Now Performing in the Red Skelton Tribute Theater 167 East Wears Valley Road Suite #17 (Shops of Pigeon Forge) Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners is an American situation comedy television show, based on a recurring 1951–'55 sketch of the same name.
It debuted as a half-hour series on October 1, 1955. Although initially a ratings success — becoming the #2 show in the United States its first season — it faced stiff competition from the Perry Como Show, and eventually dropped to #19, ending its production after only 39 episodes (now referred to as the "Classic 39"). The final episode of The Honeymooners aired on September 22, 1956.
Cast of Characters:
Ralph Kramden - Played by Jackie Gleason; a bus driver for the fictional Gotham Bus Company. He is never seen driving a bus, but is shown multiple times at the bus depot.
Ralph is very short tempered, frequently resorting to bellowing, insults and hollow threats. Well hidden beneath the many layers of bluster however, is a soft-hearted man who loves his wife and is devoted to his best pal.
Alice Kramden - played in the first seven episodes by Pert Kelton and by Audrey Meadows throughout the "classic 39", is Ralph's patient but sharp-tongued wife of roughly 15 years. She often finds herself bearing the brunt of Ralph's insults, which she returns with biting sarcasm.
Ed Norton - Played by Art Carney; a New York City 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 his own wife) often gets mixed up in Ralph's schemes, and 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.
Thelma "Trixie" Norton - Played by Joyce Randolph; Ed's wife and Alice's best friend. She did not appear on every episode and had a less developed character, though she is shown to be bossy towards her husband.
In one episode she is depicted as a pool hustler. On another episode, Ralph insults Trixie by making a reference to Minsky's, a burlesque theatre. Trixie was an ex burlesque dancer.
The Apartment House - The Kramdens and Nortons lived in an apartment house at 328 Chauncey St, in Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY.
The following is a listing of known Honeymooners sketches that aired during the 1951-1952 season of Cavalcade of Stars on the DuMont network.
01 "Bread" October 5, 1951 - In this very first Honeymooners sketch, Alice (Pert Kelton) fights with Ralph (Jackie Gleason), who refuses to go out to buy bread. Art Carney appears as a policeman.
02 "Razor Blades" October 12, 1951 - Ralph and Alice fight after he accuses her of taking his razor blades.
03 "Supermarket Shopping (Alice's Anniversary)" October 19, 1951 - Lost episode. No summary available.
04 "The New Television Set" November 2, 1951 - The Nortons come down to the Kramdens' apartment to watch the new television set Alice has purchased. This sketch marks the debut of Ed and Trixie Norton, played by Art Carney and Elaine Stritch.
05 "Ralph Threatens to Leave" - November 16, 1951 Ralph doesn't like the "vegetable meat loaf" Alice has prepared for his dinner and starts an argument.
06 "Alice and Ralph Get Dressed for a Date Last Night" - November 30, 1951 The Kramdens hurry to get dressed in time for a night out with the Nortons. Art Carney appears briefly as Norton during an exchange in which Ralph refers to the unseen Mrs. Norton as "Millie."
07 "The Ring Salesman" - December 7, 1951 Alice sees a jeweler about buying a ring for Ralph, who thinks she's having an affair. Joyce Randolph takes over as Trixie Norton.
08 "The Quiz Show" - December 14, 1951 Ralph blames Alice for giving an incorrect answer on a radio quiz show, preventing them from winning the jackpot prize.
09 "Christmas Party" - December 21, 1951, In this last surviving DuMont Honeymooners sketch, several of Gleason's stock characters make an appearance at the Kramdens' Christmas party while Ralph is out buying potato salad.
10 "Alice's Sister Argues With her Husband" - January 4, 1952 Lost episode. No summary available.
11 "Alice Finds a Dog" - February 1, 1952 Lost episode. No summary available.
12 "Cold" - February 8, 1952 Lost episode. Presumably an early version of the sketch performed on The Jackie Gleason Show.
13 "Surprise Party" - April 4, 1952 Lost episode. No summary available.
14 "Easter Hats" - April 11, 1952 Lost episode. Presumably an early version of the sketch performed on The Jackie Gleason Show.
15 "Manager of the Baseball Team" - May 16, 1952 Lost episode. Presumably an early version of the sketch performed twice on The Jackie Gleason Show.
16 "Vacation Plans (Vacation at Fred's Landing)" - May 30, 1952 Lost episode. Presumably an early version of the sketch performed twice on The Jackie Gleason Show.
17 "Bus Drivers' Frolics (Alice Plays the Trombone)" - 1952 Lost episode. No summary available.
18 "The Mystery Novel" - 1952 Lost episode. No summary available.
19 "The Expectant Father (Alice Knitting Sweater for Dog)" - 1952 Lost episode. No summary available.
20 "The Driving Lesson" - 1952 Lost episode. No summary available.
21 "Meat Substitute" - 1952 Lost episode. No summary available.
22 "Spring Cleaning" - 1952 Lost episode. No summary available. the honeymoons
23 "The Home Run Ball" - 1952 Lost episode. No summary available.
Toast of the Town (a.k.a. The Ed Sullivan Show): 1952
The following is a listing of the two Honeymooners sketches performed on Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town on CBS in the spring of 1952.
01 "Ring Salesman" - March 30, 1952 This sketch had been performed on Cavalcade of Stars on December 1, 1951. This second version was mistakenly included on MPI's 2011 DVD set "The Honeymooners Lost Episodes: The Complete Restored Series" as a recently discovered sketch from Cavalcade of Stars.
02 "Alice and Ralph Get Dressed for a Date Last Night" - May 4, 1952This sketch had been performed on Cavalcade of Stars on November 30, 1951.
Chances are if you remember the original episodes of the Honeymooners, than you probably remember the Red Skelton Show.
Next time you are visiting Pigeon Forge, or you have friends that are coming to town, please check out the afternoon show paying tribute to America's favorite clown, Red Skelton.
CLICK HERE or on the SHOW SCHEDULE link listed above to make reservations to see this great tribute.
