
Chronology
Previous	"Flash Gun Freddie"
Next	"Wilma the Maid"

"The Kissing Burglar" is the sixteenth episode of the third season and the seventy-sixth overall episode of the original series, The Flintstones. It first aired on January 4, 1963.

Synopsis

Wilma is charmed by the exploits of the Kissing Burglar, a criminal whose m.o. involves leaving a rose and a kiss for the lady of the house.

Plot

Bedrock is victimized by a masked, nighttime bandit who kisses the sleeping women of the homes which he plunders and leaves a rose as his "calling card" at the scenes of the crimes. Wilma and Betty are both infatuated with the gentlemanly, debonair manner of the tickly moustached, infamous Kissing Burglar and are exultant with anticipation when they use porcupine pins on a map to determine that Cobblestone Lane on which Flintstone and Rubble couples live is next on the Kissing Burglar's path.

When Wilma jests that she has nothing valuable for the amorous criminal to steal, Fred replies that a tacky Alaskan Tibbar stole which he bought for Wilma qualifies in this regard, and Wilma and Betty, while at a supermarket, scoff at Fred's cheapness and fantasise about Wilma being the recipient of furs and jewels from a suddenly wealthy Fred. The Kissing Burglar's shrewish wife hears part of Wilma and Betty's supermarket conversation and misunderstands that the Flintstones are truly in possession of riches; so, she orders her thieving husband, of whom she is the material motivation and "the brains"- albeit disapproving vehemently of his "romantic touches", to rob Mr. and Mrs. Flintstone.

Meanwhile, Fred is annoyed by Wilma's fascination with the Kissing Burglar and decides to teach a lesson to Wilma by pretending to be the puckering plucker of fortunes. Wilma learns from Betty by telephone about Fred's planned masquerade (Betty has seen Fred conferring with Barney and carrying strange clothes and a rose) and acts coy when Fred invades his own house in his bogus burglar guise. Mistaken identity then occurs when the bandit's "bitter half" furiously chases and attacks Fred with her purse after discovering him in the act of repeating her husband's forbidden victim-kissing and rose-dropping (for Wilma) and when the real Kissing Burglar arrives at cave Flintstone.

Wilma, believing the Kissing Burglar to be Fred and exasperated, removes his mask and recovers from initial fright at being confronted by the bona fide burglar, encourages him to confide his wretched life as slave to a domineering, demanding spouse, and persuades him to surrender himself to the police so that he can enjoy a private, quiet jail cell, and Fred escapes the Kissing Burglar's "battle-axe", goes home to Wilma, and apologizes for his deception.

Characters

• Fred Flintstone
• Wilma Flintstone
• Barney Rubble
• Betty Rubble
• The Kissing Burglar (only appearance)
• The Kissing Burglar's Wife (only appearance)
• Henry (only appearance)
• Gladys (only appearance)
• Joe Rockhead (mentioned)
• Sammy the Safecracker (only mentioned)
• Freddie the Finch (only mentioned)
• Pete the Pickpocket (only mentioned)

Locations

Bedrock

• Flintstone home
• Henry's house (only appearance)
• The Kissing Burglar's house (only appearance)
• Supermarket

Objects

• Daily Bugle news-slab
• Alaskan Tibbar stole (only appearance)
• Roses (only appearance)
• The Good Rock book (only appearance)
• Rock Bell Phone

Animals

• Porcupineasaurus
• Brontosaurus (as a Bronto-Ham Sandwich)
• Turtlesaurus (as a shopping cart)
• Alaskan Tibbar (as a stole)

Vehicles

• Loggin Continental

Cast

Alan Reed	Fred Flintstone
Jean Vander Pyl	Wilma Flintstone Gladys
Mel Blanc	Barney Rubble Punchy Porcupineasaurus Cop #2
Bea Benaderet	Betty Rubble The Kissing Burglar's Wife
Howard Morris	The Kissing Burglar Henry Cop #1

Notes/Trivia

• Wilma's fur is an Alaskan Tibbar.
• Joe Rockhead is mentioned and this time.
• Henry's wife's name is Gladys.
• As from the episode of the first season, "The Prowler", Wilma learned from Betty by telephone about Fred's planned masquerade and acted coy when Fred invaded his own house in his bogus burglar guise.

Errors

• None known.