The Gum

"**The Gum**"
"The Gum"
Seinfeld episode
Episode no.	Season 7; Episode 10
Directed by	Andy Ackerman
Written by	Tom Gammill & Max Pross
Production code	710
Original air date	December 14, 1995
Guest appearances
	Matt McCoy as Lloyd Braun; Mary Jo Keenen as Deena Lazzari; Sandy Ward as Pop Lazzari; Eric Christmas as Haarwood; Ruth Cohen as Cashier; Lionel Mark Smith as Florist; Vito D'Ambrosio as Cop; Alan Watt as Attendant; Larry David as Man in Window (uncredited);
Episode chronology
← Previous; "The Sponge"	Next →; "The Rye"
	Seinfeld season 7
	List of episodes

Last updated June 25, 2024

"The Gum" is the 120th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld . This was the tenth episode for the seventh season.^[1] It aired on December 14, 1995.^[1] The episode follows Kramer and Lloyd Braun's efforts to reopen the Alex Theatre, while an overprotective Kramer tries to keep Lloyd, recently recovered from a mental breakdown, from doubting his own sanity. Wardrobe mishaps make it seem like Lloyd's ex-girlfriend Elaine is coming on to him, Kramer forces Jerry to wear glasses for Lloyd's sake, and an old friend suspects George is going through a mental breakdown himself when she witnesses his apparent obsession with Lloyd and a cashier he claims shortchanged him.

Plot

Kramer is active in the renovation and reopening of the Alex movie theater. Lloyd Braun is using his connections in the mayor's office to try to give the theater landmark status. Kramer insists that his friends "treat Lloyd like he's one of the gang", because he had a nervous breakdown after derailing the David Dinkins reelection campaign (in "The Non-Fat Yogurt"). This includes voicing enthusiasm for Chinese chewing gum that Lloyd brought. Because Lloyd is her ex-boyfriend, Elaine does not want to sit near him at the Alex, so she says she and Jerry have to sit up front because he forgot his glasses. The seats are so close that they have to lie horizontal to watch the movie, causing popcorn to spill onto Elaine's chest. While retrieving popcorn she inadvertently plucks off her ivory button, and unknowingly exposes her cleavage to Lloyd and Kramer. She complains to a policeman that a florist washing the sidewalk with a hose is wasting water. Her open blouse convinces the policeman to order the florist to disconnect the hose.

George encounters an old friend Deena, and her father, "Pop," who had suffered a mental breakdown. Pop tinkers with George's car. The cashier at Monk's, Ruthie Cohen, gives George change for $10, when he believes he gave her a $20 bill that he doodled on. George's car catches fire due to Pop's tinkering. The florist cannot extinguish the fire because his hose was disconnected.

Kramer insists Jerry wear glasses while around Lloyd so that Lloyd will not realize he and Elaine were avoiding him. Kramer changes the glasses when he finds out that the ones he got from the theatre's lost and found belong to Geoffrey Haarwood, who runs the Institute for the Preservation of Motion Picture Costumes and Wardrobes. The new glasses blur Jerry's vision, so he inadvertently gives Lloyd a $100 bill for the Chinese gum. When Lloyd tries to purchase a hot dog, the theatre vendor asks Lloyd if he is insane, because the hot dog is clearly stale. Kramer insists on eating it to show that Lloyd is not insane, which makes him vomit on the sidewalk. The florist brings his hose back out to clean it up. Elaine confronts him about it, but he accidentally sprays her with water. When she comes to the Alex in her wet shirt, Lloyd again believes she is trying to get his attention.

Deena tells George he is showing signs of mental illness, specifically his gloating over Lloyd's mental breakdown and his dogged insistence that Cohen shortchanged him. He tries to get Jerry to vouch for him, but Jerry fails to recognize George due to the glasses. George wears a Henry VIII costume borrowed from Haarwood for Kramer's premiere at the Alex, and discovers he still has the $20 bill. Deena sees George in the costume and runs in terror as he chases her, yelling that he "got it from the Institute". Elaine sees her ivory button on Haarwood's ascot and tries to undo it, making Lloyd and Kramer think she is flirting with him.

Production

The inspiration for "The Gum" came from assistant director Randy Carter, who was heavily involved with the reopening of the Alex Theatre and would often promote the theatre to the Seinfeld cast and crew in a manner similar to Kramer in the episode.^[2] In the initial draft of the script, Elaine thinks she has eaten her button and it is ultimately discovered in the Alex Theatre's plumbing system.^[3] Co-writer Tom Gammill's car, previously featured in "The Mom & Pop Store", was wrecked when its engine caught fire on the highway, which was worked into the episode's story.^[2]

Gammill and his writing partner Max Pross wanted to give Ruth Cohen, an extra in numerous Seinfeld episodes, a role in the story. They had first taken notice of her before they joined the writing staff, when they were just fans of the show.^[3] Cohen had never acted before and performed poorly at her audition for "The Gum", but Jerry Seinfeld petitioned on her behalf.^[4] The actor who had previously played Lloyd Braun, Peter Keleghan, had moved to Canada, so the part was reassigned to Matt McCoy.^[2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elaine Benes</span> Major character on the TV show Seinfeld

Elaine Marie Benes is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Elaine's best friend in the sitcom is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld, and she is also good friends with George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer. Louis-Dreyfus received critical acclaim for her performance as Elaine, winning an Emmy, a Golden Globe and five SAG Awards. She reprised the role during season 41 of Saturday Night Live in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosmo Kramer</span> Fictional character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld

Cosmo Kramer, usually referred to simply by his surname, is a fictional character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld (1989–1998) played by Michael Richards.

"The Raincoats" is a two-part episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 82nd and 83rd episode of the show, and the 18th and 19th episodes of the fifth season. The episode was first shown on NBC on April 28, 1994, and garnered an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for Judge Reinhold.

"The Glasses" is the third episode of the fifth season of the American sitcom Seinfeld. The 67th episode of the series overall, it was written by the writing team Tom Gammill and Max Pross, their debut for the series, and directed by Tom Cherones. It first aired on NBC on September 30, 1993.

"The Checks" is the 141st episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the seventh episode for the eighth season, originally airing on NBC on November 7, 1996. In this episode, the last to feature the writing team of Tom Gammill and Max Pross, Elaine's new boyfriend is enthralled by the song "Desperado" and mistakenly thinks Jerry is in dire financial straits, Kramer hosts a group of vacationing Japanese businessmen at his apartment, and Jerry and George try to sell their "Jerry" pilot to Japanese television.

"The Serenity Now" is the 159th episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld. This was the third episode of the ninth and final season. It aired on NBC in the United States on October 9, 1997. In this episode, George competes with his childhood rival Lloyd Braun at selling computers for his father Frank, and Elaine finds herself being hit on by every Jewish male she knows, including Jerry, who is experiencing emotions for the first time.

"The Merv Griffin Show" is the 162nd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the sixth episode of the ninth and final season. It aired on November 6, 1997, and appeared on DVD ten years later. In this episode, Kramer finds the original set for The Merv Griffin Show and uses it to revive the show in his apartment, Elaine contends with a new co-worker who stealthily sidles behind her, and Jerry drugs his girlfriend so that he can play with her collection of toys.

"The Betrayal" is the 164th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the eighth episode for the ninth and final season. It aired on November 20, 1997. In this episode, Jerry betrays George by having sex with his girlfriend Nina, right before Elaine invites all three of them to come with her to India for the wedding of Sue Ellen Mischke, Elaine's longtime rival. The episode is colloquially referred to as the "backwards episode" due to its reverse chronology, starting with the final scene and playing in reverse order. Written collaboratively by Peter Mehlman and David Mandel, the episode bridges Seinfeld's final season to its past with scenes from George's engagement to Susan Ross and Jerry's moving in to his apartment, and with a gimmick-based format which evoked the series' early gimmick-based episodes like "The Chinese Restaurant" and "The Limo".

"The Non-Fat Yogurt" is the 71st episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It is the seventh episode of the fifth season, and first aired on November 4, 1993. The episode is a fictionalized portrayal of the 1993 New York City mayoral election in which a yogurt shop patronized by the main cast and a name tag idea suggested by Elaine become key issues.

"The Cigar Store Indian" is the 74th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It is the tenth episode of the fifth season, and first aired on December 9, 1993. In this episode, Jerry has troubles with appearing racially insensitive in front of a Native American woman he is attracted to, while Elaine is bothered by a lovestruck TV enthusiast whom she met on the subway.

"The Stall" is the 76th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 12th episode of the fifth season, and first aired on January 6, 1994. In this episode, Jerry tries to keep Elaine from finding out that his girlfriend Jane is the same woman she had a bathroom altercation with over a lack of toilet paper, while Kramer suspects Jane is a worker on a phone sex line.

"The Pie" is the 79th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 15th episode for the fifth season. It aired on February 17, 1994. The episode's main running theme is characters adamantly refusing to eat certain foods served to them without giving an explanation. A store mannequin that looks just like Elaine is also a focus in multiple plot threads of the episode.

"The Pledge Drive" is the 89th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the third episode of the sixth season. It aired on October 6, 1994. The episode revolves around Jerry, George, and Kramer's volunteer efforts with a PBS pledge drive. Subplots include Jerry's grandmother going on a perilous adventure through the city to deal with bounced birthday checks, Elaine committing a series of misunderstandings stemming from the high-pitched voice of her friend Noreen's boyfriend, and the start of a new trend in eating finger foods with utensils.

"The Mom & Pop Store" is the 94th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the eighth episode for the sixth season. It aired on November 17, 1994. In this episode, George buys a car said to have belonged to Jon Voight. Meanwhile, Kramer takes all of Jerry's sneakers to a "Mom and Pop" shoe repair store, leaving him with nothing but cowboy boots to wear while he tries to figure out whether or not he is invited to Tim Whatley's Thanksgiving party.

"The Scofflaw" is the 99th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It was the 13th episode for the sixth season. It aired on January 26, 1995. In this episode, George and Jerry both pretend to not know their friend Gary Fogel never had cancer, Elaine takes revenge on her ex-boyfriend by acquiring a pair of glasses identical to his, and Kramer teams up with a police officer to catch a repeat parking violator.

"The Doorman" is the 104th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This is the 18th episode for the sixth season. It aired on February 23, 1995. In this episode, Jerry and Elaine contend with a creepy doorman, George fears he is developing male breasts, and Kramer and Frank Costanza try to go into business with a bra for men.

"The Diplomat's Club" is the 108th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This is the 22nd episode for the sixth season. It aired on May 4, 1995. The episode was the final appearance of Mr. Pitt as a recurring character, as he comes to suspect Elaine of plotting to kill him in order to receive the benefits from his will. In the episode's other plotlines, Jerry takes an ill-fated trip to Ithaca with an overly pampering assistant, Kramer returns to his gambling habit by betting on flight arrivals, and George tries to prove he is not racist by getting a black friend.

"The Doll" is the 127th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This is the 17th episode for the seventh season, originally airing on February 22, 1996.

Tom Gammill and Max Pross are an American comedy writing team. Together they have written episodes for the TV shows Seinfeld, The Critic, The Wonder Years, It's Garry Shandling's Show, and Monk. They have also worked as producers on The Simpsons and Futurama.

References

1 2 "Seinfeld Season 7 Episodes". TV Guide . Retrieved December 10, 2021.
1 2 3 Seinfeld Season 7: Notes about Nothing - "The Gum" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2006.
1 2 Gammill, Tom; Pross, Max (2006). Seinfeld Season 7: Audio Commentary - "The Gum" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
↑ Seinfeld Season 7: Inside Look - "The Gum" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2006.

External links

"The Gum" at IMDb

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[tvguide-1] 1 2 "Seinfeld Season 7 Episodes". TV Guide . Retrieved December 10, 2021.

[NaN-2] 1 2 3 Seinfeld Season 7: Notes about Nothing - "The Gum" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2006.

[AudioCom-3] 1 2 Gammill, Tom; Pross, Max (2006). Seinfeld Season 7: Audio Commentary - "The Gum" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

[4] Seinfeld Season 7: Inside Look - "The Gum" (DVD). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2006.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e Seinfeld episodes
Season 1	"The Seinfeld Chronicles" "The Stake Out" "The Robbery" "Male Unbonding" "The Stock Tip"
Season 2	"The Ex-Girlfriend" "The Pony Remark" "The Jacket" "The Phone Message" "The Apartment" "The Statue" "The Revenge" "The Heart Attack" "The Deal" "The Baby Shower" "The Chinese Restaurant" "The Busboy" "The Bet" (unproduced)
Season 3	"The Note" "The Truth" "The Pen" "The Dog" "The Library" "The Parking Garage" "The Cafe" "The Tape" "The Nose Job" "The Stranded" "The Alternate Side" "The Red Dot" "The Subway" "The Pez Dispenser" "The Suicide" "The Fix-Up" "The Boyfriend"† "The Limo" "The Good Samaritan" "The Letter" "The Parking Space" "The Keys"
Season 4	"The Trip"† "The Pitch" "The Ticket" "The Wallet" "The Watch" "The Bubble Boy" "The Cheever Letters" "The Opera" "The Virgin" "The Contest" "The Airport" "The Pick" "The Movie" "The Visa" "The Shoes" "The Outing" "The Old Man" "The Implant" "The Junior Mint" "The Smelly Car" "The Handicap Spot" "The Pilot"†
Season 5	"The Mango" "The Puffy Shirt" "The Glasses" "The Sniffing Accountant" "The Bris" "The Lip Reader" "The Non-Fat Yogurt" "The Barber" "The Masseuse" "The Cigar Store Indian" "The Conversion" "The Stall" "The Dinner Party" "The Marine Biologist" "The Pie" "The Stand In" "The Wife" "The Raincoats"† "The Fire" "The Hamptons" "The Opposite"
Season 6	"The Chaperone" "The Big Salad" "The Pledge Drive" "The Chinese Woman" "The Couch" "The Gymnast" "The Soup" "The Mom & Pop Store" "The Secretary" "The Race" "The Switch" "The Label Maker" "The Scofflaw" "The Highlights of 100"† "The Beard" "The Kiss Hello" "The Doorman" "The Jimmy" "The Doodle" "The Fusilli Jerry" "The Diplomat's Club" "The Face Painter" "The Understudy"
Season 7	"The Engagement" "The Postponement" "The Maestro" "The Wink" "The Hot Tub" "The Soup Nazi" "The Secret Code" "The Pool Guy" "The Sponge" "The Gum" "The Rye" "The Caddy" "The Seven" "The Cadillac"† "The Shower Head" "The Doll" "The Friar's Club" "The Wig Master" "The Calzone" "The Bottle Deposit"† "The Wait Out" "The Invitations"
Season 8	"The Foundation" "The Soul Mate" "The Bizarro Jerry" "The Little Kicks" "The Package" "The Fatigues" "The Checks" "The Chicken Roaster" "The Abstinence" "The Andrea Doria" "The Little Jerry" "The Money" "The Comeback" "The Van Buren Boys" "The Susie" "The Pothole" "The English Patient" "The Nap" "The Yada Yada" "The Millennium" "The Muffin Tops" "The Summer of George"
Season 9	"The Butter Shave" "The Voice" "The Serenity Now" "The Blood" "The Junk Mail" "The Merv Griffin Show" "The Slicer" "The Betrayal" "The Apology" "The Strike" "The Dealership" "The Reverse Peephole" "The Cartoon" "The Strongbox" "The Wizard" "The Burning" "The Bookstore" "The Frogger" "The Maid" "The Puerto Rican Day" "The Chronicle"† "The Finale"†
† Indicates two-part episode