"The Honeymooners" (1955) TV series 1955-1956

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

1 October 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

A bus driver and his sewer worker friend struggle to strike it rich while their wives look on with weary patience.

Plot Keywords:

Sewer | Bus Driver | Famous Opening Theme | Money Scheme | Neighbor

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 7 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Dec. 21	1:00 AM	CW	'Twas the Night Before Christmas	#1.13
Mon. Dec. 28	1:00 AM	CW

Cast

Jackie Gleason	...	Ralph Kramden (39 episodes, 1955-1956)
Art Carney	...	Ed Norton (39 episodes, 1955-1956)
Audrey Meadows	...	Alice Kramden (39 episodes, 1955-1956)
Joyce Randolph	...	Trixie Norton (36 episodes, 1955-1956)

Runtime:

30 min (39 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Adelphi Theatre, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Jackie Gleason Enterprises

Trivia:

On 11 August 2009 the US Postal Service issued a pane of twenty 44¢ commemorative postage stamps honoring early USA television programs. A booklet with 20 picture postal cards was also issued. The stamp honoring "The Honeymooners" has a picture of stars Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden and Art Carney as his friend and neighbor Ed Norton. Other shows honored in the Early TV Memories issue were: "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet" (1952), "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955), "The Dinah Shore Show" (1951), "Dragnet" (1951), "The Ed Sullivan Show" (originally titled "Toast of the Town" (1948)), "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show" (1950), "Hopalong Cassidy" (1952), "The Howdy Doody Show" (original title: "Puppet Playhouse" (1947)), "I Love Lucy" (1951), "Kukla, Fran and Ollie" (1947), "Lassie" (1954), "The Lone Ranger" (1949), "Perry Mason" (1957), "The Phil Silvers Show" (1955), "The Red Skelton Show" (1951), "Texaco Star Theater" (titled "The Milton Berle Show" (1948), 1954-1956), The Tonight Show (which began as "Tonight!" (1953)), "The Twilight Zone" (1959), and "You Bet Your Life" (1950).

Goofs:

Continuity: The background in the Kramden's window changes. Sometimes there are windows and fire escapes. Other times the fire escapes aren't there. This happens within episodes, not just from one episode to another.

Quotes:

Ralph: Hamana-hamana-hamana-hamana.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Space Mutiny (#9.20)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

You're My Greatest Love

"Bang! Zoom! Straight to Da Moon!"

In the lower-class section of New York lives the Kramden family: Ralph and wife Alice. Upstairs are their neighbors and good friends Trixie and Ed Norton. Ralph works as a bus driver while Ed is a sewer worker. Alice and Trixie are homemakers. One thing's for sure: Alice is tough. She would never call Ralph "sir". Whenever Ralph would rant and rave and threaten to punch her to the moon, she isn't the tiniest bit offended.

Ralph and Ed always dabble into "get rich quick" schemes and all of them seem to back fire. Like the one where Alice takes in a dog, unbeknownst to Ralph, who eats a mysterious meat from the refrigerator. Not knowing it's dog food, he tries to market the stuff. Once he finds out it's dog food, he goes ballistic. Or how about the episode where Ralph thinks somebody is stalking him? He sees a painter on the fire escape, and it takes a minute or two to sink in, then he freaks out. Funny!! Remember the one where Alice goes out to get a job and Ralph stays home to tend to the house, due to the bus depot was laying off employees for the week.

The Honeymooners started as a segment on The Jackie Gleason Show, but then became a TV smash-hit! Jackie Gleason plays Ralph Kramden, Art Carney is Ed Norton, Audrey Meadows is Alice and Joyce Randolph is Trixie. Trixie wasn't as major of a character as Ralph, Ed and Alice. She wasn't always in every episode. Sadly, Jackie Gleason is no longer with us, but Carney, Meadows and Randolph are still around, appearing on talk shows, sharing what they remember about The Honeymooners.

In 1960, The Honeymooners inspired The Flintstones! Fred and Barney behave just like Ralph and Norton, whom I think were derivative from Laurel & Hardy, two other very funny guys! Honeymooners begat The Flintstones and The Flinstones, apparently, begat The Simpsons and The Simpsons begat many, many comedies we see today. Honeymooners, much like I Love Lucy and Father Knows Best, will forever live on in reruns, and in our memories.

Memorable quotes: Ralph: "Norton, you're a mental patient!" Norton: "Ralphie boy, you're a nut." Ralph: "Ooh, Alice, one of these days: bang! Zoom! Straight to the moon!"

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