Rhiannon Hendricks
The Honeymooners was an American television sitcom that aired from 1955 to 1956, starring Jackie Gleason as bus driver Ralph Kramden. The show was created by Gleason and based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that was part of his variety show. While there is limited information on how much Gleason was paid for his role in The Honeymooners, sources suggest that he made $11 million for the show, which would be equivalent to about $130 million today. Additionally, Gleason was known for being very generous with his money and often gave away large sums to various organisations and individuals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Amount Jackie Gleason was paid for 'The Honeymooners' | $11 million |
| Year 'The Honeymooners' aired | 1955-1956 |
| Year 'The Honeymooners' ended | 1956 |
| Year 'The Honeymooners' final episode aired | 22 September 1956 |
| Year Jackie Gleason sporadically revived 'The Honeymooners' characters until | 1978 |
| Jackie Gleason's role in 'The Honeymooners' | Ralph Kramden |
| Jackie Gleason's character's occupation in 'The Honeymooners' | Bus driver for the fictional Gotham Bus Company based in New York City |
| Jackie Gleason's character's wife's name in 'The Honeymooners' | Alice |
| Actress who played Alice in 'The Honeymooners' | Audrey Meadows |
| Name of Jackie Gleason's character's wife's mother in 'The Honeymooners' | Ethel Owen |
| Name of the variety show that featured the original 'The Honeymooners' sketch | Cavalcade of Stars |
| Network that aired the original 'The Honeymooners' sketch | DuMont |
| Name of the show that featured 'The Honeymooners' after Jackie Gleason's contract with DuMont expired | The Jackie Gleason Show |
| Network that aired 'The Honeymooners' after Jackie Gleason's contract with DuMont expired | CBS |
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What You'll Learn
Jackie Gleason earned $11 million for 'The Honeymooners'
Jackie Gleason, the creator and star of the iconic American television sitcom, The Honeymooners, earned a substantial sum of $11 million for the show. The Honeymooners, which aired from 1955 to 1956, was based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that was part of Gleason's variety show. The show revolved around the lives of a working-class married couple, Ralph Kramden (Gleason) and his wife Alice (Audrey Meadows), as well as their friends and neighbours in a Brooklyn apartment building.
Gleason's portrayal of Ralph Kramden, a bus driver for the fictional Gotham Bus Company in New York City, earned him widespread recognition. The character's catchphrase, "How sweet it is!" became ingrained in popular culture. In addition to his acting prowess, Gleason was also a talented musician and producer. He produced a series of bestselling "mood music" albums with jazz influences for Capitol Records. Gleason's involvement in the musical production of The Honeymooners further contributed to its success, with the memorable theme song "You're My Greatest Love."
The $11 million paycheck for The Honeymooners reflected Gleason's versatility and influence in the entertainment industry. He was known for his generosity, often donating to various organisations and individuals. According to his biographer, Jim Bishop, Gleason ensured that his employees were well-compensated. This included providing his staff with meals and housing, as well as paying his scriptwriters approximately $750 per week.
Gleason's impact extended beyond The Honeymooners. He revived the characters sporadically until 1978, and the show's legacy endured through syndicated reruns and a life-sized statue of Gleason as Ralph Kramden installed in New York City. Gleason's work in television and music solidified his place as a multifaceted entertainer, and the $11 million he earned for The Honeymooners represented not just a financial reward but also a testament to his talent and influence in the industry.
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He paid his staff handsomely
Jackie Gleason, the creator and star of the classic American television sitcom "The Honeymooners", was reportedly paid $70,000 per episode in 1955. This equates to approximately $11 million for the entire series, or $125 million in today's money.
Gleason was known for his generosity, often donating to charities and individuals in need. According to author Jim Bishop, Gleason gave "many thousands of dollars" to organisations such as the Boy Scouts, cerebral palsy campaigns, churches, aspiring writers, and struggling actors. Bishop also noted that Gleason once paid for a janitor's funeral after reading about his suicide in the news, and sent a $450 check to a young man studying to become a priest.
In addition to his charitable giving, Gleason paid his staff handsomely. He was aware of the unpredictable nature of the entertainment industry and the potential for an actor's career to suddenly decline. As such, he ensured that those working for him were well compensated. This may also have been a way for him to give back and help others in an industry that had given him so much success.
Gleason's staff included assistants who transcribed the musical themes he conceived in his head, as he could not read or write music. These included the well-known themes for "The Jackie Gleason Show" and "The Honeymooners". While there is debate about how much creative input Gleason had in the finished musical recordings, there is no doubt that he played a significant role in their creation.
Gleason's generosity extended beyond charitable donations and staff salaries. He was also known to spend lavishly on himself, indulging in shopping sprees for clothing and shoes, and purchasing a six-acre property in Peekskill, New York, which included a round main house, guest house, and storage building.
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He revived the show's characters until 1978
Jackie Gleason made $11 million for 'The Honeymooners'. The American television sitcom first aired in 1955 and ended in 1956, with Gleason reviving the show's characters until 1978.
Gleason first created the characters of 'The Honeymooners' for a recurring sketch on his variety show, 'Cavalcade of Stars'. When his contract with the DuMont Network expired, he moved to CBS, where he continued the sketches on 'The Jackie Gleason Show'. The popularity of the sketches led Gleason to rework 'The Honeymooners' as a filmed half-hour series, which aired on CBS from 1955 to 1956.
After the series ended, Gleason sporadically revived the characters of 'The Honeymooners' over the next two decades. In 1959, he discussed the possibility of bringing back the show for new episodes, and his dream was partially realised with a Kramden-Norton sketch on CBS in 1960. In 1962, Gleason resurrected his variety show with a new hook: a fictitious general-interest magazine called 'The American Scene Magazine', through which he revived his old characters in new scenarios, including two new 'Honeymooners' sketches.
In 1966, Gleason kicked off the new season with colour episodes of 'The Honeymooners'. Carney returned as Ed Norton, with MacRae as Alice and Kean as Trixie. In 1978, Gleason revived the characters once more for a Christmas special, featuring seasoned actress Eileen Heckart as Alice's mother.
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'The Honeymooners' was a variety show sketch
The Honeymooners was a variety show sketch that first aired in 1951 as part of Jackie Gleason's variety show, Cavalcade of Stars, on the DuMont network. It was created by and starred Gleason, who played Ralph Kramden, a bus driver for the fictional Gotham Bus Company based in New York City. The show also starred Audrey Meadows as Ralph's wife, Alice, Art Carney as Ralph's best friend Ed Norton, and Joyce Randolph as Ed's wife, Trixie. The Honeymooners sketches ranged from seven to thirteen minutes in the first season, with longer sketches appearing in subsequent seasons. The show was a spin-off of Gleason's classic variety series and became a popular television sitcom, with the characters and storylines reflecting Gleason's own dysfunctional childhood and family.
The Honeymooners sketch followed the lives of the Kramdens, a working-class married couple living in a gritty, non-idyllic manner in a neglected Brooklyn apartment building. The show addressed serious issues such as women's rights and social status, while also incorporating Ralph's get-rich-quick schemes and the dynamic between the four principal characters. 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, replacing the variety series. The show competed with "I Love Lucy" as the most-watched television show in the United States, with audience members queuing for hours to attend the show.
The success of The Honeymooners as a sketch and subsequent series brought significant attention and opportunities for Gleason. It is reported that he made $11 million for the show, with his involvement as an actor, show creator, and producer. The popularity of the show also led to the creation of a statue of Gleason, in uniform as bus driver Ralph Kramden, installed outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. The impact of The Honeymooners extended beyond its financial success and cultural influence, as it introduced phrases that became part of the American language, such as "To the moon, Alice!".
The Honeymooners sketch and subsequent series left a lasting legacy in television history. The show's portrayal of working-class married couples in a realistic and non-idyllic manner was groundbreaking for its time. The characters, storylines, and comedic situations resonated with audiences, and the show's impact extended beyond its initial run. The Honeymooners sketch served as a foundation for the popular television series, showcasing the potential for developing sketches into successful and influential television programs.
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Jackie Gleason was also a jazz musician
Jackie Gleason, the creator and star of the iconic American television sitcom, The Honeymooners, was paid $11 million for the show. However, one source states that he only got $4 million as he didn't complete all three seasons.
Gleason was not just an actor, comedian, writer, and producer, but also a talented jazz musician. He had a prominent secondary music career throughout the 1950s and 1960s, producing a series of bestselling "mood music" albums with jazz overtones for Capitol Records. He believed that there was a market for romantic instrumentals, and his goal was to create "musical wallpaper that should never be intrusive, but conducive". Gleason's inspiration came from observing Clark Gable's love scenes in movies, where the background music "magnified the romance a thousand percent".
Gleason was unable to read or write music, but that didn't stop him from composing melodies in his head and describing them vocally to assistants who transcribed them into musical notes. The well-known themes of The Jackie Gleason Show ("Melancholy Serenade") and The Honeymooners ("You're My Greatest Love") are said to have been conceived by him in this manner. However, there are varying opinions on how much credit Gleason should receive for his musical contributions. Biographer William A. Henry, in his 1992 book, "The Great One: The Life and Legend of Jackie Gleason", argues that Gleason's involvement was limited to conceptualizing song melodies, and he had no role in conducting or recording the music.
Despite this debate, Gleason's musical abilities were recognized and admired by his contemporaries. He was known to conduct a 60-piece orchestra and could identify a single discordant note in the brass section, impressing professional musicians with his keen ear for music. Composer and arranger George Williams is believed to have ghostwritten many of the arrangements on Gleason's albums during this period, finally receiving credit in the early 1960s, albeit in small print on the album covers.
In addition to his jazz albums, Gleason also ventured into musical theatre. He took on the lead role in the musical "Take Me Along" from 1959 to 1960, winning a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical.
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Frequently asked questions
Jackie Gleason reportedly made $11 million for The Honeymooners.
Yes, Jackie Gleason was the creator and producer of The Honeymooners.
According to Bishop, a biographer, Gleason paid his staff generously. For instance, his scriptwriters earned roughly $750 a week.
