In 1966, Jackie Gleason's television variety show added a new hour-long sketch that reintroduced audiences to one of America's favorite families--the Kramdens and their neighbors the Nortons, whom Gleason immortalized as The Honeymooners in the 1950s, first on his variety series, and as its own program. For this all-color incarnation, Gleason reunited with Art Carney as pal Ed Norton, while Sheila MacRae and Jane Kean were the new Alice and Trixie, respectively. The Color Honeymooners also added musical numbers to the sketches, but aside from these new features, it was the same old Honeymooners, as seen in this four-disc set, which preserves the nine-episode "Trip to Europe" story arc. It's actually a revised version of the "Box Top Kid" sketch from The Jackie Gleason Show circa '56-57, which finds Ralph consumed with contest fever after his brother-in-law wins an all-expenses-paid trip to Europe through a write-in contest. After Norton pens a slogan for Flakey Wakey, Ralph is granted first prize--but must first prove that he's lost weight from eating the product. This spins into an eight-part story which takes the Kramdens and Nortons to Europe, where they cause havoc in the great cities of the Continent, as well as on an African safari. The sketches are balanced out by a number of musical bits, including performances by the June Taylor Dancers, the Glea Girls, and other regulars and guests.
The real
question for Honeymooners fans is: do the color
episodes hold up when compared to the originals? And the
answer is, in a way, no: Gleason and Carney are older and a
bit slower in regard to timing and performance, and MacRae
and Kean, while pleasant, can't touch Audrey Meadows and
Joyce Randolph as Alice and Trixie. And the musical and
production numbers, while eye-catching, weigh down the humor
at the core of the sketches. But there's still plenty of
chemistry between Gleason and Carney in their best-loved
roles, and if you're a die-hard Honeymooners/Gleason
fan, you'll probably want to add these episodes to your
collection. The four-disc set includes all nine unedited
episodes from the story arc, as well as the featurette "The
Great Gleason Express," which chronicles the star's process
of moving his show from New York to Miami Beach ("the sun
and fun capital of the world," lest you've forgotten) via a
lavish train, with plenty of stops along the way to cater to
his fans. The featurette is rounded out by an interview with
Gleason's widow, Marilyn Taylor Gleason. --Paul Gaita
Product Description
The Color Honeymooners (a/k/a The Jackie Gleason Show), a
top-rated comedy/variety program aired, "from the sun and
fun capital of the world – Miami Beach!" on Saturday night
from 1966-70 on CBS-TV. This long-running series marked the
final weekly TV show for "The Great One." Reprising their
famous characters from The Honeymooners, the cast was led by
Jackie Gleason (Ralph Kramden) and Art Carney (Ed Norton).
Newcomers Sheila MacRae and Jane Kean played long-suffering
wives Alice and Trixie. Like popular variety series of the
time, the show’s format was a clever combination of new
comedy sketches coupled with classic Honeymooners bits.
Plenty of big name guest stars and a generous helping of
singing and dancing rounded out the hour. Regulars included
Gleason’s glamorous Glea-Girls; the June Taylor Dancers;
Sammy Spear and His Orchestra, and announcer, Johnny Olson.
This 4-disc boxed set includes 10 episodes and bonus
features: In 25 Words or Less, Ship of Fools, Poor People of
Paris, Confusion, Italian Style, Curse of the Kramdens, The
Mod Couple, You’re in the Picture, We Spy, Petticoat Jungle,
Mexican Hat Trick
