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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 and his wife Alice, who was played by Audrey Meadows. Meadows was the second actress to play Alice Kramden, taking over from Pert Kelton when the show moved from the DuMont network to CBS. In 1966, Sheila MacRae replaced Meadows in the role of Alice when the show returned as part of Gleason's American Scene Magazine variety series, with the sketches featuring colour for the first time.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for replacement | Audrey Meadows was considered too attractive to play the role of Alice |
| Replacement year | 1952 |
| Replacement circumstances | Pert Kelton, the original Alice, was blacklisted due to her husband's participation in a May Day parade |
| Replacement persistence | Meadows had to prove she could play the role by sending unglamorous photos of herself to the showrunners |
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What You'll Learn
Audrey Meadows was considered too attractive for the role
Audrey Meadows, who played Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners, was considered too attractive for the role of a blue-collar housewife. She was 28 when the show premiered, only six years younger than her co-star Jackie Gleason, who played her husband, Ralph Kramden.
Gleason initially rejected Meadows for the role, but she refused to accept this. To prove she could portray Ralph's long-suffering wife, she hired a photographer to take pictures of her looking disheveled. She told the Los Angeles Times in 1993 that the photographer took photos of her with no makeup on while she stood in a kitchen holding a frying pan. The pictures were so different that Gleason reportedly didn’t recognize her at first glance.
Gleason eventually agreed to cast Meadows, and she went on to receive four Primetime Emmy nominations for her television work, winning one for The Jackie Gleason Show. Meadows returned to play Alice in the 1970s, 1985, and 1990 for occasional Honeymooners specials.
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She had to prove she could look dishevelled
When the role of Alice Kramden in "The Honeymooners" was up for grabs, Audrey Meadows was initially rejected for being too chic and pretty to play the part of a blue-collar housewife. Meadows, however, was persistent and refused to take no for an answer. She was convinced that she could portray Ralph's long-suffering wife, so she set out to prove it.
Meadows hired a photographer to take pictures of her looking disheveled. She told the Los Angeles Times in 1993 that the photographer captured her with no makeup on, wearing a torn housecoat, her hair undone, and standing in a kitchen holding a frying pan. The photos were so transformative that Jackie Gleason, creator of "The Honeymooners," reportedly didn't recognize her at first glance.
Gleason's concern about Meadows' glamour was not unfounded. The character of Alice Kramden, Ralph's wife, was frequently threatened with a trip "to the moon" by her bus driver husband. The show often featured comedic sketches showcasing the domestic clashes of the Kramdens in their Brooklyn tenement kitchen. Meadows' ability to portray a working-class housewife earned her a place in the pantheon of television comedy's grandes dames.
Meadows' persistence and sense of humour were key factors in her eventually landing the role of Alice. Her commitment to proving that she could look disheveled paid off, and she went on to create a beloved character in television history.
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Pert Kelton was the original Alice, but was blacklisted
Pert Kelton was the original actress to play Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners, a television sitcom that aired from 1955 to 1956. The show was created by and starred Jackie Gleason, and it followed the lives of a married couple, Ralph and Alice Kramden, living in Brooklyn, New York City.
Pert Kelton's performances as Alice Kramden took place between 1950 and 1952 when The Honeymooners was a comedy sketch on the DuMont Television Network's Cavalcade of Stars. However, Kelton was dropped from the role when the sketch moved to CBS. The reason given for her departure was that she was suffering from a heart problem and was unable to continue.
In reality, Pert Kelton was blacklisted due to her husband Ralph's political affiliations. They had both been listed in Red Channels, a publication from the early 1950s that named alleged communists or sympathizers in the entertainment industry. Kelton's blacklisting occurred during Senator McCarthy's House Un-American Activities Committee hearings, which targeted suspected communists in the United States.
As a result of Kelton's departure, the role of Alice Kramden was recast, and Audrey Meadows was ultimately chosen to play the part. Meadows had to prove herself suitable for the role by altering her appearance to seem less glamorous and more believable as a blue-collar housewife. She hired a photographer to take pictures of her looking disheveled, without makeup, and in a kitchen setting. This convinced Gleason and the executives to hire her.
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Kelton was reportedly ill and unable to continue
Pert Kelton was the first actress to play Alice Kramden in "The Honeymooners" when it was still a sketch on the DuMont Network's Cavalcade of Stars. When Jackie Gleason, the creator of "The Honeymooners", moved to CBS, Kelton was dropped from the cast. The official reason given for her departure was that she was suffering from a heart problem and was unable to continue in the role. However, it was later revealed that Kelton had been blacklisted from Hollywood due to her husband's participation in a May Day parade years earlier.
Kelton's replacement was Audrey Meadows, who had previously worked with Gleason on the "Honeymooners" sketch and was known for her roles in the Broadway musical "Top Banana" and on the Bob & Ray television show. Meadows's persistence and sense of humour are said to be the reasons she was given a chance to audition for the role. However, Gleason initially rejected her because he believed she was too young, chic, and pretty to portray a blue-collar housewife.
Determined to secure the role, Meadows took steps to change her appearance to match the character's plainer image. She hired a photographer to take pictures of her looking dishevelled, with no makeup, and wearing frumpy clothes. When Gleason saw these photos, he reportedly did not recognise her and instructed his producers to hire her immediately. Thus, Meadows became the second actress to play Alice Kramden when "The Honeymooners" became a half-hour situation comedy on CBS in 1955.
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Meadows replaced her on Gleason's nationwide tour
In 1952, CBS president William S. Paley sent Jackie Gleason and the cast of The Honeymooners on a five-week nationwide promotional tour. Pert Kelton, who played Alice Kramden, was blacklisted and replaced on the tour by Ginger Jones. However, Jones was also blacklisted, and so another replacement had to be found.
Audrey Meadows, who had previously worked on Broadway and on the Bob & Ray television show, was chosen as the next Alice. However, Gleason was concerned that Meadows was too attractive and too young to play a blue-collar housewife. To convince him otherwise, Meadows had a photographer take pictures of her looking dishevelled, without makeup, and wearing a torn housecoat. The plan worked, and Meadows was given the role.
Meadows' portrayal of Alice Kramden is considered iconic, and she is remembered for her persistence and sense of humour. She remained close friends with Gleason for years after the series ended, and in an interview with The Washington Post, she revealed that she had called him a few days before he passed away.
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Frequently asked questions
Sheila MacRae replaced Audrey Meadow in the Honeymooners because Meadow and Joyce Randolph declined to relocate to Miami, where the show was now based.
Audrey Meadows left The Honeymooners because she didn't want to relocate to Miami Beach, Florida, where the show was now based.
Audrey Meadow played the role of Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners.
Sheila MacRae took over the role of Alice Kramden after Audrey Meadows left the show.
Yes, Audrey Meadows returned to play Alice in the occasional Honeymooners specials in the 1970s, 1985, and 1990.
