George Boyle
Pert Kelton, the original actress to play Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners, left the show due to being blacklisted during the McCarthy hearings, which also affected her husband's career. Kelton's departure from the show was explained by Jackie Gleason as being due to heart trouble, and her role was taken over by Audrey Meadows. Kelton did, however, revive her career later on, especially on Broadway, and even returned to The Honeymooners in the late 1960s, playing Alice's mother.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the actress who played the first Alice Kramden | Pert Kelton |
| Birth and death year of Pert Kelton | 1907-1968 |
| Birthplace of Pert Kelton | Great Falls, Montana |
| Reason for Pert Kelton's departure from The Honeymooners | Blacklisted during the McCarthy hearings |
| Year of Pert Kelton's departure from The Honeymooners | 1952 |
| Name of the actress who replaced Pert Kelton | Audrey Meadows |
| Birth and death year of Audrey Meadows | 1922-1996 |
| Age at death of Audrey Meadows | 71 or 73 |
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What You'll Learn
Pert Kelton was the first Alice
Pert Kelton was the first actress to play Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners. The show, which aired from 1955 to 1956, was an American television sitcom created by and starring Jackie Gleason. It followed the lives of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden (Gleason), his wife Alice, and their friends, Ed Norton and his wife Trixie.
Kelton's performances as Alice took place from around 1950 to 1952, when The Honeymooners was a 10- or 15-minute playlet during Gleason's weekly TV variety show. Kelton's wonderful performances as Alice are considered essentially lost, with only a handful of kinescopes believed to exist.
Kelton was a prominent comedic actress in Hollywood during the 1930s, often portraying the leading lady's wisecracking friend. She appeared in films such as Bed of Roses (1933) and The Bowery (1933), the latter in which she played dance hall singer "Trixie" alongside Wallace Beery, George Raft, Jackie Cooper, and Fay Wray. She also performed in a dozen Broadway productions between 1925 and 1968, including the original 1957 production of The Music Man, for which she is best known.
Kelton's career was interrupted in the early 1950s due to Hollywood blacklisting, which led to her departure from The Honeymooners after the first seven episodes. Her husband had been blacklisted during the McCarthy hearings, which affected her career. To explain her exit from the show, Gleason claimed that she had heart trouble. The role of Alice Kramden was then taken over by Audrey Meadows, who became well-known for her portrayal of the character.
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Kelton's husband was blacklisted during McCarthy hearings
Pert Kelton, the original actress to play Alice Kramden in *The Honeymooners*, was forced to leave the show due to her husband being blacklisted during the McCarthy hearings. This resulted in her own career being interrupted. When Jackie Gleason moved to CBS, Kelton was no longer part of the cast. To explain her departure, Gleason claimed that Kelton's character, Alice, had "heart trouble". Kelton was replaced by Audrey Meadows, who became well-known for her portrayal of Alice.
Pert L. Kelton was an American actress who performed on stage, in movies, on radio, and on television. She was born in 1907 in Great Falls, Montana, and moved to California with her parents in the latter half of 1927 to work in Hollywood films. Her first credited movie role was in the 1929 release *Sally*, and she went on to become a prominent comedic supporting and leading actress in Hollywood films during the 1930s. She often portrayed the leading lady's wisecracking friend. Kelton also performed in a dozen Broadway productions between 1925 and 1968 and is probably best known for creating the role of Mrs Paroo in the original 1957 Broadway production of the musical *The Music Man*.
Kelton's performances as Alice Kramden in *The Honeymooners* took place around 1950-1952, before the show became an independent series. At that time, *The Honeymooners* was a sporadically scheduled 10- or 15-minute playlet during Gleason's weekly TV variety show. Unfortunately, Kelton's performances from this time have been lost, with the exception of a few that may exist on kinescope.
In the late 1960s, Kelton revived her career and returned to *The Honeymooners*, playing Alice's mother in an episode of the hour-long musical version of the show (also known as *The Color Honeymooners*). She also appeared in other television shows during this time, including *The Twilight Zone* and the popular family sitcom *My Three Sons*.
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Kelton was forced to leave the role
Pert Kelton was the original actress to play Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners. Kelton's performances took place between 1950 and 1952, when The Honeymooners was a 10- or 15-minute playlet during Jackie Gleason's weekly TV variety show. Kelton's wonderful performances as Alice are mostly lost, with only a few kinescopes believed to be in existence.
Pert Kelton revived her career, especially on Broadway, where she starred in numerous productions. She returned to The Honeymooners in the late 1960s, playing the role of Alice's mother. She also appeared in character parts in a handful of 60s films. Kelton was strongly identified with Spic and Span in her later years due to commercials for the product.
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Audrey Meadows replaced Kelton as Alice Kramden
Pert Kelton played the role of Alice Kramden in the first seven episodes of "The Honeymooners". The show is an American television sitcom that aired from 1955 to 1956, created by and starring Jackie Gleason, and based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name. 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.
Kelton's career was interrupted due to Hollywood blacklisting, which led to her departure from "The Honeymooners". Kelton's husband had been blacklisted during the McCarthy hearings, affecting her career. When Jackie Gleason moved to CBS, Kelton was no longer a member of the cast. To explain the change, Gleason claimed that she had "heart trouble".
> "I told a photographer to come to my apartment at dawn the next morning and take pictures of me when I got out of bed. My eyes were puffy, my hair was a mess and I didn’t wear a speck of makeup. Jackie took one look at the photographs and said, 'This is just the kind of broad I’m looking for!'"
Meadows portrayed Alice Kramden, Ralph's no-nonsense, patient, and quick-witted wife. Alice was known for her sharp comebacks and her ability to hold her own in verbal sparring matches with her husband. In 1976, Gleason said:
> "Audrey as Alice was probably the first women’s libber on television. She always gave as good as she got. Many times, she had the last word."
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Meadows was born in New York City in 1922
Pert Kelton was the original actress to play Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners. However, she was forced to leave the role after her husband was blacklisted during the McCarthy hearings, which affected her career. Kelton's departure from the show occurred when Jackie Gleason moved to CBS, and Audrey Meadows took over the role of Alice Kramden.
Audrey Meadows, who played Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners, was born in New York City in 1922. She and her sister Jayne hoped to break into show business as the singing Meadows Sisters. However, it was Audrey's acting career that would bring her fame, particularly her role as Alice Kramden in The Honeymooners. Born on February 8, 1922, Meadows pursued a career in entertainment alongside her sister, who became a respected film and television actress and the wife of comedian Steve Allen in 1954.
Audrey Meadows sang in the Broadway musical Top Banana and was a regular on TV's Bob and Ray Show. When she auditioned for the role of Alice Kramden, Gleason initially dismissed her as too young and pretty for the part. However, Meadows insisted that she could pull off the look of a dowdy, harassed housewife. To convince him, she had a photographer take pictures of her first thing in the morning, with puffy eyes, messy hair, and no makeup. When Gleason saw these photos, he exclaimed, "This is just the kind of broad I'm looking for!".
Meadows' portrayal of Alice Kramden was praised for always "giving as good as she got" and often having the last word in verbal sparring matches with her on-screen husband, Ralph Kramden. Her performance was so impactful that Jackie Gleason once remarked, "Audrey as Alice was probably the first women's libber on television."
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Frequently asked questions
Pert Kelton, the original actress to play Alice Kramden, left the show due to being blacklisted during the McCarthy hearings, which also affected her husband at the time.
Audrey Meadows took over the role of Alice Kramden.
Pert Kelton was born in 1907.
Yes, Pert Kelton returned to The Honeymooners in the 1960s to play Alice's mother.
Pert Kelton was a prominent comedic actress in Hollywood films during the 1930s. She appeared in Bed of Roses and The Bowery, both released in 1933.
