Junior Rasmussen
'How Sweet It Is!' is a reference to Jackie Gleason's variety show, 'The Jackie Gleason Show', which spawned the famous 'The Honeymooners'. The show, which first aired in 1951, is set in a shabby flat in Brooklyn, New York, and follows the story of Ralph and Alice Kramden, a married couple, and their friends, Ed Norton and Trixie Norton. The show's popularity is attributed to its combination of a realist setting with broad comedy, creating an exhilaratingly bold synthesis. While the early sketches were darker and fiercer, the later versions became milder, with the arguments between the couple taking on a more harrowingly realistic tone. The success of The Honeymooners led to its resurrection in various formats, including a musical and a movie, although none achieved the same level of acclaim as the original show.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 5 October 1951 |
| Format | Sketches |
| Length | 7 minutes |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Creator | Jackie Gleason |
| Starring | Jackie Gleason, Art Carney, Audrey Meadows, Pert Kelton |
| Characters | Ralph Kramden, Alice Kramden, Ed Norton, Trixie Norton |
| Setting | Brooklyn, New York |
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What You'll Learn
The Honeymooners' place in popular culture
The Honeymooners, a show about a bus driver and his sewer worker friend, originated from a sketch that Jackie Gleason was developing with his show writers. The show first appeared on October 5, 1951, and has since become a treasure of popular culture. The show's popularity has led to it being referenced in various forms, including a musical and a movie.
The Honeymooners is considered a Golden Age television show, with a wonderfully hectic sense of New York. The show's popularity can be attributed to its combination of a realist setting with broad comedy, creating an exhilaratingly bold synthesis. The characters and their relationships were relatable and endearing, with the show often ending with a hug of mutual forgiveness. The show also had a sense of theatre and event, with Gleason's genius in combining the small and the big to create something truly special.
The Honeymooners has had a lasting impact on popular culture, with Gleason's variety show, The Jackie Gleason Show, spawning the even more famous The Honeymooners. The show has also been referenced and revived in various forms over the years, including a musical and a movie. In 1985, Gleason was honoured with a Museum of Broadcasting retrospective in New York, recognising his significant contribution to the world of entertainment.
The Honeymooners has also left its mark on popular phrases, with Gleason adding "How sweet it is!" to the American vernacular. This line, first uttered in the 1963 film Papa's Delicate Condition, became synonymous with Gleason and was even used as the title of his biography. The show also gave rise to other catchphrases, such as "Baby, you're the greatest," and "One of these days, Alice, one of these days!"
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The show's setting and style
The setting of "The Honeymooners" is a dingy two-room apartment on Chauncey Street in Brooklyn, New York, where Ralph and Alice Kramden live. Their best friends and upstairs neighbours, Ed and Trixie Norton, live in a slightly better-off apartment. The Kramdens' apartment is described as shabby and miserable, with a painted backdrop of tenement windows that shakes whenever Ralph slams the door. The set was initially so primitive and cheap, reflecting the working-poor status of the couple, a notable departure from the middle-class sitcom couples of the '50s. Ralph works as a bus driver, earning $62 a week, while Norton works in the sewer system.
The show's style is a combination of realist settings and broad comedy. It is known for its gritty spontaneity, as most of the episodes were shot live, with improvised lines. The characters are loud, brash, and argumentative, with Ralph and Alice's fights providing a contrast to the underlying love they have for each other. The show also incorporates catchphrases, music, and dance, with Ralph dancing to "Jeepers Creepers" in the beautifully edited opening sequence. The show's creator, Jackie Gleason, drew on his youth in Brooklyn to develop the show's style and characters, known for their brash visual and verbal comedy.
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The characters of Ralph and Alice Kramden
Ralph Kramden is a bus driver in New York City. Ralph is a schemer, always looking for ways to enhance his wealth and social status, but his plans are often ill-conceived and poorly executed. He is married to Alice Kramden, who is patient but sharp-tongued. She is level-headed and often the voice of reason in the face of Ralph's tantrums and wild ideas. She is described as the ""real power" in their relationship.
Ralph and Alice Kramden live in a small, sparsely furnished, two-room apartment in Brooklyn, New York City. Their apartment is described as "miserable" and "dumpy", and it is here that much of the action of the show takes place. The Kramdens' apartment is also the setting for many of Ralph and Alice's comedic interactions, including Ralph's "silly dances" and his bellowing, which is met with Alice's deadpan face-offs.
Ralph is an aspiring and ambitious character, dreaming of improving his lot in life. He is described as a "lovable and colourful loser", always ready to try again, no matter how many times his plans fail. He is also known for his catchphrase, "One of these days, Alice, one of these days!". Ralph served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and used his G.I. Bill money to attend typing school, but he disliked working in an office due to his discomfort with confined spaces.
Alice Kramden (née Alice Gibson) is Ralph's long-suffering wife of 14 years. She is a strong female character who stands up for herself and does not take any "flack" from Ralph. She is sensible and quick-witted, often employing biting sarcasm to counter Ralph's demands. Alice is often shown at the beginning of episodes, awaiting Ralph's return from work. She is also Ralph's conscience, pointing out the flaws in his schemes, although he usually ignores her advice.
The Kramdens' apartment and their working-class status are important aspects of the show's setting and themes. The Kramdens' kitchen, in particular, provides a glimpse into the everyday lives of post-war American working-class families. The show captures the challenges and triumphs of this world, resonating with viewers who could relate to the characters' experiences.
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The characters of Ed and Trixie Norton
Ed Norton, played by Art Carney, is Ralph Kramden's best friend and neighbour in the American television sitcom 'The Honeymooners'. Ed is a sewer worker and an upstairs neighbour to Ralph and Alice Kramden. Ed's mannerisms and design inspired Yogi Bear and Barney Rubble in 'The Flintstones'. In 1999, TV Guide ranked Ed Norton second on its list of the "50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time".
Trixie Norton, played by Joyce Randolph, is Ed's wife and Alice's best friend. Trixie is a less developed character and does not appear in every episode of the series. In one episode, she is depicted as a pool hustler. Trixie is the inspiration for Betty Rubble in 'The Flintstones'. Elaine Stritch first played Trixie in a Honeymooners sketch called "The New Television". However, the character was recast by Gleason after just one episode, with Randolph playing her as a wholesome housewife instead of an ex-burlesque dancer.
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The show's original sketches and scripts
The original sketches and scripts of "The Honeymooners" were based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that was part of Jackie Gleason's variety show. The sketches first aired on the DuMont network's "Cavalcade of Stars", which Gleason hosted, and subsequently on the CBS network's "The Jackie Gleason Show", which was broadcast live in front of a theatre audience. The show followed the lives of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden (Gleason), his wife Alice (played by Pert Kelton and later Audrey Meadows), Ralph's best friend Ed Norton (Art Carney), and Ed's wife Trixie (Joyce Randolph).
The early sketches were only about seven minutes long, including roughly five minutes of feverish bickering between Ralph and Alice, followed by two minutes of Ralph's sheepish apologies. Each sketch ended with a hug of mutual forgiveness, with the underlying message that despite their arguments, the couple loved each other. The first sketch was introduced on October 5, 1951, with an announcer telling the audience that it dealt with the "sea of matrimony" and "two brand new characters whose boat has sprung a leak".
The show's creator, Jackie Gleason, disliked rehearsing and often improvised his lines, sometimes blaming cue cards when he made mistakes. He drew on his harsh Brooklyn childhood to create the character of Ralph Kramden, and the show was based on Ralph's get-rich-quick schemes, his clashes with his sensible wife, and his antics with his scatterbrained best friend and neighbour, Ed Norton.
The popularity of the sketches led Gleason to rework "The Honeymooners" as a filmed half-hour series, which debuted on October 1, 1955, on CBS. The final episode aired on September 22, 1956, but Gleason sporadically revived the characters until 1978. The show was one of the first U.S. television shows to portray working-class married couples in a gritty, non-idyllic manner, and it built a loyal and growing audience, becoming a television icon.
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Frequently asked questions
'How Sweet It Is!' is a reference to the film *Papa's Delicate Condition*, directed by George Marshall and released in 1963. The line is spoken by Jack "Papa" Griffith, played by Jackie Gleason, who is also known for his role in *The Honeymooners*.
*The Honeymooners* is a TV show that originated from a sketch Gleason was developing with his show's writers. It first appeared on Cavalcade of Stars on 5 October 1951. The show centres around a bus driver, Ralph Kramden, and his wife, Alice Kramden.
Yes, there was a *Honeymooners* musical at the Paper Mill Playhouse.
