The Jackie Gleason Show

The talent of Jackie Gleason and Art Carney made for an awesome chemistry on stage/screen. Anyone who can't see that should envy bats. "The Great One" has not only secured his rightful place in the history of show business but also in the hearts of millions of his fans for all time!!

I was in the vocal group through the entire run, some variety and all Honeymooners shows. The only ones rerun were the first season in which they win a trip around the world. Twentieth Century Fox paid the rerun checks on those. The Poor Soul's Christmas was rerun all over the place. The word I have is that ownership of the rest of the tapes (we did, I think, something like 49 shows all together) cannot be proved, and so none of those shows can ever be shown. I'd give a great deal to experience them again. To my knowledge, only one or two of the orchestra are still living--my husband was lead trumpet. Most of the singers and dancers are still around. Marilyn Taylor was NOT around these shows. She and Jackie got together again later.

This show was Jackie Gleason just doing what came natural to him. Enjoying himself and making people laugh. His portrayal of several different regular characters, all of whom were as memorable as Ralph Kramden, were all portrayed flawlessly. Frank Fontaine's songs were an added treasure! It seems unlikely to hit the airwaves again, so one can only hope that the shows are released on DVD.

If one would likes to see how a husband should treat his wife and how his wife reacts to his ways, this is the show, no matter how bad this turn out, they always fix it at the end on the day. I hope we can have more of there shows aired to let us know how in a funny way to deal with regular lives problems we face today with couples. I know that cleaning is a very hard work. This reminds me on the Honeymooner (1966-1970), they had an episode on the wives at work, Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) told his wife that she did not work and that he was the bread maker in the house. Alice Kramden (Sheila MacRae) said, "A women's work is never done from sun up to sun down" and that is so true. While the husband was working outside she did the work at home and when he got home she still worked on taking care of him. Thank You!

It's the color honeymooners as the good life channel calls them and thank you good life, for bringing them back.

If it looks like the great one is resting on his laurels, so be it. He deserves it. Where the '50s version of the honeymooners was hysterical and gritty, the late '60s version emphasizes Miami (ad nausea - it still tickles me tho since i grew up in ft. Lauderdale in the '60s-'70s.), color, a large budget and awesome musical numbers. The comedy is still funny in fact even sidesplitting from time to time, but in this version, it seems to be all about CHARM as opposed to innovative comedy. Sure, Gleason and Carney are a TEAM and a delightful team, like going over to a favorite uncle at thanksgiving. It's a team that has paid their dues and now are reaping the rewards and just relaxing and having fun. THere's nothing wrong with that. IT's just not as funny and innovative as these episode are remakes of the '50s episodes which was where the innovation was.

THe composers of the songs can stand proud of their accomplishment at writing a damn fine musical a week (or every other maybe?) and their creations can stand along side anything on Broadway at the time or even now. Perhaps there can be a musical review on stage featuring these great songs. I especially love the song from the Italy episode which Sheila mccrae sings with a Italian boy. what a beautiful song.

Mccrae and Jane Kean are always criticized for not being the beloved Audrey Meadows (or Pert Kelton for that matter. I saw one extremely rare Dumont show where she played Alice. she was truly frightening.) and Joyce Randolph. But Sheila and Jane are top notch singers and I love the hear them belt out Alice's and Trixie's songs. It's funny because I can't picture Sheila and Jane in the old '50s show just like i can't picture Audrey and Joyce in the '60s show. Gleason and Carney aren't singers at all, but they can sure put over a great song nonetheless. There are no comparisons.

THe only thing i find regrettable is that good life TV is only showing honeymooner episodes and there are only 40 of these hour long color musicals. I wish they would show the other non-honeymooners episodes. And now that I live in a city where I cant get good life TV, I wish someone would come out with an authorized DVD of four complete seasons of the Jackie Gleason show from Miami.

But thank you good life TV for bringing back great Saturday night TV and a heck of a lot of charm and class.