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The Honeymooners began October 5, 1951 as a sketch on the DuMont network's comedy/variety series Cavalcade Of Stars, which aired from June 1949 to September 1952. Jackie Gleason hosted the series from September 1950 to September 1952 when he moved to CBS as star of the cl;everly named The Jackie Gleason Show.
The first Honeymooners sketch featured Gleason as Ralph Kramden, Pert Kelton as his wife Alice and Art Carney as a police officer. Ralph is irate that he has no bread to go with his dinner. An argument ensues and Alice throws Ralph's dinner, the breadbox and a can of flour out the window. The flour lands on the policeman and he is not happy. Beginning with the fourth Honeymooners sketch, Carney played upstairs neighbor Ed Norton. Elaine Stritch played his wife Trixie in only that one sketch and was replaced by Joyce Randolph. Beginning with the 27th sketch, Pert Kelton was replaced by Audrey Meadows.
Thirty-nine episodes of The Honeymooners as a half-hour sitcom aired in 1955-56. Gleason, believing his writers couldn't come up with another 39 good storylines, walked away from a contract to do a second season. One hundred eighty-one Honeymooners sketches aired during The Jackie Gleason Show, which ran from 1952 to 1955 and from 1956 to 1970. (It was titled American Scene Magazine from 1962 to 1966.) Beginning in 1966, Alice was played by Sheila MacRae and Trixie was played by Jane Kean. There were seven hour-long Honeymooners specials, 1970-78.
Audrey Meadows was perfect as Alice. Pert Kelton was much too shrill and argumentative. Judge for yourself:
The first Honeymooners sketch featured Gleason as Ralph Kramden, Pert Kelton as his wife Alice and Art Carney as a police officer. Ralph is irate that he has no bread to go with his dinner. An argument ensues and Alice throws Ralph's dinner, the breadbox and a can of flour out the window. The flour lands on the policeman and he is not happy. Beginning with the fourth Honeymooners sketch, Carney played upstairs neighbor Ed Norton. Elaine Stritch played his wife Trixie in only that one sketch and was replaced by Joyce Randolph. Beginning with the 27th sketch, Pert Kelton was replaced by Audrey Meadows.
Thirty-nine episodes of The Honeymooners as a half-hour sitcom aired in 1955-56. Gleason, believing his writers couldn't come up with another 39 good storylines, walked away from a contract to do a second season. One hundred eighty-one Honeymooners sketches aired during The Jackie Gleason Show, which ran from 1952 to 1955 and from 1956 to 1970. (It was titled American Scene Magazine from 1962 to 1966.) Beginning in 1966, Alice was played by Sheila MacRae and Trixie was played by Jane Kean. There were seven hour-long Honeymooners specials, 1970-78.
Audrey Meadows was perfect as Alice. Pert Kelton was much too shrill and argumentative. Judge for yourself:
