The Honeymooners is an American television sitcom that originally aired from 1955 to 1956, created by and starring Jackie Gleason, and based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that had been part of Gleason's variety show. It follows the lives of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden (Gleason), his wife Alice (Audrey Meadows), Ralph's best friend Ed Norton (Art Carney) and Ed's wife Trixie (Joyce Randolph) as they get involved with various schemes in their day-to-day living.
Most episodes revolve around Ralph's poor choices in absurd dilemmas that frequently show his judgmental attitude in a comedic tone. The show occasionally features more serious issues such as women's rights and social status.
The original comedy sketches first aired on the DuMont network's variety series Cavalcade of Stars, which Gleason hosted, and subsequently on the CBS network's The Jackie Gleason Show,[1] which was broadcast live in front of a theater audience. The popularity of the sketches led Gleason to rework The Honeymooners as a filmed half-hour series, which debuted on 1 October 1955 on CBS, replacing the variety series. It was initially a ratings success as the No. 2 show in the United States, facing stiff competition from The Perry Como Show on NBC.[2][3] Gleason's show eventually dropped to No. 19,[3][4] and production ended after 39 episodes (now referred to as the "Classic 39 episodes").
The final episode of The Honeymooners aired on 22 September 1956, and Gleason sporadically revived the characters until 1978. The Honeymooners was one of the first U.S. television shows to portray working-class married couples in a gritty, non-idyllic manner, as the show is mostly set in the Kramdens' kitchen in a neglected Brooklyn apartment building.[5] One of the sponsors of the show was Buick.[6]
Cast and characters
The majority of The Honeymooners episodes focus on four principal characters and generally use fixed sets within their Brooklyn apartment building. Although various secondary characters make multiple appearances, and occasional exterior shots are incorporated during editing, virtually all action and dialogue is "on stage" inside the normal backdrop.
Ralph Kramden
Played by Jackie Gleason, a bus driver for the fictional Gotham Bus Company based in New York City. He is never seen driving a bus (except in publicity photos), but he sometimes is shown at the bus depot. Ralph is frustrated by his lack of success and often develops get-rich-quick schemes. He is short-tempered, frequently resorting to bellowing, insults, and hollow threats. Well hidden beneath the many layers of bluster, however, is a softhearted man who loves his wife and is devoted to his best friend, Ed Norton. Ralph enjoys bowling and playing pool; he is proficient at both and is an enthusiastic member of the Loyal Order of Raccoons (although in several episodes, a blackboard at the lodge lists his dues as being in arrears). Ralph's mother rarely is mentioned, although she appears in one episode. Ralph's father is mentioned in only one episode ("Young Man with a Horn") as having given Ralph a cornet he learned to play as a boy, and Ralph insists on keeping the cornet when Alice suggests it be thrown away.
The Ralph Kramden character was given honorary membership in the real New York City bus drivers' union (Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union) during the run of the show, and a Brooklyn bus depot was named in Gleason's honor after his death.[7][8] Ralph Kramden was the inspiration for the animated character Fred Flintstone.[9] An eight-foot-tall bronze statue of a jolly Jackie Gleason in a bus driver's uniform was erected in 1999 in front of Manhattan's midtown Port Authority Bus Terminal. TV Land funded the statue in cooperation with Gleason's estate and the Port Authority.[10] Also in 1999, Ralph was ranked #13 on TV Guide's list of the 50 greatest TV characters.[11]
Alice Kramden
Alice (née Alice Gibson), played in the first nine skits from 1951 to January 1952[12] by Pert Kelton, by Audrey Meadows until 1966, then by Sheila MacRae, is Ralph's patient but sharp-tongued wife of 14 years. She often finds herself bearing the brunt of Ralph's tantrums and demands, which she returns with biting sarcasm. She is levelheaded, in contrast to Ralph's pattern of inventing various schemes to enhance his wealth or his pride. She sees his schemes' unworkability, but he becomes angry and ignores her advice (and by the end of the episode, her misgivings almost always prove correct). She has grown accustomed to his empty threats—such as "One of these days, POW!!! Right in the kisser!", "BANG, ZOOM!" or "You're going to the Moon!"— to which she usually replies, "Ahhh, shaddap!" Upon discovering the failures of his schemes and subsequent cover-ups, she demands to Ralph: "Oh, how I wish you had an explanation for that." Alice runs the finances of the Kramden household, and Ralph frequently has to beg her for money to pay for his lodge dues or crazy schemes. Alice studied to be a secretary before her marriage and works briefly in that capacity when Ralph is laid off. Wilma Flintstone is based on Alice Kramden.[9]
Another foil for Ralph is Alice's mother, who is even sharper-tongued than her daughter and despises Ralph as a bad provider. Alice's father is occasionally mentioned, but never seen. Alice's sister Agnes appears in episode 22, "Here Comes The Bride". (Ralph jeopardizes his newlywed sister-in-law's marriage after giving some bad advice to the groom, but it all works out in the end). Ralph and Alice lived with her mother for six years after getting married before they got their own apartment. In a 1967 revival, Ralph refers to Alice (played by MacRae in 1966–70 and once more in 1973) as being one of 12 children, and to her father as never working.
The Honeymooners originally appeared as a sketch on the DuMont Network's Cavalcade of Stars, with the role of Alice played by Pert Kelton (1907–1968). When his contract with DuMont expired, Gleason moved to the CBS network where he had The Jackie Gleason Show, and the Alice role went to Audrey Meadows because Kelton had been blacklisted. According to playwright Arthur Miller, a family friend, writing many years later in his autobiography Timebends: A Life, extensive inquiries finally revealed that her blacklisting was due to the fact that her husband Ralph had, many years earlier, marched in a May Day parade. "Ralph, I knew, had absolutely no leftist connections whatever but had simply thrown himself in with a gang of actors protesting whatever it was that year, and Pert had never even voted in her life."
The character's name is mentioned in the 1998 American stoner comedy film Half Baked in the lyrics to the song by the movie's character "Sir Smoka-Alot".
Edward Lillywhite/Ethelbert "Ed" Norton
Actor Art Carney won numerous awards for his portrayal of Ed Norton
Played by Art Carney; a New York City municipal sewer worker and Ralph's best friend (and upstairs neighbor). He is considerably more good-natured than Ralph, but nonetheless trades insults with him on a regular basis. Ed (typically called "Norton" by Ralph and sometimes by his own wife, Trixie) often gets mixed up in Ralph's schemes. His carefree and rather dimwitted nature usually results in raising Ralph's ire, while Ralph often showers him with verbal abuse and throws him out of the apartment when Ed irritates him. In most episodes, Ed is shown to be better-read, better-liked, more worldly and more even-tempered than Ralph, despite his unassuming manner and the fact that he usually lets Ralph take the lead in their escapades. Ed and Ralph both are members of the fictional Raccoon Lodge. Like Ralph, Ed enjoys and is good at bowling and playing pool. Unlike Ralph, Ed is good at ping-pong.[13]
Ed worked for the New York City sewer department, and described his job as a "Sub-supervisor in the sub-division of the department of subterranean sanitation, I just keep things moving along." He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II, and used his G.I. Bill money to pay for typing school, but felt he was unable to work in an office because he hated working in confined spaces. The relatively few scenes set in the Norton apartment showed it to have the same layout as the Kramdens' but more nicely furnished. Though Norton makes the same weekly $62 salary as Ralph (roughly $680 in 2022 dollars), their higher standard of living might be explained by Norton's freer use of credit; at one point he admits to having 19 charge accounts.[14]
Ed is the inspiration for Barney Rubble in The Flintstones,[9] and for Yogi Bear (in terms of design, clothing, and mannerisms).[15] In 1999, TV Guide ranked him 2nd on its list of the "50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time".[11] According to Entertainment Weekly, Norton is ranked 8th of the "greatest sidekicks ever".[16]
Thelma "Trixie" Norton
Played most famously by Joyce Randolph; she was Ed's wife and Alice's best friend. She did not appear in every episode and had a less developed character, though she is shown to be somewhat bossy toward her husband. In one episode, she surprisingly is depicted as a pool hustler. On another episode, Ralph insults Trixie by making a reference to Minsky's (a famous New York City burlesque theater; the original Trixie character was an ex-burlesque dancer). There are a few references to Trixie's burlesque background in the lost episodes (e.g., Norton: "Every night I'd meet her backstage and hand her a rose ... . It was her costume!"). Randolph played Trixie as an ordinary, rather prudish, housewife, complaining to her husband on one occasion when a "fresh" young store clerk called her "sweetie pie". In a 1967 special, Trixie (played by Jane Kean from 1966 to 1970 and 1976 to 1978) resentfully denied Ralph's implications that she "worked in burlesque" to which he replied, "If the shoe fits, take it off." Trixie is the inspiration for Betty Rubble in The Flintstones.
Elaine Stritch was the first and original Trixie Norton in a Honeymooners sketch with Gleason, Carney, and Pert Kelton. The ex-dancer character was rewritten and recast after just one episode with the more wholesome-looking Joyce Randolph playing the character as a housewife.[17]
Others
Some of the actors who appeared multiple times on the show include George O. Petrie and Frank Marth as various characters, Ethel Owen as Alice's mother, Zamah Cunningham as apartment building neighbor Mrs. Manicotti, and Cliff Hall as the Raccoon Lodge president.
Ronnie Burns, son of George Burns and Gracie Allen, made a guest appearance on one episode. On another episode, Norton makes a reference to a co-worker "Nat Birnbaum" (as in "'nat," a three-letter word for bug," says crossword puzzle aficionado Norton). George Burns's real name was Nathan Birnbaum. Seasoned actress Eileen Heckart appeared as Alice's mother in the 1978 The Honeymooners Christmas special (who, interestingly, was in reality just three years older than her "daughter", Alice). Strangely, Heckart's character makes several comments in the episode alluding to her desire to become a grandmother by Ralph and Alice, this despite the fact that Meadows, who played Alice, was in fact 55 years old at that time.
The apartment house
The Kramdens and Nortons lived in an apartment house at 328 Chauncey Street in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York City (sometimes referred to as Bensonhurst), a nod to the fact that Jackie Gleason lived there after his family moved from his birthplace at 364 Chauncey Street.[18] In the 1955 episode "A Woman's Work is Never Done", the address is referred to as 728 Chauncey Street. The landlord of the apartment house is Mr. Johnson. In The Honeymooners episodes taped from 1967 to 1970, the address of the apartment house changed to 358 Chauncey Street, and the number of the Kramden apartment is 3B. The actual 328 Chauncey Street is located in the Stuyvesant Heights section of the borough, approximately eight miles northeast of the show's fictional location.
Apartment residents
Mr. and Mrs. Manicotti: An older couple of Italian descent.
Tommy Manicotti: He played stickball and contracted the measles. He also left his water pistol in the Kramdens' apartment.
Garrity: A vocal upstairs neighbor with whom Ralph frequently feuds. He fought with Ralph for disturbing the neighbors with practicing for The $99,000 Answer quiz show. But showing some humor in other episodes, he accused Ralph of renting the tuxedo for his sister-in-law's wedding from an undertaker, and loved Ralph's joke about "sending a knight out on a dog like this."
Garrity Boy: He played stickball and contracted the measles.
Mrs. Bennett: Needed her radiator fixed when Ralph was the janitor.
Johnny Bennett: He played stickball, earned an apple for a home-run—and contracted the measles like the other boys.
Mrs. Doyle: Mother of Tommy Doyle.
Tommy Doyle: He was arrested for spending a $100 counterfeit bill that Ralph gave him to take his suits to the cleaners.
Mrs. Stevens: She gave Alice a box for hairpins that was made of matchsticks for Christmas which was the same exact gift Ralph was about to give her but he vastly overpaid for it and thought he had a great gift rather than an insignificant trinket for Alice. Alice gave Mrs. Stevens a kitchen thermometer.
Mrs. Olsen: She said that Ralph broke her Venetian blinds instead of repairing them when Ralph temporarily was the building janitor.
Mrs. Hannah: Needed her bathtub fixed when Ralph was the janitor.
Mrs. Fogerty: Accused Ralph of taking food out of her ice box when Ralph was the janitor.
Mrs. Schwartz: The apartment house blabbermouth who reported that the Kramdens had set the all-time lowest gas bill for the building. She also was curious to know if the house phone was able to connect to New Jersey when Ralph was the janitor.
Mr. Riley: Had a full garbage can that needed to be emptied when Ralph was the janitor.
Judy Connors: A teenager who did not want her father to meet a boy named Wallace, her date.
Tommy Mullins: A U.S. Navy service member who was home on leave for Christmas.
Carlos Sanchez: A mambo dancer who works at night.
Mr. and Mrs. August Gunther: Former residents of the building. August hit it big with his doughnut business.
Mr. Johnson: The building's landlord.
The real 328 Chauncey Street
Plot
Most of The Honeymooners takes place in Ralph and Alice Kramden's small, sparsely furnished two-room apartment. Other settings used in the show included 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 (always noticeably better-furnished than the Kramdens'). Many episodes begin with a shot of Alice in the apartment awaiting Ralph's arrival from work. Most episodes focus on Ralph's and Ed's characters, although Alice played a substantial role. Trixie played a smaller role in the series, and did not appear in every episode as did the other three. Each episode presented a self-contained story, which rarely carried over into a subsequent one. The show employed a number of standard sitcom clichés and plots, particularly those of jealousy, get-rich-quick schemes, and comic misunderstanding.
As to the occasional plot continuations, there were two such sequences — one concerning Ralph being sent to a psychiatrist because of "impatient" behavior during work that resulted in several passengers lodging complaints about his professional demeanor, and one that continued for two sequential shows in which Aunt Ethel visited and Ralph hatched a scheme to marry her off to the neighborhood butcher.
The series presents Ralph as an everyman and an underdog who struggles to make a better life for himself and his wife, but who ultimately fails due to his own shortcomings. He, often along with Ed, devises a number of get-rich-quick schemes, none of which succeed. Ralph would be quick to blame others for his misfortune until it was pointed out to him where he had fallen short. Ralph's anger then would be replaced by short-lived remorse, and he would apologize for his actions. Many of these apologies to Alice ended with Ralph saying in a heartfelt manner, "Baby, you're the greatest," followed by a hug and kiss.[19][20][21]
In most episodes, Ralph's short temper got the best of him, leading him to yell at others and to threaten comical physical violence, usually against Alice. Ralph's favorite threats to her were "One of these days ... One of these days ... Pow! right in the kisser!" or to knock her "to the Moon, Alice!" (Sometimes this last threat was simply abbreviated: as "Bang, zoom!") On other occasions, Ralph simply told Alice, "Oh, are you gonna get yours." All of this led to criticism, more than 40 years later, that the show displayed an ironic acceptance of domestic violence.[22][23] But Ralph never carried out his threats, and others have pointed out that Alice knew he never would because of their deep love for each other — indeed, Alice never was seen to back down during any of Ralph's tirades.[20][21] In retaliation, the targets of Ralph's verbal abuse often responded by simply joking about his weight, a common theme throughout the series.[20][21]
For the "Classic 39" episodes of The Honeymooners, there was no continuing story arc. Each episode is self-contained. For example, in the series premiere episode "TV Or Not TV", Ralph and Norton buy a television set with the intent to share it. By the next week's show, the set is gone although in later episodes a set is shown in the Nortons' apartment. In the installment "The Baby Sitter", the Kramdens get a telephone, but in the next episode, it is gone. And, in the episode, "A Dog's Life", Alice gets a dog from the pound which Ralph tries to return. But, in the end, Ralph finds himself growing to love the dog and decides to keep it along with a few other dogs. However, in the next episode, the dogs are nowhere to be seen and are never referred to again.
Occasionally, references to earlier episodes were made, including to Ralph's various "crazy harebrained schemes" from the lost episodes. Norton's sleepwalking in "The Sleepwalker" was referenced in "Oh My Aching Back", but it was not until the 1967 "Trip To Europe" shows that a Honeymooners story arc is finally used.
In July 1950, Jackie Gleason became the host of Cavalcade of Stars, a variety show that aired on the struggling DuMont Television Network. After the first year, he and his writers Harry Crane and Joe Bigelow[24][25] developed a sketch that drew upon familiar domestic situations for its material. Based on the popular radio show The Bickersons, Gleason wanted a realistic portrayal of life for a poor husband and wife living in Brooklyn, his home borough. The couple would continually argue but ultimately show their love for each other. After rejecting titles such as "The Beast", "The Lovers" and "The Couple Next Door", Gleason and his staff settled on "The Honeymooners". Gleason took the role of Ralph Kramden, a blustery bus driver, and he chose veteran comedy film actress Pert Kelton for the role of Alice Kramden, Ralph's acerbic and long-suffering wife.[19]
"The Honeymooners" debuted on October 5, 1951 as a six-minute sketch.[26] Ensemble cast member Art Carney made a brief appearance as a police officer who is hit with flour that Ralph throws from the window. The tone of these early sketches was much darker than that of the later series, with Ralph exhibiting great bitterness and frustration with his marriage to an equally bitter and argumentative middle-aged woman (Kelton was nine years older than was Gleason). The Kramdens' financial struggles mirrored those of Gleason's early life in Brooklyn, and he took great pains to model the set on his memory of the apartment where he had lived.[26] The Kramdens—and later the Nortons when those characters were added—are childless, an issue only occasionally explored, but a condition upon which Gleason insisted.[why?] Ralph and Alice did legally adopt a baby girl whom they named Ralphina. However, the biological mother requested to have her baby returned. A few later sketches had Ralph mistakenly believe that Alice was pregnant.
Early cast additions in later sketches were upstairs neighbors Ed and Trixie Norton. Ed was a sewer worker and Ralph's best friend, although his innocent and guileless nature was the source of many arguments between the two men. Trixie (maiden name never mentioned), Ed's wife, was originally portrayed by Elaine Stritch as a burlesque dancer, but was replaced after just one appearance by the more wholesome-looking Joyce Randolph. Trixie is a foil to Ed, just as Alice is to Ralph, but often offscreen.[20][26]
With the colorful array of characters whom Gleason had invented, including the cast of "The Honeymooners" sketches, Cavalcade of Stars became a great success for DuMont and increased its audience share from 9% to 25%. Gleason's contract with DuMont expired in the summer of 1952, and the financially struggling network (which suffered through ten rounds of layoffs from July through October 1953) was unable to retain him, and he moved to CBS.
Move to CBS
In July 1952, CBS president William S. Paley sent Gleason and his cast on a highly successful nationwide five-week promotional tour, performing musical numbers and sketches (including the popular "The Honeymooners"). However, Kelton who played Alice Kramden and other roles, was blacklisted and replaced on the tour by Beulah actress Ginger Jones, who also became blacklisted (having earlier been named on the Red Channels blacklist) by CBS. As a result, yet another Alice was needed.[20][21]
Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) with Ed Norton (Art Carney), Alice Kramden (Audrey Meadows) and Trixie Norton (Joyce Randolph) in a Honeymooners scene.
Jones's replacement was Audrey Meadows, known for her work in the 1951 Broadway musical Top Banana and on the Bob & Ray television show. However, Gleason was concerned that Meadows was too attractive to make a credible Alice. To convince him, Meadows hired a photographer to take pictures of her in the early morning with no makeup, clad in a torn housecoat and with her hair undone.[21][27] When Gleason saw the photos, he said, "That's our Alice." When he learned that it was Meadows in the photos, he reportedly said, "Any dame who has a sense of humor like that deserves the job."[21] The lineup of Gleason, Carney, Meadows and Randolph was now in place.
The increasingly popular "The Honeymooners" sketches were prominent in episodes of The Jackie Gleason Show variety show. During the first season, they appeared on a regular basis (although not weekly) as a series of short sketches ranging in length from seven to thirteen minutes. For the 1953–54 season, the shorter sketches were outnumbered by ones that ran for 30 minutes or longer. During the 1954–55 season, most episodes of The Jackie Gleason Show consisted entirely of "The Honeymooners". Fan response became overwhelming, and Meadows received hundreds of curtains and aprons in the mail from fans who wanted to help Alice lead a fancier life. By January 1955, The Jackie Gleason Show was competing with—and sometimes beating—I Love Lucy as the most-watched television show in the United States. Audience members would queue around the block hours in advance in order to attend the show.[19]
The "Classic 39" episodes
The "Classic 39" episodes of The Honeymooners are those that originally aired as a weekly half-hour sitcom on CBS from October 1955 to September 1956.
Gleason and Meadows as Ralph and Alice, 1955
Before Gleason's initial three-year contract with CBS expired, he was offered a much larger contract by CBS and General Motors' Buick division. The three-year contract, reportedly valued at $11million (about $120million now),[28] was one of the largest in showbusiness history at the time. It called for Gleason to produce 78 filmed episodes of The Honeymooners over two seasons, with an option for a third season of 39 more. He was scheduled to receive $65,000 for each episode ($708,000 now)[28] and $70,000 per episode in the second season ($763,000 now),[28] but he had to pay all production costs out of that amount. Art Carney received $3,500 per week ($38,000 now),[28] Audrey Meadows $2,000 ($22,000 now),[28] and Joyce Randolph (who did not appear in every episode) $500 per week ($5,400 now).[28] Production was handled by Jackie Gleason Enterprises Inc., which also produced Stage Show, a program that aired directly before episodes of The Honeymooners and starred the Dorsey Brothers.[19][26] Meadows, who later became a banker, was reportedly the only cast member to receive residuals when the "Classic 39" episodes were rebroadcast in syndication because her brother Edward, a lawyer, had inserted language to that effect into her contract.[29] Randolph received royalty payments when the "lost" Honeymooners episodes from the variety shows were released.[30]
The first episode of the new half-hour series aired on Saturday, October 1, 1955 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time opposite Ozark Jubilee on ABC and The Perry Como Show on NBC. Because the show was sponsored by Buick, the opening credits originally ended with a sponsor identification by announcer Jack Lescoulie ("Brought to you by your Buick dealer. And away we go!"), and the show concluded with a brief Gleason sales pitch for the company, all common practices at the time. All references to Buick were removed when the show entered syndication in 1957,[27] although Gleason frequently said "And away we go!" frequently in various shows, and the quote is inscribed on his gravestone.
The initial critical reaction to the half-hour sitcom Honeymooners was mixed. The New York Times and Broadcasting & Telecasting Magazine wrote that it was "labored" and lacked the spontaneity of the live sketches. But TV Guide praised it as "rollicking", "slapsticky" and "fast-paced".[19] In February 1956, the show was moved to the 8:00 p.m. ET timeslot, but it already had begun losing viewers to the hugely popular Perry Como Show.[2][3] Gleason's writers also had begun to feel confined by the restrictive half-hour format—in previous seasons, "The Honeymooners" sketches typically ran 35 minutes or more—and Gleason felt that were beginning to exhaust original ideas. After just one season, Gleason and CBS agreed to cancel The Honeymooners, which aired its 39th and final original episode on September22, 1956. In explaining his decision to end the show with $7million remaining on his contract, Gleason said, "The excellence of the material could not be maintained, and I had too much fondness for the show to cheapen it."[19] Gleason subsequently sold the films of the "Classic 39" episodes of the show to CBS for $1.5million.[26]
Production
The Honeymooners was filmed using three Electronicams.
In 1955, many television shows (including The Jackie Gleason Show) were performed live and recorded using kinescope technology, although many sitcoms were recorded on film, such as Amos 'n' Andy, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, My Little Margie and I Married Joan. I Love Lucy, which was recorded directly onto 35mm film, had influenced television production companies to produce directly on film. For The Honeymooners, Gleason utilized the Electronicam TV film system, developed by DuMont in the early 1950s, which allowed for a live performance to be directly captured on film. As a result of the superior picture and sound quality afforded by the system, episodes of The Honeymooners were much more suitable for rebroadcast than were most other live shows of the era.[26][dead link][20]
All 39 episodes of The Honeymooners were filmed at the DuMont Television Network's Adelphi Theatre at 152 West 54th Street in Manhattan before an audience of 1,000. Episodes were never fully rehearsed because Gleason felt that rehearsals would rob the show of its spontaneity. As a result, mistakes often were made, with lines recited incorrectly or altogether forgotten, and actors did not always follow the scripted action directions. To compensate, the cast developed visual cues for each other. For example, Gleason patted his stomach when he forgot a line, while Meadows would glance at the icebox when someone else was supposed to retrieve something from it.[27][31]
In contrast to other popular comedies of the era (such as Father Knows Best, Leave It to Beaver and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet), which depicted their characters in comfortable, middle-class suburban environments, Richard Rychtarik's set design for The Honeymooners reflected the blue-collar existence of its characters. The Kramdens lived in a small, sparsely furnished two-room apartment in a tenement building at least four stories high (the Kramdens lived on the third floor and the Nortons lived one floor above them). They used the single main room as the kitchen, dining and living room. It consisted of a table and chairs, a chest of drawers, a curtainless window with a painted backdrop view of a fire escape and adjoining tenements, a noisy sink and an outdated icebox. The Kramdens' bedroom never was seen.[20][21][26] One of the few other sitcoms about a blue-collar family was The Life of Riley, a show that featured Gleason in its first season (1949–50).
The instrumental theme song for The Honeymooners, titled "You're My Greatest Love", was composed by Gleason and performed by an orchestra led by Ray Bloch, previously the orchestra leader for Gleason's variety show as well as for The Ed Sullivan Show. Although lyrics were composed, they were never sung. Sammy Spear, who later became Gleason's musical director, provided the arrangement.[32] The music heard in the episodes was not performed during the show, so to enhance the feeling of a live performance for the studio audience, an orchestra performed before filming and during breaks.[19] The show's original announcer was Jack Lescoulie, who also was a spokesman for the sponsor, Buick. For the unsponsored syndicated version, the introduction was voiced by CBS staff announcer Gaylord Avery.
Revivals
On September 29, 1956, one week after The Honeymooners ended as a weekly 30-minute series, The Jackie Gleason Show returned. "The Honeymooners" returned as part of the revived variety show. Many of these episodes were produced as original musicals with music and lyrics by Lyn Duddy and Jerry Bresler. The stories featured the Kramdens and Nortons touring Europe after winning a contest.[33] Live musicals had become popular on live television following the success of the 1954-1955 live broadcasts of Mary Martin in Peter Pan as well as that of several Max Leibman original musicals.
In 1959, TV Guide magazine mentioned Gleason's interest in producing new Honeymooners shows. This did not happen for several years, but Gleason did team with Carney to revive an old Honeymooners scene for an October 1960 CBS special titled The Big Sell.
After the spectacular failure of Gleason's 1961 game show You're in the Picture and the relative success of the eight-episode talk show that Gleason used to fill its time slot, his variety show returned in 1962 under the title Jackie Gleason and His American Scene Magazine. The "Honeymooners" sketches returned as part of the show whenever Carney was available. However, Meadows and Randolph were replaced by Sue Ane Langdon and Patricia Wilson for two sketches.[20][26]
In January 1966, Meadows returned on Gleason's American Scene Magazine variety series as Alice for "The Honeymooners: The Adoption", a reenactment of a 1955 non-musical sketch of the same name, with original songs added by Duddy and Bresler.
When The Jackie Gleason Show, by then based at Gleason's relocated headquarters in Miami Beach, Florida, returned in 1966, the "Honeymooners" sketches, in color for the first time, featured Sheila MacRae and Jane Kean in the roles of Alice and Trixie, as Meadows and Randolph declined to relocate to Miami. Gleason did not object to recasting the roles of the wives but was adamant that the Ed Norton role should never be played by anyone other than Carney.
The 1966 videotaped "Honeymooners" were also musical episodes that comprised 10 of the first season's 32 shows. Most of these were updated remakes of 1956-57 musical episodes with songs by Duddy and Bresler, expanded with new material. These programs were syndicated for local stations as The Honeymooners Go to Europe and released on DVD as The Color Honeymooners.
One notable 1967 segment featured the return of Pert Kelton (in one of her last performances before her death in 1968), but as Alice's mother.[20][26]
"The Honeymooners" ended again when CBS announced the cancellation of The Jackie Gleason Show on February 16, 1970, the result of a disagreement in direction between Gleason and the network. Gleason wanted to continue interspersing "The Honeymooners" within his regular variety show, while CBS wanted a full-hour "Honeymooners" every week. CBS's ongoing effort to move its product toward younger audiences and away from established variety show stars was another potential factor in the show's demise. On October 11, 1973, Gleason, Carney, MacRae and Kean reunited for a "Honeymooners" sketch titled "Women's Lib" as part of a Gleason special on CBS. Four final one-hour specials aired on ABC from 1976 to 1978, with Meadows returning as Alice and Kean as Trixie. These specials came at a time when Gleason and Carney were each achieving newfound expanded fame, with Gleason's prominent role in the box office smash Smokey and the Bandit and Carney winning an Academy Award for his leading role in Harry and Tonto. These were the final original "Honeymooners" productions.[20]
Awards
Carney won five Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Ed Norton—two for the original Jackie Gleason Show, one for The Honeymooners and two for the final version of The Jackie Gleason Show. He was nominated for another two in 1957 and 1966, but lost. Gleason and Meadows both were nominated in 1956 for their work on The Honeymooners. Gleason was nominated for Best Actor–Continuing Performance but lost to Phil Silvers, while Meadows was nominated for Best Actress-Supporting Role but lost to Nanette Fabray. Meadows also was nominated for Emmys for her portrayal of Alice Kramden in 1954 and 1957.[34][35]
The following table summarizes award wins by cast members, both for The Honeymooners and The Jackie Gleason Show.
Actor
Awards won
Show
Art Carney
Emmy, Best Series Supporting Actor (1954)
The Jackie Gleason Show
Emmy, Best Supporting Actor in a Regular Series (1955)
The Jackie Gleason Show
Emmy, Best Actor in a Supporting Role (1956)
The Honeymooners
Emmy, Special Classifications of Individual Achievement (1967)
The Jackie Gleason Show
Emmy, Special Classification of Individual Achievements (1968)
The Jackie Gleason Show
Audrey Meadows
Emmy, Best Supporting Actress in a Regular Series (1955)
The Jackie Gleason Show
Broadcast history
Day and time
Preceded by
Saturdays at 8:30 pm (October 1, 1955 – February 18, 1956) Saturdays at 8:00 pm (February 25 – September 22, 1956)
Too cheap to pay the full price, Ralph cons Norton into paying for half a TV set, which is kept in Ralph's apartment and becomes a point of contention. This episode has Ralph doing a double-take when Norton watches Captain Video and His Video Rangers. Music from the TV set is from the CBS stock music library, some of which was heard on "The Adventures of Superman".
In 1997, TV Guide ranked this episode #26 on its list of the 100 Greatest Episodes.[36]
2
"Funny Money"
Marvin Marx and Walter Stone
October 8, 1955 (1955-10-08)
Ralph finds a suitcase full of money and goes on a spending spree. The money turns out to be phony, and Ralph ends up fearing for his life, and having to return everything he bought with the money.
3
"The Golfer"
A.J. Russell and Herbert Finn
October 15, 1955 (1955-10-15)
Ralph needs to be a good golfer to impress his boss. Includes hilarious impromptu golfing lesson in the Kramden apartment, including the classic moment when Norton "addresses the ball." In 1996, TV Guide ranked this episode #56 of its "100 Most Memorable Moments in TV History".
4
"A Woman's Work Is Never Done"
Marvin Marx and Walter Stone
October 22, 1955 (1955-10-22)
Ralph and Alice hire a maid to ease Alice's housework burden. As Alice sternly tells Ralph, "Man works from sun to sun, but woman's work is never done!"
5
"A Matter of Life and Death"
Marvin Marx and Walter Stone
October 29, 1955 (1955-10-29)
When he sees the vet's report on his mother-in-law's sick dog, Ralph mistakenly concludes that he has only six months to live.
NOTE: This episode was a remake of a live sketch with additional material.
6
"The Sleepwalker"
A.J. Russell and Herbert Finn
November 5, 1955 (1955-11-05)
Ralph is forced to deal with a sleepwalking Norton.
NOTE: Norton's exclamation of "Come back, little Lulu!" is a reference to the 1950 play and 1952 film, Come Back, Little Sheba.
7
"Better Living Through TV"
Marvin Marx and Walter Stone
November 12, 1955 (1955-11-12)
Ralph devises a get-rich-quick scheme – selling Handy Housewife Helpers on TV. Features a rare gone-wrong moment when one of the gadgets flies off the handle, forcing Gleason to retrieve it and then ad-lib his way back into the scene. It classically devolves into another one of Ralph's schemes failing royally.
In 2009, TV Guide ranked this episode #7 on its list of the 100 Greatest Episodes.[37]
8
"Pal o' Mine"
Leonard Stern and Sydney Zelinka
November 19, 1955 (1955-11-19)
Ralph finds a gift from Norton that he thinks is for him, but when he discovers otherwise, his friendship with Norton is jeopardized. This changes when he finds out Norton was injured in an explosion in the sewer.
9
"Brother Ralph"
Marvin Marx and Walter Stone
November 26, 1955 (1955-11-26)
Alice is forced to find a job after Ralph is temporarily laid off due to there being too many buses on Madison Avenue, his route. But to get the job, Alice has to claim that Ralph is her brother, because a lot of employers do not like to hire married women due to their commitments to home and family. Ralph gets jealous when he realizes that Alice's boss is interested in her.
10
"Hello, Mom"
Marvin Marx and Walter Stone
December 3, 1955 (1955-12-03)
Ralph's foul mood is worsened when he finds out that Alice's mother is coming for a visit. The last time she stayed according to him "was Christmas and New Year's, except she came New Year's and stayed 'til Christmas." Later it is revealed in the end that it is his mother coming for a visit.
It is revealed that Alice's mother was commenting on Ralph's weight even at their wedding. She said: "I'm not losing a daughter, I'm gaining a ton!"
NOTE: Alice gives Ralph a sarcastic tour of their dingy apartment as "a regular Disneyland" in this episode. Disneyland had just opened that summer.
11
"The Deciding Vote"
A.J. Russell and Herbert Finn
December 10, 1955 (1955-12-10)
Ralph blames Norton when he loses an election for Raccoon Lodge convention manager by one vote, only to find out Norton did vote for him and it was another member who changed his vote because of a defective appliance Ralph convinced him to buy. This episode includes a conspicuous flub in that the lodge member who Ralph told about his vacuum cleaner was introduced to Alice as Joe Muncey, but later spoken of as Joe Rumsey.
12
"Something Fishy"
Leonard Stern and Sydney Zelinka
December 17, 1955 (1955-12-17)
Ralph and Norton want to go fishing with their fellow lodge members, but without their wives, who, meanwhile, will not stand for such treatment.
13
"'Twas the Night Before Christmas"
Marvin Marx and Walter Stone
December 24, 1955 (1955-12-24)
Ralph sells his bowling ball to get Alice a last-minute Christmas gift. After the end of this show, Jackie Gleason and the cast wish the audience a Merry Christmas. It is the only time in the series the fourth wall is broken.
14
"The Man from Space"
A.J. Russell and Herbert Finn
December 31, 1955 (1955-12-31)
Ralph wants to attend a costume party as Henry VIII, but is forced to improvise when he cannot get the money to rent the costume. Norton wins the contest when he arrives at the party at the last minute from work in his work gear.
Several scenes from this episode are prominently shown in the movie Back to the Future. There is an anachronism, as this episode originally aired on December 31, 1955 and the time frame it was shown in Back to the Future was November 5, 1955. Episode #6 The Sleepwalker would have been on television while the Baines family was eating supper.
15
"A Matter of Record"
A.J. Russell and Herbert Finn
January 7, 1956 (1956-01-07)
The classic "blabbermouth" episode in which Ralph throws out his mother-in-law after she gives away the ending of a new Broadway murder mystery Ralph was about to see. Alice soon follows, leaving Ralph alone in the apartment. In a last-ditch effort to win Alice back, Ralph records a message on record to apologize to Alice and her mother.
16
"Oh, My Aching Back"
Leonard Stern and Sydney Zelinka
January 14, 1956 (1956-01-14)
Ralph feigns illness to avoid visiting his mother-in-law. Then the pain gets real: he injures his back at bowling.
17
"The Baby Sitter" "Bensonhurst 0–7741"
Leonard Stern and Sydney Zelinka
January 21, 1956 (1956-01-21)
Ralph is furious when Alice has had a telephone installed. Confusion ensues when she secretly starts babysitting to pay for it. In the end, everything gets sorted out – but the telephone does not appear in any of the subsequent episodes.
NOTE: Young Harvey Wallstetter makes a reference to Davy Crockett, which was a pop culture sensation at the time because of ABC's 'Disneyland' TV series. It sold millions of raccoon hats like the ones on this series.
18
"The $99,000 Answer"
Leonard Stern and Sydney Zelinka
January 28, 1956 (1956-01-28)
Ralph is a contestant on The $99,000 Answer (a spoof of The $64,000 Question) and is determined to go all the way in spite of Alice's concerns. This episode features a running gag of Norton's when he practices the opening bars to "Swanee River" to warm up. Unfortunately, Ralph flubs the first question, which asks for the composer of that song.
NOTE: If Ralph had really wanted to protest the accuracy of the answer, he could have gone back and told them the actual title is "The Old Folks at Home". There have been actual Jeopardy! contestants who have said "Ed Norton?" when stumped.
In 1997, TV Guide ranked this episode #6 on its list of the 100 Greatest Episodes.[38]
19
"Ralph Kramden, Inc."
A.J. Russell and Herbert Finn
February 4, 1956 (1956-02-04)
When Ralph is $20.00 short on his day's receipts on the bus, he convinces Norton to give him that amount by saying that it is an investment in the imaginary Kramden Corporation. When they learn that Ralph is mentioned in the will of a long-time passenger, they go to the reading of the will, expecting to inherit the old lady's fortune.
20
"Young at Heart"
Marvin Marx and Walter Stone
February 11, 1956 (1956-02-11)
Ralph tries to prove to Alice that he can still do all the things he used to do when they were younger.
Ronnie Burns makes an appearance in this episode as Wallace.
21
"A Dog's Life"
Leonard Stern and Sydney Zelinka
February 18, 1956 (1956-02-18)
Ralph thinks he has found a great idea for a new food product, not realizing it is actually dog food for the puppy Alice bought behind his back.
22
"Here Comes the Bride"
Marvin Marx and Walter Stone
February 25, 1956 (1956-02-25)
Ralph nearly ruins the imminent marriage between a fellow Raccoon Lodge member and Alice's sister, Agnes, after he provides some advice to the groom. This episode contains a veiled reference to Willie Mays, who was, by then reaching the peak of his baseball career. Ralph says that, out of habit, Alice's sister caught the bouquet herself. Alice says it was because her foot slipped, to which Ralph responds, "I wish my foot could slip like that, I'd be playing center field for the New York Giants."
23
"Mama Loves Mambo"
Marvin Marx and Walter Stone
March 3, 1956 (1956-03-03)
Ralph and Norton are annoyed with a new neighbor, a mambo dance instructor (Charles Korvin) who is unwittingly winning their wives' hearts ... and their cooking time.
NOTE: Charles Korvin receives an ovation upon his entrance because he was a highly recognizable actor at the time, appearing on many films and TV series as The Loretta Young Show, Zorro and others.
24
"Please Leave the Premises"
Marvin Marx and Walter Stone
March 10, 1956 (1956-03-10)
The Kramdens and the Nortons are at war with the landlord over a rent increase of $5 per month, though the only one who really wants to fight is Ralph. Includes the classic moment involving the phrase "Pins and needles, needles and pins, it's a happy man that grins".
25
"Pardon My Glove"
A.J. Russell and Herbert Finn
March 17, 1956 (1956-03-17)
Alice tries to surprise Ralph for his birthday, but her plans are ruined because of his jealousy.
26
"Young Man with a Horn"
A.J. Russell and Herbert Finn
March 24, 1956 (1956-03-24)
In the hopes of securing a civil service job, Ralph tries to improve himself by writing down his good points and bad points, and working on eliminating the bad points.
The song that Ralph tries to hit the high note on is "Carnival of Venice".
27
"Head of the House"
Leonard Stern and Sydney Zelinka
March 31, 1956 (1956-03-31)
After boasting that he is the boss of his household, Ralph accepts a bet that he can order Alice to cook a special dinner.
28
"The Worry Wart"
Marvin Marx and Walter Stone
April 7, 1956 (1956-04-07)
Ralph frets after being summoned to his local IRS office to clear up a mysterious tax problem.
29
"Trapped"
Leonard Stern and Sydney Zelinka
April 14, 1956 (1956-04-14)
Ralph witnesses an armed robbery and murder. He arrives home a nervous wreck. And for good reason: the killers are after him.
30
"The Loudspeaker"
Marvin Marx and Walter Stone
April 21, 1956 (1956-04-21)
Thinking he is about to be named Raccoon of the Year, Ralph prepares an acceptance speech. In the end, Alice finds out from the Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler that the honor is going to Norton.
31
"On Stage"
Leonard Stern and Sydney Zelinka
April 28, 1956 (1956-04-28)
When Ralph is asked to take the lead in a play, he lets it go to his head.
NOTE: Jackie Gleason uses his popular "Reggie Van Gleason III" character's voice while rehearsing as Frederick.
32
"Opportunity Knocks But"
Leonard Stern and Sydney Zelinka
May 5, 1956 (1956-05-05)
Ralph gets a chance to impress his boss and earn a promotion, but Norton gets the job instead.
33
"Unconventional Behavior"
Marvin Marx and Walter Stone
May 12, 1956 (1956-05-12)
Ralph and Norton are sure to be a riot at the annual Raccoon convention...if they ever manage to get out of Norton's "trick" handcuffs.
In the meantime Norton saves up spending money ($50 in 1955 = $480 in 2020) for the trip, unlike Ralph. So Ralph, in order to get spending money for the trip from Alice, decides to take her along, to Norton's chagrin – since it means Trixie will force him take her along as well. He finds out too late that Alice had decided to give him the money anyway. When Norton asks him how he gets them into these fixes, Ralph replies that he has a "BIG MOUTH!"
34
"The Safety Award"
Leonard Stern and Sydney Zelinka
May 19, 1956 (1956-05-19)
Ralph wins an award as the safest bus driver in the city, but a series of mishaps, disagreements, and even an accident on the way to the award ceremony haunt his every step.
35
"Mind Your Own Business"
Leonard Stern and Sydney Zelinka
May 26, 1956 (1956-05-26)
When Norton loses his job in the sewer after listening to advice from Ralph on how to obtain a promotion, he starts selling steam irons door-to-door. Ralph, convinced of Norton's success, wants to do the same.
36
"Alice and the Blonde"
Leonard Stern and Sydney Zelinka
June 2, 1956 (1956-06-02)
Alice and Trixie feel unappreciated after being ignored by Ralph and Ed. A rare flub in the dialog consists of Alice asking who Bert Wedermeyer is after Ralph mentions Bert "Wedermauer".
37
"The Bensonhurst Bomber"
Marvin Marx and Walter Stone
September 8, 1956 (1956-09-08)
Ralph (with Norton's help) inadvertently challenges a tough guy to a boxing match. After scheming with Norton to make the tough guy think that Ralph really can clobber him, a classic trick ending ensues.
38
"Dial J for Janitor"
A.J. Russell and Herbert Finn
September 15, 1956 (1956-09-15)
Ralph decides to save some money and avoid a feud with the landlord by becoming the new building janitor, but quickly finds out there is more to the job than he thought.
39
"A Man's Pride"
Leonard Stern and Sydney Zelinka
September 22, 1956 (1956-09-22)
When Ralph runs into one of Alice's old boyfriends, he pretends that he runs the Gotham Bus Company to impress him. Another scheme collapses when the Kramdens and the Davises go to dinner in a fancy restaurant.
Syndication and home media releases
The Honeymooners gained its greatest fame in syndication, where it has aired continually since its original cancellation. WPIX in New York City has aired the series for more than five decades (after it had initially run in 1957–1958 on WRCA-TV),[39] with occasional brief breaks. It regularly airs on WPIX with a marathon that begins on the final hour of New Year's Eve and runs well into New Year's Day.[26] In the United Kingdom, it originally aired on ITV between 1958–1963. BBC Two aired 38 of the original 39 episodes beginning in 1989 and ending in 1991.[20] The show also has aired in Australia, Iran, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Ireland and Suriname.[19] It previously was seen on WGN America from June 2008 to September 2009 and on Me-TV from December 2010 to September 2011. In April 2012, the show returned to Me-TV. The show currently airs on the network on Sunday nights.[40] Reruns of the show also air on Catchy Comedy.[41]
In 1984, the Museum of Television and Radio announced the discovery of four original "Honeymooners" sketches from The Jackie Gleason Show, and response was overwhelmingly positive. In January 1985, Gleason announced the release of an additional group of "lost" episodes from his private vault. As with the previously released sketches, these "lost episodes" were actually kinescopes from the 1952–55 and 1956–57 runs of The Jackie Gleason Show.[1] Because the prints had not been stored under ideal conditions, parts of the soundtracks of three episodes were unusable, and the voices had to be redubbed. Gleason personally approved the soundalike actors, with noted voice actor Joe Alaskey providing Ralph Kramden's lines.
Gleason sold the broadcast rights to the "lost" episodes to Viacom, and they first were aired from 1985 to 1986 as a series of 68 22-minute episodes on the Showtime cable network. They since have joined the original 39 episodes in syndication and also have been released on VHS and DVD.[1] In September 2004, another "lost" episode was discovered at the Peabody Award archives in Georgia. The episode, titled "Love Letter", originally aired on The Jackie Gleason Show on October 16, 1954.[42] It aired for the first time since then on October 16, 2004, its 50th anniversary, on TVLand. Viacom successor CBS Media Ventures, via CBS Broadcasting, owns the "Classic 39" series outright, while the Gleason estate owns the "lost episodes".
Paramount Home Entertainment/CBS DVD released a six-disc DVD box set titled The Honeymooners "Classic 39" Episodes in November 2003 (only available in Region 1). The set contains all 39 episodes from the series' original 1955–56 broadcast run. Also included in the set is an edited version of a 1990 anniversary special hosted by Meadows as well as original show openings and closings sponsored by Buick that were removed when the show entered syndication.
MPI Home Video released 80 of the "lost episodes" in Region 1 DVD format in 2001–02 on 24 single-disc volumes. MPI subsequently re-packaged the 24 volumes into six four-disc box sets. Production of the 24 individual volumes and the six four-disc box sets ceased in 2008, but MPI has since renewed its deal with Jackie Gleason Enterprises and has continued to release new editions of the "lost" episodes and other Honeymooners material not currently owned by CBS. In 2011, MPI announced the release of a completely restored set of all existing Honeymooners Lost Episodes from 1951 to 1957. The 50-hour, 15-DVD set contains 107 Honeymooners sketches and the home-video debut of the nine existing original DuMont Network sketches, six other sketches never before released on home video and the eight musical Honeymooners episodes from 1957 (the "Trip To Europe" shows). The set was released on October 4, 2011.
DVD name
Episode No.
Release date
The Honeymooners – Lost Episodes Collection 1
13
October 30, 2001
The Honeymooners – Lost Episodes Collection 2
13
October 30, 2001
The Honeymooners – Lost Episodes Collection 3
15
January 29, 2002
The Honeymooners – Lost Episodes Collection 4
15
March 26, 2002
The Honeymooners – Lost Episodes Collection 5
12
June 25, 2002
The Honeymooners – Lost Episodes Collection 6
12
August 27, 2002
The Honeymooners – Lost Episodes: The Complete Restored Series
107
October 4, 2011
In June 2006, MPI released The Color Honeymooners – Collection 1 (NTSC and PAL), which collects the "Trip to Europe" story arc presented on The Jackie Gleason Show in 1966. It has since released an additional three volumes featuring additional episodes from this story arc. AmericanLife TV Network has also aired The Color Honeymooners shows under license from Gleason Enterprises and Paul Brownstein Productions.
In May 2022, MPI released Jackie Gleason TV Treasures, which includes three previously unreleased "Honeymooners" sketches from the early 1960s, the 1966 musical remake of "The Honeymooners: The Adoption" episode and seven color "Honeymooners" sketch episodes not included in previous collections.
DVD name
Episode No.
Release date
The Color Honeymooners – Collection 1
9
June 27, 2006
The Color Honeymooners – Collection 2
8
February 26, 2008
The Color Honeymooners – Collection 3
12
May 27, 2008
The Color Honeymooners – Collection 4
12
August 26, 2008
Paramount and CBS Home Entertainment released the 39 episodes on Blu-ray disc in March 2014.[43]
In Australia (Region 4), Shock Entertainment released "The Honeymooners - Classic 39 Episodes" five-disc set in NTSC format on November 13, 2009,[44] rereleased on August 5, 2020.[45]
On June 1, 2007, FOX aired a TV's Funniest Moments special, in which a clip from the episode "The $99,000 Answer" was on the list. In the clip, Ralph lamely identifies the composer of "Swanee River" as being "Ed Norton".
In 2013, TV Guide ranked The Honeymooners No. 13 on their list of the 60 Greatest Shows of All Time.[47]
In 2013, the Writers Guild of America ranked The Honeymooners #31 on their list of the 101 Best Written TV Series.[48]
The instrument used for visible and infrared imaging on the New Horizons space probe was named after Ralph Kramden, in parallel to the Alice instrument (naming not related to the TV show).[49]
Legacy
Because of its enduring popularity, The Honeymooners has been referenced numerous times in American pop culture, and has served as the inspiration for other television shows, most notably The Flintstones. The show also introduced memorable catchphrases into American culture such as "Bang, zoom, straight to the Moon!", "One of these days... one of these days...," "Homina, homina, homina," and "Baby, you're the greatest."
The Flintstones
In 1960, the Hanna-Barbera-produced animated sitcom The Flintstones debuted on ABC. Many critics and viewers noted the close resemblance of the show's premise and characters to those of The Honeymooners,[50] and William Hanna and Joseph Barbera have both stated that The Honeymooners was among their inspirations for The Flintstones. Gleason later said that he considered suing but decided that becoming known as "the guy who yanked Fred Flintstone off the air" was not worth the negative publicity.[51]The Honeymooners had been compared in its day to the similar comedy series The Bickersons as well as to the work of Laurel and Hardy (particularly Sons of the Desert). The Flintstones series and its spinoffs changed over the years and deviated from the similarities to The Honeymooners.
In the Futurama episode "The Series Has Landed", Ralph Kramden is believed to have been an early astronaut, due to his catchphrase (which Fry protests was "a metaphor for beating his wife".)
In the episode "Spanish Fry" of the same show, Lrrr says, "One of these days, Ndnd, bang! zoom! straight to the third moon of Omicron Persei 8!!"
The sitcom The King of Queens was partially inspired by The Honeymooners.[52]The Honeymooners, among other shows, was parodied directly in a dream sequence in the episode "Inner Tube".
The show was parodied in a series of animated Looney Tunes shorts, in which the principal characters, Ralph and Alice Crumden and Ned and Trixie Morton, are depicted as mice and Ralph's "big dream" is to get enough cheese to impress Alice. These cartoons are The Honey-Mousers (1956), Cheese It, the Cat! (1957), and Mice Follies (1960). The Sylvester and Tweety short Red Riding Hoodwinked (1955) has the usually-cheerful Granny character taking on the role of blustery, female Ralph. Ralph and Ed are caricatured as train-riding hoboes and pitted against Bugs Bunny in the 1956 Warner cartoon Half-Fare Hare. And in another Sylvester-Tweety cartoon, A Bird in a Bonnet (1958), when Sylvester falls into an open manhole, inside a voice like Ed Norton's says, "Whoo-hoo-hoo! Hey, look at this, Ralph, a pussycat." To which Sylvester simply peers out of the sewer to the audience.
The writer/comic Louis C.K. stated in an interview that he based the layout of Louie's apartment in the HBO show Lucky Louie on the Kramdens' apartment, in contrast to other shows such as The King of Queens that have very nicely decorated apartments despite the characters' professed low incomes.[53]
Stan Freberg created a brief audio skit titled "The Honeyearthers", in which Ralph, Alice, Norton, and Trixie are aliens living on the moon. In keeping with the 1950s ideas of what aliens would look like, they have two heads, one eye, one ear, four hands, three feet and antennae. Ralph drives a rocket ship and Norton works in a "green cheese mine". At the end of the skit, Ralph offers to take Alice on a "honeyearth" to renew their marriage.
In Back to the Future (1985) George McFly (Crispin Glover) and his older son Dave (Marc McClure) are seen cracking up in nerdy fashion while watching the episode "The Man from Space". After his younger son Marty (Michael J. Fox) goes back in time to November 5, 1955, he watches the same episode at the home of his then-teenaged mother Lorraine Baines (Lea Thompson), where her father (George DiCenzo) wheels their newly acquired television set in front of the family table, saying giddily: "Now we can watch Jackie Gleason while we eat!" – a reference to the TV series. In real life though, November 5, 1955 was the day "The Sleepwalker" aired, while "The Man from Space" aired on December 31.
In the 21 Jump Street season 3 episode "High High" (where the Jump Street team is assigned to go undercover at a performing arts school), Doug Penhall cites The Honeymooners as one of his favorite shows growing up. Towards the end, he reenacts a scene from the episode "Young Man with a Horn" for acting class.
The Honeymooners was spoofed in an episode of Perfect Strangers as a result of the character Balki Bartoukomos (Bronson Pinchot)'s spinning an extended metaphor about the characters' existential situation to an episode of The Honeymooners he had once seen; Balki's description of the episode is shown in a black-and-white flashback.
As Ralph Kramden was a New York City bus driver, one of the service depots in Brooklyn was renamed the Jackie Gleason Bus Depot in 1988. All buses that originate from the bus depot bear a sticker on the front that has a logo derived from the "face on the Moon" opening credits of The Honeymooners. The MTA also took 1948 GM-TDH5101 bus number 4789, renumbered it to 2969 and made it the 'official Jackie Gleason bus'.
A statue of Gleason as Ralph Kramden stands at the Eighth Avenue entrance to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. The plaque on the base of the statue reads, "Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden — Bus Driver — Raccoon Lodge Treasurer — Dreamer — Presented by the People of TV Land"[54]
The Toronto Coach Terminal included a restaurant and bar named Kramden's Kafe from 1990 until 2013.
In 2011, an adult parody titled The Honeymoaners was released by DreamZone Entertainment, with Peter O'Tole as Ralph and Anthony Rosano as Ed. Both actors also played Fred and Barney in The Flintstones – A XXX Parody, an adult parody of the Flintstones, which have a resemblance to the show (as mentioned above). The plot of the parody is similar to the episode "The $99,000 Answer", only here the show is called "The $69,000 Answer" and Ralph is answering questions about sex.
The Honeymooners was spoofed in episode 22 of the first season of Saturday Night Live (then known as NBC's Saturday Night) in a sketch featuring The Killer Bees (referenced as 'The Bees' in this particular episode). John Belushi took the role of Ralph, with Gilda Radner as Alice, Dan Aykroyd as Norton, and Jane Curtin as Trixie.
The first adult film parody of the show, Honeymooners, premiered in 1976 and starred John Leslie as the Ralph Kramden character.
In 1988 Ron Jeremy led a cast of adult performers in the critically panned The Horneymooners.
Two series, 26 episodes in all were made for R.C.T.I. in 1996. It was the first sitcom of that style ever attempted in Indonesia. It was titled Detak Detik (Ticking Seconds) and starred Mat Sola as the Jackie Gleason character. Art Carney rang the cast prior to production to give them his best wishes. It was decided to make Mat Sola a Silver Bird taxi driver, as they had a bit more prestige in Indonesia. They left Nurbuat, who mirrored Ed Norton, as a sewerage worker. The chemistry worked well. The series had to remove any references to alcohol, as Indonesia is a country with a Muslim majority population.
French Canada was entertained[citation needed] for years in the 1960s and '70s by a sitcom titled Cré Basile, with Olivier Guimond, Béatrice Picard, Denis Drouin and Amulette Garneau, which was an uncredited Quebecois version of The Honeymooners. It could, by contemporary standards, qualify as plagiarism[citation needed].
In 1994, the Dutch broadcasting network KRO produced a version of The Honeymooners titled Toen Was Geluk Heel Gewoon (Back then happiness was common), using translated scripts of the original series but changing its setting to 1950s Rotterdam. After the original 39 scripts were exhausted, the series' lead actors, Gerard Cox and Sjoerd Pleijsier, took over writing, adding many new characters and references to Dutch history and popular culture. The series was a hit in the Netherlands and it finished its run after 16 years and 229 episodes in June 2009.[55] The actors reprised their characters five years later in a feature-length movie.
In 1994, the Swedish network TV4 produced a version of The Honeymooners titled Rena Rama Rolf, but changing its setting to contemporary Gothenburg, where Rolf (Ralph), played by Lasse Brandeby, is working as a streetcar driver. The show ran until 1998.[56]
In 1998, the Polish network Polsat produced a version of The Honeymooners titled Miodowe lata which translates to "Honey years" (because in Polish a honeymoon is translated as a "honey month"), using both translated scripts of the original series and new ones, but changing its setting to modern-day Warsaw. The original series ran until 2003 and was continued in 2004 as Całkiem nowe lata miodowe.[57]
Comics
Vince Musacchia created a comic book series based on The Honeymooners for Hypergraphics between 1987 and 1989.[58]
Film
On June 10, 2005, a feature film remake of The Honeymooners was released, featuring a predominantly African American cast. The roles of Ralph, Alice, Ed, and Trixie were played by Cedric the Entertainer, Gabrielle Union, Mike Epps, and Regina Hall, respectively. The movie was a critical and commercial failure, earning slightly more than US$13 million worldwide.[59] The film was released by Paramount Pictures.
Video game
In 1988, First Row Software released a Honeymooners computer game for the Commodore 64 and DOS systems. The game involves the Kramdens and Nortons trying to earn $223 for train fare to Miami Beach, where Ralph wants to host the annual Raccoon Lodge convention, by playing a variety of mini-games related to the series. Additionally, players have the option of trying to double their money after each round by answering a Honeymooners-related question in a bonus round based on "The $99,000 Answer" episode.
Reboots
In December 2016, a CBS reboot of The Honeymooners with Bob Kushell writing and executive producing the series was announced but it never came to fruition. Producers Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly, Eric & Kim Tannenbaum, and Jeff Greenstein were also announced as part of the development deal.[60]
In January 2022, a CBS reboot of The Honeymooners with Damon Wayans Jr. executive producing the series was announced.[61]
^ abcdefghMcCrohan, Donna (1978). The Honeymooners' Companion – The Kramdens and the Nortons Revisited. New York: Workman Publishing. ISBN0-89480-022-1.
^ abcdefghijSimon, Ron. "The Honeymooners". The Museum of Broadcast Communications. Archived from the original on February 23, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2006.
^WRCA-TV (now WNBC) was the first New York City station to air The Honeymooners, Tuesdays at 7 p.m. during the 1957–58 season, as per contemporary New York-Metropolitan Edition issues of TV Guide. WPIX first aired the show at the start of the 1958–59 season.
