George Boyle
Ed Norton, played by Art Carney, is one of the four principal characters in the American television sitcom 'The Honeymooners'. Ed Norton is Ralph Kramden's best friend and upstairs neighbour, and works as a sewer worker. The sitcom was created by and starred Jackie Gleason, and was based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that was part of Gleason's variety show. Carney's portrayal of the slightly off-centre sewer worker gained him lifelong fame and he was nominated for seven Emmy Awards, winning six.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Ed Norton |
| Occupation | Sewer worker |
| Portrayed by | Art Carney |
| Year | 1955-1956 |
| Show | The Honeymooners |
| Character traits | Innocent, guileless, and well-meaning |
| Relationship status | Married to Trixie Norton |
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What You'll Learn
Ed Norton was a sewer worker
Ed Norton, played by Art Carney, was a sewer worker in the 1955-1956 American television sitcom, The Honeymooners. The show was created by and starred Jackie Gleason, and was based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that was part of Gleason's variety show.
The Honeymooners followed the lives of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden (Gleason), his wife Alice (Audrey Meadows), Ralph's best friend Ed Norton (Carney), and Ed's wife, Trixie (Joyce Randolph). The show centred on the four principal characters and generally used fixed sets within their Brooklyn apartment building.
Ed Norton's character was a sewer worker, and his best friend Ralph was a bus driver for the fictional Gotham Bus Company. Norton's innocent and guileless nature was often the source of arguments between the two friends. Trixie, meanwhile, was depicted as somewhat bossy towards her husband, and her character was a foil to Ed, just as Alice was to Ralph.
Carney's portrayal of the slightly off-centre sewer worker gained him lifelong fame and earned him six Emmy Awards. He recorded the song "The Song of the Sewer" in character as Norton, and his stomach was noted to be a "bottomless pit", just like his character's.
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He worked for the fictional Gotham Bus Company
Ed Norton, played by Art Carney, is one of the four principal characters in the American television sitcom, The Honeymooners. The show, which aired from 1955 to 1956, revolves around the lives of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden, his wife Alice, Ralph's best friend Ed Norton, and Ed's wife, Trixie.
Ed Norton is depicted as a sewer worker and Ralph Kramden's best friend. Although Norton's innocent and guileless nature is a source of contention between the two, Ralph is devoted to him. In one instance, Norton survives a sewer explosion, only to be hit on the head by a manhole cover.
The show's episodes primarily take place in Ralph and Alice Kramden's small, sparsely furnished two-room apartment in Brooklyn. However, other settings are also featured, including the Gotham Bus Company depot, the Raccoon Lodge, a neighbourhood pool parlour, and a park bench where Ralph and Ed occasionally meet for lunch.
The fictional Gotham Bus Company, where Ed Norton works, is based in New York City. While Norton is never shown driving a bus, there are publicity photos of him doing so, and he is sometimes depicted at the bus depot. The bus company serves as a backdrop for the characters' get-rich-quick schemes and comedic misunderstandings, which are typical plotlines in the sitcom.
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Norton lived in a better-furnished apartment than Ralph Kramden
The American television sitcom, The Honeymooners, aired from 1955 to 1956 and followed the lives of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden and his wife Alice, along with Ralph's best friend Ed Norton, a sewer worker, and Ed's wife Trixie. The show was created by and starred Jackie Gleason, and was based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that was part of Gleason's variety show.
Most of the show takes place in Ralph and Alice Kramden's small, sparsely furnished two-room apartment in a tenement building. Other settings include the Gotham Bus Company depot, the Raccoon Lodge, a neighborhood pool parlor, a park bench where Ralph and Ed occasionally meet for lunch, and, on occasion, the Nortons' apartment.
The Kramdens' apartment is described as "sparse" and "depressing", with one source commenting that they "lived in squalor". In contrast, the Nortons' apartment is "noticeably better-furnished" and "lovely". It is modelled after the apartment that Gleason grew up in. One source speculates that Ralph was a "tightwad", while Norton was more "free-spending" with his money. Another source suggests that Ralph was more into "experiences", while Norton was more into "creature comforts".
The set design for The Honeymooners reflected the blue-collar existence of its characters, in contrast to other popular comedies of the era, which depicted their characters in comfortable, middle-class suburban environments.
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He was Ralph Kramden's best friend
Ed Norton, played by Art Carney, was Ralph Kramden's best friend in the American television sitcom, The Honeymooners. The show aired from 1955 to 1956 and centred around the lives of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden, his wife Alice, and Ralph's best friend, Ed Norton, and Ed's wife, Trixie.
Ed Norton was a sewer worker and one of the four principal characters of the show. The character was known for his innocent and guileless nature, which sometimes led to arguments with Ralph, who was short-tempered and frequently insulted his friends. Despite their differences, Ralph was devoted to his friend.
Ed and Ralph's relationship was a central focus of the show, with many episodes revolving around the pair's get-rich-quick schemes and comic misunderstandings. They often met for lunch on a park bench, and some episodes took place in the Nortons' apartment, which was noticeably better-furnished than the Kramdens'.
Art Carney's portrayal of Ed Norton was well-received, with Jackie Gleason stating that Carney deserved "90% of the credit" for the show's success. Carney himself was a reliable actor in New York, and his chemistry with Gleason helped develop the dynamic between their characters. Carney's performance as Norton gained him lifelong fame and several award nominations and wins, including six Emmy Awards.
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Norton was played by Art Carney
Carney gained fame as the guffawing, slightly off-centre sewer worker Ed Norton, best friend of Ralph Kramden, played by Jackie Gleason. Norton always wore a vest over his grungy T-shirt and a battered fedora, both indoors and outdoors, and always said the wrong thing at the wrong time. Carney himself was painfully shy and would tell interviewers that he was the opposite of Norton. However, viewers sensed, and his friends confirmed, that he was more like Norton than he cared to admit. Carney's stomach was a bottomless pit, just like Norton's, as he always took two helpings of everything.
Carney's portrayal of Norton was so iconic that he will be remembered by fans for decades, according to the New York Times. In fact, Gleason himself stated that Carney deserved ninety per cent of the credit for the success of The Honeymooners. Carney was also a prolific recording artist in the 1950s for Columbia Records, with hits such as "The Song of the Sewer", sung in character as Norton, and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", a spoken-word record.
Carney's talents were not confined to The Honeymooners, however. He won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and six Primetime Emmy Awards over the course of his career, receiving critical acclaim for the depth and breadth of his talent. He appeared in films such as Harry and Tonto (1974), for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor, The Late Show (1977), House Calls (1978), Going in Style (1979), Firestarter, The Muppets Take Manhattan (both 1984), and Last Action Hero (1993).
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Frequently asked questions
Ed Norton worked as a sewer worker in the 1955-1956 sitcom The Honeymooners.
The Honeymooners is an American television sitcom that follows the lives of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden, his wife Alice, Ralph's best friend Ed Norton, and Ed's wife Trixie.
Arthur William Matthew Carney played Ed Norton in The Honeymooners.
Carney recorded songs for Columbia Records in the 1950s, including "The Song of the Sewer", sung in character as Norton, and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas", a spoken-word record.
