Rhiannon Hendricks
Pert Kelton was the first actress to play Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners. She starred in the show's initial run on the DuMont Television Network's Cavalcade of Stars, a variety show hosted by Jackie Gleason. When the show moved to CBS, Kelton was replaced by Audrey Meadows, who became the most well-known Alice Kramden. Meadows' portrayal of Alice as Ralph Kramden's no-nonsense, patient, and quick-witted wife earned her an Emmy in 1954 as best supporting actress in a television series. Kelton, on the other hand, faced interruptions in her career due to Hollywood blacklisting. Despite this setback, she continued to act and made a guest appearance on The Honeymooners in the 1960s, playing Alice's mother in an episode of the musical version of the show.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the first Alice in The Honeymooners | Pert Kelton |
| Date of birth | October 14, 1907 |
| Date of death | October 30, 1968 |
| Place of birth | Great Falls, Montana |
| Profession | American stage, movie, radio, and television actress |
| Reason for departure from The Honeymooners | Hollywood blacklisting |
| Replacement in The Honeymooners | Audrey Meadows |
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What You'll Learn
Pert Kelton was the first Alice Kramden
Pert Kelton was the original Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners, starring alongside Jackie Gleason as her husband Ralph Kramden. Kelton's performances took place between 1950 and 1952 when The Honeymooners was a 10- or 15-minute playlet during Gleason's weekly TV variety show Cavalcade of Stars. Kelton was a prominent comedic actress in Hollywood during the 1930s, often portraying the leading lady's wisecracking friend. She appeared in over 20 feature films and shorts during this time, including Raoul Walsh's The Bowery with Wallace Beery and George Raft.
In the early 1950s, Kelton's career was interrupted due to her being named in the publication Red Channels as a Communist sympathizer. She was subsequently dropped from her role in The Honeymooners and replaced by Audrey Meadows. To avoid negative publicity, her producers explained that her departure was due to alleged heart problems. However, Gleason was fond of Kelton and defended her, citing medical excuses for her absence.
In the 1960s, Kelton was invited back to play Alice's mother in an hour-long musical episode of The Honeymooners, with Sheila MacRae as a young Alice. She also appeared in The Twilight Zone and the popular family sitcom My Three Sons. Kelton was strongly identified with Spic and Span in her later years due to her commercials for the product. Pert Kelton passed away in 1968 at the age of 61.
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Kelton was replaced due to Hollywood blacklisting
Pert Kelton, the original actress to play Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners, was abruptly dropped from her role due to being blacklisted. Kelton and her husband were listed in Red Channels, a publication from the early 1950s listing alleged communists or supporters of communism in the United States.
Kelton's departure from the show was officially explained as being due to health problems, specifically heart trouble. However, her blacklisting during the McCarthy hearings was the actual reason for her being forced out of the show.
Kelton's career was interrupted by the blacklisting, but she did eventually revive it, especially on Broadway, where she starred in numerous productions. In the late 1960s, she returned to The Honeymooners, playing the role of Alice's mother.
Audrey Meadows replaced Kelton in the role of Alice Kramden. Meadows was determined to win the role, and her persistence paid off. She had to change her appearance to fit the part, donning drab house clothes and posing for a photograph in which she looked much plainer. This was in response to her initial rejection by Gleason, who thought she was too pretty to play Alice.
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Audrey Meadows was initially rejected for being too pretty
Audrey Meadows, born Audrey Cotter, was an American actress who portrayed the iconic character of Alice Kramden, the deadpan, sweet and sensitive housewife of Ralph Kramden, in the 1950s American television comedy The Honeymooners. She was initially rejected for the role of Alice Kramden by Jackie Gleason, the creator of the show, for being too young and pretty for the part. However, with her determination and persistence, she was able to convince Gleason and the producers that she was the right fit for the role.
Meadows was known for her beauty and, during her audition, she initially presented herself all "dolled up", leading Gleason to turn her down as he believed she was too pretty to portray the housewife character he regularly threatened to send "to the moon". However, Meadows was persistent and hired a photographer to capture pictures of her at her contrived worst. She removed her makeup, wore an old dress, left her hair unfixed, and posed in a kitchen with a frying pan. When Gleason saw these photographs, he exclaimed, "Oh, my God! That’s Alice." Upon learning that it was the same young, pretty actress he had rejected before, he laughed and said, "Hire her. Any dame with a sense of humor like that deserves the job."
Meadows' portrayal of Alice Kramden made her a household name and face, and she received four Primetime Emmy nominations for her television work, winning one for The Jackie Gleason Show. She became known for her sharp comebacks and her ability to hold her own in verbal sparring matches with her on-screen husband, played by Gleason. Despite the success and recognition Meadows gained from The Honeymooners, she commented that the role typecast her, which seriously curbed her acting career. She remained popular as a guest on variety shows but only acted sporadically after The Honeymooners.
Audrey Meadows passed away at the age of 71 in 1996 from lung cancer. She is remembered as a beloved television star and for her iconic role as Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners.
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Meadows tricked her way into the role
Audrey Meadows was not the original choice for the role of Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners. Pert Kelton was the first actress to play the character, but due to Hollywood blacklisting in the early 1950s, she was unable to continue in the role.
When it came to casting the role for the CBS sitcom, the network refused to rehire Kelton. Show creator Jackie Gleason preferred Kelton and initially rejected Meadows, finding her too young and pretty for the role of a housewife. Determined to win the part, Meadows hired a photographer to take pictures of herself looking more like the character of Alice. She dressed in dowdy clothes, wore no makeup, and posed in a kitchen with a frying pan. When Gleason saw the photos, he said, "That's our Alice." He was amused to discover that the frumpy actor in the photos was the same attractive actor who had been to see him the day before. He also reportedly said, "Any dame who has a sense of humor like that deserves the job."
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Meadows was the best-known Alice
Pert Kelton was the original actress to play Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners. However, Audrey Meadows became the best-known Alice, despite not being the first choice for the role.
Meadows was determined to win the role, and her experience proved that persistence pays off. She was initially rejected by Jackie Gleason, the creator and star of The Honeymooners, who thought she was too young and pretty for the role of Alice. However, Meadows was not deterred. She hired a photographer to take pictures of herself looking more like the character of Alice: without makeup, in dowdy clothes, and generally run down. When Gleason saw the photos, he exclaimed, "That's our Alice!" and, upon learning that it was the same attractive actress who had been rejected the day before, he said, "Any dame who has a sense of humour like that deserves the job."
Meadows' sister, Jayne Meadows, recalled that Audrey was born to play Alice Kramden. She noted that Audrey's stoic face and demeanour were the perfect pairing with the chaotic Ralph Kramden, played by Gleason. Meadows' portrayal of Alice as Ralph's no-nonsense, patient, and quick-witted wife with sharp comebacks earned her an Emmy in 1954 as best supporting actress in a television series and a 1955 Sylvania award for outstanding contribution to television techniques. She considered Alice her favourite role and recalled those early episodes as "the best time I ever had."
Meadows was most famous for her role in The Honeymooners and only acted sporadically after that. She was the only cast member to receive residual payments for the show, as her manager predicted the prospect of reruns in the early stages of television. Meadows passed away at the age of 71 in 1996.
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Frequently asked questions
Pert Kelton was the original Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners.
Kelton's career was interrupted in the early 1950s due to Hollywood blacklisting, leading to her departure from the show.
Audrey Meadows replaced Pert Kelton as Alice Kramden.
Audrey Meadows posed in a photograph in drab house clothes to convince show creator Jackie Gleason that she was right for the part.
Meadows only acted sporadically after The Honeymooners. She starred as Ted Knight's mother-in-law in the 1980s sitcom Too Close for Comfort. She passed away in 1996 at the age of 71.
