The Jackie Gleason Show

They don't do TV like this anymore. No. Seriously. That was not meant as a cliché. They literally don't do TV like this anymore. And that is in spite of the fact that much of what Gleason developed in the course of this show has been borrowed, copied, and shamelessly imitated by hundreds of current writers and producers over the last half-century. No matter whether he won any awards at the time. No matter that, when the show finally went off the air, CBC paid him more money NOT to work anywhere else than had ever been paid before. (Much like when Johnny Carson woke up one day and realized that his show was NBC's largest cash cow, and demanded a new contract, NBC correspondingly paid HIM more than any other "host" had ever seen). Gleason's greatest creation, the Honeymooners, has been spiffed and riffed moreso than any other concept you can think of. The Bugs Bunny people even did an entire cartoon, played by "mice" versions of Gleason and Carney. If you are lucky enough to get a chance to see a Honeymooners episode (many were stripped out and played on their own for years after) you will (or should be) astonished at how much punch the actors got, considering the sets were cardboard and the props were something from a lawn sale. Which is not to take away from Gleason's other talents or even his other creations, like the Poor Soul and the Bartender, but Honeymooners was the top of his craft. At the end of each show, after telling jokes, acting, and dancing, Gleason often needed a towel because he was pouring in sweat. You don't see that anymore today either. If by any chance you only know Gleason from forgettable walk-ons in films like Cannonball Run, and never saw this show, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

WE KIDS OF the Ryan family grew up with Herbert John "Jackie" Gleason. His weekly visits on Saturday evenings were sort of like having a favourite uncle over for dinner. He did very much resemble one of our Dad's Brothers; both in mannerisms and physique; but only slightly so and in a non-exaggerated, non-caricatured version.

THERE IS NO argument that the segment of his weekly variety show that is best remembered today is THE HONEYMOONERS.* Ralph, Alice, Norton and Trixie will always live in the never ending eternity of the rerun channels ("Classic" if you please). But what about the others that are now seemingly either forgotten or unknown to our younger generations.

ON THE WEEKLY show, Mr. Gleason and company presented the viewing public and the lucky Studio Audience with what would easily be considered the equivalent of a new, live and original show every week.** But we came to know Gleason in many other guises than the familiar persona of the quick tempered Brooklyn bus driver, Kramden.

WHILE IT IS certainly a no-brainer that THE HONEYMOONERS indeed was what emerged as his signature production and role, in the beginning it was one of several rotating on going sketches that had continuity of characters and storyline. Those "Forgotten" characters having series within the series of THE JACKIE GLEASON SHOW were:

REGINALD VAN GLEASON, overgrown spoiled rich guy and chronic

inebriate. Stovepipe Hat, Walrus Moustache and loud, brash

behavior.

RUDY THE REPAIRMAN, general purpose handyman and bumbling craftsman

who worked with a midget assistant ("Whitey"), who spoke gibberish

only, but always understood 'Rudy.'

JOE THE BARTENDER, which Gleason did as a solo monologue with the

subjective camera's eye portraying the unseen, unheard bar patron,

Mr. Dennehey.***

THE LOUDMOUTH, Jackie as "Loudmouth" Charlie Bratton, whose

mission in life was to make things miserable for fellow diner

patron, "Clem" (Art Carney). An oft used gag featured the

infirm Carney character's attempting to eat, when Bratton would

invariably enter, slap him on the back with the interrogative of

"What's that slop you're eating, Clem?"

THE POOR SOUL, Gleason's tour de force in characterization.

Playing the skit in pantomime backed up with the well known

instrumental portion of the song "Tenderly", the mishaps

and innocent brushes with the law and other "comic"

situations that always seemed to engulf the Poor Soul

both brought us to laughter and tears simultaneously.

The only adjective applicable here is "Chaplinesque."

STANLEY BABBIT, a well meaning but bumbling sort of a

freelance do-gooder and Nebbish. Spoke in very NYC

specific dialect.

THERE MAY WELL be some other characters that we didn't mention. But if that's true, let us know. We just want the world of today to be made aware of the depth of talent and versatility that Jackie brought to the small screen in those long gone "Paleolithic" days of early television.

NOTE: * THE HONEYMOONERS shows that are shown in perpetuity over so many TV stations are in fact segments culled from THE JACKIE GLEASON SHOW and originally went out live.

NOTE ** This live, original format was also true of YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS (Sid Ceasar), TEXACO STAR THEATER (Milton Berle), THE RED SKELTON SHOW (Richard Skelton) and dramas such as CLIMAX, PLAYHOUSE 90 and WESTINGHOUSE STUDIO ONE.

NOTE *** Although we enjoyed Gleason's teaming with Frank Fontaine's "Crazy Googenheim" character in the 1960's American SCENE MAGAZINE/JACKIE GLESASON SHOW, the character originated as a monologue/one man show with only "Joe" appearing.

And now it's been 60 years, more or less, since the peak of the Jackie Gleason Show. I don't know how many geezers in 1954 pined for the good old days of Harrigan & Hart, and it seems odd that the present day senior citizens cackle at their memories of Jackie Gleason. In 1954, there was no videotape of the 1890s which the old folks could refer to for a cold splash of reality and maybe put an end to their babbling. But now there is a filmed record of the early 1950s TV shows of Gleason, Jimmy Durante, the Ritz Brothers, Eddie Cantor, Milton Berle et al, and you can watch most of them on Youtube. Painfully dumb is the only way to describe most of it. I just finished watching a 1951 clip featuring Reggie van Gleason, III. The Three Stooges are high art in comparison.

If I could reach into a barrel of all of Gleason's skits and pull some out at random to create a complete show, I would find:

At the top of the show, he recites verbatim the Mutt & Jeff cartoon from the previous Sunday funnies.

Ralph: One of these days Alice, Pow! right in the kisser.

Charlie Bratton: Hey Clem, what's that slop you're eating? Clem: Some day I'm going to kill that man.

Fenwick Babbit unbuttons and rebuttons a sweater with about 30 buttons and says "You're a nice man".

Reggie: Mmm boy are you fat.

Stanley Sogg: Tonight's movie is brought to you by Mother Fletcher.

Weirdo: I'm with you. Jackie: Oh no you're not!

I can't find any Rudy the Repairman quotes and you needn't look for any on my account. This show may have been a landmark of early television but it has very little entertainment value today.

For all the love people have (myself included) for 'The Honeymooners', it's indisputable that some of Gleason's antics as Ralph Kramden are no longer viewed in the way they were then. So I tip the hat to the overall creativeness and gifted performances by the cast and people behind the camera. Minor roles were often filled by fine actors. I was even impressed with little Ralph Robertson, the boy who played Tommy in "Hero"-the kid was a completely natural talent. Along with Carney, Gleason, et al, he fit right in.

Having watched "The Honeymooners" enthusiastically with the rest of America during The Golden Age of Television in the 1950s, revisiting it in 2020 is not so enjoyable. Jackie Gleason, long celebrated as a comedic great, well, here, his Ralph Kramden character hasn't aged well. What was funny, even hilarious 60 plus years ago is today too often offensive. The antics of Ralph Kramden significantly tag him as more repulsive than engaging. Of course, this program needs to be evaluated in the context of the era in which it was presented. For it's time, one of cultural standards and values differing greatly from today, it's popularity during its heyday can be understood. For a 21st century viewer it can rub you the wrong way, enjoyable only with the understanding that it's an entertainment relic from times long past.