Rhiannon Hendricks
The Honeymooners is an American television sitcom that aired from 1955 to 1956. The show follows the lives of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden, his wife Alice Kramden, Ralph's best friend Ed Norton, and Ed's wife Trixie Norton. The show takes place in Ralph and Alice's small, sparsely furnished two-room apartment in a working-class Brooklyn building. The Honeymooners was created by and starred Jackie Gleason, who played Ralph Kramden, and also featured Art Carney as Ed Norton, Audrey Meadows as Alice Kramden, and Joyce Randolph as Trixie Norton.
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What You'll Learn
Ralph Kramden
Ralph's best friend is Ed Norton, a sewer worker, and they are both members of the Raccoon Lodge. Ed is more even-tempered than Ralph, and the two often meet for lunch on a park bench. Most episodes of The Honeymooners revolve around Ralph's poor choices, with the show occasionally tackling more serious issues such as women's rights and social status. 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 was set in the Kramdens' small, sparsely furnished apartment in a neglected Brooklyn apartment building.
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Alice Kramden
In the show, Alice Kramden is Ralph's patient but sharp-tongued wife of 14 years. She often bears the brunt of Ralph's tantrums and demands, responding with biting sarcasm. Alice runs the finances of the Kramden household, and Ralph frequently has to beg her for money for his lodge dues or schemes. Before her marriage, Alice studied to be a secretary, and she works briefly in that capacity when Ralph is laid off. Alice's mother, who is even sharper-tongued than her daughter, also appears in the show and despises Ralph as a bad provider. Alice's father is occasionally mentioned but never seen, and her sister Agnes appears in one episode.
The character of Alice Kramden has had a lasting impact on popular culture. She was the inspiration for Wilma Flintstone, and the phrase "To the moon, Alice!" originated from the show. Meadows published her memoirs, "Love, Alice: My Life As A Honeymooner" in 1994, and she passed away in 1996 at the age of 73.
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Ed Norton
Norton's character was known for his unique fashion sense, donning a vest over a grungy T-shirt and a battered fedora, both indoors and outdoors. He had a penchant for raiding his neighbour Ralph's refrigerator and was known for his insatiable appetite. His innocent and guileless nature often led to arguments with Ralph, but he served as an ideal foil to Gleason's blustery, bullying character. Carney's portrayal of Ed Norton earned him three Emmys, and the character was ranked #20 on TV Guide's list of "TV's 100 Greatest Characters Ever!" in 1999.
Art Carney, the actor who played Ed Norton, was born Arthur William Matthew Carney on November 4, 1918, in Mount Vernon, New York. Carney had a natural talent for impersonations from a young age, winning talent contests in elementary school and high school. Despite his shy nature, Carney's comedic skills shone through in his portrayal of Ed Norton, and he went on to have a successful acting career, winning an Oscar for his performance in the 1974 film "Harry and Tonto." Carney passed away in 2003 at the age of 85, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most memorable characters on "The Honeymooners."
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Trixie Norton
Trixie and Alice often commiserate over their husbands' various follies and mishaps, such as unknowingly marketing dog food as a popular snack, trying in vain to resist a rent hike, or freezing in the winter due to a lack of heat. Despite being a beloved character on the show, Joyce Randolph did not appear in later revivals of "The Honeymooners". She became so identified with the role of Trixie that she struggled to land other acting roles.
Joyce Randolph, the actress who portrayed Trixie, passed away at the age of 99 in 2024. She was the last surviving cast member of "The Honeymooners". Randolph's performance as Trixie Norton left a lasting impact on the show's legacy, with her character being voted one of the "TV's 100 Greatest Characters Ever" by TV Guide in 1999.
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Pert Kelton/Audrey Meadows (actresses who played Alice)
Pert Kelton (1907-1968) was the first actress to play Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners. She portrayed the character during the show's run as a sketch on the DuMont Network's Cavalcade of Stars from 1950-1952. Kelton was forced to leave the role after being blacklisted due to her husband, Ralph, having marched in a May Day parade years earlier. Kelton was a vaudeville performer and Broadway player before becoming a screen actress, often in comedic roles. She appeared in over 20 feature films and shorts in the 1930s and continued to act in films in the 1940s and 1960s. She is known for her roles in The Music Man, Lightning Strikes Twice, and Bed of Roses.
Audrey Meadows took over the role of Alice Kramden when The Honeymooners moved to CBS as a half-hour situation comedy. She was initially rejected by Jackie Gleason for being too chic and pretty to play Alice, but she managed to convince him by sending him altered photos of herself. Meadows continued to play Alice in the 1970s Honeymooners specials and reprised the role on other shows, including The Steve Allen Show and The Jack Benny Program. She was the only member of the Honeymooners cast to earn residual royalties for the "Classic 39" episodes of the show. Meadows also appeared in feature films and on television shows such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Murder, She Wrote, and The Simpsons. She earned four Primetime Emmy nominations for her television work, winning one for The Jackie Gleason Show. Audrey Meadows passed away in 1996 at the age of 74.
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Frequently asked questions
The main characters in The Honeymooners are Ralph Kramden, Alice Kramden, Ed Norton, and Trixie Norton.
Jackie Gleason played the role of Ralph Kramden.
Joyce Randolph played the role of Trixie Norton.
Audrey Meadows played the role of Alice Kramden.
