Rhiannon Hendricks
Jackie Gleason was an American actor, comedian, writer, and composer, widely known for his role as Ralph Kramden in the television series The Honeymooners. The show was based on Ralph's get-rich-quick schemes, his best friend and neighbour Ed Norton, and his clashes with his wife, Alice. Interestingly, Gleason was notoriously against rehearsing for the show, believing that it would take away from the spontaneity of the performance. This meant that the cast often had to rehearse without him, and he only allowed for one rehearsal per week. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the show was a massive success and became a television icon.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Jackie Gleason's role in The Honeymooners | Star, creator, writer, director, and actor (Ralph Kramden) |
| The Honeymooners' format | Sitcom |
| The Honeymooners' network | CBS |
| The Honeymooners' filming location | DuMont Television Network's Adelphi Theatre at 152 West 54th Street in Manhattan |
| The Honeymooners' filming technique | Electronicam TV film system |
| The Honeymooners' number of episodes | 39 |
| The Honeymooners' original airing period | 1955 to 1956 |
| The Honeymooners' revival period | 1959 to 1978 |
| Jackie Gleason's rehearsal habits | Infrequent rehearsals, preferred less rehearsal time, and sometimes did not show up to rehearsals |
| The Honeymooners' cast members' rehearsal habits | Rehearsed without Jackie Gleason, had to learn lines quickly, and received script changes shortly before filming |
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What You'll Learn
Jackie Gleason's role in The Honeymooners
Jackie Gleason was an American actor, comedian, writer, and composer, also known as "The Great One". He is best known for his role as Ralph Kramden in the television series The Honeymooners. The show was based on Ralph's get-rich-quick schemes, his antics with his best friend and neighbour, sewer worker Ed Norton, and his clashes with his sensible and long-suffering wife, Alice.
Gleason's character, Ralph Kramden, was a blustery bus driver for the Gotham Bus Company, living in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. The character was drawn mainly from Gleason's harsh Brooklyn childhood. The show was initially developed by Gleason and his writers, Harry Crane and Joe Bigelow, as a sketch for the variety show Cavalcade of Stars on the DuMont Television Network. The sketch, titled "The Honeymooners", debuted on October 5, 1951, and ran for six minutes.
Gleason was known for his remarkable ability to ad-lib when things went wrong on live television. He also developed catchphrases used on the show, such as "One of these days, Alice, pow! right in the kisser" and "Bang! Zoom! To the Moon, Alice, to the Moon!".
Gleason's show was initially filmed using the DuMont Electronicam process, which preserved a live performance on film, resulting in higher-quality video compared to traditional kinescopes. This decision by Gleason proved prescient, as it allowed the show to build a loyal and growing audience through syndicated reruns, ultimately becoming a television icon.
The Honeymooners gained even greater fame in syndication, with WPIX in New York City airing the series for over five decades. The show's influence extended to other television sitcoms, including the cartoon "The Flintstones".
Interestingly, Gleason had a rule of only one rehearsal per week, which some cast members found challenging. As a result, the cast of The Honeymooners often rehearsed without Gleason, with the actor's manager reading his lines during their rehearsals. Despite this, Gleason's co-stars spoke highly of his performance, with Joyce Randolph, who played Trixie Norton, calling The Honeymooners "a tribute to Gleason himself and his fellow performers".
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The cast rehearsed without Gleason
Jackie Gleason, the creator and star of The Honeymooners, was notoriously against rehearsing. He believed that a lack of preparation was to the actors' benefit and would prevent the show from losing its "punch".
Gleason's co-stars, however, did not share his view. Audrey Meadows (Alice Kramden), Joyce Randolph (Trixie Norton), and Art Carney (Ed Norton) often rehearsed without Gleason. In a 1999 conversation with the Television Academy Foundation, Joyce Randolph revealed that cast members received their scripts on Thursday evenings and had to learn their lines quickly. They would then go to the office on Friday afternoon to get any changes that Gleason had made, which were sometimes wholesale changes to the script.
Randolph recalled that Meadows was in tears when the series debuted due to the limited rehearsal time. She said that Meadows figured out a work-around and it cleverly called for having as many rehearsals as the cast wanted – without Gleason. Meadows herself told Bob Costas in 1990 that she didn't have the opportunity to discuss her role or script with Gleason until the first live episode. She also revealed that she had no idea that Gleason was firmly anti-rehearsal.
Gleason's lack of preparation led to the creation of one of Ralph Kramden's most notable quirks: his signature stomach pat. This was Gleason's way of distracting the audience to give himself time to compose himself and to signal to his co-stars that he needed help.
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Audrey Meadows' experience as Alice Kramden
Audrey Meadows, born in 1922 in New York City, was an established commodity onstage before landing the role of Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners. She had appeared in the Broadway musical Top Banana and was a regular on TV's The Bob and Ray Show. She was also a singer, having pursued a career in show business with her sister, Jayne Meadows.
Meadows was highly determined to win the role of Alice Kramden. In her autobiography, Love, Alice: My Life as a Honeymooner, she recalled how she had to convince show creator Jackie Gleason that she was right for the part. She wrote that she was initially rejected for being too "chic and pretty" to play Alice. So, she submitted a photo of herself in which she looked much plainer and wore drab house clothes. This time, Gleason did not recognize her and told his producers to find this woman and cast her as Alice. When he discovered it was Meadows, he said that any actress that determined to get the part deserved it.
Meadows recalled the lack of rehearsals for The Honeymooners in an article she wrote for the Newspaper Enterprise Association in 1955. She wrote: "We hadn't rehearsed with a prop. We seldom do." She also recalled a time when Gleason said, "We'll do it Civil War style, just shoot who speaks." Despite the lack of rehearsals, Meadows said it was "great fun working with" Gleason and Art Carney.
Meadows was the only member of the Honeymooners cast to earn residual royalties after the "Classic 39" episodes of the show from 1955 to 1956 started airing in reruns. Her brother Edward, a lawyer, had inserted a clause into her original contract that ensured she would be paid if the shows were re-broadcast, earning her millions of dollars.
Meadows died in 1996 at the age of 73. She was a longtime smoker and was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1995. She declined all but palliative treatment and died on February 3, 1996, five days before her 74th birthday, after slipping into a coma.
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The show's filming and production
Jackie Gleason's variety show, *The Jackie Gleason Show*, ended in 1957. In 1959, Gleason discussed the possibility of bringing back *The Honeymooners* in new episodes. This dream was partially realized with a Kramden-Norton sketch on a CBS variety show in late 1960, and two more sketches on his hour-long CBS show, *The American Scene Magazine*, in 1962.
The original comedy sketches of *The Honeymooners* first aired on the DuMont network's variety series, *Cavalcade of Stars*, which Gleason hosted. The popularity of the sketches led Gleason to rework *The Honeymooners* as a filmed half-hour series, which debuted on CBS on October 1, 1955. It was initially a ratings success, becoming the No. 2 show in the United States.
Gleason had a hard-and-fast rule of only one rehearsal per week, which was difficult for his co-stars to work with. As a result, the cast of *The Honeymooners* often met to rehearse without Gleason. Audrey Meadows, who played Alice Kramden, recalled that she did not get to meet Gleason until the actual night of the first live episode. She said she was getting so psychopathic with nerves and fright as the show's premiere approached without her having had any kind of conversation with Gleason about her role.
Gleason formed his own production company, Jackie Gleason Enterprises Inc., which handled the production of *The Honeymooners*. He experimented with Electronicam technology, which enabled him to film a live show with several cameras, a precursor to three-camera videotape recording. Gleason filmed two shows a week at the Adelphi Theatre in New York, performing to over 1,000 spectators.
Gleason's stable of writers felt hemmed in by the regular format, and Gleason himself noticed a lack of fresh ideas. When the ratings of the sitcom plummeted out of the top ten shows, Gleason decided to return to the variety format. The final episode of *The Honeymooners* aired on September 22, 1956, and Gleason sporadically revived the characters until 1978.
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The Honeymooners' legacy
"The Honeymooners" is a classic black-and-white sitcom from the 1950s that has left an enduring mark on American television history. The show, which first aired on CBS over 60 years ago, continues to captivate audiences with its timeless charm, humour, and enduring relevance. Its influence on future sitcoms and its impact on American culture and television is undeniable, as it set a precedent for portraying the everyday lives of working-class families with authenticity and humour.
The show's main characters, Ralph Kramden, a bus driver with big dreams, and his patient but quick-witted wife, Alice Kramden, became household names. Their neighbours and close friends, Ed and Trixie Norton, added to the comedic and endearing dynamics of the show. The chemistry and camaraderie among the cast members, including iconic actors such as Jackie Gleason, Audrey Meadows, and Art Carney, brought the characters to life, endearing them to audiences and solidifying their places in television history.
The show's ability to balance serious issues with comedic elements contributed to its enduring resonance and cultural significance. The legacy of "The Honeymooners" extends beyond its original airing, with its impact continuing to be felt in popular culture and the portrayal of family dynamics on television. The show's influence can be seen in its portrayal of married couples on television, providing a realistic and relatable depiction of working-class families' everyday challenges and aspirations.
The impact of "The Honeymooners" can also be seen in the lasting careers and contributions of its cast members. Art Carney, who portrayed Ed Norton, received seven Emmy nominations and won six of them for his role. He also had a successful music career and won an Oscar for his role in the 1974 movie "Harry and Tonto." Audrey Meadows, who played Alice Kramden, faced initial rejection during auditions for the show but ultimately won over audiences with her portrayal of Alice. She continued to work in the entertainment industry until her retirement and left behind a legacy of talent and grace that continues to inspire actors and fans.
The show's creator and star, Jackie Gleason, also had a lasting impact on entertainment. His portrayal of Ralph Kramden solidified his place in entertainment history, and he is remembered as "The Great One." Gleason's career spanned film, television, and music, and he is credited with developing the show's format and characters, drawing on his own experiences growing up in Brooklyn, New York.
In conclusion, "The Honeymooners" has left an indelible mark on television history, with its timeless humour, relatable characters, and portrayal of working-class families. The show's impact can be seen in the lasting legacies of its cast members and its influence on the portrayal of family dynamics and married couples on television. The chemistry and talent of the cast, including Jackie Gleason, Audrey Meadows, and Art Carney, continue to entertain and inspire generations of viewers, solidifying the show's enduring legacy in American entertainment.
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Frequently asked questions
Jackie Gleason was notoriously against rehearsing, and his co-stars often had to rehearse without him. He believed that a lack of rehearsal was to the actors' benefit and that rehearsals would rob the show of its spontaneity.
Mistakes were often made, with lines recited incorrectly or forgotten, and actors did not always follow the scripted action directions.
Audrey Meadows, who played Gleason's on-screen wife, was in tears on the first show due to the small amount of rehearsal. However, she and other co-stars found workarounds, such as guiding Gleason with body language and ad-libbing.
